In my thesis I am analyzing five English historical plays dealing with the tragic fate of Mary Stuart which are available for everybody on the World Wide Web. I would like to find out why these plays are neglected by directors while Schiller’s Mary Stuart enjoys popularity. After providing a short overview of the selected works I am examining the plays’ setting and structure, their characters, plot and main motives. Finally, I would like to point out the strengths and weaknesses of each play.