Mary Stuart By Friedrich Schiller

By Dorothy Cao

Index: Summary|Quotes|Character Analysis|Theme Analysis|Letter to Author|Creative Writing|Literary Connection|Illustration|Bibliography | Quiz

 

Summary

Setting-begins in 1587, in Fotheringhay Castle (where Mary Stuart is held prisoner)

Mood-pathetic, miserable

Main Character

Mary Stuart is the Queen of Scotland. She is bewitching, articulated, and tragic. Because of her ill-advised flight to England, throwing herself on the mercy of her cousin Elizabeth, she found herself held captive, was imprisoned in Fotheringhay Castle during her eventual execution.

Elizabeth is the Queen of England. She is an atrocious and ambitious woman who thinks Mary is a threat to her since Mary was the Catholic heir to the English throne as well as the Scottish Queen.

Robert Dudley is the Earl of Leicester. He is seriously in love with Mary, while at the same time trying selfishly to maintain his position in Elizabeth's favor.

William Cecil is the Lord Burleigh, Lord Treasurer of England. He advises Elizabeth to execute Mary, which he thinks it is a political necessity that helps Elizabeth stays fixed with her regality.

Mortimer is the nephew of Mary's gaoler. He tries to free Mary from the prison. He thinks Mary piteous.

Main Conflicts- During Mary's imprisonment, she was waiting the English court'' decision for her guilt of the murder of her husband, Darnley. Mary Stuart was loathed about it. She thought no one could judge her justly except the kings. For example, in Act I, scene 7, "That no man may be judged but by his peers. There is no one among the Commissaries can be may judge: my peer are kings." Because Mary threats Elizabeth's regality, Elizabeth was vacillating between executing Mary and emancipating her. The conflict between Mary and Elizabeth drove Mary to her death.

The Climax- Mary's meeting with Elizabeth developed into a quarrel at whose climax Mary, provoked beyond endurance, asserted her own claim to Elizabeth's throne in the most forceful terms, taunting the English Queen with her illegitimacy. For example, in Act III, scene 4, "you have behaved unjustly to me, sister, and you have held me like a common captive, I suffer the indignities of want, and made to answer to a shameful charge. You never looked on me but as a stranger and as your enemy. If the right was might, then you would lie before me in the dust, for I, I am you Queen!"

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My Favorite Five Quotations from Mary Stuart

"You go, sir? You are leaving me again, and will not free my fearful, anxious heart of this cruel burden of uncertainty? Your zealous spies have cut me off from the entire world that lies beyond these prison walls." (Act I, Scene 2) This quote expresses Mary's uncertain and dreadful feelings about her future. It also exhibits Mary's ambivalent character, which were fragile and plucky at the later time.

"She can bewitch the mind of any man, and wield the power of a woman's tears." (Act I, Scene 8) This quote describes Mary's beauty. Ironically, her beauty is not a good fortune for her. It is one of the causes of her contretemps.

"The power is hers, and I am weak. So be it! Let her use all her might against me, kill me, sacrifice me for her security." (Act I, Scene 7) This quote depicts Mary's lenient love to Elizabeth.

"Truly I never hated her-but force of circumstance made me her enemy. You know she was intended to be mine; I long for her, and at my own life's risk; I hoped that I might yet possess the Queen of England." (Act II, Scen8) This quote mentions a political marriage between Mary and Leicester was proposed at an early date, but rejected by both parties. On Leicester's part, he hopes to marry Elizabeth. Because of Leicester's avarice, he saves his own skin by denouncing Mortimer and calling for Mary's death at the end.

"…see you keep your word, my lord of Leicester! You promised you would lend you arm to lead me from my prison, and you do so now; farewell, and if you can, be happy now!" (Act V, Scene 9) This quote construes into bitterness, unbecoming of Mary's situation, as an absolved penitent. She punishes Leicester's treachery with tactful method. She doesn't reproach him; she makes him reproaches himself by use these lenient words.

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Character Analysis

Mary Stuart is meek, forgiving, and patriot. These laudable traits, however, drove her to abject tragedy.

When Mary was imprisoned, she didn't take actions to herself to get out from the cell. Mary just complained to the lords that her guilt couldn't be judged by anybody except the kings, who possess the same status as her. Mary thought herself was too weak to confront against Elizabeth, for example: "The power is hers, and I am weak. So be it!" (Act I, Scne7)

Even though Mary was vexed about her prison by Elizabeth, who considers Mary is a threat to her scepter, according to Act III, Scene 4, "…you have done your worse to me, destroyed me in the bloom of life…" because of their cousinship, Mary considered Elizabeth's treatment to her was extenuating. She still wants to rouse Elizabeth's conscience of their close relationship. For example: "But if you had declared me heir to you, as its my right, then gratitude and love had made for me your truest friend and cousin." (Act III, Scene 4)

Unfortunately, Mary's effort went to failure. Elizabeth finally decided to execute Mary. During this crucial moment, she told Burleigh to send her forgiveness to Elizabeth, "…take to the Queen of England the greetings of her sister, say to her, that I forgive her truly for my death…" (Act V, Scene8) Mary also demanded her lover-Leicester to stay with Elizabeth and give her his whole-hearted love! For example, "Go to Elizabeth, give her your love!" (Act V, Scene9)

In conclusion, if Mary turned her dispirited altitude at the beginning of the play that determined her fettered condition until her death. Her characters made her had no ambition and maneuvers to confront against Elizabeth. Eventually, these characters became fatal to Mary.

