This 1972 text provides the student of German literature and European drama with a general introduction to Grillparzer's work. Dr Yates begins with a substantial biographical introduction which is one of the most detailed of its kind in any language. He then turns to the writings and introduces them linked by theme, identifying as Grillparzer's finest achievements the series of four dramas completed between 1823 and 1832. He also indicates the virtues characteristic of Grillparzer's work in general: the subtlety of his characterisation, his concern with moral values, the consistent ideals underlying his view of history and the human condition, and the essential theatricality of his drama. Dr Yates quotes freely; quotations from Grillparzer's prose are given in translation, those from the plays and poems are in the original with an English translation at the foot of the page. The aim throughout is to show the reader what is characteristic in the plays.