The play, inspired by the failure of the November 1830 Uprising, is a study of a Polish romantic revolutionary's psyche. Kordian — his name was coined by Słowacki — is a typical romantic hero torn by his emotions. The play is also a polemic and a critique of romantic heroes in general, and in particular that of Mickiewicz's "Dziady" (Forefathers' Eve, 1823). Kordian is often contrasted with the latter's hero, Konrad, as Kordian contemplates a dishonorable means to achieve victory (assassination) and fails in his task. Słowacki intended to do more than merely show his disappointment with the failure of the November 1830 Uprising; he questioned whether Poland's fate was—as Mickiewicz suggested—in the hands of God, rather than being the plaything of Satan.