s ▁Mary ▁Stuart , ▁which ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁last ▁days ▁of ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots ▁( 1 8 0 0 ). ▁This ▁play ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁Don iz etti ' s ▁opera ▁Maria ▁Stu arda ▁( 1 8 3 4 ). ▁Be eth oven ▁wrote ▁incident al ▁music ▁for ▁Eg mont . ▁ ▁Later ▁Irish ▁author ▁George ▁Bernard ▁Shaw ▁wrote ▁several ▁histor ies , ▁including ▁Ca esar ▁and ▁Cle op atra ▁( 1 8 9 8 ) ▁and ▁Saint ▁Joan , ▁which ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁and ▁trial ▁of ▁Joan ▁of ▁Arc . ▁Pub lished ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁not ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁canon ization ▁of ▁Joan ▁of ▁Arc ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁the ▁play ▁dram at ises ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁her ▁life ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁substantial ▁records ▁of ▁her ▁trial . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁history ▁plays ▁is ▁The ▁Life ▁of ▁Gal ile o ▁by ▁Bert olt ▁Bre cht ▁which ▁dram at ises ▁ ▁the ▁latter ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Gal ile o ▁Gal ile i , ▁the ▁great ▁Italian ▁natural ▁phil os opher , ▁who ▁was ▁per sec uted ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁for ▁the ▁prom ul g ation ▁of ▁his ▁scientific ▁discover ies ; ▁for ▁details , ▁see ▁Gal ile o ▁affair . ▁The ▁play ▁em bra ces ▁such ▁them es ▁as ▁the ▁conflict ▁between ▁dog mat ism ▁and ▁scientific ▁evidence , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁inter rog ating ▁the ▁values ▁of