ESKILI, KY HUMBËS I MADH, NJË MEMORJE PËR IDENITETIN EUROPIAN TË BALLKANIT
Teuta ARIFI
Abstract
This paper aims to analyse Ismail Kadare’s ideas regarding ancient Greek tragedy and the Balkan cultural framework on a broader academic plane. The main and first interests on greek antiquity, its litterature and drama are expressed by the intellectual and literary thought of the Albanian National Upheval, which refers to Balkan antiquity as Albanian. In doing so, it establishes an inseparable cultural connection between European civilization and Albanian culture.
Kadare’s ideas about ancient tragedy and ancient culture in general are not romantic notions but are rooted in the interpretation of themes in ancient Greek literature through ancient Albanian traditions, specifically the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini. By placing them in a comparative framework, Kadare interprets Aeschylus’ Oresteia and Homer’s Iliad through the lens of Kanun codes, particularly regarding blood feuds, blood vengeance, bloodlines, and the treatment of guests. With this approach, both innovative and aesthetic, Kadare remains an unparalleled herald of Albanian cultural distinctiveness.
Pages: 202 - 211