Analysis of cuckold by the imagination of Dusk. Tragedies of Sumarokov

A. P. Sumarokov

A. P. Sumarokov. Dramatic works. L., "Art", 1990

CHARACTERS

Stranger, nobleman. Sostrata, noble daughter. Valery, Sostratin's lover. Nisa, noblewoman and maid of Chuzhehvatov. Pasquin, servant of the Outsiders. Palemon, friend of Valeriev's late father. Secretary. Soldiers.

Action in St. Petersburg.

PHENOMENON I

Pasquin (one).

No, for the sake of all the treasures of the world, I will not stay in this filthy house anymore. It is truly true that as the pope is, so is the parish. And can it be that the master was an idler, and his servants were good people? I was robbed in total, and finally they stole my cross from me. Of course, it was someone who, according to the promise, pulled it up. Sorry Sostrata! forgive me, my beloved Nisa! it's time to leave you, although you don't want to. The local thieves are so cunning that they can steal a soul from a person. I need to get out of here while I'm alive, and then it will be too late, because the body, in which there is no soul, legs no longer walk.

PHENOMENON II

Sostrata, Nisa and Pasquin.

Sostratos. What are you talking about here alone? Pasquin. And I say that I do not intend to serve in this house any more. Nisa. And for what? Pasquin. And for the fact that the local people, having robbed me of everything, stole the cross from me this night. Sostratos. What was he, and is he great? Pasquin. Small and golden. Sostratos. So I'll give you a gold and a big one. Pasquin. On it was carved my name and the year and day of my birth. Sostratos. And I'll have it cut out, and Pasquin's name. Pasquin. This is not my real name. Sostratos. How? Pasquin. My direct name is Valerian, because that's how it was carved on my cross. Sostratos. Do you hear, Nisa? So this is very much like the truth, but I did not consider it. Pasquin. I never jumped, and that the cross was stolen from me is true, just as it is true that I am Valerian, and not Pasquin. Where were you to see it? You have not seen my cross. Sostratos. How did you change your name? Pasquin. It is difficult to change a person's temper, but the name is easy. I knew people who were called scribes; after they gave them the names of registrars, after they became secretaries, and then judges. They were given new names, but their customs remained the same. And that I and Valerian and Pasquin, so it may be because I am a double. Yes, even if I’m from my father and don’t have two names and another name was given to me later, however, I’m the same, and I have the same temper, and having an interlocutor in my mother’s belly, I still can’t be without a conversation, according to the proverb : what is in the cradle, such is in the grave; or rather, I will say this about myself: what I came out of the belly, such will I go to the coffin, only without a comrade. Temper rarely changes. The servants of the local house were thieves, thieves now, thieves will continue to be. Sostratos. Do you hear, Nisa? He is both Valerian and a doppelgänger. Pasquin. Yes, the cross was stolen from him. Sostratos. I already told you that I will give you another lady instead of the stolen cross. Pasquin. All my well-being depended on that cross, but it will not depend on this one. Nisa. Like this? Pasquin. The palmist told me that I can be happy on that cross. Sostrata (Nise). This smells like the truth. (Pasquin.). Only it was not a palmist. Pasquin. Certainly a palmist. Why should anyone else know? And if you do not believe this, then I will point it out to you and testify to them myself; and I sometimes see him in the local house. He visits your father, and then he entrusted me to his service, having persuaded me from the owner, in whose house I grew up. Sostrata (Nise). I think this whole thing will be unraveled today. Pasquin. It's hard to untie. The thieves of this house are very cunning, and they are as cunning in this as their master. From others they will find everything that belongs to others, but from them you will not find anything of your own. They adopted this from the Yabedniks. I don't want to live in this house anymore. Sostratos. I beg you to stay here. Nisa. And I beg you. Pasquin. Yes, if I knew that you would follow Valery, and you would follow me, then I would agree to this. Sostratos. Wait only. Nisa. Just wait. Pasquin. No matter how good you are, only you will not be after me, and you after Valery. Sostratos. Wait only. Nisa. Just wait. Pasquin (Screw it). Let me kiss your hand for reassurance.

Sostrata gives him her hand.

(Nise.) And kiss me for sure. Nisa. Wait a little. Pasquin. What is your proverb: wait, wait, and you taught the lady the same thing; of course, you are a clerk's daughter. Nisa. Here is my hand as an assurance: kiss it. Pasquin (kisses the hand and then). Well, I'll wait, and what will happen, we'll see.

PHENOMENON III

Sostrata and Nisa.

Sostratos. Here, Nisa, does not my aspiration turn out to be true? Nisa. Yes, please explain this to me in detail. Sostratos. Listen. This loafer, in whom we now have the misfortune of living in the house, as he was younger, seemed to be a kind man and with his cunning he turned all his tricks into virtue and crept into the hearts of many. Pretense with imperfectly penetrating people and those who reason about everything according to their hearts, more naked virtue succeeds; because virtue is rarely strengthened by cunning, although naked virtue is therefore often harmful and, consequently, then it is somewhat, and sometimes much, vicious. My father, after his death, entrusted me to this villain, and with all my prosperity, I am now in need. Your father, although a poor man, was nevertheless a nobleman; and you are entrusted after death from him to this rogue now as a servant in the house. In the same way as we entrusted him to Valery and his brother. Valery was given, fortunately, to be brought up by his father's friend, a sensible and rich man, after whom he received an inheritance, and there is a rumor about Valerian that he was stolen. Thinking about how we were on Valeriev’s birthday, he told me that he was a double, and what was carved on his cross when he was born, as proof of how old he was, and that such a faithful note to old women who are young and they flirt, shamelessly reducing themselves by ten years, covering wrinkles with whitewash and rouge, of course, it would not be pleasing, and that the same cross was put on his brother, who was born with him. And now I accidentally saw some kind of cross on Pasquin and purposely cut it off from him at night, partly thinking if he was already his brother, because you can hope for any idleness from the Stranger's Grip; and now this case is no longer like a mockery. And although I did not look at what was carved on his cross, this matter is still not important, but only having a little hesitation. However, Pasquin has already said what is carved on his cross; and if this cross does not belong to him, then of course he received it from the one to whom he got it from Valerian, being small; and from this a great doubt is given about the death of Valerianova. This matter needs to be sorted out. I'll talk about it with Valery, but in the meantime I'll see whether it's carved on the cross, like Valery's, whether it's the same year and date, and whether Pasquin said this not from hearsay about Valeriyan. Nisa. What kind of profit would our Outsider have in this if there were no brother Valeriev? Sostratos. That profit to him, in order, having lost him, to seize his inheritance. And in the will it is written that if one of their brothers dies, then he is their heir for upbringing and labors. Nisa. Why did he choose Valerian alone for this? Sostratos. He apparently left Valery for the sake of the fact that it would have been very suspicious to lose both of them lullaby babies, and of the two of them, apparently, the lot fell on the lesser. Nisa. To a fair amount we got the executor!

EVENT IV

The same and Outlander.

Outsider. Vile, worthless, shabby, stingy! How long will it take me to teach you? I think that I will not have peace from you to the grave! Sostratos. What has happened? Outsider. Pasquin's cross was stolen, and he complains and wants to get out of the house. Sostratos. Theft, sir, is a common trade here, and it seems that you can already get used to this idleness of the local people and get less angry. Outsider. It's not about the fact that they steal; let them steal, without touching the master's and not from their own, so it would be added little by little in the house; but to steal from one’s own is to shift from pocket to pocket and make noise, but I’m worried. Let them steal, who is without sin and who is not a grandson to a woman. And even if it’s weak enough to take quietly from your comrades, but you need to bury the ends so that they don’t think that you took your own. That's what I teach them, but even though you teach a fool for a century, you won't teach them that way. And I'm talking about this so that they don't steal. They are not in hard labor; Why take away their will? Theft is not a great fault, because it is the passion of the general human weakness. Moshna is the first thing in the world: the purse is empty, the head is also empty. Giving for Christ's sake is more saving than asking for Christ's sake. Honor yes honor! What honor if there is nothing to eat? Is it honorable when the belly is empty? The purse is empty, the belly is also empty. Sostratos. Quite a lesson! Outsider. Certainly pretty. So it is better to act according to your moralizing? Thinking about it, I saw how honest in your opinion and dishonest, but in my opinion, reasonable and insane were accepted. The dishonest-at, in your opinion, has arrived, so he has a chair, and even in a pretty house: “Is everyone in good health? What is your hostess? And everyone knows that he got hold of a stranger and unrighteous. And for an honest man, the children came to ask for mercy, whom their father traveled to the Kitaichet kingdom and was in the Kamchatka state and wrote a story about this state. However, they read his fairy tale, and his children go around the world; and his daughters have his dyed bostroks, and even those in patches. It's a gift that their father was in the state of Kamchatka, and for the fact that they drag around in a dyed dress, they call them krashenkins. Sostratos. And if it came to the court, it might be that children of such people would stop dragging around the world. Outsider. And when someone has something of his own, he does not need whether the court knows about him or not. Shchey pot yes itself big; and the pot-at cooks equally, although it is bought, although it is stolen. (Turn to Nisa.) So, Nisanka! Yes, what did you think? Nisa. I'm thinking about you, sir. Outsider. What's happened? Nisa. I, sir, do not dare to say it. Outsider. Speak, there is nothing; hard words break no bones. Nisa. I think that you are a robber and that you should be hanged. Outsider. That's where the road is. And what is sweetly lived is mine, according to the proverb: what is taken is holy. And this proverb is legal and in the orders it was observed inviolably, unless now it is laid down in a new way. Nisa. And where is the soul, in hell? Outsider. Why torture yourself in advance; and then you can be saved when they start throwing a noose. Yes, I’m completely and guilty of that, that I’m cheating? Because nothing is done without the will of God, and no hair will fall from the head of a human without the will of God; so I swindle according to the will of God, according to the proverb: if it were not for God, someone would help me. Sostratos. God does not help rogues and gave man the will to choose good and bad, promising reward for one, and threatening punishment for the other. And whoever, against the conscience of his saint, does not obey the truth, then he vainly hopes in the mercy of God. Outsider. Holy truth! What is your saint? She is not even in the calendar, so we do not pray to her. And repentance cleanses all sins. I will repent two hours before death, but through the same gates I will enter the kingdom of heaven, through which you also; and what is richer and richer, as one likes, is in profit. Sostratos. What has happened to you, that you have become so shameless in old age? I already know that you were not like that; and before that, all of you were considered a good person, as I heard. For the sake of what did you pretend before and tried to seem like a kind person? Outsider. Have you heard the story of a certain Roman priest? Sostratos. No, sir. Outsider. Have you heard, Nisanka? Nisa. I, sir, do not listen to such stories. Outsider. You will be in paradise. Nisa. Why not be? Does my salvation depend on it? Outsider. How not from that; God cannot forgive a sinner without a priest, but you are not without sin, after all. You are a young girl, so although not in deed, you will sin in thought: there is only one God without sin, and we are all sinners. Nisa. All sinners, sir, but not all idlers. Outsider. All idlers, from them the first is az. Nisa. Of course, in order for you to pronounce this word more sincerely. Outsider. Yes, Nisanka. And read stories about priests; they forgive sins. Sostratos. They forgive in the name of God, not in their own; and they are only witnesses. Outsider. So, Nisanka, aren't we all idlers? And God Himself does not believe us without witnesses. Nisa. I, sir, did not study theology. Outsider. However, do not despise the priests. Nisa. I don't despise them anyway. Sostratos. From what do you conclude this? A good person should have respect for spiritual people, because they teach us virtue and set examples by themselves. And of them only those who are unworthy of the name are contemptible. Outsider. What are you saying? Spiritual contemptible? Sostratos. Yes, sir, and not only spiritual ones, and those sovereigns are contemptible who are unworthy of this title. Some make us the way to temporary well-being, and others to eternal. Some people are executed for the slightest weakness, while others curse and, different ways taking away freedom, they burden human nature. And this interpretation of mine cannot be repugnant to either just sovereigns or good-natured spiritual ones. Outsider. Now, if I didn’t order you to be taught, then you wouldn’t have any impudence and wouldn’t talk any nonsense. That's not the point: have you heard of a Roman priest? Sostratos. I already told you that I didn't hear. Outsider. In the Roman kingdom, there was a priest at the cathedral church, a healthy man, but he always walked writhing, so that he would seem more humble and that for such humility they would make him quickly a sacristan, because this place is profitable there, and young people are not elected there, I don’t know why. And as soon as he was chosen, he immediately straightened up and became as cheerful as you, telling the church clerks, who asked him what his health suddenly gave him for the reason: I went bending down for the sake of looking for the key to the church then; and now what should I writhe and look at the ground; I already found this key. Sostratos. This is the story of Sixtus the Fifth. Outsider. There is no need for a fifth or a tenth. Sostratos. What are you linking this story to? Outsider. To the fact that I was hypocritical before, so that they would believe me and not interfere with getting rich. And now I'm already satisfied, so what good is my name?

