Griboyedov. The play “Woe from Wit. A.S. Griboedov "Woe from Wit": description, characters, analysis of comedy Author's definition of the genre Woe from Wit

The problem of genre. Basic comic techniques (A.S. Griboedov “Woe from Wit”)

In the comedy "Woe from Wit" there are two storylines: love and socio-political, they are absolutely equivalent, and the central character of both is Chatsky.

In the dramaturgy of classicism, the action developed due to external reasons: major turning points. In "Woe from Wit" such an event is Chatsky's return to Moscow. This event gives impetus to the action, becomes the beginning of the comedy, but does not determine its course. All the author’s attention is thus focused on the inner life of the characters. It is the spiritual world of the characters, their thoughts and feelings that create the system of relationships between the heroes of the comedy and determine the course of the action.

Griboyedov's refusal to accept the traditional plot outcome and happy ending, where virtue triumphs and vice is punished, is the most important feature of his comedy. Realism does not recognize clear-cut endings: after all, everything in life is too complicated, every situation can have an unpredictable ending or continuation. Therefore, “Woe from Wit” is not finished logically, the comedy seems to end at the most dramatic moment: when the whole truth was revealed, “the veil fell” and all the main characters were faced with the difficult choice of a new path.

Critics defined the genre of the play in different ways (political comedy, comedy of manners, satirical comedy), but something else is more important to us: Griboyedov’s Chatsky is not a classic character, but “one of the first romantic heroes in Russian drama, and as a romantic hero, on the one hand , categorically does not accept the inert environment familiar to him from childhood, the ideas that this environment gives rise to and promotes; on the other hand, he deeply and emotionally “lives” the circumstances associated with his love for Sophia" (Encyclopedia of Literary Heroes. M., 1998) .

Griboedov created a comedy with a wide range of issues. It touches not only on topical social problems, but also on moral issues that are contemporary in any era. The writer comprehends those social, moral and psychological conflicts that make the play a true work of art. And yet he addressed “Woe from Wit” primarily to his contemporaries. A. S. Griboyedov viewed the theater in the traditions of classicism: not as an entertainment establishment, but as a pulpit, a platform from which he could pronounce the most important thoughts so that Russia could hear them, so that modern society would see its vices - pettiness, vulgarity - and be horrified by them, and laughed at them. Therefore, Griboyedov sought to show Moscow, first of all, as funny.

According to the rules of decency, let us first turn to the owner of the house - Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. He cannot forget for a minute that he is the father of his daughter-bride. She needs to be married off. But, of course, it’s not easy to “get away with it.” A worthy son-in-law is the main problem that torments him. “What a commission, creator, to be a father to an adult daughter!” - he sighs. His hopes for a good game are connected with Skalozub: after all, he is “a gold bag and aims to become a general.” How shamelessly Famusov fawns over the future general, flatters him, noisily admires every word of this frankly stupid “warrior”, who spent time “in the trench” during the fighting!

Skalozub himself is comical - his intelligence is not even enough to learn the basic rules of decent behavior. He constantly makes loud jokes and laughs, talks about the “many channels” of obtaining ranks, about happiness in comradeship - this is when his comrades are killed and he gets ranks. But here’s what’s interesting: Skalozub, a purely farcical character, is always equally funny. The image of Famusov is much more complex: he is more deeply developed psychologically, he is interesting to the author as a type. And Griboedov makes him funny in different ways. He is simply comical when he fawns over the brave colonel, flirts with Lisa, or pretends to be a saint while reading a moral lesson to Sophia. But his reasoning about the service: “it’s signed, off your shoulders,” his admiration for Uncle Maxim Petrovich, his anger at Chatsky and the humiliated fear of the court of “Princess Marya Aleksevna” are not only funny. They are also terrible, terrible with their deep immorality and unprincipledness. They are scary because they are not unique to Famusov - these are the life attitudes of the entire Famusov world, the entire “past century.” That is why it was important for Griboyedov that his heroes, first of all, evoke laughter - the laughter of the audience at those shortcomings and vices that are characteristic of them. And “Woe from Wit” is a truly funny comedy, it is a constellation of comedic types.

Here, for example, is the Tugoukhovsky family: a swaggering wife, a husband on errands who did not utter a single articulate line during his stage presence, and six daughters. Poor Famusov, before our very eyes, is bending over backwards to find a home for his one and only daughter, and here are six princesses, and besides, they are certainly not at all shining with beauty. And it was no coincidence that when they saw a new face at the ball - and it, of course, turned out to be Chatsky (always inopportune!) - the Tugoukhovskys immediately began matchmaking. True, upon learning that the potential groom was not rich, they immediately retreated.

And Gorici? Aren't they playing a comedy? Natalya Dmitrievna turned her husband, a young military man who recently retired, into an unreasonable child who must be constantly and importunately taken care of. Platon Mikhailovich sometimes gets a little irritated, but, in general, he stoically endures this supervision, having long since come to terms with his humiliating position.

So, before us is a comedy from the social life of Griboedov’s contemporary Moscow. What feature, characteristic feature does its author constantly emphasize? Men are strangely dependent on women. They voluntarily gave up their male privilege - to be in charge - and are quite content with their miserable role. Chatsky formulates this wonderfully:

Husband-boy, husband-servant from his wife's pages -

The high ideal of all Moscow men.

Do they consider this state of affairs abnormal? Not at all, they are quite happy. Moreover, pay attention to how consistently Griboedov pursues this idea: after all, women rule not only on stage, but also behind the scenes. Let us remember Tatyana Yuryevna, whom Pavel Afanasyevich mentions in the monologue “Taste, father, excellent manner...”, whose patronage is so dear to Molchalin; Let us remember Famusov’s final remark:

Oh! My God! what will he say

Princess Marya Aleksevna?

For him - a man, a master, a government official of no small size - the court of some Marya Alekseevna is worse than God's court, for her word will determine the opinion of the world. She and others like her - Tatyana Yuryevna, Khlestova, the countess's grandmother and granddaughter - create public opinion. Female power is, perhaps, the main comic theme of the entire play.

Comedy invariably appeals not to some abstract ideas of the viewer or reader about how things should be. She appeals to our common sense, which is why we laugh while reading "Woe from Wit." What's funny is what's unnatural. But what then distinguishes cheerful, joyful laughter from bitter, bilious, sarcastic laughter? After all, the same society that we just laughed at quite seriously considers our hero insane. The verdict of Moscow society on Chatsky is harsh: “Mad in everything.” The fact is that the author freely uses different types of comic within the framework of one play. From action to action, the comedy of "Woe from Wit" acquires an increasingly tangible shade of sarcasm and bitter irony. All the characters - not only Chatsky - joke less and less as the play progresses. The atmosphere of the Famusov house, which was once so close to the hero, becomes stuffy and unbearable. By the end, Chatsky is no longer the joker who makes fun of everyone and everything. Having lost this ability, the hero simply ceases to be himself. "Blind!" he cries out in despair. Irony is a way of life and an attitude towards what is not in your power to change. Therefore, the ability to joke, the ability to see something funny in every situation, to make fun of the most sacred rituals of life is not just a character trait, it is the most important feature of consciousness and worldview. And the only way to fight Chatsky and, above all, his evil tongue, ironic and sarcastic, is to make him a laughing stock, to repay him in the same coin: now he is a jester and a clown, although he does not suspect it. Chatsky changes over the course of the play: he moves from a fairly harmless laugh at the immutability of Moscow orders and ideas to caustic and fiery satire, in which he denounces the morals of those who “draw their judgments from forgotten newspapers // The times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of the Crimea.” The role of Chatsky, according to I.A. Goncharova, “passive”, there is no doubt about it. The dramatic motive grows more and more towards the finale, and the comic one gradually gives way to its dominance. And this is also Griboyedov’s innovation.

