The events of ‘Grażyna’ are thus set in medieval Lithuania. The opening scene takes place during the dark of night, when envoys from the Teutonic Order arrive at the castle in Navahrudak [currently in Belarus, trans.] to talk with Prince Litawor – for the prince had made an alliance with the Teutonic Knights against the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Witołd. The reason for Litawor’s anger was that Witołd had taken back lands previously granted to him. Rymwid – an advisor whom ‘the prince calls his other self’ – talks to his lord to stop him from a fratricidal battle. However, when his voice fails to convince Litawor, Rymwid seeks help from the duchess. Grażyna, regarded as the most beautiful lady in Lithuania, is also firmly against the pact with the Order – she considers the alliance a betrayal of the nation. Nevertheless, her words do not change Litawor’s decision either. The duchess, in secret from her husband, dismisses the Teutonic Knights, resulting in their declaration of war. To forestall the Teutonic onslaught, Grażyna decides to put on the armour of her husband, who is immersed in a dream, and lead the army into battle. However, the story is told in a truly sensationalist manner – the reader does not know that it is Grażyna, not Litawor, who goes into battle. Although the narrator signals that the prince is behaving somewhat peculiarly, does not display the prowess of a good knight, we learn the whole truth only at the very end of the story, and the detailed explanation of all events is presented in the ‘Epilogue’. At the critical moment of the battle against the Teutonic Knights, a knight in a black cloak, riding a black horse, appears on the battlefield and determines the victory of Litawor’s troops. This knight turns out to be the prince in person – but the reader will learn about this only later. Grażyna, wearing Litawor’s armour, is mortally wounded. The deed and sacrifice of the duchess make her husband see his mistake. When Grażyna’s body is burning in a funeral pyre, the prince throws himself into the flames and dies. Both deaths are very significant, as traditional roles are exchanged: it is Grażyna who dies in the armour of a knight, while Litawor dies in the funeral pyre, as a knight’s widow would.
The sequence of events in the story is explained in detail in the ‘Epilog wydawcy’ (Publisher’s Epilogue), which is an integral part of the poem. In it, the narrator recalls the story of a squire, who on that pivotal night was present in the castle, witnessed the duchess’s foray, and also accompanied the prince when he awoke to the sounds of battle and found the chamber empty. In addition to explaining the content of the poem, the function of the ‘Epilogue’ is to establish a sense of cordiality with the viewer – in a humorous, witty and sometimes ironic way. The language of this peculiar afterword also attracts attention. The main part of the poem, full of archaisms, was stylized as Old Polish, mastered by Mickiewicz probably through reading old works and also thanks to the fact that elements of Old Polish were preserved in the everyday language of his home region. The ‘Epilogue’, however, is different – it is no longer Old Polish but the language of the Renaissance period. The style, different from the main part of the work, was meant to give the impression that the ‘Epilogue’ was written much later than the poem itself. This is, of course, part of the literary fiction that was devised very meticulously by the author.