EVENT V

The same and Pasquin.

Pasquin. Valery has come, ma'am, to you. Outsider. In vain does he fuss; not to see him as her husband, as her own ears. Sostratos. I even see them in the mirror. (Departs.) Outsider. Where are you, Nisanka? Nisa. Where people are, there I am. Outsider. No, stay; I will talk to you about some need.

EVENT VI

Outlander and Nysa.

Nisa. What is this need, sir? Outsider. Do you know, Nisanka, with what care I raised you? Nisa. Yes, sir, I grew up in your house. Why is this preface? Outsider. And to that it is that I want to marry; and I will make this happiness for you and make you a participant in my estate and my heart. Nisa. Some kind of marriage and chickens will laugh; I am seventeen years old and you are seventy. Outsider. Yes, I'm so cheerful, it's impossible to be better, and I'll plug the young fellow in his belt. Nisa. You, sir, are white as a harrier: if you please look in the mirror. Outsider. That's good: no white-headed powder. And if you need a black-headed or fair-haired husband, you can buy a wig. Nisa. And there are a lot of Frenchmen who clean their heads outside. Outsider. Much for our sins. And they don’t take out those who would clean our heads inside. Nisa. Nowadays, sir, in everything they strive only for one surface, and think little about the importance; so that's why we have a lot of empty-headed people. Outsider. And I have not only a head, but also a purse is not empty, for nothing that it is not smart on the outside and only from a linen linen. Outside, it is not cleaned in French, but it is good in it, according to the proverb, that the hut is not red with corners, red with pies. And this cake is stuffed not with porridge, but with gold and silver, and copper money is beyond my thoughts. Let the madmen see clearly that copper money is not like gold and silver, and when they pay three per cent in exchange, they believe that copper money is the same as gold and silver, and that at the set price all money is equal, no matter what they are metal, no matter what size they are. Nisa. However, I will not go for you, sir, even if you are richer than the Turkish Sultan. Outsider. Although you are cold to me now, but when you think more about my little chervonchiks, of course you will get excited.

PHENOMENON VII

Nisa (one).

Worthy are those people of respect whose hearts for love are inflamed by money, and noble are those feelings that are based on the love of money.

SCENE VIII

Sostrata (one).

Valery is coming to me, leave me, Nisa. (Nissa leaves.) O love, love! There is nothing more pleasant in the world than you when you agree with the desires of our hearts, and there is nothing more painful when you resist their desire.

PHENOMENON IX

Sostrata and Valery.

Sostratos. I haven't seen you, Valery, for three whole days. Valery. Those three days seemed like three weeks to me. Sostratos. I am sure that you love me as much as I love you, and I measure your love for yourself with my own heart. Valery. Happy is the lover whose love is equal to that of his mistress. Sostratos. And unhappy is that mistress, for whom love soon catches a cold and forever fades away. And even more unfortunate is the one who, for her sincere love, is deceived by the feigned love of her lover, after imaginary respect, contempt is thrown into the real deceiver and vainly complains about the misfortune deserved by her negligence and righteous punishment. Valery. You see my true respect for yourself and do not doubt my loyalty. So what kind of speeches? Sostratos. They are so that, reminding me of such stingy deceivers who spoil the most pleasant and noble passion and turn joy into barbaric, I feel even more that fun that I have from you and in which I am on the highest degree I hope to ascend my well-being soon, imagining these most pleasant moments to myself every minute. Valery. Oh love moments! precious minutes! Even from the strictest philosophers you cannot call yourself the vanity of the world. I love you, Sostrata, I love you with all my heart, all my thoughts, all my feelings: you are the most beautiful thing in nature to my eyes, you are dearest to my soul in the world, my mind is filled with you, my eyes are tied to your eyes, blood mine is inflamed by you, my feeling is delighted, my thoughts are captivated by you; you are day and night in my mind, you never leave my memory: I fall asleep, I think about you; I wake up, you are the first to meet my thoughts; you are present in my sleepy dreams. A pleasant and every minute reminder of you fills all the places with you and does not decorate the paths that I walk on; it seems to me that they play under my feet and sympathize with the joy that my heart feels. When I impatiently imagine the joys that I expect in the future, then in my delight I foresee a consolation that seems higher than human participation. Sostratos. I feel all this, Valery, mutually, and only because of this sometimes does the spirit in me tremble, so that this prosperity of mine remains firmly and unshakably, and so that it comes to the crowning of our flame more quickly, and if it comes, it would never change.

EVENT X

Outsider, Valery and Sostrata.

Outsider. Since my family, I have never imagined that a woman could resist the love of such a man who has a lot of money, and this seems completely unnatural to me. Money is the most important thing in the world, and because a person can have it, he was created in the image and likeness of God. Nature has two souls: the sun and money. The sun was created by God, and money was created by man, and therefore he is likened to the creator of the sunflower, for the fact that in all the sunflower there is nothing more useful than the sun and money. Sostratos. What is this, sir? Outsider. It is necessary to send for the doctor as soon as possible; Nisanka needs to bleed. Sostratos. Yes, she is quite healthy: I saw her now. Outsider. It’s a gift that you saw her now, but she is in a cruel fever and delirious, and her mind is completely damaged. Sostratos. From what do you conclude this? Outsider. Because I want to marry her, but she won't marry me. Valery (especially). He needs to bleed, not her. Sostratos. It's amazing, sir, that she won't come for you. Outsider. Weird and incomprehensible. Valery. It is strange and incomprehensible to me that she does not marry you. However, even then it is wonderful and incomprehensible to me, for the sake of which you do not want to marry Sostrata to me. Sostratos. And you prefer to him many madmen whom you choose for me as suitors. Outsider. If you force me to say this, then I will reprimand you for direct money. Those whom I choose are either completely old fashioned or completely new fashioned, and you, my friend, are neither meat nor fish, and do not follow any fashion, either ancestral or current. Valery. I follow, sir, only sincerity, common sense, simplicity of nature and decency of taste; and this fashion never changes, although not by everyone, but only by those who are worthy of the human name. Outsider. However, your caftan-at is not made for the simplicity of nature, your hair is not for the simplicity of nature, but nature did not even think about cuffs. Valery. I, sir, am not sudden in this either, but in such trifles, why fall behind people; to invent fashion is a trifle, to lag behind fashion is such a trifle. Why invent a dress when such an invention does not bring the slightest glory? And to lag behind fashion is only so that fools have a reason to laugh and annoy. Sostratos. Not fashion, sir, in your mind, but for that you want to pass me off as some kind of fool, so that you can deceive my husband and keep my estate, which belongs to me after my father. Outsider. Yes, and you, my lord, do not outweigh me, and indeed I am so old that I can neither marry nor endure a whip. Valery. Let's go, ma'am, to your rooms. Let him talk about it to another, and not to me; and I can't hear it. Outsider. Ah, ah! Good fellow! It had not yet reached that point, but he was already frightened; and although I am an old man, I can still endure fifty blows.

PHENOMENON XI

Outsider (one).

I'm not afraid of the whip, but I'm afraid of eternal torment, but apparently I can't escape it. Oh great God! It would be good to live in the world if you were not in it; we would not give an account of anything to anyone in secret matters, And now it is impossible to hide from you in any way. Why such strictness in the law: do not take someone else's. If I take possession of someone else’s, I won’t be able to bear someone else’s from your world, so it doesn’t matter if it’s in that owner or in another in chests: the Lord’s land and all its fulfillment. (Kneels down.) Great God! Do not enter into judgment with your servant! I repent before you with all my heart and from the sincerity of my soul. Forgive me my sin, but do not demand from me that I give back what I have wrongfully appropriated for myself, for this is higher than mankind. We know, Lord, that I am a swindler and a soulless person, and I have not the slightest love for you or for my neighbor. However, relying on your philanthropy, I cry out to you: remember me, Lord, in your kingdom. Save me, God, whether I want to or not! If you save from deeds, there is no grace and gift, but more duty. If you save the righteous, nothing is great, but if you have mercy on the pure, nothing marvelous: the essence of your mercy is worthy, but surprise your mercy on me a rogue!

PHENOMENON XII

Outsider and Pasquin.

Pasquin. Of course, sir, the end of the world will soon come. Outsider. Why? Pasquin. But because you repent. Outsider. How not to repent, Paskvinushka, to twist eternal torment is not a joke. Pasquin. And when she is not a joke, there is no need to joke with her. Outsider. If God were merciful, there would be no need for any torment. Pasquin. Listen, sir: if there were such a merciful shepherd, whose dogs would gnaw sheep every day, and he would only stroke his dogs, would his sheep say that this shepherd is a merciful man? Outsider. You bend everything to punishment. Pasquin. Worthless deeds bend themselves to punishment. What would you do if I stole a hundred rubles? Outsider. Who? Pasquin. Whoever has it, it doesn't matter. Outsider. If you would steal from me, then I would give you to the gallows; and if it weren’t for me, I wouldn’t say a word to you; What do I care about other people. And I'm not robbing God, so why should he interfere in other people's affairs? Is there even a little justice here? Pasquin. It is evident, sir, that you have fairly repented. Outsider. And put another penance on himself. Pasquin. What? Outsider. To have a Monday. Pasquin. Your Majesty! Let me be a rhymer for this moment. Outsider. Yes, you didn't learn it. Pasquin. In Rus', such a fashion that those around this science and rub who know little about literacy. Outsider. Well, what's your rhyme? Pasquin. Rather than messing around on Monday, it's better not to mess around. Outsider. Are you scolding me? Pasquin. Dear sir, poets do not say what they want, but what rhyme tells them to say. Outsider. It's stupid science when it makes you say what the rhyme says, and not what you should. And in addition to this penance of mine, I want to visit Kyiv. About Kyiv, Kyiv, the Holy City of Kyiv! Have mercy on me, your unworthy servant. From Petersburg itself I will go there on foot, Pasquin. Pasquin. It doesn't matter to God whether someone came to prayer or came. Outsider. However, walking is more difficult. Pasquin. And if you crawl there, it’s even more difficult. Outsider. Yes, from here you can’t crawl to Kyiv even in three years. Pasquin. Why are you there? Outsider. I am the most sinful man, and iniquities have surpassed my head; so I, no longer trusting in the mercy of God, although I repent, I will ask the saints of God to put in a word for me. Pasquin. Believe, gracious sovereign, that not a single saint of God will stand up for you, for the sake of the fact that they do not like unkind people, following the example of God. Outsider. I will propitiate them: I will burn three pounds of wax. Pasquin. Until it is cleansed your heart, so you will not propitiate God in any way, although you will burn three hundred hives of wax with honey and bees. Outsider. You are raving like a basurman, and I preach like a son of the church. Pasquin. Why do you, sir, go to Kyiv in your old age? Stay here and pray: the same God is here, who is in Kyiv. Outsider. There is a sanctified place, and not such as here; Yes, the local city also has a German name. Tell me, Pasquin, why is this city called in German? Pasquin. I really don't know this. Outsider. So it’s a hundred, Pasquin, to go to Kyiv, although it’s a bit difficult. It's a pity for the legs, but even more souls. Pasquin. The soul is to blame, but the feet will be punished.

PHENOMENON XIII

Pasquin (one).

Unhappy are the feet of a man whose soul is bad. That's how unhappy that priest is, whose wife is good: he will change the priest, but down with the priest; and from this it can be seen that the skufis are much more respectable than the order: the cuckolds do not wear the skufs, but they wear orders.

SCENE XIV

Pasquin and Nisa.

