BIBLICAL IMAGES ON THE STAGE OF THE UKRAINIAN SCHOOL THEATRE OF THE XVII–XVIII CENTURIES

Abstract

The purpose. The article analyses the features of the artistic interpretation of biblical images in Ukrainian dramaturgy of the 17th–18th centuries. Methods. The article is based on a combination of intertextual, comparative, contextual, historical, intermedial methods. The purpose. The article analyses the the features of the artistic interpretation of biblical images in Ukrainian dramaturgy of the 17th–18th centuries. Conclusions. The most widespread type of dramatic characters in the Ukrainian school theatre of the XVII–XVIII centuries were biblical figures, that was due to the main task of education then existed – the establishment of the Orthodox faith. The main evangelical characters – Christ and the Virgin Mary, appeared rarely on the line of the Ukrainian theatre of the XVII–XVIII centuries. Long time the historians of literature were convinced that they did not go to the Baroque backdrop at all. Such view anchored under the influence of the conception of dependency of ancient Ukrainian performances from the Polish Jesuit theatre, in particular the Jesuit theory of drama, which forbade the Son of God and the Virgin Mary to be brought to the stage. In fact in the Ukrainian theatre of Baroque Christ did appear in human image, but most often this character was replaced by Old Testament prototypes, allegorical figures, the narration of other characters in the play (the principle of reflection), visual images (icons, misty paintings, silent scenes), or by a combination of several methods in one drama at the same time. The Virgin Mary appeared on the Baroque stage directly as a character or was presented with the help of allegorical images. God-the Father could not be a character of drama, this was a general guideline of the Christian art, which did not allow an anthropomorphic depiction of the Father, leaving the possibility of reproducing the Father’s Hypostasis symbolically. Therefore, instead of God-the Father, the “Word of God to Abraham from Heaven” or “Voice (i.e. God) to Moses” sounded on the Baroque stage. The Father was replaced on the line by a number of allegorical figures, for example: “Wisdom, or God”, “Almighty Power”, “Anger, or Justice of God”, “Fortress of God”, “Vengeance”. Results. Among the Biblical characters in the Ukrainian Baroque drama, the figures of the New Testament prevailed. Their function – is not only to portray on stage the history of birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ, but also to present his teachings in a skilful theological interpretation. The characters taken from the Old Testament played the role of prefigurations in the school drama that testifies to the Christocentrism city of the Ukrainian theatre of the XVII–XVIII centuries. The Old Testament characters on the line of the Baroque theatre lost their independence and subjectivity: their task was to “lead” to the Saviour, without the incarnation of the Son of God they would have lost its sense.