MAYAKOVSKYS EARLY DRAMA IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT (Vladimir Majakovskijs dramatisches Frühwerk im Kontext des europäischen Dramas)

The text analysis of V. Mayakovsky's tragedy 'Vladimir Majakovskij' (1913) demonstrates moments of similarity and differences in the text constitution on the basis of a comparison with other works of the European dramatic production. The author of the study utilizes Wolfgang Schwarz's structural method which helps to distinguish a language functional, motif and 'suzhet' construction layer in the complementarity of the expressive and the content aspect of a textual sign. Convergencies and divergencies between Mayakovsky's drama and works of other authors shine through from these layers. The author of the study analyzes the motivics, the thematics, the story structure, the depiction of dramatic characters, and the relationship of monologue and dialogue. V. Mayakovsky's tragedy 'Vladimir Majakovskij' draws on the symbolists' lyric drama (e.g. A. Blok) and on the so-called monodrama of Nikolai Jevreinov which in many respects resembles the works of German expressionists. Thus we can see the work of the early V. Mayakovsky as situated between the 'Russian' and the 'European' tradition.