MARKO KRALJEVIC (GOOD AND BAD CHARACTERISTICS)

LET’S REVISEMarko Kraljevic was a real person. History knows about him. He was the son of King Vukasin. Marko’s capital was Prilep and he was a Turkish vassal from 1371 to 1395. He died during the Battle of Rovine in the war between Turks and the Romanian Voivode Mircea. He was buried in Hilandar, but his grave is not marked. People made Marko into a legend, a great myth. They made many poems about him. Everything they wanted, they weaved into the character of their hero. That is how Marko from the poems and the legends surpassed Marko from history.What people’s imagination creates is always stronger and more long lasting then the regular life.

POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS

BRAVE

People believe that, before the battle in which he died, he said: “I ask and pray to Lord to be a helper for all Christians, and let me be the first among the dead in this war.” In these words we can see sympathy as well.

SYMPATHETICHe was very sympathetic towards his nation. We can see that characteristic in his conversation with the Kosovo Maiden. He asks her to tell him where the Arab is. He wants to save his nation from the tyranny and disgrace and to reclaim its honour. Despite being a great hero, Marko cries out of sadness for his nation. Marko feels that the fate of his nation is his fate. He feels sympathy for the nation in pain and tears.He says: “To have revenge or to die.” Marko is a HERO in anguish and a FRIEND in trouble.

REBELDespite being a vassal, he is not a slave, but A MAN WHO WANTS A COMPLETE FREEDOM FOR HIMSELF AND HIS NATION. That is why he has a wish to break everything that others force upon him. We can see that in the poem “Marko Drinks Wine at Ramadan.” Marko rejects everything that the Sultan orders during the Ramadan. He drinks wine, wears green dolama, wears his sabre and dances kolo. He is a Christian and he believes that that doesn’t relate to him. What speaks from him is: VANITY, SPITE, WISH TO BE ABOVE THE ALIEN.

DETERMINED AND PERSISTENT

After the exhaustion because of the time spent in jail, Marko prepares for 3 months for a duel against the strongest Turkish soldier Musa Kesedzija. He will be ready for the duel when he breaks the cornel wood which was drying in the attic for 9 years and two drops of water leak from it. He is persistent at that.

SINCERE, FAIR, MORALTruth is the most important for him. He may admit that someone is stronger and better than him at duels.

“After Kraljevic Marko had seen that,His white face got covered with tears:Oh my God, oh my sweet sweet Lord! I have murdered one better than myself.” (Marko Kraljevic and Musa Kesedzija)

He has characteristics which are better than the characteristics of other heroes. People see the humane above the heroic in him.

INSUBORDINATE

Marko is the greatest Serbian hero. He always wins and is always unmatched at something, as a person or as a hero.

NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

DISOBEDIENT

Marko is disobedient and prone to trouble. He doesn’t respect the Ramadan although he is a Turkish vassal. He does everything opposite of what the Sultan orders. During the Ramadan: 1. Marko drinks wine,2. Marko wears green dolama,3. Marko wears his sabre,4. Marko dances kolo.

BULLYHe forces Turkish soldiers to drink wine during the Ramadan although their religion doesn’t allow that.

VAIN AND SHORT-TEMPEREDWhen he heard from the blacksmith Novak that he had made a better sabre for Musa Kesedzija, he cut Novak’s whole arm. “Better sabre, and to the better hero.”

RUDEHe wants to scare others and to show who he is.

“Deli-Musa, move out of my way,either move far, or bow down to me.”

CUNNINGHe tricked Musa Kesedzija cunningly. He diverted his attention by summoning fairies from the clouds. Then he took out his knife and ripped his stomach.

SPENDTHRIFTMarko spends a lot on luxurious clothes, weapons, and drinks.

BRAWLER

He becomes angry and starts fights easily.

SELFISHWhen he feels that he will die, Marko says goodbye to his horse Sarac by cutting its head.

THERE’S NO TREE WITHOUT BRANCHES JUST AS THERE’S NO MAN WITHOUT FLAWS.

(Serbian proverb)

DON’T FORGET THISPeople remember Marko Kraljevic as the man created by the poetic

imagination and legends. In poems he is: the best, the greatest, the strongest hero. No man like him had been born, nor will anyone like him exist. No one had had that kind of strength; no one had ridden a horse like him; no one had carried that kind of weapon; and no one had drunk that much wine nor lived that long. He was: FAIR, TRUTHFUL, DEFENDER OF THE POOR, HATER OF TYRANNY. In short, he was AN IDEAL HERO. People were creating his character for centuries. Marko was encouraging the people, urging them not to give up, to stay strong in trouble and to fight for their dignity and freedom. That is why he lives long, longer than others. According to poems , he lived for 300 years, and his horse Sarac for 160 years. But everything that is born has to die. And so did Marko.

E.S.“SVETI SAVA” Kragujevac january 2017 Bogdan Mihailovic VI

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