Egmont is a tragedy set in the sixteenth-century Netherlands, then under Spanish rule. Count Egmont is a popular nobleman and soldier, generous and confident, loved by the common people. As the Spanish crown tightens its control and sends a harsh governor, tensions rise and Egmont must decide how far to trust his own good fortune. The play explores freedom, political power and personal courage, and it also shows his tender bond with Klärchen. Beethoven later wrote famous incidental music for it.