Mary Stuart, formerly Queen of Scotland and deposed from the throne for the murder of her husband, seeks refuge in England. Initially, the English Queen Elizabeth tolerates her rival in the country, but when faced with a conspiracy, she has Mary arrested. During her 19 years of imprisonment, Mary anticipates her increasingly certain execution. Friedrich Schiller's masterful tragedy 'Mary Stuart', premiered in 1800, captivates with the dramatic skill with which the great poet allows his main character to find hope time and again, despite many moments of resignation to fate.