THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITUAL ABILITIES AND THE PATH TO “BECOMING HUMAN” IN SHANTA’S DRAMA “CHAINED”

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the inner layers of Levon Shant's drama "Chained," examining the work beyond its historical context. This study is relevant because for centuries, both Armenian and world literature has focused on the human being—their inner, undiscovered essence, their striving for perfection, and their eternal journey of self-improvement. A century later, we are confronted with the issues reflected in the drama. Therefore, our goal is to deeply analyze the work and identify those inner characteristics that have remained overshadowed by its historical context.

To achieve this goal, we set ourselves the following objectives: to study Levon Shant's work, dividing it thematically and chronologically, to compare "Chained" with other works of the period, and to examine the drama from the perspective of world literature.

The study utilized the methods of synthesis, induction, deduction, and comparison. The main conclusion reached in this study is that Shant, in addition to describing historical realities in his drama "Chained," attempted to answer the eternal questions that trouble humanity. Each of us finds ourselves in the role of Artavazd: chains, invisible from the outside, press upon us from within every day and every hour, turning our lives into a daily struggle – a struggle to become human from a human being.