"Dark Kingdom" in the play "Thunderstorm. The dark kingdom in the play by Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm (USE in literature) The dark kingdom in the play the storm of wild quotes

The work of A. N. Ostrovsky stands at the origins of our national drama. Fonvizin, Griboyedov and Gogol began the creation of the great Russian theater. With the appearance of Ostrovsky's plays, with the flowering of his talent and skill, dramatic art rose to new heights. No wonder the critic Odoyevsky noted that before Ostrovsky there were only 3 dramas in Russian literature: "Minor", "Woe from Wit" and "Inspector General". He called the play "Bankrupt" the fourth, stressing that it is the last missing cornerstone on which the majestic "building" of the Russian theater will be erected.

From "Bankrupt" to "Thunderstorm"

Yes, it is with the comedy "Our People - Let Us Count" (the second name is "Bankrupt") that the wide popularity of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky, a playwright, who combined in his work and skillfully reworked the best traditions of the "natural" school - socio-psychological and satirical, begins. Becoming "Columbus of Zamoskvorechye", he opened to the world a hitherto unknown layer of Russian life - the middle and small merchants and philistines, reflected his originality, showed both bright strong, pure characters and the gloomy harsh reality of the world of huckstering, hypocrisy, lack of high impulses and ideals ... It happened in 1849. And already in his first significant play, the writer outlines with strokes a special type of personality that will appear in him over and over again: from Samson Silych the Bolshoi to Titus Titych Bruskov from "A Hangover in Another's Feast" and further, to Martha Ignatievna Kabanova and Savel Prokopyevich Diky from "Thunderstorms" are a type of tyrant, named very accurately and succinctly and, thanks to the playwright, entered our speech use. People who completely violate the logical and moral and ethical, human society fit into this category. The critic Dobrolyubov called Dikaya and Kabanikha, who represent the "dark kingdom" in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm", "Tyrants of Russian Life".

Petty tyranny as a socio-typological phenomenon

Let us examine this phenomenon in more detail. Why do tyrants appear in society? First of all, from the awareness of their own complete and absolute power, the complete leveling of the interests and opinions of others in comparison with their own, the feeling of impunity and lack of resistance from the victims. This is how the "dark kingdom" is shown in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm". Dikoy and Kabanova are the richest residents of the small provincial town of Kalinov, located along the banks of the Volga. Money allows them to feel personal value and importance. They also give them power - over their household, over strangers, people in some way dependent on them, and more broadly - over public opinion in the city. The "Dark Kingdom" in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" is scary in that it destroys or mutilates the slightest manifestations of protest, any spirit of freedom and independence. Petty tyranny is the flip side of slavery. It equally corrupts both the "masters of life" themselves and those who depend on them, poisoning all of Russia with its pernicious breath. That is why, according to Dobrolyubov's definition, the "dark kingdom" in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" is synonymous with tyranny.

Drama conflict

Possessing a deep understanding of reality, the writer was able to portray the most essential and significant aspects of it. In the pre-reform year 1859, he was impressed by a trip along the Volga in 1856-1857. creates a play, later recognized as one of his best creations - the drama "The Thunderstorm". What is interesting: literally a month after the play was completed, events took place in Kostroma, as if reproducing a literary work according to the script. What does this mean? About how accurately Alexander Nikolaevich felt and guessed the conflict and how the "dark kingdom" is realistically reflected in the play "The Thunderstorm".

It is not for nothing that Ostrovsky chose the main contradiction of Russian life as the main conflict - the clash between the conservative principle, based on patriarchal traditions, formed over the centuries and based on indisputable authority, moral principles and prohibitions, on the one hand, and on the other, the beginning of a rebellious, creative and lively , the need of the individual to break stereotypes, to move forward in spiritual development. Therefore, not only Dikoy and Kabanikha embody the "dark kingdom" in the play "The Thunderstorm". Ostrovsky makes it clear that the slightest concession to him, connivance and non-resistance automatically transfer a person to the rank of accomplices.

