https://doi.org/10.60056/Lit.2024.33.467-482
https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1306339
The Metamorphosis of Phryne in Petar Slavinski’s Eponymous Play
Maria Karakoleva
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria maria.karakoleva8@abv.bg
The article explores the various societal manifestations through which Phryne, the main character in the eponymous play by Petar Slavinski, passes. Those can be interpreted as stages in the metamorphosis of a strong individual who, despite the corrupt conditions in which she finds herself, manages to preserve and restore her inner values. Phryne is depicted as a peasant who evolves into a sophisticated hetaera and a pawn in the political games of the corrupt elite. Meeting Aristotle’s disciples encourages Phryne to unlock her repressed high virtues, drawing herself closer to the divine concept of kalokagathia. She be- comes a comrade to artists and philosophers and a rebel who rejects the es- tablished social order. The transience of Phryne’s manifestations enables the article to address the question of beauty—its perception and function—as well as the societal roles of women, politicians, philosophers, and artists.
Keywords: metamorphosis, hetaera, social criticism, philosophers, concept of beauty, friendship
For citation: Karakoleva, M. The Metamorphosis of Phryne in Petar Slavin- ski’s Eponymous Play. // The Literature, Year XVIII, 2024, Issue 33. Sofia: Univerisity Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”. (In Bulgarian)
About the author: Maria Karakoleva is a fourth-year student of Bulgarian philology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her interests are in the field of literature and dramaturgy.
