"Balladyna is a tragedy written by Juliusz Słowacki in 1834 and published in 1839 in Paris. It is a notable work of Polish romanticism, focusing on the issues such as thirst for power and evolution of the criminal mind. The story revolves around the rise and fall of Balladyna, a fictional Slavic queen."
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"Reading "Balladyna" we cannot avoid comparing it to "Macbeth" and resist the feeling it's a great tragedy about the authority and it's power. The plot of a drama was a base for Słowacki to show how evil and prone to suggestions is human nature. It is also a tragedy pondering about the morality, the author claims that it is impossible to righteously reign the country if the power was gained unlawfully."[1]
Balladyna and Alina are sisters who live with their mother in a poor hut in the middle of the forest. A nymph Goplana – the queen of Goplo Lake - is in love with Balladyna’s beloved – Grabiec, and because of her jealousy she intervenes in people’s lives and changes their destiny. To the sisters’ cabinet comes a rich prince – Kirkor, who was led there by Skierka – Goplana’s servant. Goplana wanted Kirkor to fall in love with Balladyna so that Grabiec could be just hers, however, Skierka made a mistake and Kirkor fell in love not only with Balladyna, but also Alina.
In order to get a husband, the sisters compete with each other in collecting raspberries; the one that fills a pitcher first will marry Kirkor. When it turns out that Alina is winning Balladyna kills her with a knife. The only witness to that is Grabiec whom Goplana turns into a weeping willow so that he won’t say anything. After coming back home Balladyna claims that her sister ran away with a lover. The only things reminding Ballasyna of the crime she committed is a bloody stain on her forehead that cannot be removed, pangs of remorse and terrible nightmares. The body of the dead girl is found by Filon who fell in love with her.
Soon after the marriage Kirkor leaves for the battle of Gniezno and to the castle come wedding guests. Balladyna is so ashamed of her mother that she orders the servants to close her in a tower. During Kirkor’s absence, Balladyna and his knight – Fon Kostryn are falling for each other. That’s when Balladyna decides to go to the hermit hoping that he will remove the bloody stain. Hermit like no one else can read from people and soon finds out about Balladyna’s deeds. Kostryn was a witness to this scene but to prove Balladyna his loyalty they kill together a messenger sent by Kirkor with presents for his wife.
In the castle takes place a feast where among the others the guests are: Grabiec (disguised in little bells’ king), and nymphs Skierka and Cochlik. Balladyna disavows her mother and turns her out of the castle. When hearing the melody telling about her felonies Balladyna goes mad. She hears voices from the beyond, she sees the ghost of her sister and finally passes out. In the middle of the night Balladyna and Kostryn kill Grabiec and take his crown – symbol of a legitimate royal power – and leave for Gniezno to seize power.
Fon Kostryn defeats in the battle Kirkor’s army and Kirkor himself dies on the battlefield. Soon after the battle Balladyna gets rid of Kostryn by giving him a piece of bread cut off with poisoned knife. Balladyna becomes the queen. The chancellor informs her that as a new monarch she should decide on some cases pleaded by subjects. The first case concerns poisoning Kostryn, Balladyna is forced to sentence an unknown man for a death. The next case is regarding the death of Alina and here also an innocent, unknown man is sentenced for a death.
At that moment Balladyna’s mother enters the palace, blinded by the lightning and complaining about her daughter who drove her out of the castle during the storm and who refused to have anything to do with her. She doesn’t want to reveal her name so she’s being killed during the tortures. We know, however, that the infamous daughter was Balladyna, who forced by the chancellor passes a sentence for the daughter and for the third time it’s corporal punishment.
In the last sentence God punishes the bad queen by killing her with thunder.
"Balladyna" by Juliusz Słowacki