assumption that the narrator is reliable, we accept the validity of the
narrator's assertion that Christian is ugly. The composition of a drama,
the division between dialogue and stage directions, calls into question
Franz' assertions about his ugliness. Nowhere in the text—dialogue or in
the stage directions—does there exist another such reference to his
physical ugliness. He is repeatedly referred to by the other characters as
a Bosewicht, a Scheusal, an Unmensch, and at one point Amalia refers to
Franz as having a Basiliskenanblick (Schiller 1992). Yet the only
indication of any physical ugliness stems from Franz himself. In contrast
to the most well known ugly antagonist of literary history, Shakespeare's
Richard III whom Lessing refers to as "unstreitig das grofite,
abscheulichste Ungeheuer, das jemals die Buhne getragen" (Lessing
1981), very little is said about Franz' physical appearance. His moral
depravity, however, is closely scrutinized. Franz' monologue remains
evidence of nothing more than an expression of his own self-loathing.
Another important difference between Franz and Christian is the
desire for redemption. Like Richard III, Franz exists without morality and
suffers no pangs of regret for slandering his brother Karl, for intended
parricide, or the attempt to force himself on Amalia. He claims: "Mich
werden Gott und Gewissen strafen, wenn es ja einen Gott und Gewissen
gibt" (Schiller 1992). His actions and reactions are intended to inflict the
most pain possible and are utterly unredeemable as is evident in his
speech to Daniel. One could conclude, according to a physiognomic
98