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Theme Analysis

Throughout history, there were many sanguinary scrambles for regality between kinsfolk. Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller depicts the conflict between Mary and Elizabeth, which is caused by the uncertainty of the kinship. One of the themes of this play is about people's ugly faces when they are facing a threat to their own interests. They will do everything feasible to annihilate the threat; even it its your closest cousin in this case. Some literature elements that author used to describe the theme is characterization, imaginary, and rhymes.

Elizabeth immured her cousin-Mary, because she wanted a fixed queenship. When Mary was bridling, Schiller used imaginary to express her wretched life in the cell. For example: "Imprisoned me within these walls; my friends and servants have been cruelly taken from me." (Act III, Scene 4) "Look at these cold bare walls! O, who could tell that this might be the lodging of a queen? Where is the canopy above her chair? Her feet, accustomed to a softer floor, must tread upon these rough hard common stones; coarse pewter, fit not for the meanest lady, is set upon her table!" (Act I, Scene 1)

When Burleigh announced to Mary that she was condemned by the English court, Schiller used rhyme to carry out and emphasized Elizabeth's abuses to Mary, not only physically but also mentally. Mary displayed her innocence and grievance in the soliloquy at Act I, Scene 7, "What debts of conscience do I owe to England? It is my sacred right to answer force. With force, and seek to break my prison bars, and gather Europe's nations to my cause. Whatever is legitimate in war, and honorable, I may undertake. Murder alone, a secret deed of blood, my conscience an my pride forbid me, for murder would dishonor and degrade me; not make me answerable to you justice, for between me and England it is force!"

Mary's characterization in the play is a wonderful tool to carry out the brutality of Elizabeth. Schiller portrayed Mary as a magnanimous person who condones her cousin's mistreatment to her. "Take to the Queen of England the greetings of her sister. Say to her, that I forgive her truly for my death, and grieve that yesterday I pained her with my hasty words. May God in Heaven preserve he, and grant her years to reign in happiness!" (Act V, Scene8)

In conclusion, what people should act during the conflict between their own interests and relatives' interests is the theme of Mary Stuart . I will adopt the character of Mary's forgiveness and make a great compromise between my interest and my relatives'. By this way, instead of Mary's calamity and Elizabeth's penitent feeling, I will in a rapport with my family.

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A letter to the Friedrich Schiller

Dear Mr. Schiller,

After I finished reading Mary Stuart , I became interested in finding out more about you. I wonder what kind of personal experience you have had in order to achieve this compelling and spectacular play. The play is about the conflict between self interest and others' interests. In "Mary Stuart" , Elizabeth chose to defend her own self-interests. Mary, on the other hand, unfortunately, became a ghost under Elizabeth's ambitious dagger. My favorite part of the pay is Act II, Scene 4. It is the climax of the play which shows a complete exposure of the conflict between Mary and Elizabeth. Mary taunted the English Queen with her illegitimacy, "…the throne of England by a bastard is profaned, the noble-hearted race of Britons by trickster's cunning is deceived and cheated. If right was might, then you would lie before me in the dust, for I, I am your Queen."

Based on other resources, I know that Mortimer is a fictitious character in the play. Why did you create this fictitious character? I've thought about a different ending of the play in which Elizabeth emancipates Mary and they are in camaraderie. But later on, I rejected this idea. I believe that the tragic ending will make people remember this play. I've learn a very significant lesson from Mary Stuart , which is to love you family. Give them your hands when they need help because next time they will pay back with ten billion times more!

Sincerely Yours

Dorothy Cao

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Creative Writing

Mary Stuart's Obscure Death

9 February 1587

Dorothy Cao

M ary Stuart, Queen of Scotland was executed yesterday. Did her judge candor? Why did Queen of England do nothing to rescue her cousin, Mary? Have Lord of Leicester fallen in love with Mary? These are mysteries after Mary's death; unfortunately she brought the answers away eternally. "…the throne of England by a bastard is profaned, by trickster's cunning is deceived and cheated…" These are our reporter, James Mason's discovery who overheard the conversation between Mary and Elizabeth in a park. Does this quote from Mary symbolize Elizabeth is an illegitimate daughter?! Elizabeth is indifferent about Mary's death because of Mary's affront? Will James VI conceive a revenge for his mother, Mary? There will be more series report on Mary Stuart obscure Death on New York Times.

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Literary Connection

By Dorothy Cao

Elizabeth, the Queen of England in Mary Stuart written by Friedrich Schiller, has a similar characterization with the Blanche, the protagonist in A Street Car Named Desire . Elizabeth is descried as a queen who is greedy for power; she would try best to gain the biggest privilege for herself at any way possible. Elizabeth, in the play, announced an execution for her cousin, Mary. She wanted to eradicate Mary, the most menacing antagonist against her queenship. For example: "O, she shall pay me for it with her blood! She shall die; I only long for vengeance…"

Blanche, on the other hand, was a frivolous woman who depends on men's admiration to achieve her self-esteem. In A Street Car Named Desire , she lies to every man that she is a wealthy woman who owns a big farm in Texas. Blanche uses every trick possible to make wealthy men get along with her.

Elizabeth and Blanche, both women seek their own interest without caring anybody. They could use the most diabolic method to achieve their selfish goal.

Bibliography:

The background image is based on the following source:

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/maryqos1565cr.jpg

The animation is based on the following source:

http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC051339/marystuartindex_Mary mourning.jpg

http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC051339/marystuartindex_Dudley-web.jpg

http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC051339/marystuartindex_Elizabeth I.jpg

 

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