Ilinden in Macedonian drama

This study opens the issue on the development of Macedonian drama through the subject of Ilinden (Elijah's Day) - one of the most immense tragic events in Macedonian past. Expressing their attitude towards history, Macedonian drama writers Vojdan Cernodrinski, Nikola Kirov-Majski, Vasil Iljoski, Kole Casule, Petre Bakevski and Goran Stefanovski illustrate the drama developing process looking from different perceptions, from modernism to postmodernism. Analysing their dramas in the context of historical knowledge, we come to evidence that, in some of them, tragic events have been presented on the basis of historical documentation, whereas in others their own perspective of presentation dominates. Occasionally, in order to maintain tragic chaos, the authors idealize historical characters, presenting them as if they are highly moral sinless subjects. On occasion, painfully using symbolism, they uncover dark forces having ruled Macedonian people's destiny in the very beginning of XX century. There are also such dramas applying various post-modern strategies that allude to a wider meaningful context. Different approaches to the historical subject are connected not only to the author's imaginative sensibility but also to the time they appeared in.