The philosophy of the "dark kingdom"

From the very first lines of the play, two elements burst into our consciousness: the free, wonderful distances, wide horizons and the stuffy, thickened atmosphere of the pre-storm, the agonizing expectation of some upheavals and the thirst for renewal. Representatives of the "dark kingdom" in the play "The Thunderstorm" are horrified by the cataclysms of nature, seeing in them a manifestation of God's wrath and impending punishments for sins - obvious and imaginary. Martha Ignatievna keeps repeating this all the time, echoes her and Dikoy. At the request of Kuligin to donate money for the construction of a lightning conductor for the townspeople, he reproaches: "The thunderstorm was given as a punishment, and you, such and such, want to defend yourself from the Lord with a pole." This remark clearly shows the philosophy that the representatives of the "dark kingdom" adhere to in the play "The Thunderstorm": one cannot resist what has ruled for centuries, one cannot go against the will or punishment from above, humility and obedience must remain the ethical norms of our time. What is interesting: the main tyrants of Kalinov themselves not only sincerely believe in this order of things, but also recognize it as the only correct one.

A hypocrite under the guise of virtue

"The Dark Kingdom" in the play "The Thunderstorm" by A. N. Ostrovsky has many faces. But its pillars, first of all, are Dikoy and Kabanova. Marfa Ignatievna, a portly merchant's wife, mistress of the house, behind the high fence of which invisible tears are pouring and everyday humiliation of human dignity and free will occurs, is unambiguously named in the play - a hypocrite. They say about her: "She endows the beggars with alms, goes to church, fervently baptizes, and eats her household, sharpens iron like rust." She tries to comply with the external laws of antiquity in everything, while not particularly caring about their internal content. Kabanikha knows that the younger must obey the elders and requires blind obedience in everything. When Katerina bid farewell to Tikhon before his departure, she makes her bow at her husband's feet, and her son - to give his wife a strict order on how to behave. There, and "not to contradict mother", and "not to look at the guys" and many other "wishes". Moreover, all those present are well aware of the farcical situation, its falsity. And only Marfa Ignatievna revels in her mission. She also played a decisive role in the tragedy of Katerina, distorting the character of her son, ruining his family life, outraging the soul of Katerina herself and forcing her to take a fatal step from the banks of the Volga into the abyss.

Lies in the rank of law

"The Dark Kingdom" in the drama of A. N. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm" is tyranny in its highest manifestation. Katerina, comparing life in her own family and in the family of her husband, notes the most important difference: everything here seems to be "out of bondage." And it is true. Either you obey the inhuman rules of the game, or they will grind you to dust. Kuligin directly states that the customs in the city are "cruel". He who is rich tries to enslave the poor in order to increase his fortune on their pennies. The same Dikoy swaggers over Boris, who is dependent on him: "If you please me, I will give you my inheritance!" But it is impossible to please the tyrant, and the fate of the unfortunate Boris and his sister is predetermined. They will remain humiliated and insulted, powerless and defenseless. Is there a way out? Yes: lie, dodge, as long as possible. This is what Tikhon's sister, Varvara, does. Its are simple: do what you want, so long as no one notices anything, everything is “embroidered and covered”. And when Katerina objects that she does not know how to dissemble, cannot lie, Varvara simply says to her: "And I could not, but it became necessary - I learned!"

Kudryash, Varvara and others

And what exactly are the victims of the "dark kingdom" based on the drama by A. N. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm"? These are people with a broken destiny, crippled souls, a disfigured moral world. The same Tikhon is by nature a kind, gentle person. The tyranny of his mother killed the rudiments of his own will in him. He cannot resist her pressure, does not know how to resist and finds consolation in drunkenness. To support his wife, to take her side, to protect from boar's arbitrariness is also beyond his power. At the instigation of his mother, he beats Katerina, although he pities her. And only the death of his wife makes him openly blame his mother, but it is clear that the fuse will pass very quickly, and everything will remain the same.

