Jan Onufry Zagłoba is a fictional character in the Trilogy by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Together with other characters of The Trilogy, Zagłoba engages in various adventures, fighting for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and seeking adventures and glory. Zagłoba is seen as one of Sienkiewicz most popular and significant characters. While he has often been compared to Shakespearean character of Falstaff, he also goes through extensive character development, becoming a jovial and cunning hero.

Fictional character biography

After meeting another character of the Trilogy, Jan Skrzetuski, Zagłoba, until now living a meaningless life of a petty noble, trying to survive by exploiting the good faith of others, becomes drawn into the company of hero-like personas, and slowly changes, to become worthy of their trust and friendship.

In 1964 Teodor Parnicki published the novel ', which may be interpreted as a prequel about Zagloba's coming of age loosely connected with With Fire and Sword, where Zagloba tells of his exploits in Constantinople.

Significance and literary analysis

thumb|left|200px|Zagłoba (to the left) and [[Yuri Bohun|Bohun by Juliusz Kossak]]

Zagłoba appears in Sienkiewicz's The Trilogy series of three books:]]

Stanisław Kozłowski notes that Zagłoba is seen as one of Sienkiewicz most popular and significant characters. and others, is often based on his propensity for drinking and partying, sharp tongue and cunning, and telling exaggerated tales of his youthful adventures. This transformation is likely the most crucial difference between Zagłoba and Falstaff. Sienkiewicz himself wrote about Zagłoba and Falstaff thus: Edward Bolland Osborn notes he is too complex to be compared to only one character, and has qualities of many, preferring to describe him as a caricature "of the Polish character in the last days of the chevalerie, when the sabre was still the final argument and [Poland] was the chief bulwark of the Christendom against the vast armies of [the Turks]." He has also been compared to a number of other characters, such as Thersites

Stanisław Kozłowski notes that the good-natured and light-hearted portrayal of Zagłoba is used by Sienkiewicz to counterbalance the dark setting of the stories, set during the time of war and devastation.

Zagłoba in film and television

  • 1914 - Obrona Częstochowy (dir. Edward Puchalski) - portrayed by Aleksander Zelwerowicz
  • 1962 - Col ferro e col fuoco (dir. Fernando Cerchio) - portrayed by Akim Tamiroff
  • 1969 - Pan Wołodyjowski (dir. Jerzy Hoffman) - portrayed by Mieczysław Pawlikowski
  • 1969 - Przygody pana Michała (TV series) (dir. Paweł Komorowski) - portrayed by Mieczysław Pawlikowski
  • 1974 - Potop (dir. Jerzy Hoffman) - portrayed by Kazimierz Wichniarz
  • 1999 - Ogniem i mieczem (dir. Jerzy Hoffman) - portrayed by Krzysztof Kowalewski

References

Further reading

  • (free public domain text)