The plays and stories of the German author Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811) show a preoccupation with intense feelings and the problems these feelings may cause.

Heinrich von Kleist was born in Frankfurt an der Oder on October 18, 1777. In compliance with family tradition he entered the Prussian army at the age of 15. At 16 he participated in the war against the French Republic. In 1799 he left the army as a second lieutenant and went to study philosophy, mathematics, and political science at the University of Frankfurt. In 1801 he ended his studies and began a period of wandering, visiting various countries. An early "fate tragedy," Die Familie Schroffenstein (The Schroffenstein Family), dates from this time. In 1803 he met the poets J. W. von Goethe and Friedrich von Schiller in Weimar. Between 1805 and 1807 he held a position with the Prussian government in Königsberg but was taken prisoner by the French...