The Provocative Reinterpretation of the Biblical Motives in Oskar Kokoschka's Gorejący krzak ciernisty

Abstract

This paper entitled “The Provocative Reinterpretation of the Biblical Motives in Oskar Kokoschka's Gorejący krzak ciernisty” seeks to analyse and interpret this drama with an aim to prove its pre-expressionistic character. Its heroes are paradigms of sex deprived of personalities. They have no personal names but only generic names: Woman and Man. The most important lines of interpretation lead the recipient to biblical symbolism that combines Man's suffering and death with Jesus Christ's redemptive offering; now Woman is primarily identified with inexhaustible sexual passion symbolised by the titular burning thornbush, but then with Mary the virgin and mother. It is worth noting all the strata of the signs of the stage work, owing to the innovative pre-expressionistic character of the drama: the poetic language with its dominating adialogue as a form of expression, the architectonic and three-dimensional stage design, and contrast as a principle that governs the selection of colours.