- Aleksander Fredro
Aleksander Fredro (
June 20 ,1793 –July 15 ,1876 ) was aPolish poet ,playwright and author.Life
Count Aleksander Fredro, of the
Bończa coat of arms , was born in the village of Surochów nearJarosław , then a crown territory ofAustria . A landowner's son, he was educated at home. He entered the Polish army at age 16 and saw action in the Napoleonic wars, including the Moscow campaign. His memoir "Topsy Turvy Talk", which echoes the style ofLaurence Sterne 's "Tristram Shandy ", recounts his military experiences during Bonaparte's last campaign. While in France in 1814, he took an active interest in French drama. After leaving the army he settled on his estate and began as a writer.Fredro made his literary debut in 1817, but he was not interested in the problems of
Romanticism . He wrote social comedies about the lifestyle of thePolish nobility and is known for his skill in characterization and plot, as well as the flexibility of his language. His work also featureshumor typical offolk theatre from the period, orfarce .Two of Fredro's tales, "The Monkey in the Bath" ("Małpa w kąpieli") and "Paul and Gawel" ("Paweł i Gaweł"), are children's stories. His best known comedy, "Zemsta" (The Revenge), was in 2002 adapted for the screen in Poland.
Fredro was the maternal grandfather of the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Metropolitan
Andriy Sheptytsky .Comedies
* "
Mr. Geldhab " ("Pan Geldhab", written in 1818 & performed 1821)
* "Man and Wife " ("Mąż i żona", performed 1812)
* "Mr. Jovial " ("Pan Jowialski", performed 1832)
* "Maidens' Vows, or the Magnetism of the Heart " ("Śluby panieńskie, czyli magnetyzm serca", performed 1833)
* "The Revenge" ("Zemsta", performed 1834)
* "The Annuity " ("Dożywocie", performed 1835)ee also
*List of Poles
References
*cite book | title=European Authors 1000-1900 | location=Bronx | publisher=The H. W. Wilson Company | year=2000 | id=ISBN 0-8242-0013-6
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