Another male character, Vanya Kudryash, is a completely different matter. He rebuffs everyone and even the "piercing" Wild does not let down rudeness. However, this character is also spoiled by the deadening influence of the "dark kingdom". Curly is a copy of the Wild One, who has not yet entered into force, has not matured. Time will pass, and he will be worthy of his master. Barbara, who has become a liar and endures her mother's oppression, eventually runs away from home. Lying has become her second nature, and therefore the heroine evokes sympathy and compassion in us. Timid Kuligin rarely dares to defend himself in front of the impudent tyrants of the "dark kingdom". In fact, no one, except Katerina, who is also a victim, by the way, has sufficient firmness to challenge this "kingdom".

Why Katerina?

The only hero of the work who has enough moral determination to condemn the life and customs of the "dark kingdom" in the play "The Thunderstorm" by A. N. Ostrovsky is Katerina. Her naturalness, sincerity, ardent impetuosity, inspiration do not allow one to come to terms with arbitrariness and violence, to accept etiquette dictated since the pre-construction times. Katerina wants to love, enjoy life, experience natural feelings, and be open to the world. Like a bird, she dreams of getting off the ground, from the deadening life and soaring into the skies. She is religious, but not Kaban-style. Her straightforward nature is torn in two by the contradiction between duty to her husband, love for Boris and the awareness of her sinfulness before God. And all this is deeply sincere, from the very depths of the heart. Yes, Katerina is also a victim of the "dark kingdom". However, she managed to break his shackles. The age-old foundations have shaken. And she was able to show the way out to others - not only by her own death, but by protest in general.

A gloomy picture of petty relations: arbitrariness, on the one hand, lawlessness and oppression, on the other, is drawn by Ostrovsky in the drama "The Thunderstorm".
The action takes place in the district town of Kalinov, on the banks of the Volga. Deep ignorance, mental stagnation, senseless rudeness - this is the atmosphere in which action develops.

Kalinov is truly a "dark kingdom", as Dobrolyubov aptly christened the entire world portrayed by Ostrovsky. About what is happening outside their town, and how people live there, Kalinovtsi learn mostly from different wanderers, like Feklusha. This information is usually of the most fantastic nature: about unrighteous judges, about people with dog-headed heads, about a fiery serpent. Historical knowledge is of the same nature, for example, about Lithuania, which “fell from the sky”. The main role in the city is played by tyrant merchants, holding in their hands the powerless
a lot of bourgeois and using, thanks to their money, the support of the district authorities.

Feeling their complete impunity, they oppress all their subjects, push around at will, and sometimes directly mock them. “Look for such a scandal as ours Savel Prokofich! No way will he cut off a person, ”says one of the townsfolk about Dikiy. However, he is a "scolder" only in relation to people dependent and unrequited, like Boris and Kuligin; when the hussar scolded him on the ferry, he did not dare to say anything to him, but all the home two weeks from him in attics and closets hid.

The inhabitants of Kalinov have no public interests, and therefore, according to Kuligin, they are all locked up at home. “And they do not lock themselves in from thieves, but so that people do not see how they eat their households, but they tyrannize their families. And what tears are pouring behind these constipations, invisible and inaudible! And what, sir, behind these castles is the debauchery of the dark and drunkenness! " "Cruel manners, sir, in our city, cruel!" - says the same Kuligin elsewhere.

The rudeness and ignorance of the Kalinovites is fully consistent with their conceit and self-righteousness: both Dikoy and Kabanova are quite sure that it is impossible to live otherwise than they do. And they live in the old days, with distrust, even with hatred regarding any innovation. They have complete contempt for science and knowledge in general, which is evident from the conversation between Dikiy and Kuligin about electricity. Considering themselves to be right in everything, they are imbued with the confidence that only they hold the light. “Something will happen when the old people die,” says Kabanova, “I don’t know how the light will stand”. Lacking any firm moral concepts, they cling all the more stubbornly to their grandfather's customs and rituals, in which they see the very essence of life. For Kabanova, for example, it is not important that Katerina really loves her husband, but it is important that she shows this, for example, “howling” on the porch after his departure. The religiosity of the Kalinovites is distinguished by the same ritualism: they go to church, strictly observe fasts, receive pilgrims and wanderers, but the inner, moral side of religion is completely alien to their soul; therefore, their religiosity bears the imprint of hypocrisy and is often associated with gross superstition.

