Speaking about the system of characters in "Woe from Wit", we should first of all note the contrast between Chatsky - a lonely fighter - and the many-sided Famus society.
Famusov's society is the conservative Moscow nobility in Griboedov's satirical portrayal.
Famusov and his circle are distinguished by the following common features.
First of all, it's careless service. As you know, the main purpose of the nobility was to serve the fatherland. Service was considered an honorable duty of a nobleman. However, representatives of the Moscow nobility depicted in the comedy (Famusov, Skalozub, Molchalin) regard service exclusively as a source of ranks and awards.
Secondly, this despotism towards servants. It is known that many nobles owned serf souls. Serfdom created the ground for tyranny and violence against the individual. Famusov, Khlestova, and a number of off-stage characters in the comedy are shown as wayward serf owners.
In addition, all representatives of Famus society are distinguished by a sharp rejection of enlightenment, education.
Ostentatious patriotism Famusov and his guests are combined with a blind man admiration for everything foreign, thoughtless passion for French fashion.
The Moscow nobility, as portrayed by Griboyedov, is also distinguished by such universal human vices as idleness, gluttony, vanity, idle talk, gossip, and meaningless pastime (for example, playing cards).
Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov – one of the central characters comedy "Woe from Wit", middle-aged man, widower. His role in comedy is father of the bride.
Famusov is a high-ranking official, a “government manager.” At the same time, he is a wayward serf-owner who treats his servants autocratically.
As an official, Famusov is characterized by indifference to the matter. “It’s signed, off your shoulders!” - he says to Molchalin. The hero is distinguished by nepotism in the service. He tells Skalozub:
How will you begin to introduce yourself to a little cross, to a small town,
Well, how can you not please your loved one!
With Liza, Famusov behaves like a tyrant gentleman. At first he flirts with her, and then threatens to send her “to go after the birds.” He is ready to send other offending servants “to settlement.”
Famusov’s cool disposition distinguishes him not only in relation to the servants, but also in relation to his own daughter. Suspecting Sophia of secret meetings with Chatsky, Famusov is going to send her “to the village, to her aunt, to the wilderness, to Saratov.”
At the same time, Famusov is distinguished by sincere love for his daughter and concern for her future; He is trying with all his might to find a profitable groom for her. Rejection of Chatsky and Molchalin as unworthy suitors for Sophia and pleasing Skalozub, a worthy suitor, clarify Famusov’s life priorities. “Whoever is poor is not a match for you,” Famusov teaches Sophia.
The hero is distinguished by such positive qualities as hospitality and hospitality.
The door is open for the invited and the uninvited,
Especially from foreign ones;
Whether an honest person or not,
It’s equal for us, dinner is ready for everyone, -
Famusov declares in his monologue about Moscow in the second act of the comedy.
Famusov's ideals in the past, in the “past century”. In the monologue that opens the second act of the comedy, the hero admires the merits of the “venerable chamberlain” Kuzma Petrovich. In another monologue, Famusov bows to the “exploits” of Catherine’s nobleman Maxim Petrovich. Famusov’s idea of the true mind is firmly connected with this off-stage character. "A? What do you think? In our opinion, he is smart. / He fell painfully, but got up well,” notes Famusov regarding Maxim Petrovich’s falls in front of Catherine II.
Famusov, like other representatives of the Moscow nobility, is an enemy of enlightenment. He made harsh judgments about books, for example:
Once evil is stopped,
Take all the books and burn them.
He considers studying science to be madness:
Learning is the plague, learning is the reason,
What is worse now than then,
There were crazy people, deeds, and opinions.
In ideological conflict plays by Famusov - Chatsky's main opponent.
Skalozub
Sergey Sergeevich Skalozub another bright representative of Famus society. This is an Arakcheevsky officer. If Famusov personifies the age of nobles and hospitable Moscow bars that is fading into the past, then Colonel Skalozub is new type Russian life, formed after the War of 1812.
Let us note some personality traits, as well as Skalozub’s life principles.
The hero sees the main goal of his life not in military feats, but in successful career advancement. Skalozub says to Famusov:
Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
I judge them as a true philosopher:
I just wish I could become a general.
The hero is determined against freethinkers. He declares to Repetilov:
I am Prince Gregory and you
I'll give the sergeant major to Voltaire.
Skalozub personifies the despotic tendencies in the state life of Russia during the last years of the reign of Alexander I. It is no coincidence that Famusov is drawn to Skalozub and reads him as Sophia’s suitor. Famusov sees in Skalozub a real force that can keep the old social foundations unchanged.
Molchalin
Collegiate Assessor Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin also one of the central characters in the comedy.
Molchalin, like Skalozub, - new phenomenon in Russian life. This type of official-bureaucrat, gradually displacing the rich and all-powerful nobles from the state and public spheres.
Like Famusov, Molchalin views service as a way to receive ranks and awards.
As I work and force,
Since I've been listed in the Archives,
Received three awards -
Molchalin says to Chatsky. His view of the service is also expressed in the words: “And win awards and have fun.”
The main life principles of Molchalin - "moderation and accuracy." Molchalin will no longer break the back of his head like Maxim Petrovich. His flattery is more subtle.
Pleasing the right people, especially the powerful of this world, corresponds to the hero’s ideas about the true mind. Stupid from Chatsky’s point of view, Molchalin in his own way is not so stupid. Main features of worldview the heroes are revealed in the fourth act, in a monologue about his father’s will:
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.
Meanwhile, Molchalin’s humility and his pleasing to his neighbors are fulfilled hypocrisy And falsehood. Molchalin's true essence is revealed in his attitude towards Sophia and Lisa.
Let us also note such a trait of Molchalin as feigned sentimentality. Molchalin perfectly mastered the fashion for “sensitive” plays and playing the flute. Sentimentality becomes for the hero an important tool for achieving a strong position in society, where omnipotent ladies, greedy for flattery and exquisite compliments, rule the roost.
Molchalin plays an important role not only in the ideological conflict, but also in the love affair: he first lover! Well aware of the importance of his own role, Molchalin admits to Lisa:
And now I take the form of a lover
To please the daughter of such a man.
