Tropy szekspirowskie i perspektywa teatralna w poezji Zbigniewa Herberta

Abstract

Collecting scrupulously Zbigniew Herberts references to Shakespeare and investigating their origin and transformations, the author shows that Shakespeare's texts have become an important cultural heritage and the element in the fabric of Herbert's poetic vision. Herbert uses superficial intertextual links such as names, quotations and open allusions; he refers to Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It and The Tempestes. But Shakespeares presence in this poetry is much deeper: it enters the dialogue in such poems like Las Ardeński, Tren Fortynbrasa and in the essay Hamlet na granicy milczenia. Herbert red Shakespeare thoroughly and he described reality in Shakesperares terms of »life is theatre, theatre is life«. The theatrical performance is the general frame into which Herbert tries to transmit the essance of the experience of reality. The Shakspeares metadramatic mirror reflects something that cannot be performed. Besides the metaphore of theatre is used to achieve the universality of the statement about terror. The author shows, that Herberts point of view is set in Hamlet and in his both tragical and ironic perspective. The intertextual space embraces the "non-achievement” of tyranny and - beyond historical expierence - despair about the human condition and desperate belief in the possibility to oppose evil. Shakespeares context also open other intertextual space. If the world is "out of joint”, no value is given forever and everything may be polyvalent. Herberts man balances between traditional perception of the world and a new existentialism perspective. He shows that the structure of traditional tragedy is spoiled. The play is no longer tragedy; instead, it is changed into grotesque and Absolute is changed into history. Herberts Speaker, especiaily Mr Cogito, plays many roles: he behave like dramaturg, director in "the theatre of world”, but his favourite is the mask of fool that ironically looks at the world. In the latest collection, Epilog burzy he changes into a prompter and he suggests that everyhuman has his own role and his own destiny in life.