Wilhelm Tell

Japanese: ウィルヘルム･テル（英語表記）Wilhelm Tell

Schiller's last completed verse play. Written in 1804, it premiered in March of the same year at the Weimar Court Theatre. It is a hymn to the Swiss Confederation's rebellion for independence against the rule of the Habsburgs, and to Tell's heroic deeds and passion for peace. Schiller derived his material from Tschudi's Swiss Chronicle (1734-36) and various Tell legends. The story unfolds as Rütli, the representative of the three Swiss cantons, makes an alliance against the evil magistrate Gessler, Tell shoots down the apple on his child's head with a single arrow, thus repelling Gessler's difficult challenge, Tell assassinates Gessler, and the peasants rise up in revolt. Schiller's excellent portrayals of the scenery and characters, based on his research into Swiss nature, customs, and language, make it into an idyllic and elegant drama of the triumph of freedom for the people.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

シラーの完成した最後の韻文戯曲。1804年作。初演は同年3月ワイマール宮廷劇場。ハプスブルク家の支配に反抗するスイス連邦の独立騒動とテルの英雄的行為と平和への熱情の賛歌で，シラーはこの題材をチューディの《スイス年代記》(1734‐36)と各種のテル伝説から得た。筋は悪代官ゲスラーに対するスイス3州代表のリュートリの同盟，愛児の頭にのせた林檎を一矢で射落とし，ゲスラーの難題をはね返すテル，テルのゲスラー殺害と農民の一斉蜂起と展開するが，シラーはスイスの自然と風俗と言語の研究にもとづくすぐれた情景や人物描写によって，牧歌的で格調の高い民衆の自由の勝利のドラマに仕立て上げた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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