Wilhelm Tell

'William Tell' is Schiller's last completed drama and brings a utopia to the stage: the reconciliation of individual interests and those of society. The historical background is the Swiss struggle for independence against Habsburg in the 13th century, from which the famous Tell legend originates. William Tell refuses to acknowledge Habsburg's supremacy, seeing himself primarily as a lone fighter who only stands up for the common good in certain situations. Only after the legendary apple shot scene and his subsequent imprisonment and escape does Tell advocate, beyond his personal quest for revenge, for a self-determined life for the Swiss people.