The paper discusses five plays, written between 1945 and 1948, which deal with a historical event - with the Slovak National Uprising of 1944. These are: 'Nepokoreni...' (Not Subjugated...), staged in 1945 by Rudolf Latecka-Repicky, 'Basnik a smrt' (Poet and Death), staged in 1946 by Ivan Stodola, 'Styri strany sveta' (Four Sides of the World), staged in 1948 by Leopold Lahola, 'Basta' (Stronghold), staged in 1948 by Peter Karvas, and 'Za frontom' (Behind the Front Line), staged in 1948 by Viera Markovicova-Zaturecka. The Slovak National Uprising provided playwright with a dramatic and potentially tragic situation. It enabled them to incorporate the documentary and authentic elements into their plays. On the other hand, the importance of this historical event caused that drama often shifted towards a 'chronicle', 'apotheosis', or a 'commemorative evening'. The interpretation of events depended on the author's perceptions. For Stodola, the Uprising was the culmination of the nationalist struggle, whereas for Karvas, it was an integral part of the international history. Latecka emphasized its mass character, whereas Lahola focused on each person's emotions when approaching death. The Uprising was a suitable moment to create a perception of 'two worlds' ('ours' and 'theirs'). It was also one of the last occasions to reconsider seriously the value of life and death - before the Slovak drama got completely infected by the Communist enthusiasm.
In her contribution the authoress analyzes how two prominent Slovak dramatists Peter Karvas and Juraj Váh expressed, shortly after the end of the Second World War, their attitudes towards questions of identity, memory, time and space. Plays 'Return to Life' by Peter Karvas and 'Silence' by Juraj Váh, which are describing war experience, include elements composing the core of the Jewish post-holocaust thinking, which can be perceived as emblematic or even cliché elements. However, the afore-mentioned drama plays present in the Slovak context the beginning of an authentic experience transformation into a literary form. The authoress is from the aspect of literary-scientific analysis dealing also with motives of guilt, invisibility and deafness, as well as with the method of creating a talk and the function of silence.
The paper discusses three plays written between 1945 and 1948: 'Dvaja' (The Two, 1945) by Julius Barc-Ivan, 'Posledna prekazka' (The Last Obstacle, 1946) by Stefan Kralik, and 'Povichrica' (The Gale, 1948) by less known Julius Alexej Illes. All three plays deal with passion, guilt and chances to reach reconciliation. In Illes' play, marked by the Christian perception, divine law rules in the universe, and human beings are able to redeem themselves. His concept of the man emphasizes the archaic and archetypal elements. In Barc's play, author's religious worldview is not expressed directly. However, the play opens a gulf between the human world and the ideal realm void of weaknesses and passions. Kralik focuses on presenting the modern, secular world, and investigates the conditions of human happiness in the interpersonal relations.
The paper discusses four plays written between 1945 and 1949 - Karvas' 'Meteor' (1945), two of Barc's dramas 'The Tower' (1947) and 'The End' (1948), as well as Vah's play 'The First and the Last Ones' (1949). The paper notes biblical references and their use in these modern plays. It also argues that the apocalyptic and catastrophic theme has a two-fold character: it relates to a particular historical era, but also expresses the atemporal values and norms. As a result, the paper claims that, on one hand, this theme can be seen in relation to the general instability triggered by World War 2, and the fragile peace after it. On the other hand, it shows that the resulting ethical and emotional disturbances led to a re-evaluation of the past, of guilt, of responsibility, and of the other concepts. All of the plays examined develop the theatre of ideas, but their poetics and ideological implications differ enormously.
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