From the point of view of the aesthetics of classicism, this is an unacceptable mixture of the genres of satire and high comedy. From the point of view of the reader of modern times, this is the success of a talented playwright and a step towards a new aesthetics, where there is no hierarchy of genres and one genre is not separated from another by a blank fence. So, according to Goncharov, “Woe from Wit” is “a picture of morals, and a gallery of living types, and an ever-sharp, burning satire, and at the same time a comedy... which can hardly be found in other literatures.” N. G. Chernyshevsky precisely defined the essence of comedy in his dissertation “Aesthetic Relations of Art to Reality”: what is comical is “... the internal emptiness and insignificance of human life, which at the same time is covered by an appearance that has a claim to content and real meaning.”

What are the comic techniques in "Woe from Wit"? The technique of “conversation of the deaf” runs through the entire comedy. Here is the first phenomenon of the second act, the meeting of Famusov with Chatsky. The interlocutors do not hear each other, each speaks about his own, interrupting the other:

Famusov. Oh! My God! He's a Carbonari!

Chatsky. No, the world is not like that these days.

Famusov. A dangerous person!

Essay plan

1. Introduction. Genre definition of Griboyedov’s play “Woe from Wit” by Russian criticism.

2. Main part. Features of various genres in the play.

The linguistic element of the comic in the play.

? "Woe from Wit" as a comedy of characters.

? "Woe from Wit" as a sitcom. The motive of the fall and its comic significance.

? "Woe from Wit" as a sitcom. The motive of deafness and its comic meaning.

Parody effects of the play.

? "Woe from Wit" as a satire and political comedy.

Features of drama in Griboyedov's comedy.

3. Conclusion. Synthesis of genres presented in the play.

Comedy “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboyedova destroyed traditional genre principles. Sharply different from the classic comedy, the play was not based on a love affair. It could not be attributed to the genre of everyday comedy or comedy of characters in its pure form, although the features of these genres were also present in the work. The play was, as contemporaries said, “high comedy,” the genre that Decembrist literary circles dreamed of appearing. Woe from Wit combined social satire and psychological drama; comic scenes were replaced by lofty and pathetic scenes. Let's try to consider the genre features of the play in more detail.

First of all, let us note the comic elements in the work. It is known that Griboyedov himself called “Woe from Wit” a comedy. And here, of course, it is worth noting the presence in the play of both obvious comic devices and hidden authorial irony. The playwright's comic language techniques are hyperbole, alogism, ambiguity, reduction to absurdity, distortion of foreign words, the use of foreign words in the Russian speech of characters. Thus, we notice hyperbole in the remarks of Molchalin, who strives to please “the janitor’s dog so that it is affectionate.” This technique has something in common with the technique of reduction to absurdity. So, discussing Chatsky’s madness with guests, Famusov notes the “hereditary factor”: “I followed my mother, Anna Aleksevna; The deceased went crazy eight times.” In the speech of old woman Khlestova there is an alogism: “There was a sharp man, he had three hundred souls.” She determines Chatsky’s personal characteristics by his condition. Ambiguity is heard in the speech of Zagoretsky, who condemns the fabulists for “...eternal ridicule of lions! over the eagles! At the end of his speech, he declares: “Whatever you say: Even though they are animals, they are still kings.” It is this line that equates “kings” and “animals” that sounds ambiguous in the play. The comic effect is also created due to the author’s distortion of foreign words (“Yes, the power is not in Madame,” “Yes, from Lankart mutual teaching”).

“Woe from Wit” is also a comedy of characters. The image of Prince Tugoukhovsky, who, suffering from deafness, misunderstands those around him and misinterprets their remarks, is comedic. An interesting image is of Repetilov, who is both a parody of Chatsky and at the same time the antipode of the main character. There is also a character in the play with a “talking” surname - Skalozub. However, all his jokes are rude and primitive; this is real “army humor”:

I am Prince Gregory and you
I'll give the sergeant major to Voltaire,
He will line you up in three ranks,
Just make a noise and it will instantly calm you down.

Skalozub is not witty, but, on the contrary, stupid. A certain element of the comic is also present in the character of Chatsky, whose “mind and heart are not in harmony.”

The play has features of a sitcom and parody effects. Thus, the author repeatedly plays on two motives: the motive of falling and the motive of deafness. The comic effect in the play is created by Repetilov's fall (he falls at the very entrance, running into Famusov's house from the porch). Chatsky fell several times on the way to Moscow (“More than seven hundred versts flew by - wind, storm; And he was completely confused, and fell how many times ...”). Famusov talks about the fall of Maxim Petrovich at a social event. Molchalin's fall from his horse also causes a violent reaction from those around him. So, Skalozub declares: “Look at how it cracked - in the chest or in the side?” Molchalin’s fall reminds him of the fall of Princess Lasova, who “the other day was completely crushed” and is now “looking for a husband for support.”

The motif of deafness appears already in the first scene of the play. Already in her first appearance, Lisa, having failed to reach Sofya Pavlovna, asks her: “Are you deaf? - Alexey Stepanych! Madam!.. - And fear does not take them!” Famusov covers his ears, not wanting to listen to Chatsky’s “false ideas,” that is, he becomes deaf of his own free will. At the ball, the countess-grandmother’s “ears got blocked,” and she notes that “deafness is a big vice.” At the ball, Prince Tugoukhovsky is present, who “hears nothing.” Finally, Repetilov covers his ears, unable to bear the choral recitation of the Tugoukhovsky princesses about Chatsky’s madness. The deafness of the characters here contains a deep internal subtext. Famus society is “deaf” to Chatsky’s speeches, does not understand him, does not want to listen. This motive strengthens the contradictions between the main character and the world around him.

It is worth noting the presence of parody situations in the play. Thus, the author parodically reduces the “ideal romance” of Sophia with Molchalin by comparing Liza, remembering Aunt Sophia, from whom the young Frenchman ran away. However, in “Woe from Wit” there is also a different kind of comedy, which ridicules the vulgar aspects of life, exposing the playwright’s contemporary society. And in this regard, we can already talk about satire.

Griboyedov in “Woe from Wit” denounces social vices - bureaucracy, veneration of rank, bribery, serving “persons” rather than “causes,” hatred of education, ignorance, careerism. Through the mouth of Chatsky, the author reminds his contemporaries that there is no social ideal in his own country:

Where? show us, fathers of the fatherland,
Which ones should we take as models?
Aren't these the ones who are rich in robbery?
They found protection from court in friends, in kinship,
Magnificent building chambers,
Where they spill out in feasts and extravagance,
And where foreign clients will not be resurrected
The meanest features of the past life.

Griboyedov's hero criticizes the rigidity of the views of Moscow society, its mental immobility. He also speaks out against serfdom, recalling the landowner who traded his servants for three greyhounds. Behind the lush, beautiful uniforms of the military, Chatsky sees “weakness” and “poverty of reason.” He also does not recognize the “slavish, blind imitation” of everything foreign, manifested in the dominance of the French language. In “Woe from Wit” we find references to Voltaire, the Carbonari, the Jacobins, and we encounter discussions about the problems of the social system. Thus, Griboyedov’s play touches on all the topical issues of our time, which allows critics to consider the work a “high” political comedy.

