Classics Illustrated 101 William Tell

A father is forced to make a life-or-death choice by a tyrant. And so William Tell, national hero of Switzerland, enters the realm of legend when he aims his crossbow at the apple placed on his son’s head. The best-loved play by one of the best-loved German authors, William Tell transcends national borders and languages with its universal message of freedom. Friedrich Schiller, who would write the “Ode to Joy” set to music by Beethoven, did not invent the iconic apple-shot scene, but he made it a powerful symbol of the human struggle for dignity and independence.