(University of Oregon, 2019-09-18) Jalilov, Murad; Hokanson, Katya
This thesis seeks to explore the role of the Azerbaijani city of Shamakha and the image of its ruler, the Shamakhan Queen in Pavel Katenin’s "Kniazna Milusha" and Alexander Pushkin’s "Skazka o Zolotom Petushke". In order to interpret these works, it is important to look at the prophetic topos as outlined in Harsha Ram’s book in the Imperial Sublime and see how it was applied to Pushkin’s previous work "Kavkazkii Plennik", which I argue, is being parodied in Katenin’s "Kniazhna Milusha" and takes place in Shamakha, changing the prophetic topos as a result. Pushkin, on the other hand, considers "Kniazhna Milusha" as a literary challenge and writes "Skazka o Zolotom Petushke" as a response, where the character of the Shamakhan Queen reappears and is much more sinister than in "Kniazhna Milusha". Pushkin is successful in inverting the prophetic topos and making it somewhat "demonic" as a result.