And finally, the last aspect in considering this topic. What is the drama of the play? First of all, in the emotional drama of the main character. As noted by I.A. Goncharov, Chatsky “had to drink the bitter cup to the bottom - not finding “living sympathy” in anyone, and leaving, taking with him only “a million torments.” Chatsky rushed to Sophia, hoping to find understanding and support from her, hoping that she would reciprocate his feelings. However, what does he find in the heart of the woman he loves? Coldness, causticity. Chatsky is stunned, he is jealous of Sophia, trying to guess his rival. And he cannot believe that his beloved girl chose Molchalin. Sophia is irritated by Chatsky’s barbs, his manners, and behavior.

However, Chatsky does not give up and in the evening he comes to Famusov’s house again. At the ball, Sophia spreads gossip about Chatsky's madness, which is readily picked up by everyone present. Chatsky enters into an altercation with them, makes a hot, pathetic speech, exposing the meanness of his “past life.” At the end of the play, the truth is revealed to Chatsky, he finds out who his rival is and who spread rumors about his madness. In addition, the entire drama of the situation is aggravated by Chatsky’s alienation from the people in whose house he grew up, from the whole society. Returning “from distant wanderings,” he does not find understanding in his homeland.

Dramatic notes are also heard in Griboyedov’s depiction of the image of Sofia Famusova, who suffers her “millions of torments.” She bitterly repents, having discovered the true nature of her chosen one and his real feelings for her.

Thus, Griboyedov’s play “Woe from Wit,” traditionally considered a comedy, represents a certain genre synthesis, organically combining the features of a comedy of characters and sitcoms, features of a political comedy, topical satire, and, finally, psychological drama.

Comedy is the flower of civilization, the fruit of a developed society. To understand the comic, one must be at a high level of education.
V. G. Belinsky

The genre of “Woe from Wit” is a social (ideological) satirical comedy. The theme of this work is the depiction of a socially significant collision between the “present century”, which wants to replace the old social order and correct the morals of society, and the “past century”, which is afraid of any social changes, because these changes really threaten its well-being. That is, the comedy describes the clash between the progressive and reactionary nobility. The named social contradiction is fundamental for the era that came after the Patriotic War of 1812, which exposed many of the fundamental vices of Russian society. First of all, these were, of course, absolutism, serfdom, bureaucracy, and cosmopolitanism.

“Woe from Wit” is an ideological comedy, since Griboyedov pays a lot of attention to the heroes’ disputes on the most pressing issues of his time, social and moral. At the same time, the playwright cites statements from both Chatsky, who expresses progressive views, and Famusov, Skalozub, Molchalin and guests who defend a conservative point of view.

The most important issue in Griboedov's contemporary Russia was the question of serfdom, which underlay the economic and political structure of the state. Chatsky, it must be admitted, does not oppose the serfdom, but boldly condemns the abuses of the serf owners, as evidenced by the famous monologue “Who are the judges?” The hero mentions “Nestor of the noble scoundrels,” who exchanged his serf servants for three greyhound dogs, although Zealous, in the hours of wine and fights, both honor and life saved him more than once... (II, 5) Chatsky also talks about the owner serf theater: having gone bankrupt, he sold his serf artists one by one.

All discussions about the cruelty of serfdom do not touch the representatives of Famus society - after all, all of today’s well-being of the nobility is built on serfdom. And how easy it is to manage and push around completely powerless people! This can also be seen in Famusov’s house, who pesters Lisa, scolds the servants, and is free to punish them all when and how he pleases. This is evidenced by Khlestova’s behavior: she orders her dog and the blackamoor girl to be fed in the kitchen. Therefore, Famusov simply does not respond to Chatsky’s angry attacks against the serf owners and leaves the room, and Skalozub from the monologue “Who are the judges?” I only caught the condemnation of the guards uniform, embroidered with gold, (!) and agreed with it.

Chatsky, like Griboedov, believes that the dignity of a nobleman is not in being a serf owner, but in being a faithful servant of the Fatherland. Therefore, Chatsky is convinced that it is necessary to serve “the cause, not the persons” (II, 2). To Famusov’s advice to serve, he reasonably replies: “I would be glad to serve, it’s sickening to serve” (ibid.). Representatives of Famus society have a completely different attitude towards service - for them it is a means of achieving personal well-being, and the ideal is an idle life for their own pleasure. That’s why Pavel Afanasyevich talks with such delight about his uncle Maxim Petrovich, who rose to the rank of chamberlain, entertaining Catherine with buffoonery. "A? What do you think? In our opinion, he’s smart,” exclaims Famusov. Skalozub echoes him:

Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
I judge them as a true philosopher:
I just wish I could become a general. (II, 5)

Molchalin advises Chatsky:

Well, really, why would you serve with us in Moscow?
And take awards and have fun? (III,3)

Chatsky respects smart, efficient people, and he himself is not afraid to do bold things. This can be judged from Molchalin’s vague hints about Chatsky’s St. Petersburg activities:

Tatyana Yuryevna said something,
Returning from St. Petersburg,
With ministers about your connection,
Then the break... (III, 3)

In Famus society, people are valued not by their personal qualities, but by their wealth and family ties. Famusov proudly speaks about this in a monologue about Moscow:

For example, we have been doing this since ancient times,
What honor is there between father and son;
Be bad, but if you get enough
Two thousand ancestral souls, -
He's the groom. (II, 5)

People in this circle revere foreigners and foreign culture. However, the low level of education allows Countess-granddaughter Khryumina and the Tugoukhovsky princesses to understand only French fashion - they excitedly discuss folds and fringes on new outfits at the ball. Chatsky in his statements (especially in the monologue “There is an insignificant meeting in that room...” III, 22) very sharply condemns servility before foreign countries. He, on the contrary, acts as a patriot of Russia and believes that Russian history is in no way inferior, for example, to French, that the Russian people are “smart, cheerful” (ibid.), that while respecting someone else’s culture, one should not neglect one’s own.

Famus society is afraid of true enlightenment. It associates all troubles with books and “learning.” This opinion is formulated very clearly by Pavel Afanasyevich himself:

Learning is the plague, learning is the reason,
What is worse now than then,
There were crazy people, deeds, and opinions. (III, 21)

All the guests are in a hurry to agree with Famusov on this issue, everyone has words here: Princess Tugoukhovskaya, and old woman Khlestova, even Skalozub. Chatsky, as a spokesman for the progressive ideas of his time, cannot agree with such views of Famusov and his guests. On the contrary, he respects those

Who is the enemy of written out faces, frills, curly words,
In whose head, unfortunately,
Five, six there are healthy thoughts,

And he will dare to publicly announce them... (III, 22) A frivolous attitude towards the education and upbringing of noble children naturally follows from the disdain on the part of Famus society for education and science. Loving parents

The regiments are busy recruiting teachers;
More in number, cheaper in price...(I, 7)

Foreigners with dubious pedagogical reputations become educators of noble minors. The sad result of such an education system (admiration for Europe and contempt for the Fatherland) can be observed in the third act:

Oh! France! There is no better region in the world!
The two princesses, sisters, decided, repeating

A lesson that was taught to them from childhood. (III, 22) Since the love line is one of the two plot-forming elements, the comedy also examines relationships in noble families. The Gorich couple become an exemplary family for Famus society. The “ideal husband” Gorich turns into the toy of his capricious wife. Chatsky ridicules such relationships, and Platon Mikhailovich himself complains about his life, boring, monotonous, empty (III, 6).

