Norwid’s drama of “social transfigurations”

The article discusses Norwid’s concept of drama and theatre; notably, he assumes their close relationship with social life and its historical changes. Basing on analyses of meta-dramatic and meta-theatrical statements made by the poet, contained primarily in the essays “Widowiska w ogóle uważane” and “Białe kwiaty” Performances considered in general; White flowers, in passages from lectures on Słowacki (O Juliuszu Słowackim), and in the introduction to Pierścień Wielkiej-Damy The Ring of a Great Lady, it is possible to formulate the thesis that Norwid intentionally developed a vision of drama based on the idea of “social transfigurations.”What is more, the character of his dramatic works enables one to interpret his particular theatrical pieces in the light of anthropological and sociological categories of social drama and cultural performance. After all, most of Norwid’s dramatic works depict situations of social change in terms of rites of passage and theatricalized social practices, e.g. social ceremonies or ritualized interactions. As a result, Norwidian drama becomes an artistic representation of forces shaping collective life, a lens facilitating their understanding in the spirit of social anthropology, and an important factor in the formation of man.