The hero successfully copes with his role until the moment of exposure. It is no coincidence that Molchalin, and not Chatsky, becomes Sophia’s chosen one. “Silent people are blissful in the world!” - exclaims Chatsky.
By creating the images of Molchalin and Skalozub, Griboyedov expressed his point of view regarding the near future of Russia. Unlike Chatsky, the author of “Woe from Wit” does not idealize the prospects of liberalism in the “present century.” It seems to Chatsky that “everyone breathes more freely.” Griboyedov thinks differently. The playwright realizes that the immediate future of Russia does not belong to Chatsky, but to Skalozub and Molchalin. These heroes stand firmly on their feet, their positions in life are stronger, despite all their cynicism.
Sophia
Famusov's daughter Sophia- the central female character of the comedy. This is rich and noble bride.
Sophia's character is ambiguous. Pushkin also noted: “Sophia is drawn unclearly.”
On the one hand, we see in Sophia, in the words of I. A. Goncharov, “strong inclinations of a remarkable nature.” It is distinguished by its natural mind(the characteristic name “Sophia” means “wisdom” in Greek), everyday prudence, the ability to sincerely feel.
In addition, Sophia is characterized independence of life position: Having shown disobedience to her father, Sophia fell in love with a man unequal to herself.
On the other hand, Sophia lives by the values of Famus society. Lies and slander are not alien to her nature.
Perhaps it was precisely the lack of high moral principles that led the heroine to the fact that she was unable to immediately recognize Molchalin’s low and vile nature.
Sophia turns out to be a key character in the plot of the comedy, in the love affair. Sophia's attitude towards Molchalin and Chatsky reflects the priorities that were firmly established among the Moscow nobility. Sophia's ideal, according to Chatsky, is “a husband-boy, a husband-servant, one of his wife’s pages.”
Chatsky and his intelligence are rejected by the heroine. “Will such a mind make a family happy?” - Sophia exclaims, referring to Chatsky’s liberal ideas and wit. The heroine not only turns away from her childhood friend, for whom she once had sympathy, but also turns out to be the initiator of the spread of slander about his madness. At the same time, as a result, she herself turns out to be deceived, she herself suffers grief from her “mind”, becomes a victim of Molchalin’s meanness, as well as her own self-confidence.
The image of Sophia is shaded by the image of a maid Lisa.
The aristocrat Sophia is contrasted with a simple girl - witty, intelligent, endowed with a lively mind and self-esteem. So, Lisa rejects the advances of Famusov and Molchalin. She is burdened by her role as Sophia's confidante. Lisa appears in the comedy as a victim of the lord's affection and lordly anger.
Pass us away more than all sorrows
And lordly anger, and lordly love, -
says Lisa.
Minor characters
In "Woe from Wit" there are a significant number of minor, episodic characters - representatives of Famus society. Minor characters allow Griboyedov to show the views, ideals, and morals of the Moscow nobility more broadly and deeply.
Natalya Dmitrievna Gorich- social coquette. Her unfulfilled dream in relation to her husband is the position of Moscow commandant.
Myself Platon Mikhailovich Gorich in previous years he served, was a comrade of Chatsky, probably shared his opposition views.
Now he is entirely “under the heel” of his wife, “husband-boy, husband-servant,” repeats the A-prayer duet on the flute. “A certificate of commendation for you, you behave properly,” Chatsky addresses Platon Mikhailovich with irony.
Gorich is burdened by idle pastime in secular salons, but he cannot do anything. “Captivity is bitter,” notes Gorich (“a telling” surname) about his situation.
Platon Mikhailovich personifies the degradation of personality in Famus society.
Prince Tugoukhovsky he’s the same henpecked guy as Gorich, only older. His deafness (which is emphasized by the “speaking” surname) symbolizes the hero’s inability for independent thoughts and actions.
Princess Tugoukhovskaya busy trying to get her six daughters married.
Princess Tugoukhovskaya, like other representatives of Famus society, is distinguished by harsh judgments about freethinkers. Let us remember the princess’s monologue about the Pedagogical Institute:
No, the institute is in St. Petersburg
Pe-da-go-gic, that’s what their name seems to be:
There they practice schisms and unbelief
Professors!..
Countess Grandmother And countess-granddaughter- paired characters.
The Countess Grandmother is a “splinter” of the last century. She is filled with anger towards freethinkers. Chatsky, in her view, is a “damned Voltairian.”
The countess-granddaughter embodies the admiration of Moscow ladies for the French. Chatsky angrily ridicules this trait of hers.
Old Woman Khlestova- lady-serf. So, she says:
Out of boredom I took it with me
A little black girl and a dog...
Khlestova, like Princess Tugoukhovskaya, is distinguished by her hostility to enlightenment:
And you'll really go crazy from these, from some
From boarding schools, schools, lyceums, you name it,
Yes from lancard mutual training.
Zagoretsky- the embodiment of baseness and dishonesty. This is what Platon Mikhailovich Gorich says about him:
He is a secular man
A notorious swindler, a rogue...
Meanwhile, the dishonest Zagoretsky is “accepted everywhere.” Chatsky, an honest and decent man, was declared a madman and expelled from society.
All named characters, including two unnamed paired characters, Mr.N. and Mr. D. are rapidly spreading slander about Chatsky. Everyone agrees that the reason for the hero’s madness lies in such properties of his mind as education and liberal ideas. This is especially clearly manifested in the scene of Chatsky’s general condemnation (the 21st scene of the third act).
Special mention should be made about the figure Repetilova.
This character was introduced by Griboyedov in the later edition of the comedy. He appears only in the fourth act of the work.
The “talking” surname “Repetilov” is derived from the French word “répéter” - “to repeat”.
Repetilov is a type of empty talker who is carried away by liberal ideas and thoughtlessly spreads them.