“Woe from Wit” is a satirical comedy, because it evilly ridicules the socially significant vices of the heroes. Almost all the characters in the play are described satirically, that is, their outward appearance hides their inner emptiness and petty interests. This is, for example, the image of Skalozub - an undeveloped man, a martinet, who, however, “aims to become a general” (I, 5). This colonel is only well versed in uniforms, orders, and cane discipline. His tongue-tied phrases indicate primitive thinking, but this “sage” is the hero of all living rooms, Famusov’s desired daughter’s fiancé and relative. Molchalin is satirically depicted as an outwardly quiet, modest young official, but in his last frank conversation with Lisa he is revealed as a low hypocrite:

My father bequeathed to me:
First, please all people without exception -
The owner, where he will live,
The boss with whom I will serve,
To his servant who cleans dresses,
Doorman, janitor, to avoid evil,
To the janitor's dog, so that it is affectionate. (IV, 12)

Now all his talents take on a different meaning: he appears before the characters of the play and readers as a man without honor and conscience, ready to do any baseness for the sake of his career. Repetilov also has a satirical character. This one hints at a secret society, at some important state task, but it all comes down to the empty noise and scream of his drinking companions, because for now there is an important “state matter: It, you see, has not matured” (IV, 4). Of course, Famusov’s guests are also presented satirically: the gloomy old woman Khlestova, the absolutely stupid princesses, the faceless gentlemen N and D, the nosy Zagoretsky. The countess-granddaughter gives an exhaustive description of them all:

Well Famusov! He knew how to name guests!
Some freaks from the other world,

And there is no one to talk to, and no one to dance with. (IV, 1) Satirically depicts Griboedov and Chatsky: this enthusiast preaches noble ideas in Famusov’s living room in front of self-satisfied and empty people who are deaf to the preaching of goodness and justice. A.S. Pushkin pointed out such unreasonable behavior of the main character in his review of “Woe from Wit” (letter to A.A. Bestuzhev at the end of January 1825).

However, the ending of the satirical work is not only not funny, but even dramatic: Chatsky lost his beloved girl, whom he dreamed of for three years apart; he is declared crazy and is forced to leave Moscow. Why did Griboyedov call his play a comedy? This issue is still discussed in literary criticism. It seems that the best interpretation of Griboyedov’s plan is given by I.A. Goncharov in the article “A Million Torments”: by calling “Woe from Wit” a comedy, the playwright wanted to emphasize the optimism of his work. In the struggle between the “present century” and the “past century,” Famus society wins only outwardly. Chatsky, the only one defending progressive ideas, was broken by the “number of old forces”, while he himself dealt her a fatal blow - after all, to all his critical remarks and reproaches, ideological opponents could not object to anything on the merits and, without thinking twice, declared him crazy. Chatsky, according to Goncharov, refutes the Russian proverb: one in the field is not a warrior. A warrior, Goncharov objects, if he is Chatsky, and a winner, but at the same time a victim.

So, “Woe from Wit” is an extremely meaningful work of art. The comedy is full of concrete life material from Griboyedov’s era and reflects the political struggle of its time, the struggle between the leading part of the nobility and the inert majority. The playwright raised in a short play the most important social problems (about serfdom, about the appointment of noble service, about patriotism, about upbringing, education, family relations among the nobility, etc.), and presented opposing points of view on these problems.

The serious and multi-problem content determined the genre originality of the work - a social (ideological) satirical comedy, that is, high comedy. The importance of the social problems raised in “Woe from Wit” becomes clear when comparing this work with other plays of the same time, for example, with the popular household comedies of I.A. Krylov “A Lesson for Daughters”, “The French Shop”.

History of creation

The work was created over three years - from 1822 to 1824. By the autumn of 1824, the play was completed. Griboyedov went to St. Petersburg, intending to use his connections in the capital to obtain permission for its publication and theatrical production. However, he soon became convinced that comedy was “nothing to miss.” Only excerpts published in 1825 in the almanac “Russian Waist” were censored. The entire play was first published in Russia in 1862. The first theatrical production on the professional stage took place in 183i. Despite this, Griboedov's play immediately spread among the reading public in handwritten copies, the number of which was close to the book circulation of that time.

Comedy method

The play “Woe from Wit” was written at a time when classicism dominated the stage, but romanticism and realism were generally developing in literature. The emergence at the border of different directions largely determined the features of the work's method: comedy combines features of classicism, romanticism and realism.

Genre

Griboyedov himself defined the genre of the work as “comedy”. But this play does not fit into the framework of the comedy genre, since it has very strong dramatic and tragic elements. In addition, contrary to all the canons of the comedy genre, “Woe from Wit” ends dramatically. From the point of view of modern literary criticism, “Woe from Wit” is a drama. But at the time of Griboedov, such a division of dramatic genres did not exist (drama as a genre emerged later), so the following opinion appeared: “Woe from Wit” is a “high” comedy. Since tragedy was traditionally considered a “high” genre, this genre definition placed Griboyedov’s play at the intersection of two genres - comedy and tragedy.

Plot

Chatsky, who was left an orphan at an early age, lived in the house of his guardian Famusov, a friend of his father, and was brought up with his daughter. “The habit of being together every day inseparably” bound them together with childhood friendship. But soon the young man Chatsky became “bored” in Famusov’s house, and he “moved out,” made good friends, got seriously involved in science, and went “to wander.” Over the years, his friendly disposition towards Sophia grew into a serious feeling. Three years later, Chatsky returned to Moscow and hurried to see Sophia. However, during his absence the girl changed. She is offended by Chatsky for his long absence and is in love with Father Molchalin’s secretary.

In Famusov’s house, Chatsky meets Skalozub, a possible contender for Sophia’s hand, and other representatives of Famusov’s society. An intense ideological struggle arises and flares up between them. The dispute is about the dignity of man, his value, about honor and honesty, about the attitude towards service, about the place of man in society. Chatsky sarcastically criticizes the tyranny of serfdom, the cynicism and soullessness of the “fathers of the fatherland”, their pathetic admiration for everything foreign, their careerism and etc.

“Famus” society is the personification of meanness, ignorance, and inertia. Sophia, whom the hero loves so much, should also be included in this group. It is she who starts gossip about Chatsky’s madness, seeking revenge for ridicule of Molchalin. The fiction about Chatsky’s madness spreads with lightning speed, and it turns out that, according to Famusov’s guests, a madman means a “freethinker.” » . Thus, Chatsky is declared crazy for his freethinking. In the finale, Chatsky accidentally finds out that Sophia is in love with Molchalin (“Here I am sacrificed to someone!”). And Sophia, in turn, discovers that Molchalin is in love with her “by position.” Chatsky decides to leave Moscow forever.

Conflict. Composition. Issues

In “Woe from Wit” two types of conflict can be distinguished: a private, traditional comedy love affair, in which Chatsky, Sophia, Molchalin and Liza are drawn, and a public one (the clash of the “present century” and the “past century”, that is, Chatsky with the inertia social environment - “Famus” society). Thus, the comedy is based on the love drama and social tragedy of Chatsky, which, of course, cannot be perceived separately from each other (one determines and conditions the other).

Since the times of classicism, unity of action, that is, a strict cause-and-effect relationship of events and episodes, has been considered mandatory in drama. In “Woe from Wit” this connection is noticeably weakened. The external action in Griboyedov’s play is not expressed so clearly: it seems that nothing particularly significant happens in the course of the comedy. This is due to the fact that in “Woe from Wit” the dynamics and tension of the dramatic action are created through the transmission of the thoughts and feelings of the central characters, especially Chatsky.

