9 Mary Stuart
Friedrich Schiller
Introduction
Mary Stuart (1800) by Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)
Friedrich Schiller was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. He was a contemporary and friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who both wrote as part of the sturm und drang (“storm and stress”) movement of Germany. “Storm and stress” pushed against the “rules” of playwriting of the time. The movement was influenced by Shakespeare and borrowed his approach to episodic structure, mixing genres, and violence on stage. In addition to his plays, one of Schiller’s most important contributions was his book On the Aesthetic Education of Man in a Series of Letters (1794), which is a philosophical look at and response to the French Revolution.
One of Schiller’s most famous and most produced plays is Mary Stuart, which is about the conflict between Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots.
Play Text
NOTE: The translation of MARY STUART is that by the late Joseph Mellish, who appears to have been on terms of intimate friendship with Schiller. His version was made from the prompter’s copy, before the play was published, and, like Coleridge’s Wallenstein, contains many passages not found in the printed edition. These are distinguished by brackets. On the other hand, Mr. Mellish omitted many passages which now form part of the printed drama, all of which are now added. The translation, as a whole, stands out from similar works of the time (1800) in almost as marked a degree as Coleridge’s Wallenstein, and some passages exhibit powers of a high order; a few, however, especially in the earlier scenes, seemed capable of improvement, and these have been revised, but, in deference to the translator, with a sparing hand.
Mary Stuart
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
ELIZABETH, Queen of England.
MARY STUART, Queen of Scots, a Prisoner in England.
ROBERT DUDLEY, Earl of Leicester.
GEORGE TALBOT, Earl of Shrewsbury.
WILLIAM CECIL, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer.
EARL OF KENT. SIR WILLIAM DAVISON, Secretary of State.
SIR AMIAS PAULET, Keeper of MARY.
SIR EDWARD MORTIMER, his Nephew.
COUNT L’AUBESPINE, the French Ambassador.
O’KELLY, Mortimer’s Friend.
COUNT BELLIEVRE, Envoy Extraordinary from France.
SIR DRUE DRURY, another Keeper of
MARY. SIR ANDREW MELVIL, her House Steward.
BURGOYNE, her Physician.
HANNAH KENNEDY, her Nurse.
MARGARET CURL, her Attendant.
Sheriff of the County.
Officer of the Guard.
French and English Lords.
Soldiers.
Servants of State belonging to ELIZABETH.
Servants and Female Attendants of the Queen of Scots.
Mary Stuart
ACT I. SCENE I.
A common apartment in the Castle of Fotheringay.
[HANNAH KENNEDY, contending violently with PAULET, who is about to break open a closet; DRURY with an iron crown.
KENNEDY. How now, sir? what fresh outrage have we here? Back from that cabinet!
PAULET. Whence came the jewel? I know ’twas from an upper chamber thrown; And you would bribe the gardener with your trinkets. A curse on woman’s wiles! In spite of all My strict pre