'William Tell' is Schiller's last completed drama and brings a utopia to the stage: the reconciliation of individual interests and those of society. The historical backdrop is the Swiss struggle for independence against the Habsburgs in the 13th century, from which the famous Tell legend originates. William Tell refuses to acknowledge Habsburg supremacy, seeing himself primarily as a lone fighter who only advocates for the common good in certain situations. It is only after the legendary apple shot scene and his subsequent imprisonment and escape that Tell, beyond his personal quest for revenge, fights for the self-determined life of the Swiss people.