Teatr śmierci w służbie majestatu. Trzy exempla z dziejów Rzeczypospolitej XVII i XVIII wieku

Abstract

The article refers to the circumstances of deaths of the Polish kings, especially Zygmunt III Waza, Jan III Sobieski and August the Strong. The analysis is focused on the time and place of those deaths and especially, on the persons surroundings the kings during the last minutes of their lives. It turns out that these moments were more human and religious than majestic event and only in the case of Zygmunt III Waza the farewell ceremony was organized. The circumstances of deaths were various and depended largely on the personality of monarchs. The agony of the king was many times an excellent occasion to pursue some personal interest. That was why in the case of death of Zygmunt III Waza the closes and senators were intentionally misinformed on the royal health; after the death of Jan III Sobieski the struggle for power was launched and at the same time August the Strong was isolated from his Polish subjects during his agony.