THE MOTIVE OF MADNESS IN WORLD LITERATURE

Abstract

The paper is based on the hypothesis that the motive of madness is very common in literary works starting from the literature of the old age to modern and postmodern literary production. Many famous world writers have worked on this motive in various literary epochs, genera and species. In antique comedy, man's insanity was portrayed in a witty, playful and humorous way, and the same poetic, approach to the treatment of this motive is also of later comedical works. In tragedy, madness is often the cause of starvation, but also the ability to get to know essential knowledge, truth and ideas. Sometimes madness is considered obsessive, sick, or just punishment. In Renaissance literature, this state of the human spirit is seen through the theory of human wonders, attributing melancholy to educated young men, and hysteria to young women. It was caused by disappointment, suffering, unrequited love or sin. In the focus of our research were found some of the world's renowned literary creators, moral psychologists, who along with each psychological portrait also offer ethical values that characterize character. The theme of this paper is the motive of madness in some literary works. This paper is an attempt to address the complex issues of insanity in world literature through literary research supported by psychology. The aim of the paper is to examine the presence of the motif of madness, its understanding and interpretation from the ancient Greek drama, through the literature of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, to modern and postmodern literary traditions. The image of madness is given through various manifestations of character behavior, that it is authentic or irradiated, and through the comments of other heroes, eyewitnesses and interpreters.