Mary Stuart, former Queen of Scotland and deposed from the throne for the murder of her husband, seeks refuge in England. At first, Queen Elizabeth of England tolerates her rival in the country, but when she is confronted with a plot, she has Mary arrested. During a 19-year period of imprisonment, Maria faces her increasingly certain execution. Friedrich Schiller's masterly tragedy 'Maria Stuart', first performed in 1800, captivates the audience with the dramaturgical skill with which the great poet allows his main character to find hope despite many moments of surrender to fate.