Mythological-Knights Topics in Palmotić's Plays

Junije Palmotić, pjesnik, dramatičar, pisac hrvatskoga književnog baroka, bio je jedan od najutjecajnijih autora svoga vremena. Danas on predstavlja neizostavni stup hrvatske književnosti i baštine koji je bio hvaljen i istican posebno u vrijeme devetnaestog stoljeća radi svoje slobodoumnosti, domoljubne nadahnutosti i želje da se publiku obrazuje, upozori i potakne na razmišljanje o političkoj i društvenoj situaciji u kojoj se ona nalazi. Kao produkt svoga vremena nije čudno da je Palmotić u svoja djela inkorporirao viteško - mitološku tematiku, no on to nije činio samo pomodno, već su mu takvi motivi služili između ostaloga, kako bi istaknuli povijest njegovog grada. Građu je crpio iz slavenske mitologije, narodnih predaja i dokumenata, primjerice Zapisa popa Dukljanina za radnju njegove najpoznatije drame Pavlimir, ali većina njegovih drama temelji se na građi preuzetoj od klasičnih autora (uglavnom rimskih, iako se vidi i utjecaj grčkih autora), te suvremenih talijanskih (Ariosto, Tasso). Mitološko-poganske motive miješao je s kršćanskim i time dao hibridnu podlogu svojim dramama. Putem motiva iz mitologije i povijesti ovjekovječio je sliku Dubrovnika koji je tada uživao svoj kulturnopovijesni vrhunac.Junije Palmotić, poet, playwright, writer of the Croatian literary baroque, was one of the most influential authors of his time. Today he is an indispensable pillar of Croatian literature and heritage. He was famous in the nineteenth century for his freedom, national inspiration and the desire to educate, warn, and inspire the public on the national, political and social situation in Dubrovnik and in parallel with that rest of Croatia. As a product of his own age, it is not surprising that, in his works, Palmotić incorporated knightly and mythological motives, but he did not do it only in a subtle way, but his motives were used to mention the glorious past of his city. His literary material was made of Slavic mythology and folk tradition, as well as from documents, such as the record of Dukljanin's pope for his most famous play Pavlimir. The mythological-pagan motifs blended with the Christian, gave a hybrid base to his plays. Through his literary work he preserved the image of Dubrovnik at its peak and it was left to us to see it presently