The Senecan Reception in the Jesuit Theatre of the Czech Province : Arnoldus Engel S.J. (1620-1690) as a Disciple of the Roman Playwright
Abstract
The study of the Senecan reception in the Jesuit theatre of the Czech Province aims to fill in at least partially the gap in the field of research on the Roman playwright in the Czech area. After an introduction dedicated to Seneca's position in the Czech culture, the attention is paid to the reception of his tragedies in the European theatre and its particular figures.
Some of these aspects show up also in the main part focused on the jesuit playwright Arnoldus Engel and his work with Seneca as his model. The compared passages are taken from Seneca's Medea and Engel's play about Saint Catherine - Costis sive Catharis Partheno-Martyr Alexandrina.
The flagrancy of the Senecan inspiration is only underlined by author's comments from the used manuscript of Engel's plays where he indicates himself Seneca as his master and model.