Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 34 No. 2, 2022.
Reminescences
https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.205
CHARACTERIZATION OF BIPOLAR DISORDER IN ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE BLACK MONK
Benedikt Munzar
; Medical School for International Health, Livermore, CA, USA
Abstract
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a famous Russian author and physician known for his dramas and short stories. Many of his
works also address mental health problems. Here, the present paper is investigating his novella The Black Monk that was published
in 1894. Its main protagonist, Kovrin, likely suffered from bipolar disorder as he exhibited elevated mood, grandiosity, lack of sleep,
and delusions. His symptoms are analyzed based on current DSM-5 criteria, and he appears to meet diagnostic criteria for bipolar I
disorder. Chekhov himself suffered from a mood disorder, but we speculate that he himself exhibited some bipolar symptoms. Those
were likely an inspiration for when he wrote The Black Monk.
Keywords
bipolar disorder; mania; Anton Chekhov; Black Monk; historical article; literature analysis; fictional texts
Hrčak ID:
280008
URI
Publication date:
5.7.2022.
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