How does Mary achieve moral rebirth in Friedrich Schiller’s Maria Stuart?

In Friedrich Schiller’s Maria Stuart, Mary, Queen of Scots, achieves moral rebirth through an act of voluntary self-abnegation. By accepting the verdict of the English tribunal—which she views as unjust—she transforms her outward disaster into an inward triumph.1

She utilizes this acceptance as an expiation for sins committed in her past. By imbuing the decree of her judges with a meaning they did not intend, she rises above their jurisdiction, becoming a transfigured and redeemed figure. This process aligns with Schiller’s theory of tragedy, which emphasizes the hero's moral rebirth through the willing sacrifice of the self. Ultimately, Mary attains a state of "sublimity of soul" (erhabene Seele) by facing her execution with a noble dignity that transcends worldly ambition and desire, rendering her superior to her rival, Queen Elizabeth.12