“The Beads” by Maria Wirtemberska – an interperiodic comedy of consolation

The article discusses the one-act comedy The Beads by Maria Wirtemberska, which remains in manuscript. The subject of the paper is an attempt to situate the duchess's work in the panorama of creative tendencies of the time, with particular attention to the circumstances of the text's creation, the types of Enlightenment comedies, as well as the culture of the théâtre de société and masquerades. In addition, the affiliation of The Beads to sentimental and romantic literature is considered, thus highlighting the problem of the drama's positioning in relation to literary movements and periods.