AN ARTISTIC CHARACTER OF “ THE KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER’S SKIN” AND THE ISSUE OF TRANSFORMATION OF ARTISTIC CHARACTERS

Abstract

The article deals with the artistic characters of the poem. It shows that the esthetics of light was very close to the Georgian in every epoch and is interesting and close even today. That’s why artistic characters having esthetics of light are met in Georgian literature of almost every epoch only in a transformed form. The artistic character – “ the pillars of lights: in “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” is transformed. Its genesis takes us to both- pagan and Christian points of view as Rustaveli’s artistic characters are formed by combining the antiquity and Christianity. If in the antique epoch attention is paid to outer beauty and physical strength, it is opposite in hagiography. Here attention is paid to spiritual part of the character, his inner nature. In hagiographical literature (“The Life of Grigol Khandzteli” by Giorgi Merchule” “the ray of light” is a symbol of the Lord. Grigol has “the ray of light” over his head. He is a servant of the Lord, of “the ray of light”, of belief but he isn’t “the ray of light” As for Shota Rustaveli, “the ray of light” for him is Avtandili, an artistic character, The artistic character in the poem is transformed. Belief, the same as “the ray of light” and a servant of belief, a person become one whole. Avtandili, this artistic character is interesting from the other point of view. He represents the personification of belief and religion. The Renaissance epoch and Rustaveli made a miracle: “I want a language to express my ideas, I have strength given by you to do it.”