The paper accounts for two recent and important books on Schiller, law and politics, respectively by Yvonne Nilges ("Schiller und das Recht", 2012) and Maria Carolina Foi ("La giurisdizione delle scene. I drammi politici di Schiller", 2013). Both volumes have the merit of reconstructing the Swabian poet's views on the political and legal literature of his era, by fruitfully relating Schiller's historical and philosophical works to his dramaturgic production. They also cast a powerful light on the twofold nature of modern politics, inspired at the same time by Machiavelli and Kant.