Nisa. I don't know how Valery and the Outsider will end up. Now they are both at Sostrata's and sent me away, they want to talk in private. However, as can be seen from the beginning of their speeches, they will not agree for the sake of the fact that it does not occur to Alien-grab Sostrata to give her property, and she does not intend to give up her own, which belongs to her. Pasquin. And he won’t want to marry you to me, and he won’t want to keep your estate when he himself fell in love with you. I am pleased, Nisanka, that you despise his wealth, but I am not pleased that you despise me. Nisa. I am a noble daughter; so I cannot marry you until you are a nobleman. Pasquin. Yes, I will not be a nobleman for a century. The nobility is given for special services to the fatherland. Nisa. What services to the fatherland? Go to the clerk and achieve the rank of registrar, and you will be a nobleman. Pasquin. Are they noblemen? Nisa. Why not the nobles; they are given swords and officer ranks. Pasquin. So, therefore, noble valets also have registrar ranks; And do they carry swords? Nisa. Certainly. And therefore, I think that they also have officer and noble dignity. Pasquin. But who favors them as officers and noblemen? Nisa. Those who favor them with swords. Who can give a sword, he can welcome both officers and nobles. Pasquin. Is there any order for this? Nisa. Of course have. How could anyone dare to give swords or allow them to be worn without a decree? Pasquin. So I'd rather go to the valets than to the clerks: it's better to suddenly get a rank than to continue to serve. And I would rather learn how to curl my hair than write, because the science of hair-raising is perfect with us and you can find enough teachers. And it is difficult to learn how to write well, because such teachers are much rarer; and I haven't heard of any. And if you don't learn how to write well, you won't get a registrar's rank without benefactors. Nisa. If only such people were ordained as registrars who know how to write well, then there would not be a single registrar in Rus'. Not a single registrar knows how to write: I heard about this from Valery, and he is revered as a very knowledgeable person. And even though they will take you as a valet, you will not receive a sword, for the sake of being our law, and according to our law, wearing a sword for a gentleman's servant is a grave and mortal sin. So only valets of other faiths in Russia carry swords. Pasquin. So it’s clear that I can’t sew swords and you won’t be with me when Russian hair-pullers are not allowed to wear swords. And I won’t go to the orderly servants, even if I could get a sword. Better to have noble heart than noble iron, just as it is better to have an excellent mind than an excellent rank, although people are not according to their minds, but they are honored according to their ranks. Nisa. I myself hate nobility, which consists in one name, but what should I do? It is impossible for a noble daughter to marry not a noble, she will be despised. However, as soon as your cross is found, so you will receive the nobility, I assure you: and I say this not without reason. Pasquin. My cross cannot be found. Nisa. How did you get it off you? Were you drunk and fell asleep like that? Pasquin. I never get drunk, knowing that a drunkard is the most worthless person and is almost not supposed to be among the good people. Nisa. Why did such a strong dream come upon you? Pasquin. Because I did not sleep the whole night and fell asleep almost in the light. So without sleeping the whole night, falling asleep, of course you will sleep soundly. Nisa. Have you read the book? Pasquin. As if you can read books in this city? Nisa. Why can't you? Pasquin. For the sake of the fact that here the whole day from morning to night drunkards tear their throats and roar through the streets like bears in the forest, despite the fact that here is the patronal city and that this is not tolerated in any Russian city except Moscow and St. Petersburg, and even here , and in Moscow twenty years ago it did not matter. And another reason why the ear, and consequently the soul, has no peace all day long is that many owners have mastered ship craft and cut frozen barges, although it is possible to saw them, relieving the feeling of neighboring hearing from undeserved punishment. Nisa. Well, at night, what a disturbance; to vitiate those schools in which the mob learn to drink, are locked at night; and they don’t cut firewood at night either? Pasquin. And at night, all over the city, both in the streets and in the yards, dogs bark, although this was not much twenty years ago. And our neighbor has a bassist chained in the yard, who without rest amuses his tender ear and the hearing of his neighbors, who are reluctant to his music, torments. This bassist disturbed me more than all nights that night. And then came the bell ringing. Nisa. bell ringing Serves God's glory. Pasquin. And I thought that he served the human anxiety and amusement of the bell ringers. This I truly did not know until now. That's it, Nisanka; a century to live, a century to learn. Well, when it is to the glory of God, it would be possible only to call during the day, but at night, what are they calling for? If in order for God to be glorified at all hours, then it would be necessary to call at all hours. And the night, I think, is appointed by God for that, so that a person can have rest: thus the will of God determined silence, and not knocking, to rest. Nisa. This is what I really don't know. I will ask my spiritual father about this, and he knows Latin. Pasquin. Do they ring in Latin on the bell towers?

PHENOMENON XV

Valery, Sostrata, Nisa and Pasquin.

Valery. opened your participation: you are brother Valeriev, you are my brother. I proclaim to you your kind, I proclaim to you your joy, and I rejoice with you. Pasquin. Am I not dreaming! What it is? Explain to me. Sostratos. All this will be explained to you today, and I took off your cross from you: Valery has the same cross; it is true that you are a doppelgänger. And not only your cross assures us of this. Your whole affair has been unleashed, why are you Valerian and brother Valeriev, and not Paskvin and not a serf. Pasquin. Yes, what happened? Nisa. It can be seen that everything has happened that I expected with extreme desire, and that everything has been resolved that prevented the union of our hearts. Pasquin. I see that I am ascending to the very top of my well-being; the nobility of my heart is conjugated with the noble name. Valery, revered by me more than all those nobles whom I have seen in my life and from whom, knowing no science, I daily refined my mind and cleansed my heart, my brother. Beautiful Sostrata will be my daughter-in-law. And you, dear Nisa, possess me forever, if I am worthy of your possession. Oh Nisa! Nisa! You are dearer to me than the light of my eyes, I will not exchange you for all earthly treasures and for all human happiness. Nisa. The new is yours my fortune multiplies my hope, but nothing can multiply my love for you. Sostrata is the witness of my secret sighs about you, the dark nights are the witness of my heavy groaning about you, and my bed, the witness of my bitter tears for you, is repeatedly irrigated by them. All those obstacles that tormented my heart are coming to an end, Sostrata, are coming to an end. Valery. I'm in a hurry now, Sostrata. You tell them what's going on.

APPEARANCE XVI

SostrataNisaand Pasquin.

Sostratos. Palemon, a friend of Valeriev's late father, writes that the case was sorted out in the College of Justice according to his report, by which he clearly proved how the Outsider, having taken Valeriev's twin brother out of the cradle, was given to strangers by some old woman; who is also interrogated, like those who received the baby and knew about him, whose son he is. And how, having come to wretchedness, they gave their adopted child from the little house to others, who did not adopt him, but only from one philanthropy grew up and, having grown up, let him go to his own food and who were also interrogated Shivans, like the nurse who gave him nursed. And what should be announced to Valerian and Outsider to change their state: the first for gaining, and the other for losing a noble name. Pasquin. O pleasant hours! Nisa. Oh happy moments! Sostratos. O blessed day! Day of our common well-being! A day of retribution for iniquity and virtue! Remain alone, I do not want to disturb you in foreseeing your future fun.

PHENOMENON XVII

Nisa and Pasquin.

Nisa. I give you my hand, Valerian, and with this hand I give you my heart. I say that I will be faithful to you until death, and I do not swear. An oath does not nail an idler to virtue, but a good person to it and a single word nails it: this one does not irritate humanity either, but that one irritates the deity; this one does not even call a person to confirm his good intentions on bail, knowing that they believe him without bail, and that vile reptile dares to call on bail to cover his deceit from heaven. Pasquin. And I, following your example, do not swear to you, Nisa, however, even without an oath, I will keep my loyalty to you until the grave. There is nothing more than God in heaven and nothing more than justice on earth. And the evil-doers do not injure so much virtue as in the name of God and the form of justice, although all the laws, both Divine and human, are set against only idlers. Oh people, people! What virtue do you have over cattle? I would rather live with fierce beasts in dark and impenetrable forests than with fierce people in the most magnificent halls. And with you, my dear Nisa, I am ready to live in any place: everywhere is paradise for me, where you are with me. Nisa. The hut where you will be with me will seem to me like a royal house.

PHENOMENON XVIII

Outsider, Nisa and Pasquin.

Outsider. What, Nisanka, have you changed your mind? Nisa. What, sir! Outsider. And that, madam, is that you should marry me. Nisa. I have already told you, sir, that I will come for you. Outsider. So you didn’t imagine chervonets to yourself: what kind do they have, what radiance and what attractive power do they have? Nisa. No, sir. Outsider. No imperials? Nisa. I, sir, even in my poverty do not have this meanness, so that I can console myself with the imagination of money. Outsider. O great and almighty God! How do you hear such soul-destroying speeches and tolerate such lawlessness? I marvel at your patience. Pasquin. And I, sir, am surprised that God tolerates such great iniquity. Nisa. I, sir, am not an icon and am not glorified by miracles, and I do not need your gold and silver. But it seems to me that although it’s good for someone who, from zeal, adorns the holy and justly revered icons with gold and silver, and especially those that show the wisdom of God the signs of the one who created heaven and earth with his wisdom, it’s even better to nail your heart to God than a piece of gold or silver to his icon. Outsider. Silver and gold, Nisanka, you can attach to an icon, although it’s not in your mind, but you can’t attach your heart to God, when it’s not in your mind. And I, speaking behind a cell between us, have no zeal for God, and in this to you, as a good person and an Orthodox Christian, I sincerely confess. And you, my little ruble, my chervonchik, my imperial, I will take for myself and by force; it is better to take away a man's will and save him than to leave it to him to his destruction. And it is never necessary to give young people the will, because they do not yet know what is good for them and what is bad. Nisa. No, sir, you cannot marry me by force. Pasquin. This, sir, does not work. Outsider. And you, my friend, have nothing to do with it. I have long noticed that you are dragging after her, so go out of the yard: go, go, and so that your spirit is not here. Get out, get out of the yard, get out, useless.

PHENOMENON XIX

Stranger, Valery, Palemon, Nisa and Pasquin.

Pasquin. Here, Nisa, this is the palmist who predicted to me that I would be happy on the cross, and who entrusted me with the acceptance of service in this house, and they drive me out just because you don’t want to love the old man. Without servants, there would be old men if they drove their people out of their homes because their young ones do not like women. Valery. This is not a palmist, but a friend of ours with you, Valerian, father, returning my brother to me, and your breed to you. Outsider. What are you raving about? More doomsday has not come, and there is no resurrection of the dead: and this child, about whom you speak, has already died twenty-two years. And if he had risen, then he would have risen the way he died - a two-year-old baby, and not some pestle: people don’t grow up in the next world. Palemon. You have a terrible judgment, and the resurrection of the dead has already come to him. Outsider. Do you remember that Christ was resurrected on a weekly day; so our resurrection from the dead will be on the same day, and today is Friday. Of course, you ate meat when you forgot that today is Friday. Palemon. What a day it is, there's no need for that. Outsider. And if I cheated, then you, knowing why you hesitated and kept silent for so long? And if I am a rogue, so are you the same rogue. Palemon. At the same time I announced this to Count Otkupshchikov. However, you remember this, that you, knowing about it, took ten thousand from Valerian money to the Count; so it was said to me at hand that if I even hinted about when, then I would not find a place for myself in Kamchatka. Outsider. So you would beat your forehead on him. Palemon. I would have been a great success if I had begun to beat him and him with my forehead. Now he is not in the world, and justice has been restored, so I put this case into action. Outsider. Praise the dream when it comes true. Palemon. This dream has already come true. Outsider. How can you prove this? Palemon. Many. And the first proof is this: come in here, old woman.

EVENT XX

The same old woman.

Palemon. Do you know this person? Old woman. I'm bad, dear, I see; I'm already in the end of the eighth dozen. (Puts on glasses and looks at Outlander.) Ah, worthy gentleman, how gray you have become... I wish I hadn't recognized you, if only you hadn't given a damn in my eyes if I hadn't seen you in your house. Outsider. I have never seen you, old woman, and who you are, I do not know. Old woman. And do you remember, good sir, how you gave me the offspring? Outsider. You're out of your mind, old woman. This never happened. Old woman. AND! dear! As it never happened. The young woman told me about this brainchild later, as if she were breastfeeding him and as if he were the master's son. And he truly looked like the master's son, as the bulk was Yablotsky. She spoke about this and to the one to whom I gave it; yes, that’s enough, where does the master’s son come from? And you wouldn't give your son away; and the snake does not eat its own bellies, and that this was the master's son, we did not believe this, he was in that house where I took the baby, and told everything about him in every detail. Outsider. You're crazy, old woman. Old woman. I can't hear well, boyar. Outlander (shouting at her). WITH you're crazy. Old woman. My father, I can’t live two centuries, so death must be remembered, and I am telling the most real truth. And you too, boyar, are dying just like we are, so you also need to remember death. Valery. Enough, old woman, go with God.

EVENT XXI

The same, except for the Old Woman.

Outsider. All three of you are rogues, and all of you should be hanged. Valery. No, sir, you are a rogue, not we, and you should be hanged, not us. Good people are not hanged anywhere, but thieves, robbers and robbers are hanged according to all laws, both divine and human, in all enlightened and philanthropic peoples. And if it were otherwise, there would be no security for good people in the world. And the less the wicked perish from justice, the more the innocent perish from the wicked.

PHENOMENON LAST

Stranger, Valery, Valerian, S strata, N i-sa, Palemon, Secretary and two soldiers.

