Shakespearean Poetics of Myth in O. M. Somov’s Novella “Kikimora”
The purpose of the study is to determine features of reception of Shakespeare’s creative work by O. M. Somov using the example of the novella “Kikimora”, in which there is a unique composite character of a mischievous house spirit. An unconventional interpretation of this image evokes resemblance to Shakespearean trickster spirits. The article examines Kikimora’s internal similarity to these characters and analyses features of their interpretation by Somov. Scientific novelty of the paper lies in undertaking an interdisciplinary consideration of the issue with involvement of works by historians and cultural studies scholars, as well as the modern western literary critics. As a result, it is found that the Slavic folk myths about Kikimoras were transformed into an integral, Shakespearean-like complex image.