All family relationships in Kalinov are based primarily on fear. When Kabanov tells his mother that he does not need his wife to be afraid of him at all, it is enough if she loves him, Kabanova indignantly objects: “Why, why be afraid! How, why be afraid! Are you crazy, or what? They will not be afraid of you, and even less so. What kind of order will it be in the house? After all, you, tea, live with her in law. Ali, do you think the law means nothing? " Therefore, when Katerina, at parting, throws herself on her husband's neck, Kabanova strictly stops her and forces her to bow at her feet: it is the expression of fear and slavish submission that is important for her in her wife's relationship with her husband, and not true feelings.

In The Thunderstorm, Ostrovsky showed how such family despotism affects the oppressed. Stronger and more persistent natures try to deceive the vigilance of domestic tyrants, resort to pretense and all sorts of tricks; such is, for example, Varvara, the daughter of Kabanova; on the contrary, weak and soft natures, like her son Tikhon, finally lose all will, all independence; their only protest against constant oppression is that, having temporarily escaped to freedom, freed from surveillance, they indulge in an ugly revelry, trying to "take a year off". In response to his mother’s reproaches that he does not have “his own mind,” Tikhon even threatens: “I’ll take it, but the last one, what is, I’ll drink it up: let mama then be with me, like a fool, and babysit ...” And it is quite possible that he will carry out this threat someday.

But it is especially difficult in the "dark kingdom", like Kalinov, the position of those persons who are endowed with considerable spiritual strength, which does not allow them to finally break down under the yoke of despotism, to lose all consciousness of their personality, but who, at the same time, are too weak to stand up for themselves, and are too pure in soul to resort to cunning and deceit; for them a tragic outcome becomes almost inevitable. This is exactly the situation in which Katerina, the main heroine of "The Storm", is.

Type: Problem-thematic analysis of the work

A.N. Ostrovsky finished his play in 1859, on the eve of the abolition of serfdom. Russia was in anticipation of reform, and the play became the first stage in realizing the impending changes in society.

In his work, Ostrovsky presents us with a merchant environment that personifies the "dark kingdom". The author shows a whole gallery of negative images using the example of residents of the city of Kalinov. By the example of the townspeople, we are exposed to their ignorance, ignorance, adherence to the old order. We can say that all Kalinovtsi are in the shackles of the old "house building".

Bright representatives of the "dark kingdom" in the play are the "fathers" of the city in the person of Kabanikha and the Wild. Marfa Kabanova tortures those around her and those close to her with reproaches and suspicion. She relies on the authority of antiquity in everything and expects the same from those around her. There is no need to talk about her love for her son and daughter, the children of Kabanikha are completely subordinate to her power. Everything in Kabanova's house is based on fear. Scare and humiliate - that's her philosophy.

Wild is much more primitive than Kabanova. This is the image of a real tyrant. With his shouts and swearing, this hero humiliates other people, thereby, as it were, rising above them. It seems to me that this is a way of self-expression for Dikiy: “Why would you order me to do with yourself when my heart is like that!”; “I scolded, scolded me so much that it’s impossible to demand better, I almost nailed him. Here it is, what a heart I have! "

The unreasonable abuse of the Wild, the hypocritical captiousness of Kabanikha - all this is due to the impotence of the heroes. The more real the changes in society and people, the stronger their protesting voices begin to sound. But there is no point in the rage of these heroes: only an empty sound remains from their words. “… And everything is somehow restless, it is not good for them. In addition to them, without asking them, another life has grown with other principles, and although it is far away, it is not yet clearly visible, it already gives itself a presentiment and sends bad visions to dark arbitrariness, "Dobrolyubov writes about the play.