The comedies of writers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries ridiculed certain vices: ignorance, arrogance, bribery, blind imitation of foreign things. “Woe from Wit” is a bold satirical denunciation of the entire conservative way of life: careerism reigning in society, bureaucratic inertia, martinetry, cruelty towards serfs, ignorance. The formulation of all these problems is primarily related to the depiction of the Moscow nobility, the “Famus” society. Famusov, an ardent defender of the existing regime, is shown in close-up; in the image of Skalozub, the careerism of the military environment and Arakcheev’s soldiery are branded; Molchalin, who begins his official service, is obsequious and unprincipled. Thanks to episodic figures (Gorichi, Tugoukhovsky, Khryumin, Khlestova, Zagoretsky), the Moscow nobility appears, on the one hand, many-sided and motley, and on the other hand, it is shown as a united public camp, ready to defend its interests. The image of Famus society consists not only of the persons brought on stage, but also of numerous off-stage characters who are only mentioned in monologues and remarks (the author of “exemplary nonsense” Foma Fomich, the influential Tatyana Yuryevna, the feudal theater-goer, Princess Marya Alekseevna).

Heroes

Comedy heroes can be divided into several groups: main characters, secondary characters, masked characters and off-stage characters. The main characters of the play include Chatsky, Molchalin, Sophia and Famusov. The interaction of these characters with each other drives the play. The secondary characters - Lisa, Skalozub, Khlestova, Gorichi and others - also participate in the development of the action, but have no direct relation to the plot.

Main characters. Griboedov's Comedy was written in the first quarter of the 19th century, after the War of 1812. At this time, society in Russia was divided into two camps. The first included dignitaries of the 18th century, professing the old principles of life, representing the “past century” (“Famus” society). In the second - progressive noble youth, representing the “present century” (Chatsky). Belonging to a particular camp has become one of the principles of organizing a system of images.

Famus Society. An important place in comedy is occupied by exposing the vices of the writer’s contemporary society, for which the main value is “the souls of two thousand clans” and rank. It is no coincidence that Famusov is trying to marry Sophia to Skalozub, who “is both a golden bag and aims to become a general.” In the words of Liza, Griboyedov convinces us that Famusov is not the only one who holds this opinion: “Like all Moscow people, your father is like this: he would like a son-in-law with Daschin stars.” Relationships in this society are based on how rich a person is. For example, Famusov, who is rude and despotic with his family, when speaking with Skalozub, adds the respectful “-s”. As for ranks, to get them, “there are many channels.” Famusov uses Maxim Petrovich as an example for Chatsky, who, in order to achieve a high position, “bent over backwards.”

Service for representatives of Famus society is an unpleasant burden, with the help of which, however, you can get pretty rich. Famusov and others like him serve not for the good of Russia, but to replenish their wallets and acquire useful contacts. In addition, people enter the service not because of personal qualities, but because of family kinship (“When I work, strangers are very rare,” says Famusov).

Members of the Famus society do not recognize books; they consider learning to be the reason for the emergence of a huge number of insane people. Such “crazy” people, in their opinion, include Princess Tugoukhovskaya’s nephew, who “doesn’t want to know the ranks,” Skalozub’s cousin (“The rank followed him: he suddenly left his service and began reading books in the village”) and, of course, Chatsky. Some members of the Famus society even try to demand oaths “so that no one knows or learns to read and write.. But the Famus society blindly imitates French culture, adopting its superficial attributes. Thus, a Frenchman from Bordeaux, having arrived in Russia, “did not encounter a Russian sound or a Russian face.” Russia seemed to have become a province of France: “the ladies have the same sense, the same outfits.” They even began to speak mainly French, forgetting their native language.

Famus society resembles a spider that draws people into its web and forces them to live by its own laws. So, for example, Platon Mikhailovich recently served in the regiment, rushed around on a greyhound horse, not afraid of the wind, but now “his health is very weak,” as his wife believes. It's like he lives in captivity. He can’t even go to the village: his wife loves balls and receptions too much.

Members of the Famus society do not have their own opinions. For example, Repetilov, having learned that everyone believes in Chatsky’s madness, also agrees that he has gone crazy. And everyone only cares about what society thinks about them. They are indifferent to each other. For example, having learned about Molchalin’s fall from his horse, Skalozub is only interested in “how he cracked, in the chest or in the side.” It is no coincidence that the comedy ends with Famusov’s famous phrase “what will Princess Marya Aleksevna say?” Having learned that his daughter is in love with Silent Ina, he thinks not about her mental suffering, but about how it looks in the eyes of secular society.

Sophia. The image of Sophia is ambiguous. On the one hand, Famusov's daughter was raised by her father, Madame Rosier, with cheap teachers and sentimental French novels. She, like most ladies in her circle, dreams of a “servant husband.” But on the other hand, Sophia prefers poor Molchalin to rich Skalozub, does not bow to rank, is capable of deep feeling, can say: “What do I need rumors for? Whoever wants to judges!” Sophia's love for Molchalin is a challenge to the society that raised her. In a sense, only Sophia is capable of understanding Chatsky and responding to him on equal terms, taking revenge by spreading gossip about his madness; Only her speech can be compared with Chatsky’s language.

Chatsky. The central hero of the comedy and the only positive character is Chatsky. He defends the ideals of education and freedom of opinion, and promotes national identity. His ideas about the human mind are completely different from those around him. If Famusov and Molchal otherwise understand intelligence as the ability to adapt, to please those in power in the name of personal prosperity, then for Chatsky it is associated with spiritual independence, freedom, and the idea of ​​civil service. "

Although Griboyedov makes it clear to the reader that in his contemporary society there are people similar to Chatsky in their views, the hero of the comedy is shown as lonely and persecuted. The conflict between Chatsky and the Moscow nobility is intensified by his personal drama. The more acutely the hero experiences his unrequited love for Sophia, the stronger his actions against Famus society. In the last

In the act, Chatsky appears as a deeply suffering, full of skepticism, bitter person who wants to “pour out all the bile and all the frustration on the whole world.”

Masked heroes and off-stage characters. The images of masked heroes are extremely generalized. The author is not interested in their psychology; they interest him only as important “signs of the times.” They play a special role: they create a socio-political background for the development of the plot, emphasize and clarify something in the main characters. Masked heroes include Repetilov, Zagoretsky, Messrs. N and D, and the Tugoukhovsky family. Let's take, for example, Pyotr Ilyich Tugoukhovsky. He is faceless, he is a mask: he doesn’t say anything except “uh-hmm”, “a-hmm” and “uh-hmm”, he doesn’t hear anything, he’s not interested in anything, he’s completely devoid of his own opinion. It brings to the point of absurdity, to the point of absurdity, the traits of a “boy-husband, a servant-husband,” which constitute the “high ideal of all Moscow husbands.”

A similar role is played by off-stage characters (heroes whose names are mentioned, but they themselves do not appear on stage and do not take part in the action). In addition, masked heroes and off-stage characters seem to “pull apart” the walls of Famus’s living room. With their help, the author makes it clear to the reader that we are talking not only about Famusov and his guests, but about the entire lordly Moscow. Moreover, in the conversations and remarks of the characters, the appearance of the capital Petersburg appears, and the Saratov wilderness, where Sophia’s aunt lives, etc. Thus, as the action progresses, the space of the work gradually expands, first covering all of Moscow, and then Russia.

Meaning

The comedy “Woe from Wit” raised all the pressing political and social issues of that time: about serfdom, about service, about education, about noble education; topical debates about jury trials, boarding schools, institutes, mutual education, censorship, etc. were reflected.

