The Myth of the Betrayer: the Gospel of Judas According to Leonid Andreyev Cover Image

Mitul trădătorului: Evanghelia lui Iuda după Leonid Andreev
The Myth of the Betrayer: the Gospel of Judas According to Leonid Andreyev

Author(s): Andrei Paraschiv
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Russian Literature, Philology
Published by: Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti
Keywords: betrayal; Judas; myth; Leonid Andreyev; resemantization;

Summary/Abstract: This paper is an analysis from a mythological-theoretical perspective of Leonid Andreyev's short story Judas Iscariot. Starting from the ideas of Roland Barthes and Mircea Eliade on myth, it examines how Andreyev contradicts and reshapes the myth of the betrayer within the belief system of Orthodox Christianity. The theme of this paper was chosen because of the importance of this myth in popular culture and because of the way in which the depiction of the antagonist in a broader and more intimate way disrupts the views about the traitor embedded in the collective mind. Andreyev's reinterpretation challenges the established significations, encourages critical thinking, and invites readers to question the established narratives. Thus, the myth of the betrayer in Andreyev's reinterpretation offers valuable insights into human nature, morality, and the complex dynamics of betrayal.

  • Issue Year: 13/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 47-58
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Romanian