The images of Kuligin and Katerina are opposed to the wild, Kabanikha, and the whole city. In his monologues, Kuligin tries to reason with the residents of Kalinov, open their eyes to what is happening around them. For example, all townspeople are in a wild, natural horror from a thunderstorm and perceive it as a heavenly punishment. Only Kuligin is not afraid, but sees in a thunderstorm a natural phenomenon of nature, beautiful and majestic. He offers to build a lightning rod, but does not find the approval and understanding of others. Despite all this, the "dark kingdom" failed to absorb this self-taught eccentric. Among the savagery and tyranny, he retained a man in himself.

But not all the heroes of the play can resist the cruel morals of the "dark kingdom". Tikhon Kabanov is beaten, hunted by this society. Therefore, his image is tragic. The hero could not resist, from childhood he agreed with his mother in everything, never contradicted her. And only at the end of the play, in front of the body of the dead Katerina, Tikhon decides to confront his mother and even blames her for the death of his wife.

Tikhon's sister, Varvara, finds her own way of survival in Kalinov. A strong, courageous and cunning character allows the girl to adapt to life in the "dark kingdom". For her peace of mind and for the sake of avoiding trouble, she lives on the principle of "embroidered and covered", deceives and deceives. But, doing all this, Varvara is only trying to live as she wants.

Katerina Kabanova is a bright soul. Against the background of the entire dead kingdom, she stands out for her purity and spontaneity. This heroine is not mired in material interests and outdated everyday truths, like other residents of Kalinov. Her soul seeks to free itself from the oppression and suffocation of these people who are alien to her. Having fallen in love with Boris and unfaithful to her husband, Katerina is in terrible conscience. And she perceives a thunderstorm as a heavenly punishment for her sins: “Everyone should be afraid! Not that it is scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find what you are, with all your sins ... ”. The devout Katerina, unable to withstand the pressure of her own conscience, decides on the most terrible sin - suicide.

Dikiy's nephew, Boris, is also a victim of the "dark kingdom". He resigned himself to spiritual slavery and broke down under the yoke of pressure from the old-laymen. Boris seduced Katerina, but he did not have the strength to save her, take her away from the hated city. The "Dark Kingdom" turned out to be stronger than this hero.

Another representative of the "Dark Kingdom" is the wanderer Feklusha. She is highly respected in Kabanikha's house. Her ignorant fables about distant countries are listened to attentively and even believed. Only in such a dark and ignorant society can no one doubt Feklusha's stories. The Wanderer supports Kabanikha, feeling her strength and power in the city.

In my opinion, the play "The Thunderstorm" is a work of genius. It reveals so many images, so many characters that it would be enough for a whole encyclopedia of negative characters. All ignorance, superstition, ignorance have absorbed Kalinov's "dark kingdom". "Thunderstorm" shows us that the old way of life has long outlived its usefulness and does not meet modern living conditions. Changes are already on the threshold of the "dark kingdom" and, together with the thunderstorm, are trying to break into it. It doesn't matter that they meet huge resistance from wild and boars. After reading the play, it becomes clear that they are all powerless in the face of the future.

Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" caused a violent reaction in the field of literary scholars and critics. A. Grigoriev, D. Pisarev, F. Dostoevsky devoted their articles to this work. N. Dobrolyubov, some time after the publication of "Storm" in print, wrote an article "A ray of light in the dark kingdom." As a good critic, Dobrolyubov emphasized the author's good style, praising Ostrovsky for his deep knowledge of the Russian soul, and reproached other critics for not taking a direct look at the work. In general, Dobrolyubov's view is interesting from several points of view. For example, the critic believed that dramas should show the harmful influence of passion on a person's life, so he calls Katerina a criminal. But Nikolai Alexandrovich nevertheless says that Katerina is also a martyr, because her sufferings evoke a response in the soul of the viewer or reader. Dobrolyubov gives very accurate characteristics. It was he who called the merchants "the dark kingdom" in the play "The Thunderstorm".

