William Tell by Friedrich Schiller
**William Tell by Friedrich Schiller Overview**
"William Tell" is a renowned drama written by Friedrich Schiller, first performed in 1804. The play is set in the Swiss cantons during the oppressive rule of Governor Hermann Gessler, detailing the struggle of the Swiss people against tyranny. Central to the narrative is the legendary figure of William Tell, a skilled marksman and symbol of heroism and resistance. The story opens with a villager, Conrad Baumgarten, fleeing from Gessler’s soldiers after a violent confrontation related to the governor's abusive actions. Tell, witnessing the oppression, becomes embroiled in a direct confrontation with Gessler after being forced to shoot an apple from his son’s head.
As the plot unfolds, themes of freedom, rebellion, and sacrifice emerge, culminating in Tell's assassination of Gessler in defense of his people. The play intertwines personal and political narratives, showcasing the rallying of the Swiss against their oppressor and leading to a broader revolt. "William Tell" not only serves as a reflection of the desire for freedom but also explores the moral complexities surrounding resistance and justice. The drama has significant cultural and historical resonance, particularly in discussions of national identity and the archetype of the hero in the face of tyranny.
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William Tell by Friedrich Schiller
First produced:Wilhelm Tell, 1804; first published, 1804 (English translation, 1841)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Historical
Time of plot: Fifteenth century
Locale: Switzerland
Principal characters
William Tell , an Alpine hunterWalter Tell , his sonWalter Fürst , his father-in-lawHermann Gessler , the Austrian governor of the Swiss Forest CantonsJohn Parricida , a Habsburg nobleman and an assassinWerner, the baron of Attinghausen , a Swiss noblemanUlrich von Rudenz , his nephewBertha von Bruneck , a wealthy heirConrad Baumgarten , a villager accused of murder
The Story:
A storm is rising on Lake Lucerne. The ferryman makes his boat fast to the shore as villager Conrad Baumgarten rushes up, pursued by the soldiers of the tyrannous governor, Hermann Gessler. He implores the ferryman to take him across the lake to safety. The crowd asks why he is being pursued. Baumgarten tells them that the seneschal of the castle had entered his house, demanded a bath, and started taking liberties with Baumgarten’s wife. She escaped and ran to her husband in the forest, whereupon Baumgarten returned home and, while the seneschal was in the bath, split his skull with his ax. Baumgarten must now flee the country.
The sympathies of the common people are with Baumgarten, and they beg the ferryman to take him across the now stormy lake. The ferryman, afraid, refuses to do so. The hunter William Tell hears Baumgarten’s story. Tell, the only person in the crowd with the courage to steer the boat in a tempest, makes preparations to take the fugitive across the lake. As they cast off, soldiers thunder up. When the soldiers see their prey escaping, they take revenge on the peasants, killing their sheep and burning their cottages.
The Swiss are greatly troubled because the emperor of Austria has sent Gessler to rule as viceroy over the three cantons around Lake Lucerne. Gessler, a second-born noble son without land or fortune, is envious of the prosperity and the independent bearing of the people. The Swiss hold their lands in direct fief to the emperor, and the rights and duties of the viceroy are strictly limited. Hoping to break the proud spirit of the people, Gessler places a cap on a pole in a public place and requires that each man bow to the cap.
Gessler’s soldiers come to the farm of an upright farmer and attempt to take from him his best team of oxen. Only when Arnold, the farmer’s son, springs on the men and strikes them with his staff do they release the oxen and leave. Arnold thinks it best to go into hiding. While he is away, the soldiers return to torture his old father and put out his eyes. Arnold joins the outraged Swiss against Gessler. Walter Fürst becomes their leader, and it is agreed that ten men from the three cantons will meet and plan the overthrow of the viceroy.
At the mansion of the nobleman Werner, the baron of Attinghausen, the common people and their lord gather for a morning cup of friendship. Old Werner is happy to drink with his men, but his nephew, Ulrich von Rudenz, refuses, for he is drawn to the Austrian rulers and feels no bond to free Switzerland. Werner upbraids Ulrich for being a turncoat and accuses him of turning to Austria because he is in love with the wealthy heir Bertha von Bruneck.
The representatives of the people of the three cantons meet secretly at night in a forest clearing. Tell is not among them. Some of the more fiery members are in favor of an immediate uprising, but the cooler heads follow Fürst and vote to wait until Christmas, when by tradition all the peasants will be present in the castle.
Ulrich at last declares his love for Bertha. She, a true Swiss at heart, spurns him for his loyalty to Austria.
Tell and his sons happen to pass by the hated cap. When Tell pays no attention to the authority symbol, he is arrested by two guards who try to bind him and lead him to prison. Although Fürst arrives and offers bail for his son-in-law, the law-abiding Tell submits to his captors. He is being led away when Gessler rides by.
Gessler orders an apple placed on the head of Tell’s son, Walter, and commands Tell to shoot the apple from his son’s head. Tell protests in vain. Ulrich courageously defies Gessler and hotly opposes the tyrant’s order, but Gessler is unmoved. In the uproar, Tell takes out two arrows, fits one to his crossbow, and neatly pierces the apple.