The educational value of comedy is no less important. Griboyedov sharply criticized the world of violence, tyranny, ignorance, sycophancy, hypocrisy; showed how the best human qualities perish in this world, where the Famusovs and Molchalins dominate.

The significance of the comedy “Woe from Wit” in the development of Russian drama is especially important. It is, first of all, determined by its realism.

In the construction of the comedy there are some features of classicism: adherence mainly to three unities, the presence of large monologues, “speaking” names of some characters, etc. But in its content, Griboyedov’s comedy is a realistic work. The playwright fully and comprehensively described the heroes of the comedy. Each of them is not the embodiment of any one vice or virtue (as in classicism), but a living person, endowed with qualities characteristic of him. Griboyedov at the same time showed his heroes as individuals with unique, individual character traits, and as typical representatives of a certain era. Therefore, the names of his heroes became household names: synonymous with soulless bureaucracy (Famusovshchina), sycophancy (silence), rude and ignorant military clergy (Skalozubovshchina), and fashion-chasing idle talk (Repetilovshchina).

By creating the images of his comedy, Griboyedov solved the most important task for a realist writer (especially a playwright) of the speech characteristics of the characters, that is, the task of individualizing the language of the characters. In Griboedov's comedy, each person speaks in his own lively colloquial language. This was especially difficult to do because the comedy was written in verse. But Griboyedov managed to give the verse (the comedy is written in iambic meter) the character of a lively, relaxed conversation. After reading the comedy, Pushkin said: “I’m not talking about poetry - half of it should be included in proverbs.” Pushkin's words quickly came true. Already in May 1825, the writer V.F. Odoevsky stated: “Almost all the verses of Griboyedov’s comedy became proverbs, and I often happened to hear entire conversations in society, most of which were verses from “Woe from Wit.”

And our colloquial speech includes many poems from Griboedov’s comedy, for example: “Happy people don’t watch the clock,” “And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us,” “The legend is fresh, but hard to believe,” and many others.

Examples of Unified State Examination tasks on topic 4.2.

Part 1

The answer to tasks B1-B11 is a word or combination of words. Write your answer without spaces, punctuation, or quotation marks.

81. To what literary genre does “Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboyedov belong?

82. How did A. S. Griboedov himself define the genre of “Woe from Wit”?

83 . What two conflicts lie at the heart of Woe from Wit?

84. Name the participants in the love conflict “Woe from Wit.”

85. Name the off-stage characters in A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit.”

86. Which of the heroes of “Woe from Wit” calls himself a member of the “most secret union”?

87. Which of the characters in “Woe from Wit” is about?

Who else will settle everything so peacefully! There he will pet the pug in time! It's time to rub the card in! Zagoretsky will not die in it!

88. Which of the heroes of “Woe from Wit” starts a rumor about Chatsky’s madness?

89. Which of the heroes of “Woe from Wit,” by his own admission, “has a mind and heart that are not in harmony”?

AT 10 O'CLOCK. What is the name of a type of statement similar to the one given in a dramatic work?

And sure enough, the world began to grow stupid,

You can say with a sigh;

How to compare and see

The present century and the past:

The legend is fresh, but hard to believe,

As he was famous for, whose neck bent more often;

As not in war, but in peace they took it head on,

Examples of Unified State Examination tasks

They hit the floor without regret!

Who needs it: those are arrogant, they lie in the dust,

And for those who are higher, flattery was woven like lace.

It was an age of obedience and fear,

All under the guise of zeal for the king.

I'm not talking about your uncle;

We will not disturb his ashes:

But in the meantime, who will the hunt take?

Even in the most ardent servility^

Now, to make people laugh,

Bravely sacrifice the back of your head?

An old man, an old man

Another, looking at that leap,

And crumbling into old skin,

Tea said: “Ah! If only I could too!”

Although there are hunters everywhere to be mean,

Yes, nowadays laughter frightens and keeps shame in check;

No wonder the sovereigns favor them sparingly.

AT 11. What are the names of the heroes’ sayings, which are distinguished by their brevity, capacity of thought and expressiveness: “The legend is fresh, but hard to believe,” “I would be glad to serve, but it is sickening to be served,” “And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us.”

Part 3

Give a complete, detailed answer to the problematic question, drawing on the necessary theoretical and literary knowledge, relying on literary works, the author’s position and, if possible, revealing your own vision of the problem.

C1. Describe the representatives of the “Famus” society.

C2. What is the problem with the genre definition of A.S.’s play? Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"?

NW. The image of Chatsky: winner or loser?

A. S. Pushkin. Poems

"To Chaadaev"

The poem “To Chaadaev” was written by Pushkin during the “St. Petersburg” period, in 1818. At this time, the poet was strongly influenced by Decembrist ideas. Under their influence, his freedom-loving lyrics of these years were created, including the program poem “To Chaadaev.” Genre- a friendly message.

In the poem “To Chaadaev” it sounds subject liberties and the fight against autocracy. It reflects the views and political sentiments that united Pushkin with his friend P. Ya. Chaadaev and with all the leading people of his time. It is no coincidence that the poem was widely distributed in lists and served as a means of political agitation.

Plot. At the beginning of the message, Pushkin says that the hopes that arose in society in the first years of the reign of Alexander I quickly disappeared. The oppression of the “fatal power” (the tightening of policies by the emperor after the war of 1812) makes people with progressive views and freedom-loving sentiments feel with particular acuteness “ calling of the fatherland” and impatiently awaiting “the moment of the saint’s freedom.” The poet calls on “to dedicate your souls to beautiful impulses...” and to fight for its freedom. At the end of the poem, faith is expressed in the inevitability of the fall of the autocracy and in the liberation of the Russian people:

Comrade, believe: she will rise,

Star of captivating happiness,

Russia will wake up from its sleep,

And on the ruins of autocracy

They will write our names!

Innovation Pushkin is that in this poem he combined civic, accusatory pathos with the almost intimate experiences of the lyrical hero. The first stanza brings to mind the images and aesthetics of sentimentalist and romantic elegy. However, the beginning of the next stanza dramatically changes the situation: a disappointed soul is contrasted with a soul full of courage. It becomes clear that we are talking about a thirst for freedom and struggle; but at the same time, the phrase “desire burns” also seems to hint at the fact that we are talking about the unspent power of love. The third stanza combines images of political and love lyrics. In the final two stanzas, love phraseology is replaced by civic-patriotic images.

If the ideal for Decembrist poetry was a hero who voluntarily renounces personal happiness for the sake of the happiness of his homeland, and from this position love lyrics were condemned, then in Pushkin political and love lyrics were not opposed to each other, but merged in a common impulse of love of freedom.

"Village"

The poem “Village” was written by Pushkin in 1819, during the so-called “St. Petersburg” period of his work. For the poet, this was a time of active participation in the socio-political life of the country, visiting the secret union of the Decembrists, friendship with Ryleev, Lunin, Chaadaev. The most important issues for Pushkin during this period were the social structure of Russia, the social and political lack of freedom of many people, and the despotism of the autocratic-serf system.

The poem “Village” is dedicated to an extremely relevant issue for that time. topic serfdom. It has a two-part composition: the first part (before the words “... but the thought is terrible ...") is an idyll, and the second is a political declaration, an appeal to the powers that be.