Griboyedov, creating the image of Repetilov, sought to express his ambiguous attitude towards the liberal nobility. On the one hand, with the help of the image of Repetilov, Griboyedov highlights Chatsky’s loneliness. It turns out that Chatsky’s “like-minded people” are empty talkers like Repetilov; At the same time, Chatsky himself is a significant, extraordinary and lonely figure among the pseudo-liberals.
On the other hand, by creating the image of Repetilov, Griboyedov sought to show his skeptical attitude towards the opposition-minded nobility in general. In this regard, Repetilov is Chatsky’s “double”. Therefore, while denouncing Repetilov, Griboedov also polemicizes with the main character of his work.
Chatsky
Alexander Andreevich Chatsky – main character"Fire from mind" the main ideological opponent of the Famus society.
This is a young nobleman who lost his parents early and was brought up in Famusov’s house.
Facts from the past Chatsky, mentioned in the play, remind us of the fate of many liberal-minded nobles, including future Decembrists. Thus, Chatsky, due to his ideological convictions, left first the military, then the civil service. “I’d be glad to serve, but it’s sickening to be served,” declares the hero. It is possible that Chatsky tried to carry out liberal reforms on his estate. No wonder Famusov says to Chatsky: “Don’t mismanage your property, brother.” Probably, Chatsky took part in the reform initiatives of Alexander I, then became disillusioned with them. Molchalin speaks about these facts, referring to Tatyana Yuryevna’s words about Chatsky’s “connection” and “break” with the ministers. Chatsky traveled and was abroad. Perhaps it was there that he became familiar with the educational ideas of the West.
Let's consider the most important aspects hero's personality. In Chatsky we find the features of an educated nobleman of that time, a man honest, noble. He is distinguished by such character traits as moral purity, chastity, capacity for sincere feeling. For Chatsky, love for Sophia is by no means a manifestation of the “science of tender passion”; Chatsky wants to marry Sophia.
Chatsky has active nature, which, according to I.A. Goncharov, distinguishes him from Pushkin’s Onegin.
At the same time, Chatsky is characterized by such qualities as high opinion of oneself, harshness and categoricalness in expressing one's own position, intolerance to other people's opinions, the habit of judging others, mocking everyone. All this causes hostility on the part of other characters, especially Sophia.
Particular attention should be paid to the edges crazy Chatsky.
First of all, let's note natural abilities of the hero, their knowledge of languages. Famusov says about Chatsky: “...he’s a guy with a head; / And he writes and translates nicely.”
In addition, Chatsky has critical mind. The hero is distinguished wit, the ability to find comic features in the surrounding society. Lisa says about Chatsky:
Who is so sensitive, and cheerful, and sharp,
Like Alexander Andreich Chatsky!
Sophia also recognizes these qualities in the hero. “Oster, smart, eloquent,” she notes about Chatsky. At the same time, Sophia evaluates these qualities of the hero negatively. “A snake is not a man,” she says, not accepting Chatsky’s ridicule of Molchalin.
Chatsky's mind is freethinking, freethinking, that is, those properties of his worldview that cause sharp hostility on the part of Famus society. It is no coincidence that what Chatsky considers intelligence, in the perception of Famusov and his guests is madness.
Chatsky expresses educational ideas, which remind us of the ideology of the Decembrists.
Firstly, this protest against the excesses of serfdom. Let us remember Chatsky’s monologue “Who are the judges?”, where the hero speaks about “Nestor of the noble scoundrels”, who exchanged his faithful servants for “three greyhounds”, about the owner of the serf theater, who sold off his actors one by one.
Secondly, this love of freedom.“Everyone breathes more freely,” declares Chatsky, meaning “the present century.” “He wants to preach freedom,” says Famusov about Chatsky.
Chatsky is close to the idea service to the fatherland. At the same time he performs against veneration of rank, servility, admiration for the uniform. Chatsky has sympathy for those “who serve the cause, not individuals.”
Chatsky appears before us as hot advocate of education, denouncer of ignorance. In the monologue “Who are the judges?” he speaks with sympathy about a young man who “will focus his mind on science, hungry for knowledge,” and because of this will be known in a conservative society as a dangerous dreamer.
Finally, Chatsky defends the idea of national identity Russia, performs against foreign domination. This idea is expressed especially clearly in the monologue about the Frenchman from Bordeaux. The hero exclaims:
Will we ever be resurrected from the alien power of fashion?
So that our smart, cheerful people
Although, based on our language, he didn’t consider us Germans.
Chatsky becomes main participant in the ideological conflict, which determines the socio-political meaning of comedy. The storyline, reflecting the conflict between Chatsky and Famusov and with the entire conservative Moscow nobility, ends with the hero’s break with society. Chatsky wins a moral victory over Famusov’s society, but at the same time, according to I.A. Goncharov, he turns out to be “broken by the amount of old power.”
At the same time Chatsky - one of the key figures in the love affair. He plays a role unlucky lover. The storyline, reflecting the development of a love affair, allows the author of the comedy to show the inner world of the hero, his experiences. Chatsky’s “A Million Torments” is largely due to the fact that the hero turns out to be rejected by his beloved.
Off-stage characters
In addition to the minor (episodic) ones, “Woe from Wit” also contains off-stage characters who do not appear on stage, but are only mentioned in the monologues and remarks of the characters.
Thus, the mention of a number of persons in Chatsky’s monologue about Moscow in the first act of the comedy (“dark little one, on crane legs,” “three of the boulevard faces,” “consumptive... enemy of books,” Aunt Sophia, Guillaume the Frenchman) helps Griboedov draw a satirical a picture of Moscow morals.
In Famusov’s monologues in the second act, two representatives of the “past century” are named: “the venerable chamberlain” Kuzma Petrovich and favorite of Catherine II Maxim Petrovich- the embodiment of servility and servility.
In Famusov’s monologue about Moscow in the second act (“Taste, father, excellent manner...”) the names all-powerful ladies, forming public opinion:
Order the command in front of the front!
Be present, send them to the Senate!
Irina Vlasevna! Lukerya Aleksevna!
Tatyana Yuryevna! Pulcheria Andrevna!
