SOURCE: "Wilhelm Tell," in Interpreting Schiller: A Study of Four Plays, The Duchy Press, 1986, pp. 1-37.

In the following essay, Miller explores the tension in the play between the peaceful idyll and use of force to obtain freedom from oppression, and he defends the idealist Tell against criticisms from an anti-idealist/ existential reading of the play.

There is in [Wilhelm Tell] a certain underlying tension between two ideals. The curtain rises to the peaceful call of Alpine cowherds and the "harmonious" tinkling of cow-bells, and there is a similar peaceful atmosphere at the end of the play. This tranquil mood reflects the ideal of peace and harmony which is the basis of the moral and religious faith of the Swiss people. Here it is appropriate to refer to the idea of the "idyllic", which Schiller explains as follows. "Der Begriff dieser Idylle ist der Begriff eines völlig...