Byron’s “Mazepa” poem is a complex poetic composition that consists of twenty short sections. The English poet created the legend of the Ukrainian hero from Voltaire's fragmentary information about Charles XII. The French author, most likely, was familiar with the legend of Mazepa superficially, and perhaps his opinion about this man was based on rumors and legends. Perhaps it was precisely because of its legendary character that J. Byron fell in love with this image. Mazepa is an idealized hero who never managed to carry out his plan.
History reference
The famous Cossack chieftain hetman Ivan Stepanovich Mazepa (1640-1709) became famous for his struggle for the independence of his own country and its separation from both Russia and 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 went to the north of Europe, and Mazepa was waiting for Turkey, in which he saw his likely ally.
Prototype hero
There are several reasons why George Gordon Byron became interested in this historical character. Mazepa is the essence of Byron's rebellious aspirations, a worthy example of service to his homeland. Carefully studying the “History of Charles XII” written by Voltaire, the English romantic read everything that the French author knew about the semi-legendary historical hero. “History” was very popular in Europe, this work was translated into foreign languages, and survived fourteen reprints during the author's lifetime. In the fifth section, referring to the events of the Swedish-Russian war, Voltaire pointed out the historical significance of the actions of the hetman for Ukraine and all of Europe, and also mentioned the love story that happened to the chieftain in his young years. It was these notes that prompted the English poet to create a poem reflecting the distant events of European history, which by that time was already considered a well-forgotten past.
Writing background
The English poet and aristocrat wrote his poem in Italy, in 1818 or in 1819. Some researchers believe that Mazepa’s illegal love story for someone else’s wife is a rethinking of Byron’s own love drama. Mazepa inflamed with an illegal passion for the wife of his neighbor - Teresa, and the English author fell in love with the wife of Count Gvichchioli, 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. The sad lyrics of one’s own experiences smoothly fell into the outline of literary studies.
Summary: 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, a terrible defeat was inflicted on the Swedes by Russian troops during the battle of Poltava. A small Swedish squad retreats, fleeing the pursuers, and stops in the middle of the forest. The author describes how Mazepa is caring for her faithful horse, how she thoroughly cleans the harness, how happy he is that his favorite is eating. Trying to distract the king from thoughts of defeat, Mazepa tells one of the stories of his life related to the horse. The fact that he was a page at the court of the Polish king Jan Casimir, that the young Ivan Mazepa was handsome, and many women kept their eyes on him. But the heart of the hero was captured by the young beauty Teresa, who was the legitimate wife of a Polish nobleman. Young Ivan is struggling to meet with an impregnable beauty, and, finally, he was able to light a fire of love in the heart of his chosen one. Upon learning of his wife’s infidelity, the angry husband ordered Ivan to be tied to the back of a wild horse and released into the field. The torment experienced by the rider was described in a few precise words byron. But the fate of the unfortunate Theresa in the poem says nothing more. 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. Such punishment was too cruel for young Ivan, but the Polish count wanted his wife’s lover to experience many torments before death. Ivan's body was dissected by wild shrubs, the sun burned his skin, and the rain chilled. Ravens circled above him, and wolves followed his horse. After several days of painful racing, the driven horse fell, and the bound Ivan was under the horse’s corpse. He 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 a completely different fate awaits him. The protagonist ends his story, and the tormented king is already sleeping, not hearing his words.
The image of I. Mazepa
The characterization of the protagonist can hardly be called unambiguous. A few successful strokes outlined the nature of the hetman at the beginning and at the end of the work. Mazepa is portrayed as a strong, courageous, persistent man with a strong will - in this he resembles the main characters of other poems written by George Byron. Mazepa remains faithful to his aspirations at all stages of his life's journey, being both a strong husband in his prime and a tired, lonely seventy-year-old man. The poem shows well the changes in the character of I. Mazepa throughout all these years. The passage of time changes the hero - he becomes more wise, decisive and remains faithful to his ideals.