In the monologue “Who are the judges?” Chatsky denounces the cruel serf owners. Here are named " Nestor of noble scoundrels”, who exchanged his faithful servants for “three greyhounds”, and owner of the serf theater, which sold out its actors one by one.
In the third act, in a conversation with Chatsky, Molchalin mentions influential persons - Tatyana Yurievna And Foma Fomich. These off-stage characters allow the viewer to better understand the essence of Molchalin - “a sycophant and a businessman”, as well as to feel the general atmosphere of servility that reigns in society.
« Frenchman from Bordeaux"(from Chatsky's monologue at the end of the third act) symbolizes the admiration of the Moscow nobility for everything foreign.
Persons mentioned in Repetilov's monologues in the fourth act ( Prince Grigory, Vorkulov Evdokim, Udushev Ippolit Markelych, Lakhmotyev Alexey and others), allow Griboyedov to recreate the atmosphere of empty liberalism that reigns in the English Club.
In his last remark, Famusov recalls “ Princess Marya Aleksevna" The comic effect is enhanced by the fact that this person is named here for the first time. The image of Marya Aleksevna symbolizes Famusov’s fear of the opinions of all-powerful ladies.
Most of the off-stage characters are representatives of Famus society. However, two characters are possible like-minded people of Chatsky. This is, firstly, Skalozub's cousin, about which the latter says:
But I firmly picked up some new rules.
The rank followed him - he suddenly left the service,
Secondly, this is the nephew of Princess Tugoukhovskaya - Prince Fedor, who studied at the Pedagogical Institute in St. Petersburg and learned liberal ideas there. Freethinkers include professors the same institute.
The role of off-stage characters in Griboedov's comedy is extremely large.
Off-stage characters allow us to better understand the characters and life principles of the main characters in the play.
Finally, off-stage characters complement the overall picture of the life of the Russian nobility, recreated by Griboedov in “Woe from Wit.”
Famus Society
The comedy "Woe from Wit" was written by Griboyedov in 1824. It gives a general picture of the entire Russian life of the 10-20s of the 19th century, reproduces the eternal struggle between old and new, which unfolded with particular force at that time not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia between two camps: the progressive, Decembrist-minded people of the "century" present" and serf-owners (people of the "past century").
All the images created by G-dov in the comedy are deeply realistic. Famusov, Skalozub, Molchalin, Khlestova, the rogue Zagoretsky and all the others are a reflection of reality. These people, stupid and selfish, afraid of enlightenment and progress, their thoughts are focused only on acquiring honors and titles, wealth and outfits, they form a single camp of reaction that tramples all living things. “The Past Century” in the comedy is represented by a number of bright types. These are Famusov, Skalozub, Repetilov, and Molchalin.
F-th society is traditional. His principles of life are such that he must learn, “looking at his elders,” destroy free-thinking thoughts, serve with obedience to persons standing a step higher, and most importantly, be rich. The ideal of this society is in Famusov's monologues Uncle Maxim Petrovich and Kuzma Petrovich: ... here is an example: The deceased was a respectable chamberlain, With a key, and he knew how to deliver the key to his son; Rich, and married to a rich woman; Married children, grandchildren; Died; everyone remembers him sadly. Kuzma Petrovich! Peace be upon him! - What kind of aces live and die in Moscow!..
At the head of the entire society is the figure of Famusov, an old Moscow nobleman who has earned general favor in the capital's circles. He is friendly, courteous, witty, cheerful. But this is only the external side. The author reveals the image of Famusov comprehensively. This is not only a hospitable host, but also a convinced serf owner, a fierce opponent of enlightenment. “They would take all the books and burn them,” he says. Chatsky, a representative of the “present century,” dreams of “injecting a mind hungry for knowledge into science.” He is outraged by the rules established in the f-th society, since it evaluates a person by his origin and the number of serf souls he has. Famusov himself dreams of marrying off his daughter Sophia at a better price and says to her: “Oh, mother, don’t finish the blow! Whoever is poor is not a match for you.” And then he adds: “For example, from time immemorial it has been the practice among us that honor is given to father and son: be poor, but if there are two thousand souls from the family, he is the groom.” Unlike the representatives of the f-th society, Chatsky longs for “sublime love, before which the whole world is dust and vanity.”
In the relationship between Chatsky and the f-go society, the views of the “past century” on careers, on service, on what is most valued in people are revealed and ridiculed. In other words, Chatsky despises them. Famusov takes only relatives and friends into his service. He respects flattery and sycophancy. He wants to convince Chatsky to serve, “looking at the elders,” “putting up a chair, raising a handkerchief.” To this Chatsky objects: “I would be glad to serve, it’s sickening to be served.” Chatsky takes service very seriously. And if Famusov treats it formally, bureaucratically (“it’s signed, off your shoulders”), then Chatsky says: “When in business, I hide from fun, when fooling around, I’m fooling around, and mixing these two crafts is a darkness of experts, I don’t from among them." Famusov worries about affairs only on one hand, mortally afraid, “so that a lot of them do not accumulate.” He does not consider his servants to be people, he treats them rudely, he can sell them, send them to hard labor. He scolds them as donkeys, logs, calls them Parsleys, Filkas, Fomkas. Thus, representatives of the f-go society treat service as a source of personal benefits, service to individuals, and not to business.
Chatsky strives to serve the fatherland, “the cause, not the persons.” He despises Molchalin, who is accustomed to “pleasing all people without exception - the owner where I happen to live, the boss with whom I will serve, his servant who cleans dresses, the doorman, the janitor, to avoid evil, the janitor’s dog, so that it is affectionate.” Everything in Molchalin: both behavior and words - emphasize the youthfulness of an immoral person making a career. Chatsky speaks bitterly about such people: “Silent people are blissful in the world!” It is Molchalin who arranges his life best of all. He is also talented in his own way. He earned Famusov's favor, Sophia's love, and received three awards. He values two qualities of his character most of all: “moderation and accuracy.” For Famusov and his circle, the opinion of the world is sacred and infallible; the most terrible thing is “what Princess Marya Aleksevna will say!”
