George Gordon Byron, Mazepa: summary

Byron's poem "Mazepa" is a complex poetic composition, which consists of twenty short sections. The English poet created a legend about the Ukrainian hero from the fragmentary information of Voltaire about Charles XII. The French author, most likely, was acquainted with the legend about Mazepa superficially, and, perhaps, his opinion about this man was based on rumors and legends. Perhaps, it is because of his legendary legend that this image and J. Byron fell in love. Mazepa is an idealized hero who never managed to carry out his plans.

Historical reference

The well-known Cossack ataman, hetman Ivan Stepanovich Mazepa (1640-1709), became famous for his struggle for the independence of his country and its separation from Russia and from Poland. To this end, the future hetman entered into an alliance with the Swedish King Charles XII, who for a long time had seen the enemy in the Russian Empire. In the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the troops of the Russian Tsar defeated the Swedes, and Karl and Mazepa were forced to flee. Karl traveled to the north of Europe, and Turkey waited for Mazepa, in which he saw his probable ally.

Prototype Hero

There are several reasons why George Gordon Byron became interested in this historical character. Mazepa is the essence of Byronic's rebellious aspirations, a worthy example of serving our Motherland. Carefully studying the "History of Charles XII", written by Voltaire, the English romanticist read everything that was known to the French author about the semi-legendary historical hero. "History" was very popular in Europe, this work was translated into foreign languages, withstood fourteen reprints during the life of the author. In the fifth section, referring to the events of the Swedish-Russian war, Voltaire pointed to the historical significance of the hetman's actions for Ukraine and all of Europe, and also mentioned the love story that happened to the ataman in his young years. It was these notes that prompted the English poet to create a poem that reflects the distant events of European history, which by that time was already considered a well-forgotten past.

Prehistory of writing

The English poet and aristocrat wrote his poem in Italy, in 1818 or in 1819. Some researchers believe that the story of Mazepa's unlawful love for someone else's wife is a reinterpretation of his own love drama, which Byron experienced. Mazepa blazed with an illegal passion for his neighbor's wife, Teresa, and the English author fell in love with Count Gviccioli's wife, who was called by the same name.

Like the hero of the poem, Byron was forced to leave his beloved, not knowing anything about her future. Sad lyricism of their own experiences smoothly fell into the fringes of literary proizvedeniya.

Abstract: Mazepa, Byron

The author broke his poem into small chapters, each of which is a separate part of the whole story. At the beginning of the poem, the terrible defeat suffered by the Russian troops during the Battle of Poltava was told to the Swedes. A small Swedish detachment retreats, escaping from the pursuers, and stops in the middle of the forest. The author describes how Mazepa cares about his faithful horse, how he thoroughly cleans the harness, how he rejoices at what his pet eats. Trying to distract the king from thoughts of defeat, Mazepa tells one of the stories of his life connected with the horse. About the fact that he was a page at the court of the Polish King Jan Kazimir, that young Ivan Mazepa was handsome, and many women stopped his gaze on him. But the heart of the hero was taken by the young beauty Theresa, who was the legitimate wife of a Polish nobleman. Young Ivan struggles to meet with the impregnable beauty, and, finally, he could light the fire of love in the heart of his chosen one. Upon learning of the infidelity of his wife, an angry husband ordered Ivan to be tied to the back of a wild horse and let her go to the field. The torments experienced by the rider were described by Byron in several precise words. But nothing is said about the fate of the unhappy Teresa in the poem. It is not known whether Mazepa himself knew what awaited his beloved in the future ...

Mazepa spent a lot of time on the horse's back. Too cruel was the punishment for young Ivan, but the Polish count wanted his wife's lover to suffer a lot of suffering before the death. Ivan's body was excised by wild bushes, the skin burned the sun, the rain fell. Ravens circled above him, and wolves walked along the trail of his horse. After several days of painful horse racing, the stolen horse fell, and the bound Ivan was under the horse's corpse. He had already said goodbye to life when the Cossacks saw him and saved him from certain death, as Byron describes. Mazepa joins the ranks of the Cossacks, and he is already faced with a completely different fate. The protagonist ends his story, and the exhausted king is already asleep, not hearing his words.

The image of I. Mazepa

Characterization of the main character is difficult to call unambiguous. A few successful strokes describe the character of the hetman at the beginning and end of the work. Mazepa is depicted as a strong, brave, persistent man with a strong will - in this he looks like the main characters of other poems that George Byron wrote. Mazepa remains faithful to her aspirations at all stages of her life, being both a strong husband in the prime of life, and a tired, lonely seventy-year-old. The poem shows well the changes in the character of I. Mazepa during all these years. The passage of time changes the hero - he becomes more wise, decisive and keeps his ideals.

