Ironia, tragizm i tajemnica Boga w dramacie biblijnym Jephtes George’a Buchanana – Jana Zawickiego

• Authors: Tomasz Lawenda
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

PL

The Irony, Tragedy and Mystery of God in the Biblical Drama Jephthes by George Buchanan – Jan ZawickiThe article refers to one of the most famous 16th century humanistic dramas, the biblical tragedy Jephthes sive votum, written by Scottish humanist George Buchanan (1554), which was translated into Polish by Jan Zawicki and published in 1587. The central plot is based on an Old Testament story, contained in the Book of Judges, about one Jephthe who had sacrificed his daughter to God (Judges 11, 29–40). According to the renaissance principle of substitution, the biblical passage was incorporated into the scheme of Eurypidian tragedy Ifigeneia in Aulis. By the same method, Buchanan created the first modern tragedy with overtones of religion. The heart of Jephtah’s tragedy may be located in the paradox of human guilt and the inconceivable judgement of God. Jephtah is guilty, he opens his mouth to the vow, but he is not really wicked. Unlike the Angel’s statement in the prologue of the play, he lacks hubris, his words and deeds illustrate his piety and confidence in Yahweh. Ironically, Jephtah’s piety accelerates his disaster, and his virtue comes into hamartia. Therefore his „guilt” becomes particularly ambiguous, and remains in the shadow of the mysterious silence of God.

Keywords

PL

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 56

Dates

published

2012

online

2012-01-01

Contributors

author

Tomasz Lawenda

Identifiers

DOI

10.12775/OiRwP.2012.04