Another prominent representative of the f-th society is Skalozub. This is exactly the kind of son-in-law Famusov dreamed of having. After all, Skalozub is “both a golden bag and aims to be a general.” This character embodied the typical features of a reactionary of Arakcheev’s time. “A wheeze, a strangled man, a bassoon, a constellation of maneuvers and a mazurka,” he is as much an enemy of education and science as Famusov. “You can’t fool me with learning,” says Skalozub. It is quite obvious that the very atmosphere of the f-th society forces representatives of the younger generation to show their negative qualities.
So, Sophia uses her sharp mind to outright lie, spreading rumors about Chatsky’s madness. Sophia fully corresponds to the morality of the “fathers”. And although she is an intelligent girl, with a strong, independent character, a warm heart, and a dreamy soul, her false upbringing still instilled in Sophia many negative qualities and made her a representative of the generally accepted views in this circle. She does not understand Chatsky, she has not grown up to him, to his sharp mind, to his logical, merciless criticism. She also does not understand Molchalin, who “loves her because of his position.” It is not her fault that Sophia has become a typical young lady of the f-th society. The society in which she was born and lived is to blame, “she was ruined, in the stuffiness, where not a single ray of light, not a single stream of fresh air penetrated” (Goncharov “A Million Torments”).
Another comedy character is very interesting. This is Repetilov. He is a completely unprincipled person, a “cracker,” but he was the only one who considered Chatsky to be “highly intelligent” and, not believing in his madness, called Famus’s pack of guests “chimeras” and “game.” Thus, he was at least one step above them all. “So! I have completely sobered up,” says Chatsky at the end of the comedy. What is this - defeat or insight? Yes, the end of this work is far from cheerful, but Goncharov is right when he said about the ending this way: “Chatsky is broken by the amount of old power, having dealt it in turn a fatal blow with the quality of fresh power.” And I completely agree with Goncharov, who believes that the role of all Chatskys is “passive”, but at the same time always “victorious”.
Chatsky opposes the society of ignoramuses and serf owners. He fights against noble scoundrels and sycophants, swindlers, cheats and informers. In his famous monologue “And who are the judges?..” he tore off the mask from the vile and vulgar Famus world, in which the Russian people turned into an object of purchase and sale, where landowners even exchanged serfs for dogs: That Nestor of noble scoundrels, Surrounded by a crowd of servants; Zealous, they saved his honor and life more than once during the hours of wine and fights: suddenly he traded three greyhounds for them!!!
Chatsky defends a real person, humanity and honesty, intelligence and culture. He protects the Russian people, his Russia from a bad, inert and backward society. Chatsky wants to see Russia literate and cultural. He defends this in disputes and conversations with all the characters in the comedy "Go", directing all his intelligence, wit, evil, temper and determination to this. Therefore, those around him take revenge on Chatsky for the truth, which hurts his eyes, for his attempt to disrupt the usual way of life. The “past century,” that is, the f-th society, is afraid of people like Chatsky, because they encroach on the order of life that is the basis of the well-being of this society. Chatsky calls the past century, which Famusov admires so much, the century of “humility and fear.” The community is strong, its principles are firm, but Chatsky also has like-minded people. These are the persons mentioned: Skalozub's cousin ("The rank followed him: he suddenly left his service and began reading books in the village."), nephew of Princess Tugoukhovskaya. Chatsky himself constantly says “we,” “one of us,” thus speaking not only on his own behalf. So ASG-dov wanted to hint to the reader that the time of the “past century” is passing, it is being replaced by the “present century”, strong, smart, educated.
Bibliography
To prepare this work, materials from the site http://ilib.ru/ were used
“In a group of twenty people there was reflected...
all the old Moscow...”
I.A. Goncharov
The comedy “Woe from Wit” belongs to those few works that do not lose their value in our time.
A.S. Griboyedov shows a broad picture of life in the 10-20s of the 19th century, reproducing the social struggle that unfolded between progressive, Decembrist-minded people; and the conservative mass of the nobility. This group of nobles makes up the Famus society.
People in this circle are staunch supporters of the autocratic-serf system. The age of Catherine II is dear to them, when the power of the noble landowners was especially strong. In the famous “ode to lackeyism,” Famusov admires the nobleman Maxim Petrovich, who “ate not only on silver, but on gold.” He achieved honor, fame, accumulated wealth, showing servility and servility. This is what Famusov credits him with and considers him a role model.
Representatives of the Famusov society live in the past, “deriving their judgments from forgotten newspapers from the times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of the Crimea.” They sacredly protect their selfish interests, value a person by his origin, rank, wealth, and not by his business qualities. Famusov says: “... we have had it since ancient times that honor is given to father and son.” Countess Tugoukhovskaya loses interest in Chatsky as soon as she finds out that he is not a chamber cadet and is not rich.
Famusov and his like-minded people treat their serfs cruelly, do not consider them to be people, and dispose of their destinies at their own discretion. So, for example, Chatsky is indignant at the landowner who exchanged his faithful servants, who more than once saved “both his honor and his life,” for “three greyhounds.” And the noble lady Khlestova, who came to the ball, “out of boredom, took a blackamoor - a girl and a dog.” She makes no difference between them and asks Sophia: “Tell them to feed, my friend, they got a handout from dinner.”
The author of the comedy notes that for Famusov and his friends, service is a source of income, a means of achieving ranks and honors. Famusov himself takes his business carelessly: “My custom is this: it’s signed, then off your shoulders.” He saves a cushy place for his relatives and helps them move up the career ladder. Colonel Skalozub also pursues personal, not state interests. For him, all means are good, just “if only he could become a general.”
Careerism, sycophancy, sycophancy, servility - all these qualities are inherent in the officials depicted in the comedy. They are most clearly manifested in the image of Molchalin, Famusov’s secretary, a “business man” who, thanks to his “helpfulness” and “silence”, “received three awards.”
It should be noted that Famusov and his guests are ardent enemies of enlightenment, since they believe that all evil comes from it. Famusov states:
Learning is the plague, learning is the cause.