If we trace how the merchant class and the social strata adjacent to it were reflected over the course of decades, then a complete picture of degradation and decline emerges. In "Minor" the Prostakovs are shown as limited people, in "Woe from Wit" the Famusovs are frozen statues that refuse to live honestly. All these images are the predecessors of the Kabanikha and the Wild. It is on these two characters that the "dark kingdom" in the drama "The Thunderstorm" is based.

The author introduces us to the customs and customs of the city from the very first lines of the play: "Cruel manners, sir, in our city, cruel!" In one of the dialogues between the residents, the topic of violence is raised: “Whoever has money, sir, is trying to enslave the poor ... No matter how many people hide what is happening within families, everyone else knows everything. Kuligin says that no one has been praying to God here for a long time. All doors are locked "so that people do not see how ... they eat their families and tyrannize their families." Behind the locks - debauchery and drunkenness. Kabanov goes to drink at the Dikiy's, Dikoy appears drunk in almost all scenes, Kabanikha is also not averse to having a glass - another in the company of Savl Prokofievich.

The whole world in which the inhabitants of the fictional city of Kalinov live is saturated with lies and deceit. Power over the "dark kingdom" belongs to tyrants and deceivers. Residents are so accustomed to dispassionate subservience to richer people that such a lifestyle is the norm for them. People often come to the Dikiy to ask for money, while knowing that he will humiliate them, but will not give the required amount. Most of all negative emotions in the merchant are caused by his own nephew. Not even because Boris flatters Dikoy in order to get money, but because Dikoy himself does not want to part with the inheritance he received. Its main features are rudeness and greed. Dikoy believes that since he has a large amount of money, it means that others should obey him, be afraid of him and at the same time respect him.

Kabanikha stands up for the preservation of the patriarchal system. She is a true tyrant, able to drive crazy anyone she doesn't like. Marfa Ignatievna, hiding behind the fact that she honors the old order, in fact, destroys the family. Her son, Tikhon, is happy to leave as far as possible, just not to hear the orders of his mother, her daughter does not care about Kabanikha's opinion, lies to her, and at the end of the play she simply runs away with Kudryash. Katerina got the most. The mother-in-law openly hated her daughter-in-law, controlled her every action, was dissatisfied with any little things. The most revealing is the scene of farewell to Tikhon. The boar was offended by the fact that Katya hugged her husband goodbye. After all, she is a woman, which means that she should always be lower than a man. The wife's lot is to throw herself at her husband's feet and sob, praying for a quick return. Katya does not like this point of view, but she is forced to submit to the will of her mother-in-law.

Dobrolyubov calls Katya "a ray of light in the dark kingdom," which is also very symbolic. First, Katya is different from the inhabitants of the city. She, although she was brought up according to the old laws, the preservation of which Kabanikha often speaks of, has a different idea of ​​life. Katya is kind and clean. She wants to help the poor, wants to go to church, do household chores, raise children. But in such an environment, all this seems impossible due to one simple fact: in the "dark kingdom" in the "Thunderstorm" it is impossible to find inner peace. People constantly walk in fear, drink, lie, cheat on each other, trying to hide the unsightly sides of life. In such an atmosphere, it is impossible to be honest with others, honest to oneself. Secondly, one ray is not enough to illuminate the "kingdom." Light, according to the laws of physics, must be reflected from some surface. It is also known that black has the ability to absorb other colors. Similar laws apply to the situation with the play's protagonist. Katerina does not see in others what is in her. Neither the residents of the city, nor Boris, "a decently educated person," could understand the reason for Katya's internal conflict. After all, even Boris is afraid of public opinion, he is dependent on the Wild and the possibility of inheritance. He is also bound by a chain of deception and lies, because Boris supports Varvara's idea of ​​deceiving Tikhon in order to maintain a secret relationship with Katya. Let us apply the second law here. In Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm" the "dark kingdom" is so all-consuming that it is impossible to find a way out of it. It eats up Katerina, forcing her to take on one of the most terrible sins from the point of view of Christianity - suicide. The "dark kingdom" leaves no other choice. It will find her anywhere, even if Katya ran away with Boris, even if she left her husband. No wonder Ostrovsky transfers the action to a fictional city. The author wanted to show the typicality of the situation: this situation was typical of all cities in Russia. But is it only Russia?

