Franciszek Zabłocki (2 January 1754,
Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. The ...
– 10 September 1821,
Końskowola
Końskowola is a village in southeastern Poland (historic Lesser Poland region), located between Puławy and Lublin, near Kurów on the Kurówka River. It is the seat of a separate commune ('' gmina'') within Puławy County in Lublin Voivodeship, ...
), is considered the most distinguished
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
comic
dramatist
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and
satirist
This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires.
Under Contemporary, 1930-1960 ...
of the
Enlightenment period. He descends from an old aristocratic family of Poland with
coat of arms Łada. He translated many French comedies, among others those by
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
, but also wrote his own plays concentrating on Polish issues.
From 1774, he worked in the
Commission for National Education and in 1794, he took part in the
Kościuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794 and the Second Polish War, was an uprising against the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Pr ...
. During the next year he gave up literature and became a priest.
Literary career
Zabłocki's literary career began with the publication of his work in the Polish literary magazine ' ("Pleasant and Useful Amusements"). The magazine was the first of its kind in Poland, and was launched in the year 1770.
During
King Stanislaw August's reign, Warsaw was the scene of great literary activity. The King used to host literary figures for dinner every Thursday. Zablocki was a regular invitee to these parties, which included in its guest list such Polish luminaries as
Adam Naruszewicz and
Ignacy Krasicki.
During one such meeting, Zabłocki was asked to read his first comedy ''Fri Zabobonnik''. The King was so enraptured by this song that he bestowed the on Zabłocki.
After that Zablocki turned to writing plays, producing an astounding 40 plays in ten years. He mostly wrote comedies. His major works are ''Amphitryon'' (1783), ''Sarmatism'' (1785), ''Muhammad Harlequin'' (1785), ''King of Bliss in the Country'' (1787), ''Yellow Nightcap'' (1783), ''Doctor of Lublin'' (1781), ''Gamrat'' (1785), and ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (1786).
References
See also
*
Zablocki family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zablocki, Franciszek
19th-century Polish nobility
1754 births
1821 deaths
18th-century Polish–Lithuanian poets
18th-century Polish–Lithuanian dramatists and playwrights
Polish male dramatists and playwrights
Polish male poets
18th-century male writers
18th-century Polish nobility
18th-century Polish–Lithuanian writers
19th-century Polish writers