What is worse now than then,
There have been crazy people, deeds, and opinions...
Skalozub, Khlestova, and Princess Tugoukhovskaya share the same opinion.
The conservative society of noble landowners, depicted by A.S. Griboyedov, is afraid of progress, which threatens its dominant position. That is why they so unanimously condemn Chatsky and his views and consider him a conductor of “crazy deeds and opinions.”
Famus Society in the comedy Woe from Wit
The ideological and thematic content of the comedy is revealed in its images and in the development of the action.
A large number of characters representing Moscow noble society are supplemented by so-called off-stage images, i.e. ( This material will help you write competently on the topic of Famus Society in the comedy Woe from Wit. A summary does not make it possible to understand the full meaning of the work, so this material will be useful for a deep understanding of the work of writers and poets, as well as their novels, novellas, short stories, plays, and poems.) e. such characters who do not appear on stage, but about whom we learn from the stories of the characters. Thus, the Famus society includes such off-stage characters as Maxim Petrovich, Kuzma Petrovich, “Nestor of the noble scoundrels,” the landowner - a ballet lover, Tatyana Yuryevna, Princess Marya Alekseevna and many others. These images allowed Griboedov to expand the scope of the satirical picture beyond Moscow and include court circles in the play. Thanks to this, “Woe from Wit” grows into a work that gives the broadest picture of the entire Russian life of the 10-20s of the 19th century, faithfully reproducing the social struggle that unfolded with great force at that time throughout Russia, and not just in Moscow , between two camps: advanced, Decembrist-minded people and serf owners, the stronghold of antiquity.
Let us first dwell on the defenders of antiquity, on the conservative mass of the nobility. This group of nobles makes up the Famus society. How does Griboyedov characterize him?
1. People in Famus’s circle, especially the older generation, are staunch supporters of the autocratic-serf system, avid reactionary serf-owners. The past is dear to them, the century of Catherine II, when the power of the noble landowners was especially strong. Famusov recalls with reverence the queen’s court. Speaking about the nobleman Maxim Petrovich, Famusov contrasts Catherine’s court with the new court circle:
Then it’s not like now:
He served under the Empress Catherine.
And in those days everyone is important! forty pounds...
Take a bow and they won’t nod.
The nobleman in the case is even more so
Not like anyone else, and he drank and ate differently.
The same Famusov, a little later, speaks of the old people’s dissatisfaction with new times, with the policies of the young tsar, which seem liberal to them.
What about our old people? - How they will be taken with enthusiasm, They will judge their deeds, that the word is a sentence, - After all, they are all pillars, they don’t blow anyone’s lips, And sometimes they talk about the government in such a way that if someone overheard them... trouble! It’s not that new things were introduced - never, God save us!.. No...
It is precisely novelty that these “straightforward retired chancellors in mind,” enemies of free life, who “draw their judgments from forgotten newspapers from the times of Ochakov and the conquest of Crimea,” are afraid of. At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, when he surrounded himself with young friends who seemed free-thinking to these old men, they left the service in protest. This is what the famous admiral Shishkov did, returning to government activity only when government policy took a sharply reactionary direction. There were especially many such Shishkovs in Moscow. They set the pace of life here; Famusov is convinced “that things won’t get done without them,” they will determine policy.
2. Famus society tightly guards its noble interests. A person here is valued only by his origin and wealth, and not by his personal qualities:
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.
The other one, at least be quicker, puffed up with all sorts of arrogance,
Let yourself be known as a wise man,
But they won’t include us in the family, don’t look at us,
After all, only here they also value the nobility.
This is Famusov speaking. Princess Tugoukhovskaya shares the same opinion. Having learned that Chatsky is not a chamber cadet and is not rich, she ceases to be interested in him. Arguing with Famusov about the number of serf souls Chatsky has, Khlestova declares with resentment: “I don’t know other people’s estates!”
3. The nobles of the Famus circle do not see the peasants as people and brutally deal with them. Chatsky recalls, for example, one landowner who exchanged his servants, who had saved his honor and life more than once, for three greyhounds. Khlestova comes to Famusov for the evening, accompanied by a “blackamoor girl” and a dog, and asks Sophia: “Tell them to feed them already, my friend, a handout from dinner.” Angry with his servants, Famusov shouts to the doorman Filka: “Get to work! to settle you!”
4. The goal in life for Famusov and his guests is career, honors, wealth. Maxim Petrovich, a nobleman of Catherine's time, Kuzma Petrovich, chamberlain of the court - these are role models. Famusov looks after Skalozub, dreams of marrying his daughter to him only because he “is a gold bag and aims to be a general.” Service in Famus society is understood only as a source of income, a means of achieving ranks and honors. They do not deal with matters on the merits; Famusov only signs the papers that are presented to him by his “businesslike” secretary Molchalin. He admits this himself:
As for me, what matters and what does not matter.
My custom is this: Signed, off your shoulders.
Occupying the important post of “manager in a government place” (probably the head of the archive), Famusov accommodates his relatives:
When I have employees, strangers are very rare:
More and more sisters, sisters-in-law and children. . .
How will you begin to introduce yourself to a little cross, to a small town,
Well, how can you not please your loved one!
Patronage and nepotism are a common phenomenon in the world of the Famusovs. The Famusovs care not about the interests of the state, but about personal benefit. This is the case in the civil service, but we see the same thing among the military. Colonel Skalozub, as if echoing Famusov, declares:
Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
I judge them as a true philosopher:
; I just wish I could become a general.
He makes his career quite successfully, frankly explaining this not by his personal qualities, but by the fact that circumstances favor him:
I am quite happy in my comrades,
Vacancies are currently open:
Then the elders will turn off others,
The others, you see, have been killed.
5. Careerism, sycophancy, servility to superiors, dumbness - all the characteristic features of the bureaucratic world of that time are especially fully revealed in the image of Molchalin.
