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Mary Stuart (Maria Stuarda) synopsis

Music by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by Giuseppe Bardari after Schiller
First performed: 1835

Act One

(n/a) Scene 1 The Palace of Westminster It is a day of revelry at the court of the young Elizabeth. The courtiers are celebrating in anticipation of the queen’s decision to accept the marriage proposal of the King of France. Elizabeth arrives and announces her inclination to accept the proposal; however, she loves Leicester, and in private confesses that her freedom to love as an individual conflicts with her public duty as a sovereign. Talbot and the courtiers plead for mercy for the imprisoned Mary Stuart, but Elizabeth angrily cuts them short. Cecil, who wants Mary executed, urges Elizabeth to come to a decision about her. The queen declares that should Mary pose a threat to her then she would not hesitate to act. When he arrives at court, Leicester is ordered by Elizabeth to take a ring to the King of France as a token of her provisional acceptance of the marriage proposal. Annoyed by his indifference to this news, the queen departs. Talbot hands Leicester a portrait and a letter from Mary in which she asks for his help. Leicester’s love and sympathy for Mary are reawakened. He vows to champion her cause, despite Talbot’s warnings of the dangers involved. Elizabeth returns and confronts Leicester, suspecting that he has had a message from Mary. He persuades her to meet Mary face to face. Scene 2 The grounds of Fotheringhay Castle Leicester has contrived that Mary be temporarily released from her confinement so that she may ‘inadvertently’ meet Elizabeth. Mary is innocently walking with her companion Hannah Kennedy in the grounds of the castle, where the beauties of the natural world remind her of her early life in France. The sounds of the royal hunt are heard and Mary realizes that Elizabeth is close by. Leicester arrives to prepare her for her meeting with Elizabeth; he asks her to be submissive before the English queen, but Mary is both resentful and afraid. Mary rushes off before Elizabeth, Cecil and the hunting party approach, but is later brought back into Elizabeth’s presence by Talbot. The two queens meet for the first time. Elizabeth is infuriated by Mary’s demeanour and, although Mary is humble and pleads for mercy, Elizabeth is scornful and haughty, accusing Mary of treachery and murder. Mary can take no more of these insults and turns on Elizabeth, denouncing her as the bastard daughter of Anne Boleyn. Furious, Elizabeth summons the guards to return Mary to custody and swears to be avenged.

Act Two

(n/a) Sixteen years have passed Scene 1 Elizabeth’s private chamber Cecil tries to persuade Elizabeth to sign Mary’s death warrant. She eventually does so, ignoring Leicester’s final pleas for Mary to be spared. He upbraids Elizabeth for her cruelty and jealousy when she refuses to reconsider. Elizabeth orders Leicester to witness the execution. Scene 2 Fotheringhay Castle Cecil delivers the death warrant to Mary. Left alone with Talbot, she becomes distraught, imagining ghosts from her past. Talbot, however, urges her to place her trust in God, confess her sins, and prepare to face the inevitable. Scene 3 The courtyard of Fotheringhay Castle A crowd has gathered to witness Mary’s execution. She enters and asks her faithful companions to join her in praying for forgiveness. A cannon shot is heard and Cecil announces that the moment of execution draws near. Mary forgives Elizabeth. Leicester enters in a state of agitation, but is unable to help Mary. As a second cannon shot is heard, Mary takes her final farewells and prays for the welfare of England. She is led towards her executioner.