Secretary. By decision of the State College of Justice, by the approval of the Governing Senate and by the Highest Order, your estate has been established to describe and what actually belongs to you, to give to Valerian, having made a guardianship settlement, and also to recover the money that you donated to the late Count Otkupshchikov, collect from his heirs with all the interests according to decrees, and from now on take you under guard for the sake of inflicting the execution that is due to you according to the laws, to avenge the truth and to avert fear from an intolerable crime in an honest and prosperous society. Outsider. Yes, this is not quite finished yet. Secretary. Completely finished. Outsider. I have never been tortured, but I should have been tortured three times, and if I had not endured three tortures, then I should have been accused. Secretary. Feel free to go. Outsider. The cold is on my skin. The end of the world has come. I'm dying! I'm dying! I'm burning! Tonu! Help! I'm dying! I'm going to hell! I'm tormented! Suffer, suffer! Secretary (to the soldiers). Take it. Outsider. Be you, my villains, cursed both in this world and in the future.

The secretary leaves, and Outsider is led out.

Valery. Disappear, iniquity, and flourish, virtue! And you, love, the dearest joy in human life, rooted in our hearts and amusing us with your beautiful flowers, let us taste your sweet fruits!

The end of comedy

Notes

CONVENTIONAL ABBREVIATIONS

Archives

GPB -- State public library them. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. Department of Manuscripts (Leningrad) IRLI - Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Manuscript department (Leningrad)

Printed sources

Berkov - Berkov P.N. History of Russian comedy of the XVIII century. L., 1977 Chosen. -- Sumarokov A.P. Selected works [Introduction. article, text preparation and notes. P. N. Berkova]. L., 1957 (Library of the poet. Large series. 2nd ed.) Izvestia - Izvestia of the Department of the Russian Language and Literature of the Academy of Sciences. T. XII, book. 2. SPb., 1907 Letters - Letters from Russian writers of the 18th century. L., 1980 PSVS - complete collection all works in verse and prose of the late real state councilor, Order of St. Anna Knight and Leipzig Academic Assembly member Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov. Ch. I-X. M., 1781--1782 Collection - Collection of materials for the history of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in the XVIII century. [Edited by A. A. Kunik]. SPb., 1865, part II Semennikov -- Semennikov VP Materials for the history of Russian literature and for the dictionary of writers of the era of Catherine II. SPb., 1914 Synopsis - Gizel Innokenty. Synopsis, or Short description about the beginning of the Slovenian people, about the first princes of Kyiv, and about the life of the holy, noble and great prince Vladimir ... 4th ed. SPb., 1746 The collection of dramatic works by A. P. Sumarokov offered to the reader's attention includes thirteen plays. The five tragedies, seven comedies and one drama selected for this edition are far from exhausting everything Sumarokov created for the stage. The published works are intended to give an idea of ​​his dramatic heritage in the context of the formation of the Russian classical repertoire. theater XVIII V. and show the evolution of Sumarokov's interpretation of dramatic genres on different stages creative way. The main selection criteria were the ideological artistic originality plays and their typicality for the Sumarokov drama system as a whole. Many of Sumarokov's plays appeared in print even before they were staged or soon after. Moreover, the playwright constantly strived to improve the text of the plays, bringing them closer to the requirements of the time and the tastes of the audience. In 1768, he radically revised almost all of the works he had created since 1747. dramatic works and at the same time printed most of them in corrected form. This second edition of the early plays became canonical, and in this form they were placed by N. I. Novikov in the corresponding (3-6) volumes of the "Complete collection of all works in verse and prose of the late real state councilor, the Order of St. Anna" prepared by him after the death of the writer Cavalier and Leipzig Academic Assembly member Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov "(parts I-X. M., 1781-1782). The second edition (M., 1787) repeated the first. N. I. Novikov published the texts of plays based on manuscripts he received from the playwright’s relatives, as well as on the latest lifetime editions of Sumarokov’s works. Therefore, Novikov's "Complete collection of all works in verse and prose ..." A.P. Sumarokov remains today the most authoritative and accessible source of texts of the playwright's works. In preparing this collection, we also relied on this edition. In particular, the texts of all published comedies by Sumarokov, his drama "The Hermit", as well as two tragedies ("Sinav and Truvor" and "Artiston") were taken by us from the corresponding volumes of the named publication. IN Soviet time Sumarokov's dramatic works were reprinted extremely rarely. Individual plays, often presented in abbreviated form, were included in university "readers on Russian literature of the 18th century." In essence, the first scientific publication of this period was the one-volume prepared by P. N. Berkov: Sumarokov A. P. Selected Works. L., 1957 (Library of the poet. Large series), including three tragedies: "Khorev", "Semira" and "Dimitri the Pretender". In the collection "Russian Comedy and comic opera XVIII century" (L., 1950) P. N. Berkov published the first edition of the comedy "Empty Quarrel" ("Quarrel between a husband and wife"). Finally, in the collection "Russian dramaturgy XVIII century "(Moscow, 1986), prepared by G. N. Moiseeva and G. A. Andreeva, included the tragedy of A. P. Sumarokov" Dimitry the Pretender ". This exhausts the number of modern editions of Sumarokov's dramatic works. The proposed book will provide an opportunity for a wide reader more deeply and fully to get acquainted with the dramaturgical heritage of Sumarokov and Russian theater repertoire 18th century Special meaning when publishing texts of the 18th century. has to bring them into line with current spelling norms. The system of spelling and punctuation in the time of Sumarokov was quite different from modern requirements. This concerned the most diverse aspects of morphological paradigmatics: the spelling of case endings of nouns, adjectives, participles, demonstrative, possessive and personal pronouns, the endings of adverbs and verbs with a reflexive particle -sya (for example: a crown - instead of a crown, shoulders - shoulders; dragia - others, from here - from here, which is - whom, for whom - whom; praise - more laudable, hurry - sooner; wife - marry, etc.). Sound combinations were also written differently in prefixes, suffixes and roots of individual words (for example: I take - instead of I collect, anxiety - anxiety, conspiracy - collusion, marriage - marriage, sad - sad, happiness - happiness, better - - better, soldier - soldier, heart - heart, late - late, skirt - skirt, etc.). Spelling allied particles not, nor, li, co in combination with meaningful word also had its own characteristics. The norm of the written language of the XVIII century. was considered separate spelling particles with pronouns and verbs (for example: nothing - instead of nothing, is there - if, with everything - at all, not lying - impossible, not like - no way, etc.). In most of these cases, the spelling of words was brought into line with modern spelling standards. True, sometimes it seemed appropriate to preserve outdated forms of orthography. P. N. Berkov already pointed out this point in his time in the above-mentioned edition of A. P. Sumarokov’s Selected Works, referring to the reproduction of the text of tragedies. The specificity of the verse structure of tragedies sometimes dictated the need to preserve obsolete orthoepic forms in spelling. This concerned those cases when the modernization of spelling could lead to a violation of the verse rhythm or affect the rhyming endings of the verses. Here are examples of the preservation of such a stylistically justified archaism of spelling: "And this disastrous pain of grieving blood ..."; or: "You go against the one you love..."; or: "The silence of the people's border will break ...", as well as examples of rhyme pairs: I want - I will turn, anger - delete, love - blood, I will soften - I will return, etc. Sometimes modernizing old spelling norms can lead to a distorted understanding of the author’s thought contained in the phrase, as we see, for example, in the following verse from the tragedy “Khorev”: “Open for me the gates of the beloved prison”, where the adjective refers to the last word, although in pronunciation it can be perceived as referring to the word " gate." And there are plenty of such examples in the plays. In general, when publishing the texts of tragedies, we were guided by the textual principles adopted in the indicated edition of the selected works of A.P. Sumarokov, carried out by P.N. Berkov in 1957. Somewhat different principles were adopted when publishing the texts of Sumarokov's comedies. The specificity of this genre determined the installation on the maximum preservation of the colloquial elements of the language of comic characters. Only such an approach allows us to convey to the modern reader the flavor of everyday speech communication of people of that era. This applies in particular to the transmission individual forms endings of nouns, adjectives, gerunds, reflecting the old norms of speech practice, such as: two days, bribes, rubles, speeches, saint, taking out, eating, coming, etc .; or to preserve the specific sound of individual words, as it was accepted in spoken language XVIII century, for example: by name, doubtfully, resistance, shameless, genevarya, frightened, go, want, hug, etc. We also tried to fully preserve the colloquial vowels of foreign words adopted in the XVIII century. Russian language, as well as dialectisms, like: clevicorts, intermecia, otleportovt, enaral, provisions; now, thrice, saba, tabe, started, here, vit, etc. Words, the meaning of which may not be clear to the modern reader, are included in the Dictionary of Obsolete and Foreign Words and Expressions attached at the end. One has to face certain difficulties in lighting stage fate Sumarokov's plays. Undoubtedly, the tragedies and comedies of Sumarokov were played in the second half of the 18th century. quite widely, being included in the repertoire of most Russian troupes of that time. But information about the activities of even the court theater, not to mention the performances of serf theaters and free Russian troupes, is generally fragmentary. Therefore, the surviving data on the productions of Sumarokov's plays do not guarantee the completeness of knowledge about stage life one play or another. We tried to use as much as possible all the sources of such information available to modern theater studies. In preparing the publication, in particular when working on comments, the searches in this field of other researchers were taken into account: P. N. Berkov, V. N. Vsevolodsky-Gerngross, B. A. Aseev, T. M. Elnitskaya, G. Z. Mordison , to which the corresponding references are given in the text of the notes.

For the first time - Guardian. Comedy by Alexander Sumarokov. SPb., 1765. According to P. N. Berkov, during the publication of the comedy, Sumarokov made some amendments to the original text (see: Berkov, pp. 88-89). Entered the PSVS (part V, pp. 1-54; 2nd ed. M., 1787, pp. 1-48). Information about the productions of the comedy has not been preserved. P. N. Berkov connects this with the attacks against Catherine's policy in the text of the play (see: Berkov, pp. 88-89). P. 366. ... this matter is still not important ... - this matter is still almost unimportant. P. 367. ...whose father traveled to the kingdom of Kitaichetov and was in the Kamchatka state and wrote a story about this state. -- This refers to S. P. Krasheninnikov (1711-1755), Russian geographer, explorer of Kamchatka, who wrote the book "Description of the Land of Kamchatka", which was published after the death of the author in 1756. S. 368. ... which is taken, that's holy. And this proverb is legal and in the orders it was observed inviolably, except now, according to the New Code, it will be resigned. -- According to P. N. Berkov, the phrase is a later insertion into the text of the comedy (see: Berkov, p. 89), since it contains an allusion to the convening of the Commission for the drafting of the New Code of 1767. It is not even in the calendar -- calendar of calendars, a chronological, monthly list of Christian saints indicating the days on which their commemoration is timed. S. 369. ...and not only spiritual ones, and those sovereigns are contemptible who are unworthy of this title. - P. N. Berkov sees in this remark of the maid Sostrata a hidden attack of the playwright against the policy of Catherine II (see: Berkov, pp. 88-89). In the Roman kingdom, the cathedral church had a priest ... - The Outsider retells a historical anecdote about the Roman Pope Sixtus V. Sumarokov gathered this information, apparently, from N. N. Kurganov's "Letter Book" (St. Petersburg, 1765), where this the story is placed in the "Intricate Stories" section. S. 371. ... from linen canvas. - That is, from coarse homespun canvas. P. 378. Go to the clerk, but get to the registrar's rank, and you will be a nobleman. -- See note. to s. 350.

Dictionary of obsolete and foreign words and expressions

Abie(old-fashioned) -- but avantage(French - avantage) - advantage Adorate(French - adorer) - to adore Amantha(French - amante) - mistress Asche(old term) -- if Baysta(dialect.) - from "bait" (to speak) - talkative, talkative Beth(French - bete) - cattle Bostroks-- jacket type, sleeveless jerseys bhma(Old Russian) - in every possible way publicly(old-timer) - loudly, publicly Gehenna(old word) -- underworld, hell Distre(French - distraite) - scattered Eliko-- how Emblem(French - aimable) - amiable, worthy of love Estimate(French - estimer) - appreciate, respect Zelo-- so many Zernshy(grainer) - a dice player, or grain player, in bazaars and fairs Zograf(also - isographer - Old Russian) - icon painter, artist Izzheni(old-timer) - cast out intention(French-- intention) -- intention Kalite(French - qualite) - dignity, advantage Casing(French - casser) - to break Kupno(old-timer) - together Mamer(French - ma mere) - mother meprise(French - mepriser) - to despise Measure(French - meriter) -- to deserve, to be worthy Metressa-- mistress Nakra- drums, timpani The other day- the day before, recently obache-- however lick-- slander Odarater(French - adorateur) - adorer ODR(old-timer) - bed flatter-- seduce Packs(old-timer) - again Panse(French - la pensee) - thought Pace(old word) -- more Penyaz- small coin Perun- the supreme deity of the ancient Slavs, peruny-- zippers Ponezhe(kans.) - because, since Prezelny- plentiful, plentiful Prosumer(gown) - decoration of ceremonial clothes service-- crime Rachit- try to take care Regulations-- rules Remark(French - remarquer) - to notice Rival(French - rival) - rival Lilac(old-fashioned) - that is Skufya- a pointed velvet hat of black or purple color, which was the headdress of the Orthodox clergy Stavets(dial.) - a wooden deep cup, a common table bowl superstition-- delusion Trafi- to please, to catch the similarity Trezemable(French - tres emable) - very kind Oody- members of the body finish(French-- finir) -- finish float(French - flatter) - to flatter wormfourth-- Beautiful Chiriqui- type of footwear Shilnichestvo- snitching, denunciation Epitimia- corrective punishment imposed by the church on a penitent sinner, in the form of fasting, long prayers, etc. Ergo(lat.-- ergo) -- therefore, so

Lyric Sumarokov. Sumarokov's satires ("Chorus to the Perverted Light", "Satire on Nobility").

