Characteristics of the rocktooth in the comedy "Woe from Wit". History of the character Skalozub Woe from Wit characteristics table

Skalozub.

Colonel Skalozub is a type of careerist officer from the time of Arakcheev. Mentally, he is a narrow-minded person. “He hasn’t uttered a smart word in a long time,” Sophia notes. Lisa also agrees with this characterization of Skalozub: “Yes, sir, so to speak, he is eloquent, but not very cunning.” Among the officers of that era there were enlightened, highly educated people. Some of them were associated with the Decembrist movement.

Skalozub is not one of them. On the contrary, it is a faithful guardian of the autocratic-serf system, an enemy of enlightenment.

A serviceman who was brought up in the barracks, Skalozub speaks with particular eagerness about what is familiar to him, and then his speech is full of words such as edgings, shoulder straps, buttonholes, corps, division, distance, in line, sergeant major, etc. The tone of his speech is decisive, categorical: what a miserable rider! The distance is huge; sometimes his words sound like a command: There they will only teach in our way: one, two. He is polite to Famusov: I’m ashamed... Wherever you want... I don’t know, sir, I’m guilty. But in the presence of such persons as Chatsky or Repetilov, he is not shy and says in a rude, barracks-like manner: “Hasn’t our old man made a blunder?” “Shall I look at how it cracked, in the chest or in the side?”, “Spare me,” “You can’t faint with your learning.”

Skalozub’s speech perfectly characterizes this “constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas.”

Updated: 2011-05-07

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Comedy "Woe from Wit", written by A.S. Griboyedov in 1824, exposes the morals of the nobles of the early 19th century. The play presents a situation when, after the War of 1812, at a turning point for Russia, people with progressive views on the structure of society began to appear in the noble society. The main theme of the work is the struggle of the “past century” with the “present century”, the old with the new. The camp of the “past century” is represented in the play by many people of different types. Skalozub’s characterization in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is of great importance for understanding the problems of the work.

This hero is highly respected among Famus society. From the first pages of the book we learn that Famusov considers him the most desirable contender for the hand of his daughter Sophia. In the play "Woe from Wit" Skalozub fully corresponds to the ideals of Moscow noble society: "And a golden bag, and aims to become a general." Sophia, as a sensible girl, does not want to marry Skalozub at all. She considers him very stupid: “He will never utter a smart word - I don’t care what’s for him, what’s in the water.”

If Chatsky is not suitable for the role of Sophia’s husband, because he “does not serve, that is, he does not find any benefit in it,” then Skalozub is a colonel. High rank is the main thing that is valued in Moscow. The image of this hero is a satire on the Russian army of the Arakcheev period, when any free-thinking was persecuted, and thoughtless submission was required. In this regard, many young nobles resigned. Stupid military drill reigned in the army at that time. That is why in Famus society they are so wary of Chatsky, who “would be happy to serve,” but does not want to “serve,” because this indicates his dissent. Skalozub is “with stars and ranks,” which means everything is fine with him. In Famus society, he is forgiven even for rudeness, which is not forgiven for Chatsky.

As a typical representative of the “past century,” Skalozub serves the purpose of enriching himself, gaining respectable weight in society, and not in order to take care of the safety of his homeland. In the comedy “Woe from Wit,” Skalozub’s army rank is very attractive to Famusov’s Moscow. In this regard, Chatsky gives an apt description of Skalozub: “A constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas.”

The path to high ranks and awards for people like Skalozub does not matter. Most often, promotions among the nobility of that time were achieved through connections. Skalozub’s character helps him skillfully use these connections: “... To get ranks, there are many channels... I just wish I could become a general.”

Skalozub even received his order not for military merits, but on the occasion of military celebrations.

In the comedy “Woe from Wit,” the characterization of Skalozub would have been incomplete if the work had not contrasted this hero with other representatives of the military class - progressive-minded nobles who respect human personality. These were the people who retired during that period. Such is Skalozub’s cousin, who, despite the fact that “the rank followed him,” left military service and went to live in the village, where “he began to read books.” Refusing another rank is unthinkable for Skalozub. Skalozub speaks about his brother with disdain also because he is also an opponent of learning and education. It is from the lips of this hero at Famusov’s ball that information comes about the reform of barracks-type educational institutions: “They will only teach there in our way: once or twice; and the books will be preserved like this: for great occasions.”

