published 1900, produced 1911.
Philosophical drama, written in lyrical verse
The play llustrates the tragic results of Mickiewiczian messianism. The action is limited, for the play is composed mostly of ideological and philosophical monologues by Adam Mickiewicz, Poland's foremost romantic poet, dialogues between Mickiewicz and leading exponents of other conceptions of messianism, and commentary by a Greek-style chorus.
Mickiewicz, in a religious ceremony at St. Peter's Church in Rome, offers himself as a martyr and sacrifice for Poland. He and his legionnaires, who are preparing to march to Poland for the insurrection (1848), receive a reluctant blessing from the Pope and prayers from representatives of all the subjugated Slavs and from St. Andrew, the Slavs' patron saint. Later, Mickiewicz appears as Brutus on the fateful day in ancient Rome. When Mickiewicz-Brutus kills Caesar, symbol of the cult of Napoleon, he releases from bondage an old woman (Freedom), who immediately runs amok in the crowd and soon is brought back dead. Then, when Mickiewicz and his legionnaires, dressed as pilgrims, finally leave Rome, they appear on a burning ship that ploughs through waters filled with corpses. Realising that Thanatos is at the helm of their ship, the legionnaires assume that they must be dead. But Mickiewicz shouts encouragement: "Youth, you will resurrect."