Drama Essay - Oct 20, 2010
The Power of Mary Stuart
In Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart, act 3, scene 4 is where Mary and Elizabeth have their first encounter. To readers, Queen Elizabeth may seem to be the one with the highest power and authority. She has Mary, Queen of Scots, imprisoned. She has stripped Mary away from her homeland, her family, her friends, and also her pride. Although they are both royalty, Elizabeth definitely seems to have the upper-hand in this situation, especially because Mary’s fate relies all on Elizabeth’s decision. But in this scene, we see how Mary’s actions, words, and behaviour, though they may not be the most accustomed way of showing power, definitely displays how powerful Mary can be. Even with her status as an imprisoned queen, Mary is able to raise herself above Queen Elizabeth.
In scene 3, we read about the Earl of Shrewsbury constantly telling Mary how she should act around Elizabeth. He tells her that she must “submit to stern necessity” and reminds Mary that “the power is in her hand; therefore be humble” (54). He emphasizes that Queen Elizabeth is the one with the power in this situation and no matter what Mary is going to have to try her best to submit herself. Mary finds this very difficult as she complains that she has “studied, weighed, and written down each word within the tablet of [her] memory that was to touch and move [Elizabeth] with compassion” (54), and yet still can’t think of anything. She describes her relationship as follows,
The timid lamb embrace the roaring tiger!
I have been hurt too grievously; she has
Too grievously oppressed me. No atonement
Can make us friends (54).
Mary finds it almost impossible to get along with Elizabeth as she compares herself to a timid lamb, completely defenceless, against someone as powerful as a roaring tiger. But as we move on to scene 4, Mary is able to prove her power over Elizabeth with her submissive actions, her strong choice of words, and her reserved yet assertive behaviour towards Elizabeth.
In the beginning of scene 4, we can see that Mary is still not ready to face Elizabeth. She is described to be “lean[ing], almost fainting, on Kennedy” (55). But as Elizabeth enters the room, Mary “rises…and her eyes meet the steady, piercing look of Elizabeth” (55). Already we can see the tension within the room between the two. As this takes place, we can still see that Mary hasn’t let go of her pride as she feels the need to get up as to not show her weak self in front of Elizabeth. She has a difficult time as she walks up to Elizabeth and her “actions express[] the most violent internal struggle” (56). She feels shame and almost regrets that she knows she is going to have to submit herself. But we see her sudden change as she says, “farewell high thought and pride of noble mind! I will forget my dignity and all my sufferings. I will fall before her feet who has reduced me to this wretchedness” (56). She then turns towards Elizabeth and “she kneels” before her, signifying that she submits and gives Elizabeth the satisfaction that she is now under her command. Although this is so, Mary shows her power through humbling herself. She shows that she has self control and courage that she is able to do this, no matter how prideful she wanted to be about it.
Mary tries to get on Elizabeth’s good side by acting like the lesser person through her words. She asks very politely that Elizabeth raise her “from the depths of her distress”. Mary tries to speak very kindly at first, even referring to Elizabeth as “my sister” (56). It shows that Mary is trying to be at peace with Elizabeth by calling her something as close as flesh and blood. But Mary is also reminding Elizabeth, by calling her “my sister”, that they are both queens and that she should be treated with just as much respect. She reminds Elizabeth that, “The royal blood of Tudor! In my veins it flows as pure a stream as in your own” (57). Elizabeth mocks her by saying she “stoop[ed] so low” just by coming to talk to Mary (57). Mary replies back saying, “I am a Queen, like you, yet you have held me confined in prison. As a suppliant I came to you, yet you in me insulted…no more of this!” (57). She gives Elizabeth the satisfactory that she has the higher status, but still is able to partly defend herself. She still tries to get Elizabeth to soften her heart, “to kindle in [their] hearts the flames of hatred” (57). She tries to persuade Elizabeth by saying she doesn’t want to be like the kings of old who “tear the world in pieces and let loose hell’s raging furies” (58). We see Mary’s confidence rise as she “approach[es] [Elizabeth] confidently, and with a flattering tone” (58). Elizabeth continues to belittle Mary by disrespecting her “house” (58) and by implying that Mary is some kind of hoar that “seduce[s] [her] people” (59). Elizabeth’s words are used to degrade Mary, but Mary stays strong and doesn’t fight back. It truly shows that she has humbled herself and the words she uses show her strength and intelligence, equalling her power to Elizabeth’s.
Mary’s overall behaviour towards this situation, reserved yet assertive, is what gives her the higher power. She didn’t want to be humble at first, but she forced herself to. No matter how many times Elizabeth put her and her family down, Mary let it go and still tried to prove that she really needed to be saved by Elizabeth. She says,
you have destroyed me in my bloom…
Say: “Mary, you are free.
You have already felt my power, learn now
To honour too my generosity” (59).
Elizabeth replies, “So: you confess at last that you are conquered?” (59), even though Mary has been trying to show her this continuously throughout the whole scene. Mary tried so hard, but it didn’t work on Elizabeth to ease up on her punishment. This is when Mary courageously takes a stand to keep her dignity. As the tragic heroine in this play, it is vital that she keep her dignity against someone who is trying to take it away. Mary bursts out angrily, pleading, and Elizabeth criticizes her that he has shown her “real face” (59) and that everything Mary tried was just an act. Mary is described to be “burning with rage, yet dignified and noble” (60). She then stops all flattery and bravely confesses,
My sins were human and the faults of youth.
Superior force misled me. I have never
Denied or sought to hide it. I despised
All false appearance as became queen.
The worst of me is known, and I can say
That I am better than the fame I bear (60).
She lets go of the act of being lesser than Elizabeth by saying, “farewell, lamb-hearted resignation, passive patience, fly to your native heaven!” (60). She raises her voice towards Elizabeth and bluntly tells hers that “a bastard profanes the English throne” and describes Elizabeth’s “whole person is false and painted—heart as well as face” (60). Through this whole argument, Mary was full of emotion as she tried to humble herself before Elizabeth, who cold-heartedly didn’t act rationally as a queen at all and constantly humiliated Mary.
Mary’s power is shown as her victory is proven with the very last lines of the scene. Mary gets right up “into Elizabeth’s face” (60) and tells her “I am your rightful queen!” (60). Mary exerted her power by finally telling Elizabeth she doesn’t have power over her. Mary’s power is shown as she becomes the superior one in this argument. After yelling, Elizabeth “hastily quits the stage” (60). Mary had the last and final word. Elizabeth did not have anything to say to her after, which leaves Mary being the superior. In scene 5, we can see that Mary does feel powerful as she tells her nurse, “now I am happy, Hannah! Now, at last after whole years of sorrow and abasement, one moment of victorious revenge! A weight falls off my heart, a weight of mountains!” (61).
Even though Elizabeth did seem to be the one with more power, Mary showed her power by showing her abilities of strength of self control and courage towards submitting and humbling herself, something she found very difficult to do, and courage and strength to admit to the wrongs she’s done. This alone shows Mary’s power, but by being able to rise above and save her dignity against Elizabeth, no matter what her status was at the moment, showed how powerful she really was.
Cited Works
Schiller, Friedrich. Mary Stuart. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 1959. Print.
