Digital Słowacki – prospects and opportunities on the example of the edition of "Samuel Zborowski"

Abstract

The main objective of the paper is to discuss the exceedingly complex manuscript by Juliusz Słowacki entitled by editors Samuel Zborowski, as the text for which could benefit from digital editorial solutions. Numerous dilemmas arising at the stage of planning the text scholarly edition meant to retain the dynamic character of notations in the unfinished literary work, are presented in the perspective of possibilities offered by digital tools. Their application in this particular editorial case is discussed. The article frames proposed, digitally coded, actively complimentary versions of the text (facsimile, manuscript, drama) prepared using TEI XML editor available at the website Nowa Panorama Literatury Polskiej (https://nplp.pl/). The assumed approach allowed to reverberate the internal dynamics of the text and also to refrain from artificially establishing non-existent linear main text. The intricate issue of a wide range of multifaceted beings appearing in Samuel Zborowski, impossible to represent in the conventional publication process was reflected on in the study. We propose a possible digital solution derived – like all the ideas presented – from the respected by the editors internal structure of the text.