The incident is claimed to have happened many years ago when Austria ruled Switzerland. Walter Fuerst, Werner Staufacher, and Arnold of Melchthal are three representatives that the Swiss people send to Gessler's Hall of Audience to express their displeasure with taxation. Tell is courageous, patriotic, adept with a crossbow, and reluctant to take the reins of leadership, but he agrees to assist if they require it.Everyone must bow to Gessler when they pass by, and he has an old hat of his propped up on a pole. Without crossing the meadow, a mob gathers to hurl eggs and other objects at the guards from a distance. To settle the conflict, Gessler shoots the hat at the pole.Gessler gives Tell the directive to shoot an apple from a distance of 100 yards off of his son's head. Gessler disapproves of Tell because Tell once insulted him and already despises Tell for shooting the hat. Tell explains that if his son had been struck by the first arrow, he would have killed Gessler with the second arrow.Tell shoots his second arrow and kills Gessler. Tell's pole is preserved as a reminder of the Swiss people's victory in their uprising against Austrian authority.