Bitwa nad Mozgawą

Chapter has been entirely devoted to the play written by Józef Korzeniowski entitled "Bitwa nad Mozgawą". The play is an excellent example of Korzeniowski's attempt at reaching Shakespearean dramatical forms via Schiller's literary output. The drama, as one of the first in Polish nineteenth century dramatical art, realizes with a remarkable consequence, literary and political myth of the "Polish Hamlet". The core of the plot of "Bitwa..." forms authentic historical events from the time of the period of division and the lack of internal unity of medieval Poland and deals with the fight for power by Mieszko Stary (Mieszko III Old) in his attempts to regain the throne and in retaining his hereditary land. A detailed analysis of the text of "Bitwa..." leads to a conclusion that the composition of the play must have been based on numerous and clear references and links to "Hamlet", which encompass all levels of the text structure. Clear relationships between the character construction of prince Bolesław and the interpretations of Hamlet in "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre" by J. W. Goethe and A. W. Schlegel's "Vorlesungen uber dramatische Kunst und Literatur" have been evaluated - a protagonist conveyed in his examination of himself, his remorseless self-questioning, Hamlet is a man of sensibility with an enquiiring mind, aware of ruthless mechanisms of history, and sensitive to any manifestation of unfairness, deceit, conventionality of human's behaviour - these are the features that had shaped the character of prince Bolesław - the first "Polish Hamlet". The play focuses on the hamletism of Bolesław, which, however, is interpreter and understood in the context of the generation conflict in Poland so pronounced before the insurrection of November, 1830