Postępek prawa czartowskiego jako kompilacja różnych form gatunkowych
Postępek prawa czartowskiego [The Trial of the Devil’s Law] as a Compilation of Different Genres

Summary/Abstract: The anonymous Postępek prawa czartowskiego [The Trial of the Devil’s Law, 1570] poses a problem when it comes to identifying the genre. The work consists of two parts – a dialogue and a tractatus. Wanting to include all demonological material, the unnamed author needed two distinct ways of presenting content and therefore made use of the most proper forms and combined them, putting them side by side without mixing them. The author’s goal was not to transgress norms but to create a better and more comprehensive work. The overriding aim was effective communication, and the form of the work was determined by the author’s intention and the readership’s anticipated reaction. The compilation of Postępek can neither be called a genre apart nor an experiment in genre. It is a well-considered strategy of presenting demonological material in the most appropriate and most accessible way.

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