Comedy "Woe from Wit", written by A.S. Griboyedov in 1824, exposes the morals of the nobles of the early 19th century. The play presents a situation when, after the War of 1812, at a turning point for Russia, people with progressive views on the structure of society began to appear in the noble society. The main theme of the work is the struggle of the “past century” with the “present century”, the old with the new. The camp of the “past century” is represented in the play by many people of different types. Skalozub’s characterization in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is of great importance for understanding the problems of the work.

This hero is highly respected among Famus society. From the first pages of the book we learn that Famusov considers him the most desirable contender for the hand of his daughter Sophia. In the play "Woe from Wit" Skalozub fully corresponds to the ideals of Moscow noble society: "And a golden bag, and aims to become a general." Sophia, as a sensible girl, does not want to marry Skalozub at all. She considers him very stupid: “He will never utter a smart word - I don’t care what’s for him, what’s in the water.”

If Chatsky is not suitable for the role of Sophia’s husband, because he “does not serve, that is, he does not find any benefit in it,” then Skalozub is a colonel. High rank is the main thing that is valued in Moscow. The image of this hero is a satire on the Russian army of the Arakcheev period, when any free-thinking was persecuted, and thoughtless submission was required. In this regard, many young nobles resigned. Stupid military drill reigned in the army at that time. That is why in Famus society they are so wary of Chatsky, who “would be happy to serve,” but does not want to “serve,” because this indicates his dissent. Skalozub is “with stars and ranks,” which means everything is fine with him. In Famus society, he is forgiven even for rudeness, which is not forgiven for Chatsky.

As a typical representative of the “past century,” Skalozub serves the purpose of enriching himself, gaining respectable weight in society, and not in order to take care of the safety of his homeland. In the comedy “Woe from Wit,” Skalozub’s army rank is very attractive to Famusov’s Moscow. In this regard, Chatsky gives an apt description of Skalozub: “A constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas.”

The path to high ranks and awards for people like Skalozub does not matter. Most often, promotions among the nobility of that time were achieved through connections. Skalozub’s character helps him skillfully use these connections: “... To get ranks, there are many channels... I just wish I could become a general.”

Skalozub even received his order not for military merits, but on the occasion of military celebrations.

In the comedy “Woe from Wit,” the characterization of Skalozub would have been incomplete if the work had not contrasted this hero with other representatives of the military class - progressive-minded nobles who respect human personality. These were the people who retired during that period. Such is Skalozub’s cousin, who, despite the fact that “the rank followed him,” left military service and went to live in the village, where “he began to read books.” Refusing another rank is unthinkable for Skalozub. Skalozub speaks about his brother with disdain also because he is also an opponent of learning and education. It is from the lips of this hero at Famusov’s ball that information comes about the reform of barracks-type educational institutions: “They will only teach there in our way: once or twice; and the books will be preserved like this: for great occasions.”

Next to Famusov in the comedy stands Skalozub - “And the golden bag aspires to be a general.” Colonel Skalozub is a typical representative of the Arakcheevo army environment. There is nothing caricatured in his appearance: historically he is completely truthful. Like Famusov, Colonel Skalozub is guided in his life by “philosophy” and the ideal of the “past century,” only in an even more rude and frank form. He sees the purpose of his service not in protecting the fatherland from enemy encroachment, but in achieving wealth and nobility, which, in his opinion, are more accessible to a military man. Chatsky characterizes him as follows:

* Khripun, strangled, bassoon,

* Constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas!

According to Sophia, Skalozub only talks about “fronts and rows.” The source of Skalozub’s “military wisdom” is the Prussian-Pavlovian school in the Russian army, so hated by the free-thinking officers of that time, brought up on the precepts of Suvorov and Kutuzov. In one of the early editions of the comedy, in a conversation with Repetilov, Skalozub directly states:

* I am the school of Friedrich, the team is grenadiers,

* Sergeant majors are my Voltaires.

Skalozub began to make his career from the moment when the heroes of 1812 began to be replaced by stupid martinets, slavishly loyal to the autocracy, led by Arakcheev. Then “at every step there were clawed teeth, not only in the army, but also in the guard, for whom it was incomprehensible that it was possible to turn a Russian man into a fit soldier without breaking several cartloads of sticks on his back,” notes the Decembrist Yakushkin. It was people like Skalozub, less than a year after the end of “Woe from Wit,” who shot the Decembrists from cannons on Senate Square in St. Petersburg. Arr.

It was of great political importance for exposing the military-serfdom reaction of that time.