Sumarokov's comedies "Guardian", "Cuckold by imagination".

Comedy "Guardian"(60s) - in the center of attention is the image of a hypocrite, a miserly nobleman Outsider, ripping off orphans who fell under his care. The “original” of the Outsider was a relative of Sumarokov Buturlin. In the comedy "Guardian" he does not show the bearer of some kind of vice, but draws a complex portrait. Before us is not only a miser who knows neither conscience nor pity, but also a hypocrite, an ignoramus, a debauchee. Sumarokov creates a generalized conditional satirical image Russian vicious nobleman. Disclosure of character is facilitated by both speech characteristics and everyday details. The speech of the Outsider is full of proverbs and sayings. In his sanctimonious repentance, the Outsider turns to God, filling his speech with Church Slavonicisms.

Positive characters Sumarokov's comedies are deprived of vitality, they often act in comedies as reasoners - such is Valery in the comedy "Guardian".

"Cuckold by Imagination" (1772) - The focus of the writer's attention is the life of the provincial poor landowners, Vikul and Khavronya. Limited interests, ignorance, narrow-mindedness characterize them. At the same time, the characters of this comedy are devoid of one-sidedness. Ridiculing the savagery, the absurdity of these people, who only talk about “sowing, reaping, chickens,” whose peasants go around the world, Sumarokov also shows features that evoke sympathy for them. Vikul and Khavronya touch with their mutual affection. They are kind to their pupil, the poor girl noble family Florize. The absurdity of the life of Vikul and Khavronya is also emphasized by the plot of the comedy. Vikul was jealous of his 60-year-old for the brilliant Count Cassandra, a wealthy neighbor who fell in love with Florisa. The dialogues are full of comedy, in which Vikul reproaches Khavronya for infidelity, believing that she set the horns on him.

The speech characteristics of the characters help to recreate the appearance and customs of the provincial nobles.

Sumarokov's lyrics are addressed to a person, to his natural weaknesses. Despite the still conventional image of the lyrical hero, in his songs he seeks to reveal inner world, the depth and sincerity of the feelings of the hero or heroine. His lyrics are distinguished by sincere simplicity and immediacy.

Satires: 1. " Choir to the perverse light "- was written by Sumarokov to order for the street masquerade "Triumphant Minerva". But "Chorus" turned out to be so satirically topical that it was allowed only in an abbreviated version. In the form of a story about an ideal overseas country and the order in it, worthy of praise, Sumarokov tells about the order, or rather the unrest and disorder in his country.

The "overseas" country is a utopia, Sumarokov's dream, but the story about it gives him the opportunity to expose the bribery and covetousness, ignorance that flourishes in Russian monarchy, to speak sharply against the cruelty of the treatment of landowners with serfs. Everyone in this country works, everyone serves the state. "Chorus" in its poetic structure was close to Russian folk songs. "Chorus" occupies an important place in the satirical and accusatory line of Russian literature of the 18th century.

The satire "On Nobility" both in its subject matter and in its direction directly goes back to Cantemir's satire "Filaret and Eugene". It is aimed at ridiculing the nobility, which boasts of its "nobility" and "noble title". Sumarokov recalls the natural equality of people.

In the tragedies, Sumarokov's political views were especially clearly manifested. He strove to create a harmonious society in which each member of society would know his duties and honestly fulfill them. He longed to return the "golden ages", believing that they are possible under the existing social order, but for this it is necessary to eliminate the lawlessness and disorder that exist in the absolutist-noble monarchy. His tragedies were supposed to show what a true enlightened monarch should be, they were supposed to educate the “first sons of the fatherland”, the nobility, arousing in them a sense of civic duty, love for the fatherland, true nobility. Standing in opposition to Elizabeth Petrovna, he soon understood the pseudo-enlightened absolutism of Catherine's reign and, while promoting the ideas of enlightened absolutism in his tragedies, at the same time exposes the despotism of the reign of monarchs. The tyrannical tendencies in his tragedies sharply intensified by the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s, reflecting the general growth of noble opposition to the regime of Catherine II. The socio-political pathos of Sumarokov's tragedies had a huge impact on the development of subsequent Russian tragedy.

For 28 years he wrote 9 tragedies.

For example, "Sinav and Truvor"(1750) (included in the program). The tragedy is built on a plot taken from ancient Russian history, however, as before, the historical background is extremely arbitrary. In the center are Prince Sinav, the monarch, during whose reign prosperity reigned in Novgorod, which was previously consumed by strife, his young brother Truvor, the noble Novgorod boyar Gostomysl and his daughter Ilmena. To these actors are added the persons necessary for external action: warriors, a messenger, a page. There are 5 obligatory actions in a tragedy. The main conflict is the conflict of feelings and duty, a virtuous monarch, who for a moment forgot about duty, invariably becomes a tyrant. Monarch Sinav loves Ilmena, his rival is the young Truvor, beloved by Ilmena. There are no historically specific features either in the place of action or in the images of the characters. The faces of the tragedies are not living characters, but spokesmen for the author's ideas about the superiority of duty over passion, state interests over personal ones. Gostomysl, an adamant performer of duty in the tragedy, promised to give Ilmen Sinava as a wife as a reward for saving Novgorod. Seeing the suffering of his daughter, he remains adamant: where the position speaks or love for the people, there is no lover, there is no father, no family. Ilmena's sense of duty is just as strongly developed. “I know that a nasty marriage will happen to me, but nothing will separate me from my position.” A brave warrior, a virtuous monarch, Sinav, having learned about the love of Ilmena and Truvor, is unable to suppress the feeling of jealousy that has gripped him. He forgets about his duty to manage his subjects for their benefit and becomes the culprit in the death of Ilmena and Truvor. Realizing his involuntary "tyranny", Sinav wants to commit suicide, but Gostomysl and the soldiers snatch the sword from his hands.

Proceeding from his ideal of a class monarchy, Sumarokov attacked those social phenomena and social forces, which he regarded negatively. In his recent tragedies tyrannical motives are intensified. A monarch who is unable to establish order in the state and be the father of his subjects is worthy of contempt, he is an "enemy of the people" who must be overthrown from the throne. ("Dimitri the Pretender").

The tragedy of Sumarokov had a huge educational value. Spectators sitting in the hall received lessons in morality, listened to lofty words about duty, nobility, love for the Motherland, learned to resent tyranny. Designed for the education and upbringing of the nobility, the tragedies of Sumarokov had a wider resonance, more broad scope influence.

Sumarokov said his word in the genre of comedy. Making it look funny human vices By denouncing them, the comedy must thereby contribute to the liberation from them. Comedy must be separated from tragedy on the one hand and farcical games on the other. Sumarokov nevertheless turned to the practice of Nar. theater. They are small in volume (1-3 acts), written in prose, often there is no plot basis. (let's pray to Santa Nikolaus again - it's good that he will no longer be J), farcical comedy is characteristic, the characters are a clerk, a judge, etc., submech. Sumarokov in Russian. life. In an effort to imitate the French the comedies of Moliere, Sumarokov are far from the comedies of Western classicism (5 acts, in verse, compositional rigor, completeness, etc.). French imitation. comedy was affected by the borrowing of the names of the characters: Erast, Isabella, etc.

Wrote 12 rooms, according to the ideological significance and art. values ​​below trag. The first com. - 1750 - "Empty quarrel", etc. In the 60s. - "Guardian" and others. In 1772 - "Cuckold by imagination" and others. Com. served as a means of controversy - the pamphlet character of most of them. Unlike tr. over com. worked for a short time. In the first com. - each action the face showed its vice to the public, the scenes were mechanically connected. In a small room. - many activities. persons (10-11). Their portraiture made it possible for contemporaries to find out who in reality served as a prototype. real faces, household details, negative phenomena Rus. life - gave a com., despite the conventionality of the image, a connection with reality. Bright, expressive language, often colored with features of a lively dialect - the desire for individualization of the characters' speech. Early com. directed against enemies in lit. field. The images were conditional and were far from typical generalizations.

Second group com. - com. character, are distinguished by greater depth and conditionality of the image of the main characters. All attention is focused on the main character, other actions. faces - to reveal the features of Har-ra Ch. hero, put. characters, speech. reasoners. The most successful images will be denied. heroes, in character cat. a lot of satire. and household features.

One of the best com. this period - "Guardian"(com in 1 action), com. about a nobleman-usurer, a swindler and a hypocrite Outsider, ripping off orphans, a cat. came under his care. The “original” of the Outsider is a relative of Sumarokov Buturlin. Sumarokov does not show the bearer of one vice, but draws in a complicated way. character Before us is a miser, not knowing. no conscience, no pity, a hypocrite, an ignoramus, a debauchee. Sumarokov creates a generalized conditional satire. Russian image. vicious nobleman. Disclosure of character is facilitated by speech character (the speech is saturated with proverbs and sayings, in the appeal to God - Church Slavonicisms) and life. details. Valery - put. hero-resonator, devoid of vitality. Figurative names are denied. characters (Alien Grip) - moralizing goals characteristic of classicism. Real persons: Alien grip (70 l) - a nobleman, Sostrata - a courtyard. daughter, Valery - lover of Sostrata, Nisa (17 years old) - noblewoman and maid of the Outsider, Pasquin - servant of the Outsider, Palemon - friend of the late father Valery, secretary, soldiers. The action takes place in St. Petersburg. Someone from his own stole a cross from Pasquin with his name on it. Sostrata confesses to the theft. Pasquin - present. the name Valerian, brother of Valery, which turns out later. Pasquin loves Nysa, Outsider wants to marry her. The alien grip prevents the marriage of Valery and Sostrata, because he does not follow either the past or the current fashion, he is smart, it is difficult to deceive him. The stranger is afraid of God's judgment, repents, wants to go to Kyiv - to atone for sins. As a result, all the atrocities of the Outsider are revealed (he used to be a hypocrite so that they would not interfere with him), they take him to court, his estate goes to Valerian (Pasquin), everyone gets married, the power of the rulers is exposed, the cat. she is not worthy. "Disappear lawlessness, flourish virtue!". Lots of talk about the soul. Most importantly, money is everything. The Outsider is a slacker and the servants are the same.

Con. 60s - 70s - the growth of oppositional sentiments in relation to enlightened absolutism among the advanced nobility and the raznochintsy intelligentsia. The peasant question is posed, the relationship between landowners and peasants. Attention to life, environment. man, the pursuit of more difficult. psychologist. disclosing har-ditch in defined. social conditions. The best play in comedy TV Sumarokov "Cuckold by Imagination"(3 acts.) appeared after Fonvizin's "Brigadier" and anticipated the appearance of "Undergrowth" (generality of situations, character).

The focus is on the life of poor provincial landowners, Vikul and Khavronya. Limited interests, ignorance, narrow-mindedness characterize them. The characters are not one-sided. Making fun of the savagery, the absurdity of these people, the cat. they only talk about seva (not our Megasev, but it's a pity, it would be interesting))), about reaping, about threshing, about chickens, ”at the cat. peasants go around the world (Khavronya makes all peasants work, saves money for a rainy day), Sumarokov shows features, a challenge. sympathy for them. Vikul and Khavronya touch with their affection, they are kind to their pupil, the poor girl of the yard. genus Florise. The absurdity of the life of Vikula and Khavronya is emphasized by the plot of the comedy. Vikul was jealous of Khavronya (60 years old) for the brilliant Count Cassandra, a wealthy neighbor, a cat. love Florisa. Dialogues are filled with comedy, in a cat. Vikul reproaches Khavronya for infidelity, believing that she set the horns on him.

The speech character of the characters helps to recreate the appearance and customs of the provincial nobles.

Juicy, expressive their language. This is not the smooth, correct speech of noble salons, but rough, colorful, sprinkled with proverbs and sayings, akin to the common language of the provincial nobility.

