Shakespeare's Portrait in Georgian Modernist Narrative (Based on the example of Konstantine Gamsakhurdia's essays)

This article examines the image and interpretation of William Shakespeare in Georgian modernist narrative, based on the essayistic heritage of Konstantine Gamsakhurdia. Drawing on the writer’s essays published in his multi-volume collected works, the study analyzes how Shakespeare functions as a key cultural and philosophical reference point in Gamsakhurdia’s worldview. Particular attention is paid to Gamsakhurdia’s understanding of Shakespeare as a universal embodiment of human nature, his conception of the synthesis of the tragic and the comic, and his rejection of typological characterization in favor of unique, irreducible individuality. The article highlights parallels drawn by Gamsakhurdia between Shakespeare and other canonical figures such as Rustaveli, Dante, Goethe, Balzac, and Tolstoy, as well as the special role of Hamlet in Georgian intellectual and national self-reflection. By situating Shakespeare within broader discussions of myth, history, language reformism, and modernity, the study demonstrates how Georgian modernism engaged in an active dialogue with European literary tradition. The analysis reveals that Gamsakhurdia’s Shakespearean portraits are not merely interpretative reflections but integral components of his modernist aesthetics and cultural mission.