''Kordian'' ( pl, Kordian: Część pierwsza trylogii. Spisek koronacyjny;

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: ''Kordian: First Part of a Trilogy: The Coronation Plot'') is a drama written in 1833, and published in 1834, by

Juliusz Słowacki Juliusz Słowacki (; french: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 – 3 April 1849) was a Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the " Three Bards" of Polish literature — a major figure in the Polish Romantic period, and the father of m ...

, one of the "

Three Bards The Three Bards (, ) are the national poets of Polish Romantic literature. They lived and worked in exile during the partitions of Poland which ended the existence of the Polish sovereign state. Their tragic poetical plays and epic poetry wri ...

" of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

. ''Kordian'' is one of the most notable works of

Polish Romanticism Romanticism in Poland, a literary, artistic and intellectual period in the evolution of Polish culture, began around 1820, coinciding with the publication of Adam Mickiewicz's first poems in 1822. It ended with the suppression of the January 186 ...

and

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

, and is considered one of Słowacki's best works.Christopher John Murray, ''Encyclopedia of the romantic era, 1760-1850, Volume 1'', Taylor & Francis, 2004,
Google Print, p.624
/ref>

History

Słowacki began work on ''Kordian'' about early 1833, completing it in late November that year, while he was in Switzerland. Agnieszka Szurek
Kordian
gazeta.pl, 2008-07-01 It was published next year in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, anonymously, leading to speculation that it might have been written by the foremost Polish poet,

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...

. Still, it received little positive notice in the first years after its publication. It premiered in 1889 in Austrian-held

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, at the theatre now named for Słowacki. It had to wait until 1916 for its first performance in Russian-held

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

. Another notable production occurred in 1956 under

Erwin Axer Erwin Axer (1 January 1917 – 5 August 2012) was a Polish theatre director, writer and university professor. A long-time head of Teatr Współczesny (Contemporary Theatre) in Warsaw, he also staged numerous plays abroad, notably in German-speakin ...

. Other leading directors who have staged ''Kordian'' include

Leon Schiller Leon Schiller or Leon Schiller de Schildenfeld (14 March 1887 – 25 March 1954) was a Polish theatre and film director, as well as critic and theatre theoretician. He also wrote theatre and radio screenplays and composed music. He was born in Kra ...

(in the 1930s) and

Jerzy Grotowski Jerzy Marian Grotowski (; 11 August 1933 – 14 January 1999) was a Polish theatre director and theorist whose innovative approaches to acting, training and theatrical production have significantly influenced theatre today. He was born in Rzesz ...

(1962).Erika Fischer-Lichte, ''History of European drama and theatre'', Routledge, 2002,
Google Print, p.333
/ref> The play has become a classic of Polish theatre

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...

. Though ''Kordians title and some of Słowacki's letters indicate that he had planned to write, and may actually have written drafts of, second and third parts, they were never published and, if written, were either destroyed or remain lost. ''Kordian'' has been required reading in Polish schools. In 1994 it aired on Polish TV Theatre.

Plot

After Kordian, a 15-year-old romantic, suffers rejection in love and survives a suicide attempt, he travels through Europe, learning the importance of money. He changes from an adolescent dreamer into a youth in quest of a purpose; in a moment of

epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

, the tragic lover transforms into an idealistic patriot. Inspired by

Arnold von Winkelried Arnold von Winkelried or Arnold Winkelried is a legendary hero of Swiss history. According to 16th-century Swiss historiography, Winkelried's sacrifice brought about the victory of the Old Swiss Confederacy in the Battle of Sempach (1386) over the ...

, he resolves to devote his life to assassinating

Russian Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

Nicholas I (Russia having been one of Poland's three partitioners). Ultimately Kordian fails in his mission because of qualms over the

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

of assassination—but possibly escapes with his life. This play has been translated into English for the first time by Gerard T. Kapolka. It was published by The Green Lantern Press in 2011.

Analysis

''Kordian'' comprises three acts, written in rhymed

Polish alexandrine Polish alexandrine ( Polish: ''trzynastozgłoskowiec'') is a common metrical line in Polish poetry. It is similar to the French alexandrine. Each line is composed of thirteen syllables with a caesura after the seventh syllable. The main stresses ar ...

s. The play, inspired by the failure of the November 1830 Uprising, is a study of a Polish romantic revolutionary's psyche. Kordian — his name was coined by Słowacki — is a typical romantic hero torn by his emotions. The play is also a

polemic Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topic ...

and a critique of romantic heroes in general, and in particular that of

Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish R ...

's ''

Dziady Dziady ( Belarusian: , Russian: , Ukrainian: , pl, Dziady; lit. "grandfathers, eldfathers", sometimes translated as Forefathers' Eve) is a term in Slavic folklore for the spirits of the ancestors and a collection of pre-Christian rites, ritual ...

'' (Forefathers' Eve, 1823). Kordian is often contrasted with the latter's hero, Konrad,Kimball King, ''Western Drama Through the Ages: A Student Reference Guide, Volume 1'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007,
Google Print, p.216
/ref> as Kordian contemplates a dishonorable means to achieve victory (assassination) and fails in his task. Słowacki intended to do more than merely show his disappointment with the failure of the November 1830 Uprising; he questioned whether Poland's fate was—as

suggested—in the hands of God, rather than being the plaything of Satan. Słowacki employed old devices as well as new ones, previously not widely used in romantic dramas. He borrowed devices from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

(Kordian is often compared to

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

) but also emphasized fantastic elements as well as contemporary, real-world political events. Imitating

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

's ironical attitude, Słowacki in the introduction to his poem treats the contemporary actors in the revolution rather flippantly. ''Kordian'' is considered a difficult piece to analyze and interpret. A common interpretation, seen by more recent scholars as unsatisfactory, is that of ''Kordian'' as a critique of romantic ideals.

Cultural influences

''Kordian'' has inspired the short story "Gotyk" (Gothic) by

Jacek Dukaj Jacek Józef Dukaj (born 30 July 1974) is a Polish science fiction and fantasy writer. He has received numerous literary prizes including the European Union Prize for Literature and Janusz A. Zajdel Award. Career He was born on 30 July 1974 i ...

(published in ''Xavras Wyżryn i inne fikcje narodowe'', 2004), which is a

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

continuation of ''Kordian''.Gotyk
, Stronice Dukaja

Influences

* Leon Kruczkowski, ''Kordian i cham'' *

, ''Gotyk''

Notes

External links

Kordian at Wikisource

Motifs in ''Kordian''
{{in lang, pl 1834 plays Polish plays Polish poems 1834 poems Works by Juliusz Słowacki Cultural depictions of Nicholas I of Russia