From Capture to Counterattack

William Tell (P. G. Wodehouse Edition)

This thread traces William Tell’s passage from public arrest through the storm at sea to his decisive escape and revenge.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Bound for Prison Bound for Prison from "William Tell". Bound for Prison The Governor’s response Hermann Gessler orders William Tell bound after hearing the threat represented by the second arrow.

Bound for Prison from "William Tell". Bound for Prison The Governor’s response Hermann Gessler orders William Tell bound after hearing the threat represented by the second arrow.

Bound for Prison The Governor’s response Hermann Gessler orders William Tell bound after hearing the threat represented by the second arrow. A captive among his people Tell does not resist, and the Swiss people watch helplessly as soldiers take him to the lake. The uprising loses its most capable champion just as it begins to stir.

The Prison Ship The Prison Ship from "William Tell". The Prison Ship A dungeon at sea William Tell is placed in the dark hold of Hermann Gessler’s ship, bound and unarmed.

The Prison Ship from "William Tell". The Prison Ship A dungeon at sea William Tell is placed in the dark hold of Hermann Gessler’s ship, bound and unarmed.

The Prison Ship A dungeon at sea William Tell is placed in the dark hold of Hermann Gessler’s ship, bound and unarmed. Hope narrows He expects imprisonment in Kussnacht and sees drowning as preferable to a life in a lightless cell. His physical confinement deepens the danger without extinguishing his resolve.

The Storm Rises The Storm Rises from "William Tell". The Storm Rises A dangerous lake The ship encounters a sudden storm, and the helmsman cannot guide it through the rocks.

The Storm Rises from "William Tell". The Storm Rises A dangerous lake The ship encounters a sudden storm, and the helmsman cannot guide it through the rocks.

The Storm Rises A dangerous lake The ship encounters a sudden storm, and the helmsman cannot guide it through the rocks. The prisoner is needed With shipwreck approaching, the crew tells Hermann Gessler that William Tell is the one person able to steer them to safety. The crisis briefly makes the captor dependent on his captive.

The Mountain Leap The Mountain Leap from "William Tell". The Mountain Leap A temporary reprieve William Tell steers the ship through the rocks and reaches calmer water, saving the crew from immediate danger.

The Mountain Leap from "William Tell". The Mountain Leap A temporary reprieve William Tell steers the ship through the rocks and reaches calmer water, saving the crew from immediate danger.

The Mountain Leap A temporary reprieve William Tell steers the ship through the rocks and reaches calmer water, saving the crew from immediate danger. A sudden escape When soldiers approach to bind him again, he seizes his crossbow and leaps onto a familiar rock. His knowledge of the landscape turns the Governor’s rescue into an opportunity.

The Arrow Finds Gessler The Arrow Finds Gessler from "William Tell". The Arrow Finds Gessler An old threat fulfilled William Tell fires from the rock, and the arrow strikes Hermann Gessler through the heart.

The Arrow Finds Gessler from "William Tell". The Arrow Finds Gessler An old threat fulfilled William Tell fires from the rock, and the arrow strikes Hermann Gessler through the heart.

The Arrow Finds Gessler An old threat fulfilled William Tell fires from the rock, and the arrow strikes Hermann Gessler through the heart. A change in power The man who had controlled Tell’s body and fate is dead, while Tell has escaped the ship. The act removes the immediate instrument of Austrian oppression and signals a turning point for the country.

After the apple challenge

Early afternoon on the day of the crossing

During the crossing from Fluelen toward Kussnacht

As the ship enters the sheltered bay

Moments after the leap from the ship