"Coronation" by Marek Modzelewski, summary

The Polish playwright’s play, written in 2004, explores the crisis of a thirty-year-old man through dialogues with a cynical inner voice. This voice is materialized on stage as a distinct character. The play premiered in January 2004 at the National Theatre in Warsaw. Later, in 2014, director Sebastian Chondrokostas filmed a television adaptation of the drama for the Polish Teatroteka series.

The Double Life of Maciek

The drama’s protagonist is a thirty-year-old doctor named Maciek. He shares the stage with his alter ego, the King. The King comments on the hero’s actions, criticizes his behavior, and voices his hidden fears. The story begins in a brothel. Maciek sleeps with a whore under the King’s watchful eye. He confesses to the woman that he has been married for five years but has no children. The doctor justifies his visit to the prostitute by saying that a one-time sex act for money is more honest than a permanent mistress.

Maciek’s wife, Beata, is waiting for him at home. The couple begins to quarrel over forgotten purchases. Beata accuses her husband of selfishness and indifference to his family. Maciek tries to avoid the conversation. He is passionate about photography and dreams of his own exhibition. His wife ignores his hobby and complains about a lack of communication. The King mocks his inability to express his grievances. The mutual misunderstanding grows with every minute of their conversation.

Work and old acquaintances

Maciek works as an ambulance driver. He hates the job and responds to calls without enthusiasm. During one of his night shifts, he examines an elderly patient. The woman complains of severe abdominal pain and is behaving eccentrically. At her home, the doctor meets his childhood friend. Piotrko remains in the provinces, suffering from poverty and envious of Maciek’s status in the capital.

A friend cares for his ailing mother and helps the local priest. He considers the life of a Warsaw doctor ideal. Piotrek reminds his friend that his parents bought him an apartment and a car. Maciek confesses to his friend that he’s burnt out professionally. He wants to leave medicine for art. The king sarcastically comments on his friend’s complaints and the doctor’s own hypocrisy. The conversation illustrates the gulf between two different lives.

New love and breakup with wife

Soon, the hero meets a former classmate. The woman admires Maciek and gives him a sense of confidence. The lovers spend time in bed, and the doctor pours out his heart. He complains about his wife’s coldness and problems in his intimate life. Maciek recalls his difficult relationship with his domineering father. The woman offers him a future together, trips to the lakes, and a happy life.

After their date, the doctor informs the mother of his intention to divorce Beata. The mother is horrified by this news. She accuses her son of breaking up the family and demands that they preserve their legal marriage. The woman reminds him of the effort it took to buy a home for the newlyweds. The king supports the idea of divorce and pressures the hero to take action. The doctor refuses to listen to his persuasion and announces plans to rent a separate apartment.

Later, Maciek openly confronts Beata about their breakup. He attributes his departure to an incompatibility of personalities. His wife desperately tries to save their relationship. She suggests they discuss the accumulated problems and give the marriage a chance. Maciek remains adamant and conceals the existence of another woman. Beata doesn’t believe his claims about not having a mistress. The insulted wife calls her husband a pathetic coward and leaves.

The Return of the Sister

The Maciek family is in shock. The hero’s sister, Bogna, arrives from the United States after thirteen years. The parents are in deep shock. The father quarrels with the tearful mother and drinks heavily. Bogna acts confidently and asks her brother for a medical examination. American doctors have discovered a lump in her breast, and the girl trusts only local medicine.

The sister’s arrival exacerbates long-standing family conflicts. The father tries to control his son’s life and offers him gas money. The father demands that he bring his daughter-in-law to meet her sister-in-law. Maciek refuses to accept the money. Bogna accuses her brother of being rude to their aging parents. The doctor reminds his sister that she was the one who abandoned the family for so many years.

The collapse of illusions

Maciek’s freedom proves short-lived. A former classmate informs him of her departure to Berlin. The woman has enrolled in graduate school and plans to live with her ex-fiancé. She has no intention of ending their seven-year relationship. The lovers separate. The doctor is left alone and fearful of the future. The King watches with pleasure as his charge suffers.

Father’s death

Against the backdrop of a personal catastrophe, Maciek’s final confrontation with his father occurs. The older man demands that his son behave decently and stop making foolish mistakes over women. He cites his own youth and responsibility as an example. Maciek accuses his father of coldness and suppressing his will as a child. His son claims that he always felt like an insignificant child around him.

In the midst of a heated argument, Father clutches his chest and falls to the floor. He’s having a massive heart attack. Mother and Bogna panic and beg for help. Maciek begins CPR. The King comments on the dying man’s appearance and calls the situation comical. CPR is ineffective. The exhausted doctor stops the cardiac massage.

The father dies. The King gives the stunned Maciek his final instructions. He advises him to call the funeral home, take his mother to his home, and quit his hated job. An inner voice advises him to find the blonde’s number and forget his past failures. The alter ego promises that a life of freedom will now begin. The King proclaims, "The entire kingdom is yours." The stage plunges into darkness.