While the crowd rejoices, Gessler asks Tell why he has taken out two arrows. Tell refuses to answer until Gessler promises not to punish him no matter what the reply might be. Tell then boldly declares that if he had missed the apple and hurt his son, he would have killed Gessler with the second arrow. Infuriated, Gessler orders Tell led away to life imprisonment in a dungeon.
Tell is chained and put on a boat for Gessler’s castle. Gessler goes along to gloat over his victim. Again a terrifying storm arises. Fearing for his life, Gessler has Tell unbound and made helmsman. Tell watches for his chance and steers the boat close to shore, springing to safety on a rocky ledge.
In the evening, Tell positions himself on an outcropping in a pass he knows Gessler must pass through if he is to escape the fury of the storm. Beneath Tell’s hiding place, a poor woman and her children wait for Gessler. Her husband is in prison for a minor offense, and she intends to appeal to Gessler for clemency. At last, Gessler approaches with his entourage. The woman blocks his way and appeals in vain for mercy. Tell waits long enough to hear her plea denied and to hear that Gessler plans to ride the woman down; he then pierces the breast of the tyrant with an arrow from his crossbow. Tell announces to the gathered people that he is Gessler’s killer, then disappears into the forest.
The people had hoped that Werner would lead them in their revolt, but he is on his deathbed. He dies before he can pass the leadership to Ulrich, but when his nephew arrives, the assembled peasants acknowledge him as their leader, finding him to be a loyal Swiss after all—the more so as the Austrians have abducted Bertha. At last, the three cantons rise up against the harsh Austrian rule, and Ulrich rescues Bertha.
At the height of the revolt, news comes that the emperor has been assassinated. Duke John Parricida of Austria, his nephew, has struck down the emperor for being robbed of his estates. John seeks refuge with Tell, but the forester refuses, considering himself a soldier for freedom, not a murderer. His natural humanity, however, keeps him from exposing John, and the duke leaves for Italy.
Tell puts away his crossbow for good when the announcement comes that the count of Luxembourg had been elected emperor. The cantons look forward to peaceful days. Bertha gives her hand freely to Ulrich, and both pledge to be proud and determined Swiss husband and wife.
Bibliography
Graham, Ilse. Schiller’s Drama: Talent and Integrity. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1974. A serious study of Schiller that gives a reading and explanation of William Tell; many quotations are in German. Concentrates on symbolism and the character of William Tell as archetypal hero.
Kerry, Paul E., ed. Friedrich Schiller: Playwright, Poet, Philosopher, Historian. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. A collection of essays examining Schiller’s various vocations, including historian and prose writer. Examines the status of his work two centuries after his death.
Martinson, Steven D., ed. A Companion to the Works of Friedrich Schiller. Rochester, N.Y.: Camden House, 2005. Essays include discussions of Schiller’s philosophical aesthetics, lyric poetry, reception in the twentieth century, and relevance to the twenty-first century. One chapter analyzes William Tell.
Richards, David B. “Tell in the Dock: Forensic Rhetoric in the Monologue and Parricida-Scene in Wilhelm Tell.” German Quarterly 48 (1975): 472-486. A compelling critical exegesis of the final act of William Tell. Calls Tell to account for his assassination.
Ryder, Frank G. “Schiller’s Tell and the Cause of Freedom.” German Quarterly 48 (1975): 487-504. A good article outlining the cause of freedom for Switzerland and the role of Schiller’s play in the maintenance of the freedoms it expresses.
Sharpe, Lesley. Friedrich Schiller: Drama, Thought, and Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Studies the story from which Schiller borrowed and reinvented the dialogue for William Tell. Compares Schiller with Goethe. Extensive chronology, bibliography, notes, and index to Schiller’s works.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. A National Repertoire: Schiller, Iffland, and the German Stage. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. Examines Schiller’s influence on the German theater of his time. Places his theatrical career in parallel with that of August Wilhelm Iffland, an actor and playwright who eventually produced Schiller’s plays at the Berlin National Theatre. Describes the relationship between Schiller and Goethe as playwrights.
Simons, John D. Friedrich Schiller. Boston: Twayne, 1981. Includes a discussion of Schiller’s aesthetics and examinations of his poetry and dramatic works. Notes Schiller’s research into the Swiss legend of William Tell and analyzes elements of his subsequent drama and its success as a monomyth.
Thomas, Calvin. The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller. 1901. Reprint. New York: AMS Press, 1970. Discusses Schiller’s works in chronological order and in detail. Explains Schiller’s attention to local color and describes the public reception of William Tell. Analyzes the plot and several scenes and characters.
Youngblood, Robert B. “John Parricida: Swabian Prince and Assassin.” In Great Lives from History: Notorious Lives, vol. 1, edited by Carl L. Bankston III. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2007. Furnishes the historical information on Duke John Parricida, his life before he assassinated the Habsburg emperor, a description of the act, and the duke’s end.