Wilhelm TellWhen Schiller completed Wilhelm Tell as a "New Year's Gift for 1805" he foretold that it would cause a stir. He was right. In the midst of Great Power politics a play which drew substance from one of the fourteenth-century liberation movements proved both attractive and inflammatory. Since then the work as become immensely popular. This new English translation by William F. Mainland brings out the essential tragi-comic nature of Wilhelm Tell but also emphasizes its impressive formal unity. Schiller based his play on chronicles of the Swiss liberation movement, in which Wilhelm Tell played a major role. Since Tell's existence has never been proven, Schiller, a historian by profession, felt he had to devise a figure who would bring the uncertainties and contradictions of the various Swiss chronicles into focus. Respected for his courage and skill with a bow, for his peaceable nature and his integrity, Schiller's archer—while always ready to aid his fellows—habitually seeks solitude. In the midst of political turmoil Wilhelm Tell is the nonpolitical man of action. Keenly interested in the problematic interplay of history and legend, Schiller turned it to be dramatic advantage. He constructed his play to illustrate the greatest possible development of the character traits suggested for Tell by the chronicles. The result of Schiller's supreme achievement in historical drama. |
Common terms and phrases
Altdorf ARMGARD arms arrow ATTINGHAUSEN Austria BAUMGARTEN BERTA boat BÜHEL cantons castle confederacy countrymen crossbow dear deed Duke emperor empire enemy eyes father fear FISHER-BOY FISHERMAN Flüelen freedom friends FRIESSHARDT FÜRST Oh GERTRUD GESSLER give governor Habsburg hand hear heart heaven HEDWIG herdsman honor imperial is't JOHANN Johannes von Müller king kneeling KONRAD HUNN KUONI Küssnacht lake Lake Luzern land league LEUTHOLD live lord Luzern master MASTER-MASON MEIER MELCHTHAL MONK mountains Müller murder never noble nought oath Oh father pass peace pity play REDING rock Rossberg RÖSSELMANN RUDENZ RUDOLF DER HARRAS RUODI Rütli SACRISTAN Sarnen scene Schächen Schiller Schwyz seek speak stand STAUFFACHER Stauffacher's storm STÜSSI suffer Swabia Swiss sword TASKMASTER Tell's There's troopers Tschudi Twas tyrants Unterwald Unterwalden Walter Fürst WERNI wife Wilhelm Tell WINKELRIED Wolfenschiessen word Zürich