SOURCE: "Gessler and Tell: Psychological Patterns in Schiller's Wilhelm Tell," in Modern Language Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 1, March, 1958, pp. 60-70.

In the following essay, Plant explores the psychological pattern of Gessler as a jealously competitive arch-villain, and that of Tell as a restless, lone hunter.

During the last twenty years more and more attempts have been made to reappraise Schiller's contributions to philosophy, poetry, and drama. Because his plays and many of his poems had achieved the dangerous distinction of being considered reading matter fit for the high school level, the reappraisal came close to a rescue.¹ In 1955 several valuable studies were published to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his death.² Some continued and elaborated the trends of earlier essays, often defending traditional positions; others ventured to strike out into new territory. As "traditional" we want to define here the many exegeses of the Kantian-transcendental school which, to put...