Psycological Motivation of Actions of Characters in Vazha Pshavela’s “Host and Guest’’: Zviadauri

Abstract

Personality of Zviadauri is the main factor and the cause of tradegy in the poem “Guest and host’’ by Vazha Pshavela.

Author applies contrast paineting style: Zvizadauri is mainly silent while Jokhola is talking. Vazha Pshavela grants his character with freedom of word and action while Zviadauri is mostly shown in position of self defence lacking chance of any action. As he is in charge of his own movements, he never hides his name by onomastic act – by naming himself (“I am Zviadauri’’ – he was shouting down the hills’’) while Jokhola is forced to stay anonymous.

Unlike Zviadauri Jokhola is known by his active actions and opinions, he is intense in terms of inner force and ability of enmity. Image of Zviadauri is given by distanced viewpoint that highlites attractiveness and fatal impact of the hero on people around. However, only strangers and external circumstance make possible to discover his unusual vital energy. Entire dramatic collision, dialogues and psychological pictures are linked to his vibrant energy.

Meeting with Zviadauri awakes inner grace, generosity and divine nature in personalities of Jokhola and Aghaza.

Death of Zviadauri naturally, without any cultural or religious intervention awakes in Quist crowd deep impulse of human unity – a soul of compassion and tolerance that creates natural basement where complex building of socio-cultural relations is constructed. It is secured by enemy tenet and deeply buried in order to safeguard identity of the community. Undefeated soul of man (Zviadauri) as a value was the common basis that gave birth and instantly `fixed’’ “personal’’ impulse of human unity and compassion.

Zviadauri dies not only for Khevsurs but for the whole world. Therefore Zviadauri is grieved not only by Aghaza but by nature as its own part and besides it is `ordered by the Lord’’. This episode indicates that death of Zviadauri is important more for nature than for culture, being more precise – to the part of the culture that is embodied in nature.

By the character of Zviaauri Vazha Pshavela depicts image related to The child of God, he creates memorial space in reader’s imagination.

Rhetoric of Zviadauri’s death – `The column coming from the sky’’– transforms human image into mythical element. This collective appraisal demonstrates the scale of happening called Zviadauri: he is the protector of Khevsureti (`Sward and shield of Pshav-Khevsureti’’, `protector’’ etc.) He is ideal hero, the rare shine of nature, emanation of something unbelievable, a human power shared with nature.

The phrase` Coming down from sky’’ for Vazha Pshavela is content/function related aspect (Zviadauri’s association with Child of God) not only as poetic figure (hyperbole, exaggeration) but to his description `protector’’ that means patron and is
known as Andrez definition of Child of God in Khevsurian Andrez.

The core characteristic of Zviadauri is firmness and toughness is indicated by Andrez meaning of `solid’’ and represents mythical component of the image. As Z. Kinknadze mentions `The sacral meaning of this word is impenetrable in terms of physical body and morality as well. It is symbolized in word `solid’’ castles that are impossible to enter as they don’t have inner space. Physical solidity is the metaphor of moral restriction.’’

Zviadauri looks like supernatural, undefeatable force. Such mental and visual image of the enemy shows that Quists are not capable to fight Zviadauri as equal. They admit their weakness with words and actions. From here comes the idea that every form of fight is acceptable in order to defeat Zviaauri. As if Quists are not just killing the enemy but are getting rid of some unhuman, dangerous and cruel force.

Moral hierarchy of actions of main characters’ is accordingly manifested in spatial dimensions and its material constituents. Morally valuable actions take place in the open air. Place of dramatic dialogue between Aghaza and Jokhola is semi open space as the result of discussion is not clear yet. House is a topos of men’s justice, nature is the space of divine participation and dwelling of ` big’’ time.

In both cases – for friends and enemies, for Quists as well as for Khevsurs Zviadauri is perceived in high, vertical dimension (`He is a column’’). This is his natural spatial situation that he holds in hands like a flag in cases of friendship and enmity and by which he strengthens his name (face).

In the moment of meeting with Jokhola he is inside the mountain and not on it. He is in labyrinth; it is more accident than regularity. Zviadauri lost his way, he leaved his own life order and stepped into chaos. Now he has to give regular form to everything that will happen afterwards. He should find his way out from chaos and return to order (persist as `column of light’’). In Quists cemetery Zvidauri is performing mission of superhuman, he manages to make death his choice and persist as free man.

For Vazha Pshavela bravery is not homogenous concept, nor strict or positive psychosomatic condition. Unlike mythical layer realistic view of Zviadauri is courageous, firm, fearless and the same time fierceful and brutal men of few words.

The character of Zviadauri manifests singular synthesis of honor and bravery that is painted in correlation with the idea of freedom. Zviadauri is free only within the frame of enmity. Enmity marks boarders of freedom and bravery as if fight was the only measure and foundation for his firmness.

By the images of Quist guests author depicts picture of people with awoken personality that eventually is restricted by society and never transformed into tradition. However, this biggest moral value gained by person is converted into myth and prolonged in eternity.

Despite of being happy dinner of three is sad and transient. Only the mist is long living. The final mythic scene of the poem depicts dialectics of relationship between part and whole and gives symbolic picture of eternal battle. Socio-ethical opposition e is opened in the scale of world and nature pointing to relation between human soul and mystical world.

Vazha tributes momentary light of individual, however it is a light that gives charm to human existence and the world itself. That’s why he depicts dinner scene in vertical dimension, on the top of mountain, lightened up by fire flames. A passage of friends, the emanation of human souls looks brief on the background of constant war and enmity in sinful human history. Even so it is repeated every night because humans never get tired of explosions of love, kindness compassion. Mankind is always eager to see it over and over again.