The Deluge · Chapter
LXVI explained
Kmita confronts Prince Boguslav Radzivill to plead for the release of his soldier Soroka, who is condemned to death.
What happens
Kmita confronts Prince Boguslav Radzivill to plead for the release of his soldier Soroka, who is condemned to death. Despite Kmita's desperate offers and pleas, Boguslav mocks and threatens him. Later, at the execution, Kmita rallies the soldiers against Boguslav, denouncing him as a traitor, and leads a mutiny that frees Soroka and brings the troops over to the hetman's side.
Themes in this chapter
- Honor and Betrayal
Kmita struggles with his honor as an envoy while tempted to kill Boguslav; Boguslav's treachery is exposed, and Kmita's mutiny turns soldiers against their traitorous prince.
- Redemption and Transformation
Kmita resists the devil's temptation to murder, prays for restraint, and transforms from a vengeful enemy into a leader who saves Soroka and rallies troops for the Commonwealth.
- Political Intrigue
Boguslav's manipulation, the negotiation over Soroka's life, and Kmita's strategic appeal to the soldiers highlight the complex political maneuvering during the war.
Characters to notice
- Andrei Kmita
Confronts Prince Boguslav to beg for Soroka's life, struggles with his own vengeful impulses, and ultimately leads a mutiny to rescue Soroka.
- Prince Boguslav Radzivill
Sick with fever, taunts and threatens Kmita, refuses to release Soroka, and orders the execution.
- Soroka
Kmita's loyal soldier, condemned to death by Boguslav, rescued by Kmita's intervention at the execution.
- Glovbich
Commands the execution detail, but secretly sympathizes with Kmita and joins the mutiny.
- Yan Sapyeha
Referenced as the hetman who sent Kmita with a letter and safe-conduct.
Key passages
“Strike! whispered the devil; you will serve the country.”
Kmita is tempted by the devilish thought that killing Boguslav would be a patriotic act.
Illustrates Kmita's internal moral struggle between vengeance and duty.
“O Most Holy Mother, restrain my hand! whispered he, through his set teeth.”
Kmita prays to the Virgin Mary to stop him from committing murder.
Shows Kmita's reliance on faith to overcome his violent impulses.
“A soldier is not an executioner; he gives death himself, but does not wish to see torture.”
The soldiers protest that they are fighters, not torturers, and object to witnessing Soroka's execution.
Highlights the soldiers' sense of honor and disgust at the brutal punishment.
“Prince Boguslav is a traitor to the king and the Commonwealth! You are surrounded, and tomorrow you will be cut to pieces.”
Kmita denounces Boguslav as a traitor and warns the soldiers that they face destruction if they remain loyal to him.
Kmita's rallying cry that sparks the mutiny and turns the troops against Boguslav.