Real persons: Vikul - a nobleman, Khavronya - his wife, Floriza - a poor noblewoman, Kasander - a count, Butler, Nisa - a servant of Khavronya, the Huntsman of Count Cassandra. The count is going to come to them for dinner, Khavronya gives out instructions, she knows Cassandra - in Moscow they sat next to the theater. Vikula is jealous. The count marries Floriza, Khavronya gives way to Nisu. The count is ready to share everything with them.

Contemporaries put Sumarokov's comedies much lower than his tragedies. These comedies did not constitute a significant stage in the development of Russian drama, although they possessed a number of advantages that make the historian of literature take a closer look at them - and above all because Sumarokov was still the first to write comedies in Russia, with the exception of interludes of a semi-folklore type and advanced plays.

In total, Sumarokov wrote twelve comedies. Chronologically, they are divided into three groups: first there are three plays: "Tresotinius", "An Empty Quarrel" and "Monsters", written in 1750. Then comes a break of no less than fourteen years; from 1764 to 1768 six more comedies were written: "Dowry by deceit" (circa 1764). "Guardian" (1765), "Likhoimets", "Three Brothers Together", "Poisonous", "Narcissus" (all four in 1768). Then - the last three comedies of 1772 - "Cuckold by Imagination", "Mother Daughter's Companion", "Squat". Sumarokov wrote his comedies in impulses, seizing on this genre, which in general was not very close to him, as a strong polemical or satirical weapon, during periods of aggravation of his anger at those around him. He did not work on his comedies long and carefully. This can be seen from their text, and from their dates, and from his own notes; so, in the text of Tresotinius, he made a note: “Conceived on January 12, 1750, completed on January 13, 1750. St. Petersburg.” With the text of "Monsters" - a note: "This comedy was composed in June 1750 at the Primorsky Court."

Sumarokov's first comedies were still firmly connected with those traditions of drama that existed before Sumarokov in Russia and in Russian, and perhaps most of all in Italian theater. In general, Sumarokov's comedies have minimal relation to traditions and norms. French classicism throughout his work, and especially in his first group; this does not mean, of course, that they stand outside the bounds of Russian classicism. First of all, even outwardly: in France, comedies in five acts in verse were considered correct, “real” comedy. Of course, Moliere and after him many wrote comedies in prose, but these comedies were considered, from the point of view of classical dogma, to be, so to speak, a lower grade. Another thing is Sumarokov, the canonizer of Russian classicism; all his comedies are written in prose. None of them has the full volume and "correct" arrangement of the composition of the classical comedy of the West in five acts; Sumarokov's eight comedies have only one action each, four - three each. Basically - these are small plays, almost skits, almost interludes. Sumarokov only conditionally endures even unity. The time and place of action fit into the norm, but there is no unity of action, especially in the first plays. Needless to say about the nobility of the tone of the French classical comedy; there is not even a trace of him in Sumarokov's rough, semi-farcical plays.

In the first comedies of Sumarokov, in fact, there is not even any real connecting plot. We will find in them, of course, a rudiment of the plot in the form of a couple in love, who at the end marry; but this vestige love theme does not affect the course of action; Or rather, there is no action in comedy. The comedy is a series of more or less mechanically connected scenes; one after another, comic masks come out to the theater; the actors representing the derided vices, in a dialogue that does not move the action, show the public each of its vices. When the catalog of vices and comic dialogue is exhausted, the play ends. The struggle for the heroine's hand does not unite even a small share of themes and dialogues. Such a construction of the play comes close to the construction of folk "areal" games-interludes or nativity scenes of satirical scenes, and especially parsley comedy. It is characteristic that, in contrast to the tragedies of Sumarokov, in his first comedies, despite their small volume, there are a lot of actors; so, in "Tresotinius", a comedy in one act, there are ten of them, in "Monsters" - eleven.

If a single action does not take place on the stage of Sumarokov's early comedies, then there is no true life, life in them. Like the conditional interlude scene, the stage of Tresotinius or The Monsters or The Empty Quarrel represents a conditional abstract place in which no one lives, but only characters appear to demonstrate their conditionally depicted shortcomings. The whole manner of Sumarokov in these plays is conventionally grotesque. In "Monsters" a comic court session takes place on the stage, and the judges are dressed like foreign judges - in large wigs, but in general they are not judges at all, and the trial itself takes place in a private house, and all this - farce, and behind the ridiculousness of the scene it is impossible to make out how to take it seriously. Sumarokov loves farcical comedy - fights on stage, funny picks of characters. All this grotesque ludicrousness in him depends to a large extent on the tradition of the Italian comedy of masks.

The very composition of the comic characters of the first Sumarokov comedies is determined mainly by the composition of the stable masks of the Italian folk comedy. These are traditional masks, the centuries-old tradition of which most often goes back to Roman comedy. So, in front of us are: a pedant-scientist (in Tresotinius there are three of them: Tresotinius himself, Xaxoxymenius, Bobembius; in Monsters it is Criticiondius); it is the "doctor" of Italian comedy; he is followed by a boastful warrior, lying about his unheard-of exploits, but in fact a coward (in "Tresotinius" Bramarbas); this is the "captain" of Italian comedy, going back to the "boastful soldier" Pir-gopolinik Plautus. Further - dexterous servants Kimar in Tresotinius and Empty Quarrel, Harlequin in Monsters; this is Harlequin commedia dell "arte; finally - ideal lovers - Clarice and Dorant in Tresotinius, Infimena and Valera in Monsters. The very names of the heroes of his first comedies, not Russian, but conditionally theatrical.

In addition to the tradition of Italian comedy, Sumarokov used in his early comedies the dramaturgy of the Danish classic Golberg, which he knew in German translation (for example, Golberg took his Brambarbas along with his name); it should be noted that Golberg himself depended on the tradition of the same Italian comedy. Something Sumarokov also takes from the French, but not the method, but individual motives, modified from him beyond recognition. So, from Molière ("Learned Women"), he took the name Tresotinius (Moliere's Tresoten), and from Racine the scene in "Monsters" (from "Sutyag").

No matter how conditional the manner of Sumarokov's first comedies was, there were features of Russian topicality in it, enlivening and comprehending it. Thus, the comic masks of the clerk and petimeter introduced by Sumarokov are closely connected with his political and cultural preaching. His clerk in "Tresotinius" (only an outlined image), in "Monsters" the clerk Khabzey and the judges Dodon and Finist are included in the general line of his struggle against the bureaucracy; his petimeters, Frenchmen, secular dandies - Dulizh in "Monsters" and Dulizh in "The Empty Quarrel" - are included in the line of his struggle against the court "nobility", against gallomania, for Russian culture, for native language. Sumarokov's comedies, even the first three of them, are sprinkled with literary and polemical attacks, allusions to Sumarokov himself and his enemies. This applies especially to Tresotinius, whose main character, which gave the comedy its name, is a pamphlet against Trediakovsky, unusually caricatured, but unambiguous. This is characteristic of Sumarokov's entire comic style of this period; his comic masks do not rise to a broad social typology. This can even be said about the role of Fatyuy, the village landowner ("Empty Quarrel"), the most Russian and in everyday terms full-fledged so much that one can guess some features of the future Mitrofan Prostakov in it. Finally, Sumarokov's early comedies are enlivened by their language, lively, sharp, cheeky in its unvarnishedness, subjected very little to the sublime vivisection of French classicism.

Sumarokov's six comedies of 1764-1768 are noticeably different from the first three, although much in them is the same; the method of conditional representation, the absence of life on the stage, remains basically the same; only in one comedy do the Tigers, their father, mother and daughter Olga, the three Radugin brothers, Yaroslav, Svyatoslav and Izyaslav (“Three Brothers Together”) appear. Meanwhile, the very structure of the plays changed. Sumarokov moves on to the type of so-called comedy of characters. In each play, one image is at the center of his attention, and everything else is needed either to set off the central image, or to falsify the plot, which is still of little importance. So, "Guardian" is a play about a nobleman-usurer, a swindler and a hypocrite Outsider. The same image is the only one in "Likhoimets" under the name of Kashchei, and he is the same in "Dowry by deceit" under the name of Salidar. Poisonous is a comedy about the slanderer Herostratus. "Narcissus" - a comedy about a narcissistic dandy; His name is Narcissus. In addition to these central images, and there are three of them, there are no characters in all Sumarokov's comedies of 1764-1768; all the other characters are goodies, barely lively copybooks. On the contrary, the central characters are drawn carefully, especially the triple image of the Outsider - Kashchei - Salidar. They are furnished with a number of household details of a fairly real type; they are connected with the topic of the day not only by the idea, but also by individual hints. At the same time, the satirical and everyday features that build the character of Kashchei, Chuzhekhvat and others are empirical and not generalized, they do not form a unity of type. These roles are composed of individual particles and do not have an organic character; they do not change throughout the play, they do not live on the stage, although they have a considerable power of sharp caricature. The fact is that Sumarokov, even during this period, was most often a pamphleteer, as he was in Tresotinius. His comedies have a personal address; These are face satires. Kashchei in Likhoimets is Buturlin, a relative of Sumarokov, and a number of details of Kashchei's life are due not to the logic of his character, but to a portrait resemblance to Buturlin. Apparently, both Salidar and the Outsider are the same person. Herostratus in "Poisonous" is the literary and personal enemy of Sumarokov F.A. Emin. Probably, Narcissus is a certain person. From interludes and commedia dell "arte, Sumarokov moved in comedy not to the French classics of the 18th century, but to Fonvizin.

Meanwhile, the very movement of Sumarokov towards the comedy of characters in the mid-1760s was due not so much to his personal evolution as to the influence that he experienced from the emerging Russian comedy repertoire of the 1750s and 1760s. The first three comedies of Sumarokov opened the way. When in 1756 was organized permanent theater, he needed a repertoire, and in particular a comedy one. The director of the theater, Sumarokov, did not write comedies at that time; his students began to work for him, and again I.P. Yelagin. Young people followed Yelagin, again all the pupils of the Shlyakhetny cadet corps. These are A. Volkov, V. Bibikov, I. Kropotov, A. Nartov, Iv. Chaadaev and others. They mainly translate the comedies of Molière and other French playwrights.

The first original Russian comedy after the Sumarokovskys was a play by M.M. Kheraskov, also a student of Sumarokov and a pupil of the cadet corps, - "Godless"; this is a small play in verse, standing aside from the theatrical and dramatic revival around the St. Petersburg Theater (Kheraskov lived in Moscow since 1755), continuing the line, not so much intermedia as instructive school dramaturgy. In the early 1760s, two original comedies by A.A. Volkov "Unsuccessful stubbornness" and "Children's love". These are conditional plays of intrigue that have nothing to do with Russian life, and indeed with no real life. By the same time, in the first half of the 1760s, Elagin attempted to propose a means of bringing the Western comedy repertoire closer to Russian life, namely: translate them, somewhat altering them in a Russian way, replacing foreign names Russians, etc. So, Elagin himself translated the comedy “French-Russian” from Golberg, and the young man Fonvizin, who served under him, remade his “Korion” from Soren's play “Sidney”, a comedy in verse. All this revival on the front of Russian comedy and, in particular, the impact of the great French comedies of characters (for example, Detouche) determined the direction of Sumarokov's work as a comedian in 1764-1768.

In 1766, a great event took place in the history of Russian comedy: Fonvizinsky's Brigadier became known in the capital's circles. In 1772, the first comedies of Catherine II appeared. The last three comedies of Sumarokov belong to the same year. They were most decisively affected by the influence of the discovery made by Fonvizin already in The Brigadier - a new display of life on stage, and it is Russian provincial landowner life in the first place, and a new display of a person with a more complex psychological characteristic and in more clarified specific social conditions. All three of Sumarokov's last comedies are more compact in plot.

The undoubted masterpiece of Sumarokov's entire comedy work is his "Cuckold by Imagination", a comedy that, as it were, stands in the way of Fonvizin from "The Brigadier" to "The Undergrowth", despite Sumarokov's lesser comedic talent. The theme of this play was not new, but it was not framed in the way it was done in the French comedy (with Molière's comedy Sganarelle, or the imaginary cuckold, Sumarokov's play has nothing in common). Sumarokov introduces the viewer into the life of a seedy, provincial, poor and uncultured landowner's house. Before us are two elderly people, a husband and wife, Vikul and Khavronya. They are stupid, ignorant; they are backward, wild people, and the comedy should ridicule their backwater barbarism. But at the same time, they are touching in their ridiculous affection for each other. They are a bit old-world landowners. In their house lives a poor noblewoman Floriza, educated and virtuous, but without a dowry. A noble and rich neighbor, Count Cassander, comes to visit them on the way from hunting. Old man Vikul was jealous of the brilliant count for his Khavronya. He is sure that Khavronya put horns on him. In the end, he learns that the Count and Florise fell in love, that the Count will marry Florise; thereby dissipating his jealousy.

