Maria Stuarda is a powerfully dramatic adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's play concerning Mary, Queen of Scots, and her complex political and personal relationship with Queen Elizabeth I of England. Though grounded in historical figures and events, the opera features a fictional central scene: a highly emotional meeting between the queens at the end of the first act, a moment originally created by Schiller that did not occur in reality. This dramatic device effectively emphasizes the contrasting personalities of both women.