In nature, too, various forces are at work. When Melcthal answers that there are no traitors amongst the Swiss, Rodolphe has him arrested and orders his men to raze the village. He presses the villagers to name Leuthold’s rescuer, threatening them with the death penalty. Rodolphe, the captain of Gesler’s guard, looks on impotently. But Tell, a skilled and intrepid oarsman, is willing to brave the storm and bring his compatriot to safety. His only recourse is to flee to the far side of the lake, but Ruodi refuses to take him there, as a storm is brewing. The festive mood is disrupted by the entrance of Leuthold: he has killed an Austrian soldier who tried to abduct his daughter, and is now being pursued by Gesler’s troops. While Jemmy is hailed as the champion archer, Arnold slips away in search of Mathilde. For the villagers, this happy day is a welcome respite from their miserable existence. Melcthal presides over the marriage ceremony. As Gesler’s arrival is announced, Arnold is won over by Tell’s revolutionary élan and the two men swear to overthrow the tyrant. Tell notices his friend’s dilemma and tries to persuade him that fighting for his country’s freedom is the only true choice. Arnold has saved her from an avalanche and is now torn between his budding love for Mathilde and loyalty to his fatherland. His son Arnold cannot participate in the festivities, as he is in love with the Habsburg princess Mathilde, who is part of the cruel governor Gesler’s entourage. Tell’s wife Hedwige and his son Jemmy greet the elder Melcthal, who is to bless the couples. While the fishermen Ruodi flirts with his sweetheart, Guillaume Tell muses on the political situation in his fatherland, which is suffering under the Habsburg occupation. In Bürglen, on the shore of Lake Lucerne, the townspeople are preparing to celebrate the wedding of three couples.
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