How does Friedrich Schiller’s theory of tragedy appear in Maria Stuart?

In Friedrich Schiller’s theory of tragedy, the genre is defined by the hero’s moral rebirth, which is achieved through an act of voluntary self-abnegation.1

In his play Maria Stuart, this theory is exemplified by the protagonist, Mary, Queen of Scots. Facing execution, Mary transforms her outward disaster into an inward triumph. By choosing to accept the verdict of the English tribunal—which she considers unjust—as an act of expiation for her past sins, she reinterprets the decree of her judges. Through this voluntary acceptance, she rises above their jurisdiction, becoming a figure who is redeemed and transfigured.1

This reflects the broader evolution of Schiller’s work, where his focus shifted from early attacks on political oppression to an exploration of the inward freedom of the soul. His later dramas illustrate the hero’s struggle to maintain integrity while caught between the demands of the material world and an eternal moral order.2