Doctor in Drama

Literary Works and Their Reception in 19th-Century Polish Theatre

Abstract

The article presents several dramas with a leading character of a doctor, performed in Polish theatre in the 19th century and preserved in the form of prints or manuscripts. These works were an important source of knowledge about medicine and new trends for the recipients, not only concerning health, diseases and treatment, but above all the changes taking place in the social perception of the medical profession, including the expansion of the group of medical practitioners to include women. In the dramas of the 19th century, even in its first half, when a sarcastic treatment of some aspects of the doctor's profession, resulting from the strong Molière tradition, dominated, doctors as participants of dramatic action were positive characters, choosing their profession out of vocation and selflessly helping other heroes in difficult life situations. Very often, however, they encountered stereotypical thinking and prejudices, including accusations of being too financially motivated to treat patients, or they were bitter about their own problems resulting from their dedication to work. At the end of the 19th century, stereotypical portrayals in dramas concerned mainly female doctors, who were treated not so much as performers of a difficult profession, but above all as feminists who, due to excessive ambition and the wrong motives, forced their way into a profession reserved for men.