The incident is claimed to have happened many years ago when Austria
ruled Switzerland. Walter Fürst, Werner Staufacher, and Arnold of
Melchthal are three representatives that the Swiss people send to
Gessler's Hall of Audience to express their displeasure with taxation.
Tell is courageous, patriotic, adept with a crossbow, and reluctant to
take the reins of leadership, but he agrees to assist if they require
it.Everyone must bow to Gessler when they pass by, and he has an old hat
of his propped up on a pole. Without crossing the meadow, a mob gathers
to hurl eggs and other objects at the guards from a distance. To settle
the conflict, Gessler shoots the hat at the pole.Gessler gives Tell the
directive to shoot an apple from a distance of 100 yards off of his
son's head. Gessler disapproves of Tell because Tell once insulted him
and already despises Tell for shooting the hat. Tell explains that if
his son had been struck by the first arrow, he would have killed Gessler
with the second arrow.Tell shoots his second arrow and kills Gessler.
Tell's pole is preserved as a reminder of the Swiss people's victory in
their uprising against Austrian authority.