For the lyrical hero, the village is, on the one hand, a kind of ideal world where silence and harmony reign. In this land, “a haven of peace, work and inspiration,” the hero gains spiritual freedom and indulges in “creative thoughts.” The images of the first part of the poem - “the dark garden with its coolness and flowers”, “light streams”, “striped fields” - are romanticized. This creates an idyllic picture of peace and tranquility. But a completely different side of life in the village opens in the second part, where the poet mercilessly reveals the ugliness of social relations, the arbitrariness of the landowners and the powerless situation of the people. “Wild lordship” and “skinny slavery” are the main images of this part. They embody the “murderous shame of ignorance,” all the wrongness and inhumanity of serfdom.

Thus, the first and second parts of the poem are contrasting, opposed to each other. Against the backdrop of beautiful, harmonious nature, the kingdom of “happiness and oblivion” depicted in the first part, the world of cruelty and violence in the second looks especially ugly and flawed. The poet uses the technique of contrast to more clearly identify the main idea works - the injustice and cruelty of serfdom.

The selection of figurative and expressive language means serves the same purpose. The intonation of speech in the first part of the poem is calm, even, and friendly. The poet carefully selects epithets, conveying the beauty of rural nature. They create a romantic and peaceful atmosphere: “the stream of my days is flowing”, “the mills are creeping”, “the lakes are azure plains”, “the peaceful noise of oak forests”, “the silence of the fields”. In the second part the intonation is different. Speech becomes agitated. The poet selects apt epithets and gives an expressive speech description: “wild lordship”, “chosen by fate for the destruction of people”, “exhausted slaves”, “relentless owner”. In addition, the last seven lines of the poem are filled with rhetorical questions and exclamations. They demonstrate the indignation of the lyrical hero and his reluctance to put up with the unjust structure of society.

"The light of day has gone out"

The work “The Sun of Day Has Gone Out...” became the first poem of the new period of Pushkin’s creativity and the beginning of the so-called “Crimean cycle” of elegies. This cycle also includes the poems “The flying ridge of clouds is thinning...”, “Who has seen the land where the luxury of nature is...”, “My friend, I have forgotten the traces of past years...”, “Will you forgive me jealous dreams. ..”, “The stormy day has gone out; foggy night... Genre- romantic elegy.

Composition.. The poem can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first, all the thoughts and feelings of the lyrical hero are directed towards the “distant shore”, the goal of the journey. In the second, he remembers the abandoned “fatherland”. The parts of the poem are opposed to each other: the “distant shore” to which the lyrical hero strives seems to him to be a “magical” land, to which he strives “with excitement and longing.” “Fatherly lands,” on the contrary, are described as “sad shores”; associated with them are “languid deception of desires and hopes,” “lost youth,” “vicious delusions,” etc.

The elegy “The daylight has gone out...” marks the beginning of the romantic period in Pushkin’s work. Here sounds traditional for romanticism subject escape of a romantic hero. The poem contains the entire set of characteristic signs of a romantic attitude: a yearning fugitive, a homeland abandoned forever, hints of “mad love”, deception, etc.

It should be noted that Pushkin’s images are extremely romantic. The hero is not just on the border of the elements (between the ocean, sky and earth), but on the border of day and night; and also between “the mad love of former years” and “the far reaches.” Everything is taken to the limit: not the sea, but the “gloomy ocean”, not just the shore, but the mountains, not just the wind, but both wind and fog at the same time.

"Prisoner"

The poem “The Prisoner” was written in 1822, during the “southern” exile. Arriving at the place of his permanent service, in Chisinau, the poet was shocked by the striking change: instead of the blooming Crimean shores and sea, there were endless steppes scorched by the sun. In addition, the lack of friends, boring, monotonous work and the feeling of complete dependence on the authorities had an impact. Pushkin felt like a prisoner. It was at this time that the poem “Prisoner” was created.

home subject The poem “Prisoner” is the theme of freedom, vividly embodied in the image of an eagle. The eagle is a prisoner, just like the lyrical hero. He grew up and was raised in captivity, he never knew freedom and yet strives for it. The eagle's call to freedom (“Let's fly away!”) implements the idea of ​​Pushkin's poem: a person should be free, like a bird, because freedom is the natural state of every living creature.

Composition.“The Prisoner,” like many other poems by Pushkin, is divided into two parts, differing from each other in intonation and tone. The parts are not contrasting, but gradually the tone of the lyrical hero becomes more and more excited. In the second stanza, the calm story quickly turns into a passionate appeal, into a cry for freedom. In the third, he reaches his peak and seems to hover on the highest note with the words “... only the wind... yes me!”

“Desolate sower of freedom.”

In 1823, Pushkin was experiencing a deep crisis. The state of spiritual decline and pessimism that took possession of the poet was reflected in a number of poems, including the poem “Desert Sower of Freedom...”.

Pushkin uses plot Gospel parable of the sower. This parable is spoken by Christ in the presence of twelve disciples at a gathering of people: “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the road and was trampled underfoot; and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on a stone and, when they sprang up, withered because they had no moisture. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked them. And some fell on good soil and sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold.” If in the Gospel parable at least part of the “seeds” bore “fruit,” then the conclusion of Pushkin’s lyrical hero is much less comforting:

Desert sower of freedom,

I left early, before the star;

With a clean and innocent hand

Into the enslaved reins

Threw a life-giving seed -

But I only lost time

Good thoughts and works...

Composition. Compositionally and in meaning, the poem falls into two parts. The first is dedicated to the sower, its tone is sublime and elevated, which is facilitated by the use of gospel imagery (“sower”, “life-giving seed”). The second is to “peaceful peoples”, here the tone of the lyrical hero changes sharply, now this is an angry denunciation, “peaceful peoples” are compared to a submissive herd:

Graze, peaceful peoples!

The cry of honor will not wake you up.

Why do the herds need the gifts of freedom?

They should be cut or trimmed.

Their inheritance from generation to generation

A yoke with rattles and a whip.

With the help of the famous parable, Pushkin resolves in a new way the traditional for romanticism topic poet-prophet in a clash with the crowd. “The desert sower of freedom” is a poet (and not only Pushkin himself, but a poet as such), the “life-giving seed” that the lyrical hero sows symbolizes the word, poetry in general and political poems and radical statements that marked the poet’s life in St. Petersburg and Chisinau, in particular. As a result, the lyrical hero comes to the conclusion that all his labors are in vain: no calls for freedom are able to awaken “peaceful peoples.”

“Imitations of the Koran” (IX. “And the tired traveler grumbled at God...”)

“And the weary traveler grumbled at God...” is the ninth and final poem of the cycle “Imitations of the Koran,” written in 1825. Pushkin, relying on the Russian translation of M. Verevkin, freely rearranged fragments of suras, that is, chapters of the Koran. Genre - parable.

Pushkin’s cycle “Imitations of the Koran” represents not just separate, although interconnected, episodes from the life of the prophet, but the most important stages of human destiny in general.

The final poem of the cycle, “And the weary traveler grumbled at God...” is clearly of a parable nature, and plot its quite simple. The “tired traveler” is languishing from thirst caused by the heat of the desert and is focused on his physical suffering. He “murmurs” against God, having lost hope of salvation, and does not realize the Divine omnipresence, does not believe in the Creator’s constant care for his creation.

When the hero was about to completely lose faith in salvation, he sees a well of water and greedily quenches his thirst. After this he falls asleep for many years. Waking up, the traveler discovers that, by the will of the Almighty, he slept for many years and became an old man:

And the instant old man, overcome with grief,

Sobbing, his head drooped, trembling...

But a miracle happens:

God returns youth to the hero:

And the traveler feels both strength and joy;

Resurrected youth began to play in the blood;

Holy delights filled my chest:

And with God he sets off on his journey.

