Mary Stuart

Schiller's tension-filled verse play Mary Stuart is set during the final days of Mary, the Queen of Scots as she faces the death sentence.

Originally published in 1800, the play depicts its players as crafty and mired in intrigue yet generally sympathetic. Queen Elizabeth defers judgement upon Mary, while Mary herself finds in Mortimer an ally she places her utmost trust in saving her life. Mary's difficulties stem from holding a claim to the English throne; while ostensibly jailed for murdering her husband Darnley, her incarceration is in fact down to political expedience.

Over five acts, we witness the manipulations and complications which the characters vest in. While running for five acts, the play retains an essential and compelling pace, in part thanks to its skillfully penned verse form. In staging a scene wherein Mary meets Queen Elizabeth face-to-face, the play takes some liberties, albeit justified, with history - the two in actuality never met.

This edition contains the classic authoritative English translation by Joseph Mellish, which remains frequently performed in theatres to this day.