The comedy is built primarily on the display of two characters - Vikul and Khavronya; the rest of the faces are traditional and abstract, although in the role of the dowry Florisa there is psychological drawing, very idiosyncratic. But Vikul, and especially Khavronya, are everyday figures, important in the history of Russian comedy. True, in both of these roles, and especially in the role of Khavronya, the influence of the “Brigadier” and, above all, the image of the brigadier, is noticeable. But Sumarokov managed to so learn the lessons of his young rival that he was then able to give something to him for his future great comedy.

In "Cuckold by Imagination" the notes of "Undergrowth" sound. First of all, the very circle of what is depicted is the same life of a poor and wild landlord province; this is the same rough and colorful language of landowners of a non-capital type. Floriza is in the family of Vikul and Khavronya, like Sofya with the Prostakovs, although Floriza is not offended; In general, these two roles are correlated. Similar to the well-known scene after the fight between Prostakova and her brother, the exit of Vikul and his wife who had just fought (d. 2, y. 6). In the name of Khavronya, the punning of the Skotinins' surname sounds, and the manner of everyday drawing and the very theme in places converge in both comedies.

Sumarokov raised the theme, developed in The Undergrowth, about the barbaric social practice of the dark reactionary landlord "masses" (and right there - Skotinin's pigs).

Sumarokov paints the life of Vikul and Khavronya with rich colors. His victory has to be considered such scenes as, for example, ordering a ceremonial dinner by Khavronya or clumsy "social" conversations with which she tries to entertain the count. In these scenes, as in the dialogues of both spouses, Sumarokov reaches the highest point in his desire to convey everyday speech, bright, lively, quite colloquial, in places close to stock. folk tale interspersed with proverbs and sayings. He conveys this speech naturalistically, without crystallizing its forms; he considers it uncultured speech, serving to characterize his landowners as barbarians; but still genuine, real speech sounds in his play; it sounded in his previous comedies, but it is Cuckold by Imagination that is his best prose play in this respect.

Here is an example of a conversation about jealousy:

“Khavronya - Fu, dad! How are you not afraid of God? What thoughts do you have in your old age? How to say this to people, so they will laugh. By the way, did you think of that?

Vikul - How not to be afraid that people happen to others.

Khavronya - I am no longer a young woman; so why should you be afraid!

Vikul - Yes, there is a proverb that thunder does not always rumble from a heavenly cloud, but sometimes from a dunghill.

Khavronya - Pip would be on your tongue; what kind of dung do you have?

Floriza - What is it, madam, is it?

Vikul - Wife, keep it to yourself.

Khavronya - FAQ to yourself? This is shame and rubbish.

Vikul - Don't talk, my treasure, my diamond pebble.

Khavronya - Yes, this is not good, my cherry berry.

Vikul - Wife, stop it.

Khavronya - Kiss me, strong, mighty hero.

Vikul - Let's kiss, my sunflower star.

Khavronya - Be more cheerful, and as bright as a new month, but don’t be jealous.

Vikul - Wife, who is talking about jealousy?

Khavronya - What broke through me! Yes, that’s enough, a horse with four legs, and even he stumbles, and I’m an illiterate woman, because I can’t say anything ...

Leningrad State University named after A.S. Pushkin

Faculty of Philology

Department of Russian Language and Literature

Essay on the course "Russian literature of the XVIII century" on the topic:

Ideological and artistic originality of Sumarokov's comedies (on the example of the comedy "Cuckold by Imagination")

Performed:

2nd year student

full-time education

Ershova Valeria

Checked:

Associate Professor, Candidate of Phil. n. Vigerina L. I.

Content

Introduction 3

The history of the interpretation of the concept of "comedy" 4

The origins of A.P. Sumarokova 5

The ideological and artistic originality of A.P. Sumarokova 6

Analysis of the comedy "Cuckold by Imagination" 8

Conclusion 10

Introduction

Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov (1717-1777) occupies a special place in the history of Russian culture. He is not only the founder of the Russian theater, writer, poet and journalist, but also one of the most prominent representatives of the socio-political thought of his time. His work differs from his contemporaries in the originality of form and content. The unusual manner of presentation, about which researchers have spoken so much, cannot leave the reader indifferent. Guskov N.A. suggests that its formation was influenced not only by the social upbringing and position of the writer (the ideology of the aristocratic opposition), but also by the awareness of the "uniqueness of one's own personality" and the experience of "bitterness from the mismatch of self-esteem with the reaction of others" . This, as you understand, led to a conflict with society. But precisely because of this, the writer revealed himself as an original, original, sometimes contradictory, but still unique personality, whose works played a big role in the development of Russian drama and literature in general.

A.P. Sumarokov (1717-1777): Life and work: Sat. Art. and materials / Ros. Go. B-ka; Comp. E.P. Mstislavskaya. - M .: Pashkov House, 2002. - 304 p. - (To the 285th anniversary of the birth and 225th anniversary of the death) p. 42

The history of the interpretation of the concept of "comedy"

The definition of comedy in ancient times differs sharply from modern understanding. Now comedy is a genre of fiction characterized by a humorous and satirical approach. It is also a type of drama in which the moment of effective conflict or struggle of antagonistic characters is specifically resolved.

And in ancient, ancient times, comedy was defined as a genre of fiction, which is characterized by a bad beginning and a happy ending.

Sumarokov himself in his "Epistle on Poetry" defines the social and educational function of comedy, its purpose:

The property of comedy is to correct temper with a mockery;

To laugh and use is its direct charter.

That is, by exposing human vices in a funny way, comedy should contribute to the liberation from them.

The origins of comedy creativity Sumarokov

During the period of his literary activity (second half of the 1730s - late 1750s) Sumarokov became the largest literary exponent of the ideology of the advanced nobility of the middle of the 18th century. His worldview was determined by "an understanding of the role and significance of the nobility in the Russian state as the main driving force of social progress." In his opinion, people differ in public life only in the degree of clarity of their "mind". Sumarokov also recognizes the natural equality of people and inequality in society. At the same time, the poet did not approve of the slavish forms of exploitation of serfs by landlords, because the nobles had to be impeccable in everything.

In the work of Sumarokov, as in other phenomena noble culture those years, reflected the changes that took place in the Russian nobility in the 50-60s. XVIII century. Palace coups did not affect the social basis of the feudal state, but only led to a change in the “handfuls” of the ruling class. The coup of 1741, which placed Elizabeth on the throne and removed the Germans from power, led to the emergence of a new “handful” (Bestuzhev, Vorontsov, Shuvalov). The embezzlement, embezzlement, bribery, arbitrariness of officials that followed this event caused indignation. On the other hand, the development of luxury among the nobility, extravagance, increased exploitation of the peasants by the landlords - all this resented Sumarokov.

That is why in his early work there was criticism of the courtier, “proud, swollen like a frog”, and high society dandy, and bribe-takers - clerks. And as time went on, he felt more compelled to oppose the ways of Elizabethan rule.

The ideological and artistic originality of A.P. Sumarokova

P.N. Berkov. History of Russian comedy of the 18th century. L.: Ed. "Science", 1977. pp. 31-43

Comedy creativity Sumarokov lasted over 20 years. Sumarokov's comedies are by no means abstract satires on universal human vices. Almost all of his comedies, with the possible exception of "Three brothers of partners", are characterized by one common feature- pamphlet. This is a frank means of literary and social struggle, directed against certain individuals, against specific, personal enemies of the playwright - Trediakovsky, Sumarokov's son-in-law A.I. Buturlin, writer F.A. Emlin and others, or against those whom he considered enemies of the noble group to which he himself belonged. This feature of Sumarokov's comedies was clear to his contemporaries.

Sumarokov's comedies are divided into 3 periods of the writer's work:

1 period - 1750

2nd period - 1764-1768

3rd period - 1772-1774

Outside of these groups, the comedy Dowry by Deception differs from the rest not only in the chronology of its appearance, but also in themes, construction methods and some other characteristics. We will consider it a little later.

1 period. Of Sumarokov's comedies of the 1750s - Tresotinius, Arbitration Court, Husband and Wife Quarrel, Narcissus - the pamphlet is most clearly expressed in Tresotinius. The audience immediately recognized Trediakovsky in the main character. The focus of Sumarokov's attention is not the entertaining of the plot, but the depiction of the main negative character as a concrete personality - in other words, the pamphlet in Tresotinius prevails over the comic in action.

The scheme outlined in Tresotinius is maintained by Sumarokov basically in almost all of his other comedies: the comic action develops only in order to show in more detail the main character in pamphlet and - to a certain extent - socially generalized.

The pamphlet character of Sumarokov's first comedies also determined the manner of "building" the language of the main characters. Being an outstanding parodist and loving this literary genre, Sumarokov successfully and, apparently, vividly conveyed the language of Trediakovsky, petimeters, clerks, the prototype of Fatyuya and Narcissus-Beketov. This parody-caricature style helped the playwright to make his characters easily recognizable, funny, and sometimes even completely funny. However, it also had a negative meaning: against the backdrop of a bright, noticeably stylized, parodic speech of the main characters, the language of the rest of the characters somehow smoothed out, lost its expressiveness.

It is also noteworthy that the characters, when they have to express the idea of ​​the play, do not speak their usual language, as in other parts of the comedy, but a higher, even somewhat bookish one, reminiscent of the language of Sumarokov's prose. As a result, Sumarokov's early comedies do not leave a holistic impression in terms of language.

In the "Arbitration Court" ridicule of pedantry and clergy is vehemently expressed. What was new was that Sumarokov ironically depicted here a dandy - the gallomaniac Dyulizh, who has a pamphlet portrait combined with socially generalized features. It is noteworthy that Sumarokov in the "Arbitration Court" takes the opportunity to show the "monstrosity" of his heroes in relation to the Russian language. For example, in the VI phenomenon of the first act, Krititsyondius, a hero-parody of Trediakovsky, repeating the arguments from his article, ridicules the expression “Give me a seat!” Used in the tragedy “Khorev” by Prince Kiy. Dulizh proposes to change the phrase to "Give me a canapé!".

For Sumarokov, the “corruption of the language” by clerks with their bureaucracy, pedants with their Slavic and Latin language is a phenomenon that should be fought in all kinds of literary genres: in satire, in the theoretical “epistole”, in comedy. "Corruption of the language" for Sumarokov is a social disaster, and he pays great attention to this issue. Thus, in the comedy "A Quarrel between a Husband and Wife", we are presented with an example of the jargon of "helicopters" and "helicopters", which in the future will lay the foundation for the motive of satirical ridicule of these types in Russian literature.

Expanding the circle of the comedic image, Sumarokov in “A Quarrel between a Husband and Wife” gives the first sketch in Russian comedy of a village nobleman, Fatya, distinguished by ignorance, playing with his serfs in a pile and drinking honey and kvass.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that Sumarokov is beginning to grope for new ways of artistic generalization. From this side, the comedy "Narcissus" also deserves attention, which is interesting in that Sumarokov sets new tasks in it. Meaning "passion" and not "personality", Sumarokov admits that Narcissus "is a man like a man, but because of his pride on his beauty, he is completely shawl" (i.e. a madman).

There is a certain system in the choice of characters' names in Sumarokov's comedies of 1750, as well as in later ones. "Lovers", father of the bride, maid, i.e. characters familiar to the court audience from French comedies received names from classical French comedy (Doront, Octavius, Clarice, etc.) or built on their model (Infimena), as well as from Italian interludes (Arlikin, Pasquin). Some negative characters were supplied with fanciful, invented nicknames, such as Tresotinius, Krititsiondius; others received from Sumarokova Russian folklore names - Fatyuy, Dodon. This style of name marked the beginning of a certain tradition of Russian comedy. This gave Sumarokov's comedies some kind of non-Russian character.

The intrigue in Sumarokov's comedies of the 1750s is simple, but the number of actors is quite large. Unsuccessful matchmaking was the main line of development of the plot. In the center are the positive hero and heroine, whose marriage ends the comedy, they are opposed by a negative applicant or several applicants; the parents of the bride, or at least her father, are obligatory; the servants of the "lovers" or the servant of the owner of the house, the clerk are also obligatory characters. The rest of the characters (pedants, Erast the bully in Tresotinius, judges in the Arbitration Court) are episodic, although they sometimes have significant significance. A deviation from the usual plot scheme is "A quarrel between a husband and wife." This comedy does not have the usual denouement, but is limited to Delamida's statement that she does not intend to get married. Thus, the unusual denouement was supposed to serve the purpose of ridiculing "crazy coquettes."