It is characteristic that Griboedov contrasts Skalozub with his cousin, a representative of a different environment in the Russian army, with that freedom-loving part of the officers from which many Decembrist military officers emerged. After the end of the war of 1812-1814. Skalozub’s cousin, having resigned, went to the village “to read books.” The Decembrist P. Kakhovsky testifies to the veracity of this image. “Our young people, with all their meager means, are engaged more than anywhere else,” he writes, “many of them have retired and in their secluded rural houses they study and organize the prosperity and education of farmers, entrusted by fate to their care... How many you will meet now seventeen-year-old young people about whom we can safely say that they read old books." The resignation of many leading officers who distinguished themselves in the wars of 1812-1814 was also associated with the strengthening of the Arakcheev regime in the army - the persecution of all free-thinking, the imposition of stupid military drill and servile subordination. This is precisely how the Decembrist V. Raevsky explains his resignation in 1817: “The influence of Arakcheev has already become noticeable. The service became difficult and insulting. What was required was not noble service, but servile subordination. Many officers have retired." This was one of the forms of protest against the reaction. And it was not for nothing that the Famusovs looked very askance at the young noblemen who were not serving

* (“And most importantly, go and serve...”).

The world of the Famusovs consists not only of serf-lords like Famusov and Skalozub, but also of the silent officials serving them, fawning officials.

Skalozub Sergei Sergeich - in his image the “ideal” Moscow groom is depicted - rude, uneducated, not very smart, but rich and pleased with himself. Famusov reads S. as his daughter’s husband, but she considers him “the hero of a novel that is not hers.” At the moment of his first arrival at Famusov’s house, S. talks about himself. He took part in the War of 1812, but received the order “on the neck” not for military exploits, but on the occasion of military celebrations. S. “aims to become a general.” The hero despises book wisdom. He makes disparaging remarks about his cousin reading books in the village. S. tries to embellish himself externally and internally. He dresses in army fashion, using belts to make his chest look like a wheel. Having understood nothing in Chatsky’s accusatory monologues, he, nevertheless, joins his opinion, saying all sorts of nonsense and nonsense.

Skalozub is a character in the comedy by A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit" (1824). If we look for classicist, and through them, ancient prototypes in the characters of the play, then S. corresponds to the “boastful warrior”, a popular mask of Roman comedies, embodied in the famous “tower-city conqueror” Pyrgopolinicos, the hero of Plautus. The bully warrior was traditionally portrayed not only as a braggart, but also as a narcissistic person. S., if we take it out of the poetic context, is somewhat similar to his distant ancestor. It should be noted that many characters in Griboyedov’s work wear comedic masks, but the “mask” is only the top layer of its voluminous plot. During the course of the action, S. transforms into an individual comedic character. Colonel Sergei Sergeevich S. is at the very center of the events of the play. Already in the first act, Lisa mentions him as Sophia’s almost official fiancé (“and the golden bag and aims to become a general”) in contrast to the “unwanted” Chatsky and the “secret” Molchalin. Perhaps, for the sake of S., in order to introduce him to the circle of relatives, Famusov is planning a ball where he introduces S. Khlestova, who does not like him because of his lack of servility and too tall stature. All the facts of S.’s biography, in the eyes of Famusov, distinguish him favorably from Chatsky. S. is rich, a military man, quickly and thoughtfully making his career, arguing little, expressing himself straightforwardly and lapidarily. S.’s manner of not conforming to the tone of secular politeness does not harm him in the opinion of others (like Chatsky), because in the main S. is Famusovsky, his own: “you won’t faint me with learning!” What his military career is based on becomes clear quite quickly: “then some of the elders are turned off, others, you see, have been killed.” It would be a mistake to underestimate S.’s influence in the “Moscow” environment: he is recognized and supported by society. At the climax of the discussion about the harm caused by books and education, S. announces the good news for everyone that it has been decided to reform lyceums, schools and gymnasiums according to the barracks model: “They will only teach there in our way: one, two; And the books will be saved like this: for special occasions.” (Which, however, still does not quite suit Famusov, who knows a more correct way to restore order: “take all the books and burn them.”) S. is a collective character in which Griboyedov’s contemporaries recognized many: from divisional colonel Frolov to the Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the future Emperor Nicholas I. In the extensive stage history of “Woe from Wit”, no solution to this image has yet been found that would be free from the “mask”, equally emphasized by actors with a variety of directorial decisions in style. The basis of S.’s image is the technique of the grotesque, but not cartoon or caricature. Such an image requires an interpretation akin to the poetics of the play as a whole, which Griboedov called “the poetics of an excellent poem.”