Identity play: testing the strength of a character: Theophile Gautier's Le capitane Fracasse and Barry Unsworth's morality play

The article is an attempt of comparative analysis of Theophile Gautier's Le Capitaine Fracasse and Barry Unsworth's Morality Play. These novels of different epochs and countries contain some typological convergences and parallel motifs which play an important role in understanding the main characters' nature. Besides, the theme of identity of the hero and his mask, the metaphor of theatre as representation of reality, chivalry and its role in the historical and cultural context of the time are the subject matter in the article.