The story of william tell

The story of William Tell is one of the myths surrounding the creation of the Swiss Confederation. First mentioned in the White Book of Sarnen, a collection of manuscripts dating from , he became a household name thanks to Friedrich von Schiller's play 'Wilhelm Tell'. This is the story of Switzerland's iconic hero who has been held up as the personification of bravery ever since.

In , the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden swore an oath of allegiance in response to the encroaching authority of the Habsburgs, a powerful imperial family from Austria that dominated swathes of Europe at that time. Committing themselves to the joint defence of the three cantons in the event of attack, they declared their independence in what became known as the Federal Charter.

The signing of this document took place around 1 August, which is why this date was later chosen to mark Swiss National Day. Threatened by this rebellion, the Habsburg bailiffs set out to persecute the local population. One of them, Hermann Gessler, stuck a pole with his hat on it in the village square of Altdorf, Uri's capital. Anyone walking past was obliged to bow before it as a sign of submission.

This was the divisive setting against which the legend of William Tell began. On 18 November , Tell ignored the prominently displayed hat as he walked through the village square, knowing that he was risking his life if his action was reported — which it swiftly was. The following day, Gessler summoned Tell. Gessler was not prepared to excuse Tell's defiance but made a show of generosity by offering him a way out of certain death — by means of an apple.

William tell act

The test was this: to shoot an apple off his son's head. Once the boy had been made to stand in place, Tell took aim with his crossbow and expertly hit the apple without harming a hair on his son's head. Gessler appeared in awe of Tell's skills until he noticed the second crossbow bolt hidden under Tell's clothing and demanded an explanation.