Sumarokov introduces in his early comedies one technique that will remain for a long time in the practice of Russian comedians of the XV I I I century: the action of the play often begins with a brief monologue of a servant or maid, in which the content of the comedy is succinctly stated and a general description of the main characters is given. least replaced the then usual libretto of the play. There are few remarks in these comedies: they sparingly characterize the movement or intonations of the characters, but do not aim to depict the interior.

These features, linking Sumarokov's early comedies with the Italian comedy of masks, were largely preserved in his subsequent works.

2 period. Despite the fact that the method of conditional depiction of characters is also characteristic of the second group of comedies, nevertheless, they differ from the first ones in a greater depth and conditionality of the image of the main characters.

The second group of comedies written between 1764 and 1768 are comedies of character. Their essence is that all attention is paid to the main character, and the rest of the characters serve to reveal the character traits of the main character. So, "Guardian" is a comedy about a nobleman - usurer, swindler and hypocrite Outsider, "Poisonous" - about the slanderer Herostratus, "Narcissus" - a comedy about a narcissistic dandy. The rest of the characters are positive and act as reasoners. Sumarokov's images of negative heroes are most successful, in whose characters many satirical features are noticed, although their image is still far from creating a socially generalized type.

One of best comedies of this period is the comedy "Guardian", which focuses on the image of a hypocrite, a miserly nobleman Outsider, ripping off orphans who fell under his care. The “original” of the Outsider is a relative of Sumarokov, son-in-law of Buturlin. It is characteristic that he is also depicted as a central image in other comedies (The Likhoimets, Dowry by Deception). In the comedy "Guardian" Sumarokov does not show the bearer of some kind of vice, but draws a complex character. Before us is not only a miser who knows neither pity nor conscience, but he is a hypocrite, an ignoramus, a debauchee. Disclosure of character is facilitated by both speech and characteristics, and everyday details.

New in comedies about the miser is a broader reflection of Russian reality. The comedies of this period include everyday life, sometimes even in small details.

Sumarokov's comedy "Poisonous" (1768) is close to the comedies about the miserly. This is the most pamphlet play. It is generally accepted that, in the person of Herostratus, the author settled accounts with his literary opponent, the writer F.A. Emin. Although a closer analysis of the hints scattered in the comedy, one can understand that the situation was more complicated. The image of Herostratus is made up of features characteristic of various literary and other figures of that time. The principle of "expansion" of the originally given image of the "poisonous", i.e., the slanderer, the slanderer, is found here to a greater extent than in comedies about the stingy.

The influence of the achievements of Russian comedy of the late 1750s - the first half of the 1760s is also reflected in the language of the characters: noble "lovers" speak in a "high" style, their speech is rich in inversions, often has a dactylic ending.

Sumarokov's pamphlet comedies of the 1760s have a number of features that make them related to his tragedies of the same time: they also carry out a certain political trend, which manifests itself in different ways in different comedies. So, in the comedies about the miser, the main idea is the assertion that usury, to which both Elizabeth and Catherine II declared war on the throne upon accession to the throne, continues, despite everything, to flourish.

In the comedy Dowry by Deception, the usurer Salidar says: “Before, they took sevo for fifteen, twenty rubles and more from a hundred percent, and now they are ordered to take only six rubles from a hundred; Isn't this a ruin, but especially for kind people who know how to save money? Such a profit brings the state bank! However, many still take it, who are smarter and do not look at it: if you act according to the Holy Scriptures and according to the decrees in everything, you will never get rich. In The Guardian, this motive is not developed, but replaced by the theme of misappropriation of other people's property, but it is emphasized with particular force in the comedy Likhoimets.

Elements of a pamphlet orientation in the comedy "Guardian" are manifested in the reasoning of Pasquin's servant that "cuckolds cannot wear skufey, but they wear orders"

Z period. In the early 1770s. Sumarokov continues his dramatic work, moreover, in pamphlet terms, despite Catherine's struggle with accusatory comedies. By 1772, 3 of his comedies belong: “Cuckold by Imagination”, “Mother - Daughter's Companion” and “Scumbag”. There is no data confirming their writing in this particular year.

Everything new in Russian comedy that emerged at the turn of the 1760s and 1770s was reflected in three latest comedies Sumarokov.

Here the principle of generalization, which had only just begun to emerge in the comedies of the 1750s and which was not fully developed in his “comedies about the miserly” of the 1760s, became dominant. They also have both pafletism and portraiture, but they no longer play such a major role, but the principle of generalization.

In The Cuckold by Imagination, for the first time in a Russian comedy, the question of the sale of serfs is raised. However, when it comes to the sale of Nisa, Khavronya condemns not the sale of people in general, but the fact that it is a sin to “take so much money for a girl” (d. III, vl. 1). But this feature characterizes only the "wildness" of the landowner.

In Minodora, the heroine of the comedy "Mother is a Daughter's Companion", despite her emphasized pamphlet and portraiture, Sumarokov again seeks to give a generalization. “Edaky ladies are wound up now! - speaks of the servant B a r b a r and s. - So that they don’t eat meat during the posts, they watch it, but in order not to like strangers, they forgot about it, as if robbers: they cut people, and they don’t sip milk on Wednesdays ”(case I I, I in sheet 8)

The pamphlet comedies of Sumarokov, thanks to the principle of generalization applied by him, acquired great social acuteness. In them, he shows both the rural and Moscow nobility from an unattractive side. The “new” promised by Catherine did not justify itself: “Whatever they do now, it will soon deteriorate,” the pessimistic author says through the Fool (I am in fol. 13).

The principle of generalization, already outlined by Sumarokov, finally took shape in his work under the influence of the achievements of comedy in the 1760s and early 1770s. It is possible that Sumarokov, when he wrote "Vzdorshchitsu", knew the early "Undergrowth": both comedies have common elements, for example, the play on words "klob - bug" at rak at the end of the 2nd I in len and I); it is possible that the image of the Fool was inspired by Sumarokov, in addition to everyday observations, by M. I. Verevkin’s comedy “So It Should Be”, in which there is a similar character. In "Cuckold by Imagination" one passage is completely reminiscent of the "tearful comedies" hated by Sumarokov; this is a monologue of N and with s, beginning with the words: “Cry, N and with a! Cry and sob, O dear Nisa!” (d. I, yavl. 18).

Sumarokov's comedies of the early 1770s are thus of considerable interest. In his old age, at the end of his creative activity, Sumarokov created perhaps his best comedies. In any case, with regard to the "Cuckold by Imagination" these words are certainly true. One can only regret that Sumarokov “left Talya” for “his most gracious Melpomene” and, returning in 1774 for the last time to dramatic activity, wrote the tragedy “Mstislav”, which added nothing to his fame, and did not turn yet time for comedy.

Exposing the life of the nobility in his latest comedies, touching on the issue of the sale of serfs along the way, Sumarokov undoubtedly contributed to the penetration into the public consciousness of many, for that time, extremely advanced ideas. For example, just before the start of the Pugachev uprising, such a part of the dialogue between the landowner Burda and the servant Rosemary should have sounded topical (“Vzdorshchitsa”):

R o z m a r i n. Whenever you mutilate a driver, being a horse, it would be lost, because horses are not subject to laws; although people do not all obey the laws.

B u r d a. Yes, horses are whipped without guilt.

R o z m a r i n. Other gentlemen whip people without guilt, and they sell them in the same way as they sell horses.

B u r d a. To press between an ignoble person and a horse and there is little difference.

R o z m a r i n. We, madam, are never born either crow-footed or bay-footed, but we still have the same wool as you, and we do not eat hay.

B u r d a. Whatever it is, you are not a noble.

R o z m a r i n. Not noble, not noble! like a name of nobility and a dignity like feathers in the world! It’s like it’s a great title then, when I don’t know how to sit face to face.

(D. I, yavl. 9)

Along with issues of serfdom, Sumarokov, in his last comedies, also touches on the old in his work, but very topical in the early 1770s, the topic of "orders", clerks and their rogues (see "Mother - daughter's partner", d. I I I, yavl 5) .

However, Sumarokov did not take into account all the achievements of young playwrights: the environment in which the action of his new comedies unfolds does not interest him. In "The Bouncer" there are no indications at all where the action takes place, and in the comedy "Mother - Daughter's Companion" this is said very briefly: "Action in Moscow."

Analysis of the comedy "Cuckold by Imagination".

The comedy Cuckold by Imagination (1772) belongs to the period of Sumarokov's mature comedies and is the most outstanding. Here he raised the theme developed in Fonvizin's "Undergrowth" - about the barbaric social practice of the dark reactionary landlord "masses".

The main characters in it are a couple of provincial small estate nobles with characteristic, typical names - Vikul and Khavronya. Limited interests, ignorance, narrow-mindedness characterizes them. With all this, the characters of the comedy are not one-sided. Ridiculing the savagery, the absurdity of these people who talk about "sowing, reaping, chickens," Sumarokov also shows features that evoke sympathy for them. Vikul and Khavronya touch with their mutual affection. They are kind to their pupil, the poor girl of the yard family Floriza.

The absurdity of the life of the main characters is also emphasized by the plot of the comedy. Vikul was jealous of his sixty-year-old Khavronya for the brilliant Count Kassandra, who is in love with Floriza. Vikul reproaches Khavronya for infidelity, believing that she set the horns on him. Here is a short dialogue:

Sow. Fu, dad! How are you not afraid of God? What thoughts came to you in old age; how to say this to people, they will laugh so much! By the way, did you think of that?

Vikul. How not to be afraid that people happen to other people.

Sow. I'm no longer a young woman, so why should you be afraid.

Vikul. Yes, there is a proverb that thunder does not always rumble from a heavenly cloud, but sometimes from a dunghill.

The speech characteristics of the characters help to recreate the appearance and customs of the provincial nobles. Their speech individualization grows out of an unpretentious way of life with its daily village cares and hospitality. These people are characterized by spontaneity in expressing feelings, their language is a vivid example of live colloquial speech. It is full of proverbs and sayings:

Butler. Yes, you don’t overtighten the graph; according to the proverb: Don't fight the strong, don't fight the rich. And with such a rich and noble person, where can we fight?

Vikul. It's amazing, isn't it, my friend? the louse will become more expensive than the casing.

The scene of Khavronya ordering a “ceremonial” dinner and social events is remarkable.

conversations with which Khavronya tries to entertain the count:

And I drank a cup of coffee to the health of your great excellency, but something grumbles on my stomach; Yes, that’s enough, it’s from yesterday evening: I ate fried roach and scavengers, and gorged myself on botvinia, and most of all from peas. And the peas were the lightest; and they served me on a grated plate, and the butter for it was walnut, and not some other.

"Cuckold by Imagination" is an undoubted masterpiece of all Sumarokov's comedic work.

The value of comedy creativity Sumarokov

Creativity Sumarokov - the most important link in the Russian historical and literary process. His achievements were accepted by modern writers, and what he did was included in the treasury of great Russian literature. This continuity was one of the first to be pointed out by A.N. Radishchev, while noting the merit of Lomonosov: “A great husband can give birth to a great husband; and here is your victorious crown. ABOUT! Lomonosov, you produced Sumarokov. (Radishchev A.N. selected works. Moscow - 1952. From 196)

Gukovsky G.A. in his work "Russian Literature of the 18th Century" says that Sumarokov's comedies did not constitute a significant stage in the development of Russian dramaturgy, although they have certain advantages - first of all, the fact that Sumarokov was the first to write comedies in Russia, with the exception of interludes and advanced plays.

In the first comedies of Sumarokov there is no real connecting plot. There is no unity of action in them, therefore, there is no true way of life, a way of life. The whole manner in these plays is conditionally grotesque. Everything on the stage is a complete farce.

In the subsequent period of his work, Sumarokov moves on to the type of so-called comedies of characters (find what it is !!!) In each play, one image is in the center of attention, all other characters are created either to shade the central image, or to fiction the plot.

In 1765, V. I. Lukin wrote about Sumarokov's comedies:

“I once read comedies, it is very similar to our old games

living creatures that I was told were made in the same way

laid down and decently in characters sustained and pre

lay them down to novice writers as an example of comic writings.

But against the aspirations of these gentlemen, all readers do not find mentors

in them there is neither a tie, nor a tie, but they find the only thing that

they are unsuccessfully taken from foreign writers, and they, to our shame,

due to the non-property of characters and due to the strange arrangement and interweaving into our language, they are almost dragged by force.

Finally, in the Dramatic Dictionary (1 7 8 7), where sympathetic and sometimes enthusiastic reviews of various plays of the Russian repertoire of the 1750-1780s are often found, all Sumarokov's comedies are only described and not accompanied by any ratings (with the exception of " Dowry by deceit”, about which it is said that this comedy “has been presented many times at Russian theaters and has always been favorably received by the public”). All this testifies that by the end of the 1780s Sumarokov's comedies, both early and later, ceased to be an actual phenomenon of the Russian stage.