The Adventurous Simplicissimus · Chapter
XIII: How Oliver Conceived That He Could Excuse His Brigand’s Tricks explained
Simplicissimus encounters Oliver, who has become a footpad and robber.
What happens
Simplicissimus encounters Oliver, who has become a footpad and robber. Oliver defends his life of brigandage as a noble trade, arguing that princes and conquerors have historically stolen lands and that his open thievery is no worse than hidden usury or oppression. Simplicissimus counters that robbery violates natural, worldly, and divine laws, but Oliver remains unrepentant. They share a meal at a peasant's cottage where Oliver holds the peasant's family hostage.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the story's dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of Simpl…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Appearance
Oliver openly admits his brigandage but tries to cloak it as a noble trade, while Simplicissimus pretends to trust him for safety.
- Greed and Money
Oliver pursues robbery to fill his purse and justifies it as a profitable enterprise.
- Folly and Wisdom
Simplicissimus sees the folly in Oliver's dangerous life, while Oliver dismisses moral concerns as naive.
- Religion and Morality
Simplicissimus argues that robbery violates God's laws, while Oliver mocks such scruples.
Characters to notice
- Simplicissimus
Meets Oliver again and debates the morality of robbery, holding to natural and divine law.
- Oliver
Now a footpad and robber, he justifies his trade by comparing it to princely conquest and claims it is a noble exercise.
- Ulrich Herzbruder
Mentioned in Oliver's recollection of a prophecy that Simplicissimus would avenge his death.
Key passages
“Out of a thousand fellows you could hardly have found one that would have gone as a guest to an unknown place with one that had even now tried to murder him.”
Almost no one would willingly accompany a man who had just attempted to kill them to an unfamiliar location.
Simplicissimus reflects on the danger of trusting Oliver after their earlier conflict.
“I from a secretary have become a footpad and thou from a fool a brave soldier.”
Oliver notes how their roles have reversed: he went from a clerk to a highwayman, while Simplicissimus went from a fool to a soldier.
Oliver remarks on the strange transformation of both their fortunes.
“Robbery is the most noble exercise that one in these days can find in the world.”
Oliver claims that robbery is the most honorable activity available in the current times.
Oliver's defense of his brigandage as a noble pursuit.
“The pitcher that goes often to the well must break at last.”
Repeated risky behavior will eventually lead to disaster.
Simplicissimus warns Oliver that his luck will run out.