Characteristic

Mazepa Byron - above all a rebel, who sets his own goals and seeks to achieve them. For someone, the image of Ivan Mazepa is a characteristic of a hypocrite and traitor, and for someone he is a hero. J. Byron offers to independently assess the nature and actions of Mazepa, reserving the right to draw the moments of life of a living Ukrainian legend before the reader. With a real historical prototype, the literary character has a clear similarity. The heroic features of real Mazepa were poetically emphasized. Perhaps the author was attracted by the persistent desire to achieve his goal, which Hetman Mazepa set himself. Byron was able to express the dramatic nature of the shattered hopes and describe a man who lost everything he had in one battle.

Symbolism in the poem "Mazeppa"

It is interesting to repeat the word "wild". For the inhabitant of the foggy Albion, the boundless Ukrainian steppes seemed to be "wild." It is not by chance that he repeats this word again and again. For him, Ukraine is a "wild country" in which "wild steppe", "wild forest". A few strokes are prescribed in the product of the "wild" horse Mazepa, who carried it through forests and thorny bushes to Ukraine - this is also the image of strong passions that took possession of the heart of the future hetman, and the consequences of fatal choice, and a symbol of unbending will. Stormy streams of water, strong waves and sharp winds underline the influence of the strong desires and passions that have engulfed the hero, crows are a symbol of death waiting for him at every turn, and the evening cold, fog and moons are the poetic image of external forces that grant Mazepa the right to assess future Obstacles to his own life.

Strong adjectives create an emotional, rich image of Ukraine, which is a free, undeveloped land. Obviously, he behind the scenes contrasts well-groomed English fields and the measured life of compatriots of the "wild" steppe, in which unfolding events unfolded.

The image of fate

Invisible thread of all the heroes of the battle is pursued by evil fate. Fate turned away from the Swedish army in a devastating battle near Poltava, from King Charles XII himself, condemning him to retreat and defeat. Fate brought young Ivan with the beautiful Theresa, who gave the future hetman his love. But the same fate and separated them - because Ivan did not know what became of his lover after separation. Fate saved him, leading him to Ukraine and raising him above the rest of the Cossacks, but also brought down all his hopes and hopes, leaving him in his declining years a lonely, abandoned hero.

The image of a horse

In the romantic literature of the beginning of the 19th century, the horse is a symbol of fate and luck. Perhaps that is why it becomes clear why the King of Sweden loses his horses - luck turned away from him, as Byron says poetically. Mazepa, on the contrary, retains his horse as a symbol of the fact that rock is on his side, and his luck has not left, despite the dramatic situation. The rider Mazepa personifies a symbol of courage and the right to control his own destiny. And only at the end of the story, written by George Byron, Mazepa remains without comrades and without a horse - thereby immediately emphasizing the loneliness and desperation of the protagonist, which perfectly described Byron.

Mazepa: the plan

The outline of the whole work can be represented as follows:

1. The defeat of the Swedish army.
2. Ivan Mazepa among the approximate Charles XII.
3. Conversation of the king with the main character.
4. The story of Mazepa about his youth:

• Life at the court of the Polish king;
• Falling in love with someone else's wife;
• Punishment for illegal love;
• A painful journey on the back of a wild horse;
• The death of a horse and your own salvation.

Summarizing the results

It can be said that from this small history an entire poem was written, the author of which naturally became Byron. "Mazeppa" is a hero who overcomes obstacles and eventually won honor and fame in a foreign country. The English poet was a little mistaken, giving Mazepa a Polish origin and a generous name. But even in this error lies its own romance. In foreign lands an exile can conquer power, glory and honor, and even become the ruler of vast lands. In the image of the protagonist, as in a drop of water, the aspirations of Byron himself are displayed - after all, he himself became an Italian carbonar, which protected his own land from the French invaders, and later sought to leave for Peru and shoulder to shoulder with the legendary Bolivar to win the independence of this country.

The image of the protagonist of this poem inspired the great Vernier, who painted a picture of Byron's work. There are information about several theatrical productions, staged on this poem, and already in our time was put a wonderful film.

The ancient legend became the basis for the book, on the cover of which it is written: J. Byron. Mazepa. The text of this work is easily read and remembered. We hope that this brief analysis of Byron's work will help to understand the essence and character of the Ukrainian hero.