The Lay of Igor's Campaign: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Lay of Igor's Campaign" explores the complexities of its major characters against the backdrop of a 12th-century military campaign. Central to the narrative is Prince Igor Svyatoslavich, a courageous leader whose decisions are scrutinized, particularly regarding his disregard for a solar eclipse omen that foreshadows his army's defeat against the Polovetsians. His brother, Prince Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, embodies a fierce desire for glory, often characterized by reckless bravery that ultimately contributes to their downfall when the brothers become separated in battle. Igor's wife, Yaroslavna, provides poignant emotional depth through her laments and prayers, suggesting a connection between her sorrow and Igor's eventual escape. The figure of Boyan, a legendary bard, symbolizes the power of poetry and tradition, while the ancestral influences of Oleg and Svyatoslav further highlight themes of civil strife and the consequences of leadership. The interplay of these characters illustrates the tension between personal ambition and the collective fate of the Rus', making the tale a rich tapestry of heroism, loss, and cultural reflection.
The Lay of Igor's Campaign: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Unknown
Genre: Poetry
Locale: The Russian steppes
Plot: Romance
Time: Late twelfth century
Prince Igor Svyatoslavich (ee-GOHR svya-toh-SLAHvihch), the ruler of the city of Novgorod-Seversk. He leads his troops against the Polovetsians in 1185. He is the grandson of Oleg, Prince of Chernigov, and the son of Svyatoslav of Chernigov. Although he is the title character, Igor's stature as a hero is sometimes questioned, but his courage is never in doubt. He foolishly ignores the bad omen of the solar eclipse in assaulting the Polovetsians, but the initial encounter is successful. Igor refers to his troops as “friends” and “brothers,” and he is likened to a “mother bird.” When Igor's troops are defeated by the heathens, Russia is left open to their raids, and the poet suggests that Igor's “willfulness” cost them the battle. When Igor escapes with the aid of a Polovetsian named Ovlur, he is compared to an ermine, a white duck, a gray wolf, and a falcon, and his return is celebrated. The poet says that as it is hard for the body to exist without a head, so it is difficult for Russia without Igor.
Prince Vsevolod Svyatoslavich (VSEH-voh-lod), Igor's brother, known as the Wild Ox. He is perhaps even hungrier for glory than is Igor. He stands “at the head of all,/ Flinging arrows at the enemy” and striking them down with his sword. His golden helmet flashes among the Polovetsian troops, and he appears to be reckless in his daring. Their defeat comes when the brothers are parted during the battle, and the poet says that Vsevolod, too, is guilty of “willfulness.” The real Vsevolod from history also managed to escape, but no mention is made of that in the poem.
Yaroslavna (yah-roh-SLAHV-nah), Igor's wife, who in her lament for her lost husband offers some of the best poetic passages in the tale, which is often described as a “prose poem.”(TheRussian slovo, or word, usually is translated as “lay” or “song.”) In her lament, she weeps and appeals to God. The way the tale is structured, the poet makes it seem that her prayers have been answered, for the next section concerns Igor's escape.
Boyan, a bard or minstrel of the past whose poetic powers were so great that he was regarded as a wizard. He never directly appears in the poem but is mentioned several times. Hailed as the “nightingale of olden times,” Boyan is represented as both poet and wise man, and he is invoked in both the introductory and concluding sections of the tale, so that he serves a function similar to that of the traditional muse.
Oleg Svyatoslavich, the Prince of Chernigov and grandfather of Igor and Vsevolod. He is mentioned briefly after the initial victory but is associated with civil war and discontent. His function might be to set the stage for the impending disaster.
Svyatoslav (svya-toh-SLAHV), the grand Prince of Kiev and cousin of Igor and Vsevolod. He appears in two sizable passages after the defeat, first to tell of a nightmare and then to pronounce the so-called Golden Word. The dream concerns the lost “falcons,” Igor and Vsevolod, to whom he addresses the Golden Word, to the effect that they went into battle too soon and therefore failed to achieve glory even as they turned his hair gray with worry. Primarily, he laments the evils of the time and reflects on other Russian princes who have contributed to civil strife and left the motherland vulnerable to pagan invasion.