All the Queen’s men: masculinity and martyrdom in two early Italian tragedies on Mary Queen of Scots

This article examines the representation of Mary Queen of Scots in early modern Italian tragedy through the two earliest plays centred on her execution: Federico Della Valle’s and Carlo Ruggeri’s La reina di Scotia. The circumstances surrounding Mary’s death made her story compelling in Italian culture: from her forced abdication to her imprisonment under Elizabeth I and execution as a Catholic queen condemned by a Protestant rival. Although written around the same years, the two tragedies differ in their treatment of Mary’s final hours: Della Valle focuses on her inner experience, while Ruggeri uses the material to critique the Reformation. Both plays emphasise Mary’s journey toward martyrdom by omitting or rewriting the more controversial aspects of her life, especially pertaining to her relationship with men. This essay argues that the underlying thread of masculinity is an under appreciated, yet foundational, aspect in the early dramatic portrayal of the queen’s story.