Having begun his service in Tver, Molchalin, either a minor nobleman or a commoner, was transferred to Moscow thanks to the patronage of Famusov. In Moscow he is confidently advancing in his career. Molchalin understands perfectly well what is required of an official if he wants to make a career. It’s only been three years since he’s been in Famusov’s service, but he’s already managed to “receive three awards,” become the right person for Famusov, and enter his house. That is why Chatsky, who is well familiar with the type of such official, predicts Molchalin the possibility of a brilliant career:
However, he will reach the known degrees, | After all, nowadays they love the dumb.
Such dexterous secretaries in that “age of humility and fear”, when they served “persons, not business,” became noble people and achieved high positions in the service. Repetilov talks about his father-in-law's secretaries:
His secretaries are all boors, all corrupt,
Little people, writing creature,
Everyone has become a nobility, everyone is important today.
Molchalin has all the potential to later become an important official: the ability to curry favor with influential people, complete indiscriminateness in the means to achieve his goal, the absence of any moral rules, and in addition to all this, two “talents” - “moderation and accuracy.”
6. The conservative society of the Famusov-serf owners is afraid like fire of everything new, progressive, everything that could threaten its dominant position. Famusov and his guests show rare unanimity in the struggle to suppress the ideas and views of Chatsky, who seems to them a freethinker, a preacher of “crazy deeds and opinions.” And since they all see the source of this “freedom” and revolutionary ideas in education, then with a common front they oppose the sciences, educational institutions, and education in general. Famusov teaches:
Learning is the plague, learning is the reason, That now there are more crazy people, and deeds, and opinions.
He offers a decisive way to combat this evil:
Once evil is stopped:
Take all the books and burn them.
Famusov echoes.
Skalozub:
I will make you happy: universal rumor,
That there is a project about lyceums, schools, gymnasiums, -
There they will only teach in our way: one, two,
And the books will be saved like this: for big occasions.
Both Khlestova and Princess Tugoukhovskaya speak out against the hotbeds of enlightenment - “boarding houses, schools, lyceums”, a pedagogical institute, where “professors practice schisms and lack of faith.”
7. The education that representatives of Famus society receive makes them alien to their people. Chatsky is indignant at the educational system that reigns in the noble houses of Moscow. Here, the upbringing of children from a very young age was entrusted to foreigners, usually Germans and French. As a result, the nobles were torn away from everything Russian, their speech was dominated by “a mixture of French and Nizhny Novgorod languages”, from childhood the conviction was instilled “that we have no salvation without the Germans”, “this unclean spirit of empty, slavish, blind imitation” was instilled in everything foreign. “The Frenchman from Bordeaux,” having arrived in Russia, “did not meet either a Russian sound or a Russian face.”
This is the Famus society that Griboyedov depicted with such artistic skill in his comedy and which displays the typical features of the entire mass of serf-owning nobles of that time. This nobility, imbued with fear of the growing liberation movement, unitedly opposes the progressive people, whose representative is Chatsky.)
This society is depicted in Griboyedov’s wonderful comedy in bright, individualized images. Each of them is a truthfully drawn living face, with unique character traits and peculiarities of speech.
In his article “On Plays,” Gorky wrote: “The characters in a play are created exclusively and only by their speeches, that is, by purely verbal language, and not descriptive. This is very important to understand, because in order for the figures of the play to acquire artistic value and social persuasiveness on stage, in the portrayal of its artists, it is necessary that the speech of each figure be strictly original, extremely expressive... Let's take for example the heroes of our wonderful comedies: Famusov, Skalozub, Molchalin, Repetilov, Khlestakov, Gorodnichy, Rasplyuev, etc. - each of these figures was created in a small number of words and each of them gives a completely accurate idea of its class, its era.”
Let's see how Griboyedov sketches the individual characters of his comedy.
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to wealth, to ranks Chatsky Now let one of us, Of the young people, be found - an enemy of quest, Without demanding either places or promotion to rank, He will focus his mind on science... Molchalin: You don’t given ranks, failure in service? Chatsky: Ranks are given by people, but people can be deceived. Chatsky: Uniform! one uniform! in their former life, he once decorated, embroidered and beautiful, their weakness, their poverty of reason... Where? show us, Fathers of the Fatherland, Whom we should take as models... Famusov about Skalozub: A famous man, respectable, And he picked up signs of darkness of distinction; He is beyond his years and has an enviable rank, not a general today. Skalozub: Yes, in order to get ranks, there are many channels... Famusov: Be bad, but if there are two thousand family souls,... That’s the groom. Molchalin: Tatyana. Yurievna!!! Well-known... besides, officials and officials - All her friends and all her relatives... After all, you have to depend on others
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to service The question of attitude to service has been around since the times of classicism. The classicists considered service to the state (an enlightened monarch) necessary, and the Decembrists put service to the Fatherland in the first place. Chatsky: Who serves the cause, and not individuals, I would be glad to serve, but it is sickening to be served. Chatsky: When in business, I hide from fun, When I’m fooling around, I’m fooling around, And mixing these two crafts There are tons of skilled people, I’m not one of them Famusov: Then it’s not like now, I served Catherine under the Empress! But for me, whatever is the matter is not the matter, My custom is this: Signed, off your shoulders. Skalozub: You behaved properly. You have been colonels for a long time, but you have only served recently. Molchalin to Chatsky: Well, really, why would you serve with us in Moscow? And take awards and have fun?
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to the foreign The relationship between the national and the European is an important problem for that time. National identity is the ideal of the Decembrists. The attitude of the “past century” to the dominance of foreigners and the foreign is ambiguous Chatsky: Well? He is also a gentleman. We will be required to be with property and in rank, And Guillaume! . . – What is the tone here today? At congresses, at large ones, on parish holidays, a mixture of languages still prevails: French with Nizhny Novgorod? . . . Famusov: And all the Kuznetsky Most, and the eternal French, From there fashion comes to us, and authors, and muses: Robbers of pockets and hearts! When will the creator deliver us from their hats! Cheptsov! And Shpilek! And pins! And book and biscuit shops! From a distance I sent forth humble wishes, but out loud, So that the unclean Lord would destroy this spirit of Empty, slavish, blind imitation... Will we ever be resurrected from the foreign power of fashion? So that our smart, cheerful people, although by language, do not consider us to be Germans, whoever wants to welcome us, please; The door is open for the invited and the uninvited, especially those from abroad...
