LESIA UKRAINKA AND TARAS SHEVCHENKO:
PROMETHEISM OF THINKING

The article deals with the Prometheism thinking of both Taras Shevchenko and
Lesya Ukrainka, as well as defines its character and features. The comparative
analysis of Prometheism of Taras Shevchenko and Lesya Ukrainka is carried out,
their common and distinctive features are emphasized.
In the image of Prometheus, Taras Shevchenko embodies the idea of serving
people, anthropocentrism, the native Ukrainian people and himself. Created by Lesya
Ukrainka, the image of Prometheus is inspired by the romantic ideas and trends of
contemporary Europe, the understanding of ancient myth and his own author’s vision
of Prometheus’ mission in Ukraine.
Prometheism is presented as an ancient and renaissance idea, the essence of
which was determined by self-sacrifice and service to the individual and the people.
Specifics of the perception of the Christian tradition by both artists are characterized,
the emphasis is on the purely authorial approaches of Taras Shevchenko and Lesya
Ukrainka to the figure of Jesus, which correlates with the figure of Prometheus
as somewhat opposite given the realization of personality in society and vocation. An
artistic interpretation of the idea of imperialism by Taras Shevchenko and Lesya
Ukrainka is given.
It is emphasized that both artists have dedicated their lives to serving Ukraine, its
culture and language, and the images of Prometheus created by them are deeply
autobiographical. Not being followers of traditional Christianity, they created their
images in accordance with the traditions of antiquity, the Renaissance and national
worldviews. They testified to the formation and establishment in the Ukrainian social
and ideological traditions of the idea of the struggle for nationalism and confrontation
with Russian imperialism.
Keywords: Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, image of Prometheus, Christianity,
antiquity, Renaissance, imperialism, idea of self-sacrifice, anthropocentrism.

Files to Download

Download

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2520-6346.2(61).52-61

References

1. Ivanyshyn P. Natsionalnii sposib rozuminnia v poezii T. Shevchenka, Ye. Malanyuka, L. Kostenko : мonohrafiia / Р. Ivanyshyn. – K. : Akademvydav, 2008. – 390 s. 2. Ukrainka Lesia. Tvory / Lesia Ukrainka. – K. : Dnipro, 2000. – 630 s. 3. Pavlychko D. Literaturoznavstvo. Krytyka. Ukrayinska literature / Pavlychko D. – K. : Vyd-vo Solomiyi Pavlychko "Osnovy", 2007. – S. 227–236. 4. Fylypovych P. Р. Lesya Ukrainka // Fylypovych P. P. Literaturno-krytychni statti. – K. : Dnipro, 1991. – S. 105–108. 5. Fylypovych P. Р. Obraz Prometeya v tvorakh Lesi Ukrayinky // Fylypovych P. P. Literaturno-krytychni statti. – K. : Dnipro, 1991. – S. 109–116. 6. Shevchenko T. Povne zibrannya tvoriv : u 12 t. T. 1. Poeziia 1837–1847. – K. : Naukova dumka, 1989. – 526 s.