The Concept of Chivalry as the Embodiment of Patriotism in Julian Ursyn Niemtsevych’s Drama

Abstract

The article considers patriotism as a component
of the formation of Poles national consciousness in the J. U. Niemtsevych’s historical dramas and
tragedies. The concept of chivalry as an embodiment of national patriotism has been studied on the
basis of the works «Vladyslav at Varna», «Kiejstut», «Jadwiga, the polish queen», «Khmelnytsky»,
«Kazimierz the Great». The dominant features of the chivalric code have been clarified: honour, nobility, sacrifice, courage, loyalty, love of freedom, religiosity and their relevance in the situation of
Poland’s loss of independence. The main feature of the heroes-knights is an emotional connection
with the nation and the homeland, which provides grounds for recognizing patriotism as the greatest
personal value. The images of knights can be grouped by age and position in the social hierarchy:
rulers, experienced soldiers, young knights. J. U. Niemtsevych focuses on various aspects of creating
the image of a knight-patriot. First – experienced warriors who were guided in their actions by strict
soldier’s valour and a sense of civic duty. These are Jan from Meleshyn («Kazimierz the Great»), Jan
Tarnovski («Vladyslav at Varna»), and Kiejstut (“Kiejstut”). The hero of the drama «Jadwiga, the
polish queen» Conrad is the embodiment of chivalric valour and devotion to the queen. Vladyslav
Varnenchyk, the hero of the drama «Vladyslav at Varna», is the defender of the faith and the church.
The initiations into the knight, understanding of the symbolic purpose of the knight’s sword, shield
and armour play an important role in the creation of the chivalric ideal. It is proved that the figure of a
knight can be interpreted not only as a personal ideal inscribed in literary texts, but also as an allegory
of the Polish national character, the bearer of patriotism.