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to education Chatsky: And that consumptive, your relatives, the enemy of books, Who settled in the academic committee And screamingly demanded oaths, So that no one knew or learned to read and write? Chatsky is ironic, but for him this issue has not been finally resolved. For the Famusovs, education is the main reason for the “madness” that Chatsky and others like him are obsessed with. Famusov: Tell me that it’s not good for her to spoil her eyes, And reading is of little use: French books make her sleepless, And Russian books make it painful for me to sleep. We take tramps into the house and on tickets, so that we can teach our daughters everything, everything, and dancing! And foam! And tenderness! And sigh! It’s as if we are preparing them as wives for buffoons. Learning is the plague, learning is the reason, That now, more than ever, There are crazy people, and deeds, and opinions. Princess Tugoukhovskaya: No, in St. Petersburg the Pedagogical Institute, that’s what it’s called, I think: There the Professors practice schism and unbelief!! - our relatives studied with them, and left! At least now to the pharmacy, to become an apprentice. He runs away from women, and even from me! Chinov doesn’t want to know! He is a chemist, he is a botanist, Prince Fedor, my nephew. Famusov: If you stop evil: Take all the books and burn them
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude towards serfdom The author’s attitude towards serfdom cannot be judged on the basis of the text of the comedy. Chatsky and Famusov are opposed not on the principle of “the enemy is an ardent defender of serfdom,” but as an opponent of the abuse of serfdom and a Russian gentleman of the 18th century. , for whom disposing of serfs is the most natural thing Chatsky: That Nestor of noble scoundrels, surrounded by a crowd of servants; Zealous, they, in the hours of wine and Fights, And he exchanged honor for three greyhounds!!! Or that one over there, who is for the undertakings on many trucks From the mothers, fathers of rejected children? ! Myself immersed in mind in Zephyrs and Cupids, Made all of Moscow marvel at their beauty! But the debtors did not agree to a deferment: Cupids and Zephyrs are all sold out one by one!!! Famusov: To work you, to settle you! Khlestova: Out of boredom, I took Arapka the girl and the dog with me; Tell them to feed them already, my friend, send a handout from dinner.
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to Moscow morals and pastime Chatsky: What new will Moscow show me? Yesterday there was a ball, and tomorrow there will be two. He made a match - he succeeded, but he missed. All the same sense, and the same poems in the albums. And who in Moscow hasn’t had their mouths clamped at lunches, dinners and dances? The houses are new, but the prejudices are old. Rejoice, they will not be destroyed neither by years, nor by fashion, nor by the fires of the Famusovs: Please look at your youth, At the young men - sons and grandchildren, We chide them, and if you figure it out - At the age of fifteen they will teach teachers! What about our old people? ? - How they will be taken with enthusiasm, They will judge their deeds, that the word is a sentence... And sometimes they talk about the government in such a way that if someone overheard them... trouble! It’s not like they introduced anything new, never, God save us! . No. And they will find fault with this, with that, and more often with nothing, They will argue, make noise and... disperse. What about the ladies? - anyone, try to master it; Judges of everything, everywhere, there are no judges above them... And whoever has seen their daughters hang their heads! . And indeed, is it possible to be more educated! They know how to dress themselves up with taffeta, marigold and haze, they won’t say a word in simplicity, everything is with a grimace; They sing French romances to you And the upper notes are played out, They cling to the military people, But because they are patriots. I will say decisively: there is hardly another capital like Moscow.
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to nepotism, patronage Chatsky: Aren’t you the one to whom I was born from the shrouds, For some incomprehensible plans, Children were taken to bow? That Nestor of noble scoundrels... Where? Tell us, fathers of the Fatherland, whom we should take as models? Aren't these the ones who are rich in robbery? They found protection from the trial in friends, in kinship... Famusov: The deceased was a respectable chamberlain, With a key, and he knew how to deliver the key to his son... No! I crawl in front of my relatives, where I meet; I will find her at the bottom of the sea. When I have employees, strangers are very rare; More and more sisters, sisters-in-law, children; Only Molchalin is not my kind, and that’s because he’s businesslike. How will you begin to imagine To a little cross, to a small town, Well, how can you not please your loved one! .
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to freedom of judgment Chatsky to Molchalin: For mercy, you and I are not guys, Why are other people’s opinions only sacred? Who are the judges? - For the antiquity of years, their hostility to a free life is irreconcilable, Judgments are drawn from forgotten newspapers of the times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of the Crimea Molchalin: In my years one should not dare to have one’s own judgment
“The present century” “The past century” Attitude to love Chatsky’s IV monologue: Let Molchalin have a lively mind, a brave genius, But does he have that passion, that feeling, that ardor, So that except for you the whole world seems like dust and vanity to him? So that every beat of the heart accelerates towards you with Love? So that all his thoughts become the soul of all his deeds - you, do you please? . . I feel it myself, I can’t say, But what’s boiling inside me now, worries me, infuriates me, I wouldn’t wish it on my personal enemy... Lisa: Sin is not a problem, rumor is not good! Molchalin: And so I take the form of a lover to please the daughter of such a man...
“The present century” “The past century” Ideals Chatsky: Now let one of us, Of the young people, be found - an enemy of quest, Without demanding either places or promotion to rank, He will focus his mind on science, hungry for knowledge; Or in his soul God himself will arouse a fervor for creative, lofty and beautiful arts, They immediately: robbery! Fire! And he will be known among them as a dreamer! Dangerous! Famusov: Would you ask what the fathers did? We would learn by looking at our elders: We, for example, or the deceased uncle, Maxim Petrovich: he didn’t eat silver, he ate gold; one hundred people at your service; All in orders; I was always traveling in a train; A century at court, and at what court! . A? What do you think? In our opinion, he is smart. He fell hard, but got up great