Are the conclusions really so disappointing? The power of tyrants is gradually beginning to weaken. This is felt by Kabanikha and Dikoy. They feel that other people, new ones, will soon take their place. Such as Katya. Honest and open. And, perhaps, it is in them that the old customs that Marfa Ignatievna zealously defended will be revived. Dobrolyubov wrote that the ending of the play should be viewed in a positive way. “We are glad to see Katerina's deliverance - even through death, if it is impossible otherwise. Living in the "dark kingdom" is worse than death. " This is confirmed by the words of Tikhon, who for the first time openly opposes not only his mother, but also the entire order of the city. “The play ends with this exclamation, and it seems to us that nothing could have been more powerful and more truthful than such an ending. Tikhon's words make the viewer think no longer about a love affair, but about this whole life, where the living envy the dead. "

The definition of the "dark kingdom" and the description of the images of its representatives will be useful to pupils of the 10th grade when writing an essay on the theme "The Dark Kingdom in the play" The Thunderstorm "by Ostrovsky."

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This is a clash of two or more parties that do not coincide in views, attitudes. There are several conflicts in Ostrovsky Storm's play, but how to decide which of them is the main one? In the era of sociologism in literary criticism, it was believed that social conflict was the most important in the play. Of course, if you see in the image of Katerina a reflection of the spontaneous Protestant masses of the people against the shackling conditions of the dark kingdom and perceive the death of Katerina as a result of her collision with her petty mother-in-law, the genre of the play should be defined as a social drama. A drama is a work in which the social and personal aspirations of people, and sometimes their very lives, are threatened with death by external forces beyond their control. The play also contains a generational conflict between Katerina and Kabanikha, the new always comes to the old, the old does not want to surrender to the new. ... But the play is much deeper than it might seem at first glance. After all, Katerina first of all fights with herself, and not with Kabanikha, the conflict develops not around her, but in herself. Therefore, the play The Thunderstorm can be defined as a tragedy.

Tragedy is a work in which there is an insoluble conflict between the personal aspirations of the hero and the super-personal laws of life that occur in the mind of the protagonist. In general, the play is very similar to the ancient tragedy, the chorus is replaced by some off-plot heroes, the denouement ends with the death of the main character, as well as a tragedy, except for the immortal Prometheus. Catherines are the result of the collision of two historical eras.

Some heroes of the play seem to differ in the time in which they live. For example, Kuligin is a man of the 18th century, he wants to invent a sundial, which was still known for the vantichnosti, or a perpetuum mobile, which is a distinctive feature of the Middle Ages, or a lightning rod. He himself goes with his mind to the point that they have long been invented, and he only dreams about it. He quotes Lomonosov and Derzhavin - this is also a human trait

13. The depiction of the "dark kingdom" in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm".

In order to show the contradictions between rudeness and honor, between ignorance and dignity, the play shows two generations: people of the older generation, the so-called "dark kingdom", and people of a new trend, more progressive, who do not want to live according to old laws and customs.

Dikoy and Kabanova are typical representatives of the “dark kingdom”. It was in these images that Ostrovsky wanted to show the ruling class in Russia at that time.

Dikoy and Kabanova - this is the very “dark kingdom”, remnants, supporters of the foundations of this “dark kingdom”. That is who they are, these Wild and Kabanovs, stupid, ignorant, hypocritical, rude. They preach the same peace and order. This is a world of money, anger, envy and enmity. They hate everything new and progressive.

The idea of ​​A. N. Ostrovsky was to expose the "dark kingdom" using the images of the Wild and Kabanova. He denounced all rich people of lack of spirituality and meanness. Basically, in the secular society of Russia in the 19th century, there were such Wild and Kabanovs, which the author showed us in his drama "The Thunderstorm".