[Sacredness and Profanity in the Historical Play Obrana Metodova (1985)]

Abstract: This study delves into the concepts of sacredness and profanity, along with other related aesthetic expressions present in Milan Ferko’s historical play, Obrana Metodova (1985). Ferko’s innovative approach, incorporating modern and postmodern literary techniques, attempts to deconstruct ideals associated with historical figures, such as the saints Constantine and Methodius, in Slovak drama. The author’s narrative talent is evident also in his other intriguing characters created through the functional combination of the medieval and contemporary vocabulary, syntax, and stylization. The captivating mystification, particularly surrounding Constantine and Pope Hadrian II, studied in this article, serves as a commentary on the ongoing and debated topic of adhering to priestly celibacy. Milan Ferko convincingly and vividly mystifies the continuously portrayed theme in Slovak literature within the historical play Obrana Metodova, aligning it with the modern literary tendencies of the late 20th century.

Authors: Taneski, Martina

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2024.17.1.141-149

Publication order reference: PhDr. Martina Taneski, PhD.; Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Arts, Department of Slavic Philology, Štefánikova 67, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2590-5925, WOS Researcher ID: AHE-5305-2022, SCOPUS Author ID: 57204814751

Source: Konštatínove listy, 2024, vol.: 17, issue: 1, pages: 141-149 (PDF file)

Keywords: CONSTANTINE, METHODIUS, SACREDNESS, PROFANITY, IDEALIZATION, MYSTIFICATION, SLOVAK DRAMA OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Language: SLOVAK

Recommended Citation:

Taneski, Martina. 2024. Sakrálnosť a profánnosť v historickej hre Obrana Metodova (1985) [Sacredness and Profanity in the Historical Play Obrana Metodova (1985)]. In Konštantínove listy [Constantine’s Letters] 17/1, 141-149.