In this poem, Pushkin uses the mythological plot of “death - rebirth”, due to which it has a generalizing character. The traveler is perceived as a person in general. His “death” and “resurrection” symbolize a person’s life path from error to truth, from unbelief to faith, from gloomy disappointment to optimism. Thus, the “resurrection” of the hero is interpreted, first of all, as a spiritual rebirth.

"Song about the prophetic Oleg"

“The Song of the Prophetic Oleg” was written in 1822. Genre- legend.

Plot basis“Songs about the prophetic Oleg” was inspired by the legend about the death of Oleg, the Kyiv prince, recorded in the “Tale of Bygone Years”. To the Kyiv prince Oleg, nicknamed by the people “the prophetic” for his wisdom, the sorcerer, “magician”, predicts: “you will accept death from your horse.” Frightened by a terrible prophecy, the prince parts with his faithful fighting friend-horse. A lot of time passes, the horse dies, and Prince Oleg, remembering the prediction, decides with anger and bitterness that the sorcerer has deceived him. Arriving at the grave of his old battle friend, Oleg regrets that they had to do this

It's too early to part. However, it turns out that the magician was not slandering, and his prophecy was fulfilled: a poisonous snake crawling out of the horse’s skull bit Oleg.

Pushkin became interested in the legend about Prince Oleg and his horse subject fate, the inevitability of predetermined fate. Oleg gets rid, as it seems to him, of the threat of death, sends away the horse, which, according to the magician’s prediction, should play a fatal role. But many years later, when it seems that the danger has passed - the horse is dead - fate overtakes the prince.

There is another one in the poem subject, extremely important for the poet - the theme of the poet-prophet, the theme of the poet - the herald of the highest will. So, the prince says to the magician:

Reveal to me the whole truth, do not be afraid of me:

You will take a horse as a reward for anyone.

And he hears in response:

The Magi are not afraid of mighty rulers,

And they don’t need a princely gift;

Their prophetic language is truthful and free

And friendly with the will of heaven.

"To sea"

"To the Sea" was created in 1824. This poem ends the romantic period of Pushkin's work. It stands, as it were, at the junction of two periods, so it contains some romantic themes and images, and features of realism.

Traditionally genre The poem “To the Sea” is defined as an elegy. However, we should rather talk about a combination of genres such as epistle and elegy. The genre of the message is already evident in the title of the poem, but the content remains purely elegiac.

In the very first line of the poem, the lyrical hero says goodbye to the sea (“Farewell, free element!”). This is a farewell - both to the real Black Sea (in 1824, Pushkin was exiled from Odessa to Mikhailovskoye, under the supervision of his father), and to the sea as a romantic symbol of absolute freedom, and to romanticism itself.

The image of the sea, stormy and free, takes center stage. At first, the sea appears before us in a traditionally romantic spirit: it symbolizes a person’s life, his destiny. Then the picture becomes more specific: the sea is connected with the destinies of great personalities - Byron and Napoleon.

In this poem the poet bids farewell to romanticism and its ideals. Pushkin gradually turns to realism. In the last two lines of the elegy, the sea ceases to be a romantic symbol, but becomes simply a landscape.

In the elegy “To the Sea,” the traditional romanticism rises subject romantic escape of the hero. In this sense, it is interesting to compare it with one of the first poems of the romantic period in Pushkin’s work, “The Daylight Has Gone Out...” (1820), where the theme of escape also arises. Here the lyrical hero strives to go to some unknown “magical lands” (romantic rejection of the surrounding reality), and the poem “To the Sea” already speaks of the failure of this romantic journey:

Couldn't leave it forever

I find the motionless shore boring,

Congratulate you with delight

And guide you along your waves

My poetic escape!

In the poem “The Sun of Day Has Gone Out...” the hero strives for a “distant shore”, which seems to him an ideal land (the romantic “there”), and in the elegy “To the Sea” the hero doubts its existence:

The world is empty... Now where to go

Would you take me out, ocean?

The fate of people everywhere is the same:

Where there is a drop of good, there is on guard

Enlightenment or tyrant.

"Nanny"

The poem “Nanny” was written in Mikhailovsky in 1826. In 1824-1826, the poet’s nanny Arina Rodionovna lived with Pushkin in Mikhailovskoye, sharing his exile. She had a great influence on his creativity, his studies in folklore, his passion for folk poetry and fairy tales. The poet repeatedly sang the time spent with his nanny in poems, and embodied her features in the images of nanny Tatyana Larina, Dubrovsky’s nanny, female images of the novel “Arap of Peter the Great,” etc. Pushkin’s famous poem “Nanny” is also dedicated to Arina Rodionovna.

When analyzing the comedy “Woe from Wit,” the genre of the work and its definition raises many difficulties. Being innovative, the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboyedova destroyed and rejected many principles of classicism. Like a traditional classic play, “Woe from Wit” is based on a love affair. However, in parallel with it, a social conflict develops. Issues of bribery, veneration for rank, hypocrisy, contempt for intelligence and education, and careerism are raised here. Therefore, it is not possible to clearly define the type of comedy “Woe from Wit”. It intertwines features of character comedy, everyday comedy, and social satire.

There are often even debates about whether “Woe from Wit” is a comedy. How does the creator define the genre of the play “Woe from Wit”? Griboyedov called his creation a comedy in verse. But her main character is by no means comical. Nevertheless, "Woe from Wit" has all the hallmarks of a comedy: there are comic characters and comic situations in which they find themselves. For example, Sophia, caught by her father in the room with Molchalin, says that Famusov’s secretary ended up there by accident: “I went into the room, ended up in another.”

Skalozub’s stupid jokes demonstrate his inner limitations, despite his outward solidity: “She and I didn’t serve together.” What's comical is the discrepancy between the characters' opinions about themselves and what they really are. For example, already in the first act, Sophia calls Skalozub stupid and declares that in a conversation he cannot connect two words. Skalozub himself says this about himself: “Yes, in order to gain rank, there are many channels, and as a true philosopher I judge them.”

Contemporaries called the play “Woe from Wit” a high comedy because it raised serious moral and social problems.

However, the traditional possibilities of this genre were not able to fully solve the writer’s creative intent. Therefore, Griboyedov makes significant adjustments to the traditional understanding of comedy.

Firstly, Griboedov violates the unity of action. In his play, for the first time, two equal conflicts appear: love and social. In addition, in classicism, in the denouement, vice must be defeated by virtue. This does not happen in the play "Woe from Wit". Chatsky, if not defeated, is forced to retreat, since he is in the minority and has no chance of victory.

Secondly, the approach to comedy characters is also changing. Griboyedov makes them more realistic, abandoning the traditional division into positive and negative heroes. Each character here, as in life, is endowed with both positive and negative qualities.

We can also talk about the presence of elements of the dramatic genre in the play. Chatsky is not only not funny, he is also experiencing a spiritual drama. While he was abroad for three years, he dreamed of meeting Sophia and built a happy future with her in his dreams. But Sophia coldly greets her former lover. She is passionate about Molchalin. Not only did Chatsky’s hopes in love not come true, he also feels superfluous in Famus’s society, where only money and rank are valued. Now he is forced to realize that he is forever cut off from the people among whom he was raised, from the house in which he grew up.

Sophia is also experiencing a personal drama. She was sincerely in love with Molchalin, zealously defended him in front of Chatsky, found positive traits in him, but turned out to be cruelly betrayed by her lovers. Molchalin was with her only out of respect for her father.

Thus, the genre uniqueness of “Woe from Wit” lies in the fact that the play is a mixture of several genres, the leading of which is the genre of social comedy.

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