Characteristic
Mazepa Byron is primarily a rebel who sets his own goals and seeks to achieve them. For some, the image of Ivan Mazepa is a characteristic of a hypocrite and a traitor, and for some, he is a hero. J. Byron offers to independently evaluate the character and actions of Mazepa, leaving the right to draw before the reader moments of life of a living Ukrainian legend. The literary character has a clear resemblance to the real historical prototype. The heroic features of the real Mazepa were poetically emphasized. Perhaps the author was attracted by a persistent desire to achieve his goal, which hetman Mazepa set for himself. Byron was able to express the whole drama of shattered hopes and describe a man who lost everything he had in one battle.
Symbolism in the poem "Mazepa"
The repetition of the word "wild" is interesting. To a resident of foggy Albion, the endless Ukrainian steppes seemed just “wild." It is no accident that he repeats this word again and again. For him, Ukraine is a “wild country” in which “wild steppes”, “wild forest”. Mazepa’s “wild” horse, which carried him through forests and thorny bushes to Ukraine, is spelled out in several touches in the work - this is also the image of strong passions that took possession of the heart of the future hetman, and the consequences of the fateful choice, and a symbol of unbending will. Rapid streams of water, strong waves and harsh winds emphasize the influence of strong desires and passions that gripped the hero, the crow is a symbol of death awaiting him at every turn, and evening cold, fog and hassle are a poetic image of external forces that give Mazepa the right to evaluate future the obstacles of his own life.
Strong adjectives create an emotional, saturated image of Ukraine, which is a free, undeveloped land. It is clear that behind the scenes he contrasts the well-groomed English fields and the measured life of compatriots to the “wild” steppe in which the current events were unfolding.
The image of fate
The invisible thread of all the battle heroes is pursued by evil rock. 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 to the beautiful Teresa, who gave her future hetman her love. But the same fate and parted them - after all, Ivan did not know what happened to his beloved after separation. Fate saved him by bringing him to Ukraine and exalting him above the rest of the Cossacks, but he also brought down all his aspirations and hopes, leaving him alone in his declining years, an abandoned hero.
Horse image
In romantic literature of the early 19th century, the horse is a symbol of fate and good luck. Perhaps that is why it becomes clear why the king of Sweden is losing his horses - luck turned away from him, as Byron poetically emphasizes. Mazepa, on the contrary, retains his horse, as a symbol of the fact that rock is on his side, and luck did not leave him, despite all the drama of the situation. The rider of Mazepa personifies a symbol of courage and the right to control his own destiny. And only at the end of the story that George Byron wrote, Mazepa is left without comrades and without a horse - thereby immediately emphasizes the loneliness and hopelessness of the protagonist, which Byron perfectly described.
Mazepa: plan
The plan of the entire work can be represented as follows:
- The defeat of the Swedish army.
- Ivan Mazepa among the close associates of Charles XII.
- The conversation of the king with the main character.
- Mazepa's story about his youth:
- life at the court of the Polish king;
- falling in love with someone else's wife;
- punishment for illegal love;
- painful journey on the back of a wild horse;
- death of a horse and his own salvation.
To summarize
We can say that from this small story a whole poem was written, the author of which was naturally Byron. "Mazepa" is a hero who overcomes obstacles and ultimately won the honor and glory in a foreign country. The English poet was a little mistaken, endowing Mazepa with Polish origin and a noble surname. But even in this mistake lies its own romance. In foreign lands, an exile can gain power, glory and honor, and even become the master of vast lands. In the image of the protagonist, as in a drop of water, Byron's aspirations are displayed - after all, he himself became an Italian carbonary who defended his own land from the French invaders, and later sought to leave for Peru and shoulder with the legendary Bolivar to win the independence of this country.
The image of the main character of this poem inspired the great Vernier, who painted a picture based on the work of Byron. There is information about several theatrical productions staged according to this poem, and already in our time a wonderful film was staged.
An ancient legend became the basis for the book, on the cover of which is written: J. Byron. "Mazepa." The text of this work is easy to read and remember. We hope that this brief analysis of Byron's work will help to understand the essence and character of the Ukrainian hero.