Analysis of the comedy by A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"
A comedy written by Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov. Unfortunately, there is no exact data on the time of the origin of the comedy idea. According to some reports, it was conceived in 1816, but there are suggestions that Griboedov's first thoughts about comedy appeared even earlier. Having finished the work in 1824, the author made a lot of efforts to print it, but he did not succeed. It was also not possible to obtain permission for the production of "Woe from Wit", but this did not prevent the wide popularity of the comedy. She diverged in the lists, she was read, discussed, admired.
"Woe from Wit" stands at the origins of the birth of national Russian literature, opening a new era in its history - the era of realism. The author pays tribute to the traditions of classicism (the unity of action, place and time, "meaningful" names, a love affair), but the play fully reflects the reality of that time, the characters of its characters are multifaceted (suffice it to recall Famusov, flirting with Lisa, fawning over Skalozub, reading instructions to Sophia) . The comedy is written in vivid Russian, the sharp, polemical dialogue captivates her, makes her feel the intensity of the action. I.A. Goncharov wrote in critical article“A million torments”, that the play depicts a long period of Russian life, that “in a group of twenty faces, all former Moscow, its drawing, its then spirit, historical moment and customs were reflected, like a ray of light in a drop of water.”
Griboyedov's comedy is based on conflicts: love and social. One with the other turns out to be closely connected, personal problems follow from the public. Griboedov wrote in a letter to one of his friends: “... A girl, herself not stupid, prefers a fool smart person(not because the mind of us sinners was ordinary, no! and in my comedy there are 25 fools per sane person); and this man, of course, is in conflict with the society around him, no one understands him, no one wants to forgive him, why is he a little higher than the others ... "
Main character play, Alexander Andreyevich Chatsky, after a three-year absence, returned to Moscow and immediately, without stopping home, appeared at Famusov's house. One of the many reasons that prompted Chatsky to leave the capital was one that most disturbed and tormented his heart - love for Sophia. Sophia is smart, Chatsky was sure of this. As a fourteen-year-old girl, she laughed with him both at the young aunt and at the father's devotion to the English club. If there had not been this sympathy in the past, if then - three years ago - she had not shared, albeit semi-childishly, without a sufficiently deep understanding, his opinions and thoughts, he probably would not have indulged in questions and reminiscences. Trying to resume conversations interrupted three years ago, Chatsky wanted to know if she was still laughing at what was funny to him, that is, he wanted to understand the current way of her thoughts. If she is now his like-minded person, then the hopes were not in vain.
But Sophia unequivocally condemned even his lightest mockery of Moscow. Naturally, suspicion arose:
...Is there really no groom here?
And the most important thing in the painful search for Chatsky was that the criterion of the mind was the only one for him. That's why the puffer did not arouse great suspicions in him, because the clever Sophia could not love such a fool. For the same reasons, for a long time he did not believe in her love for Molchalin. Even for a moment, he did not want to admit that the clever Sophia could sincerely praise her lover for his lackey humility and obsequiousness.
Griboedov the realist perfectly understood that a person's character is formed under the influence of living conditions - in the broad sense of the word - and, above all, under the influence of the immediate environment: family ties, upbringing, everyday customs, traditional views, opinions, prejudices, etc. You can understand a person only when you know his environment. Therefore, the author introduces us in sufficient detail to the environment in which Sophia was formed as a person in the absence of Chatsky.
Most of all, this society is characterized by Famusov, Sophia's father. Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov is a typical Moscow gentleman of the beginning of the century before last with a characteristic mixture of tyranny and patriarchy. He is used to being a gentleman, he is very confident in himself and loves himself. He occupies a large official post, but he also treats the service in a lordly way, does not burden himself with it. His political ideals boil down to the glorification of everything old, established: he lives well, and he does not want any changes. The ideal person for Famusov is one who has made a profitable career, no matter what means. Subservience and meanness is also a good path for him if it leads to desired result. Famusov is not an abstract evil, but a concrete, living one. You believe in its reality - and therefore it is especially frightening.
Famusov likes Colonel Sergei Sergeevich Skalozub. He is relatively young, but tomorrow he will certainly become a general; he is a reliable defender of antiquity. Skalozub is a noisy, uniformed, preoccupied with military exercises and dances typical Arakcheev officer, stupid and thoughtless, an opponent of any free thought and enlightenment.
Aleksey Stepanovich Molchalin also belongs to the Famus society, moreover, he is a direct product of it. From the very first appearance, he seems to be a complete nonentity: he is afraid to utter an extra word, willingly pleases everyone, does not dare to have his own opinion, considers “moderation and accuracy” his main talent. These properties ensure his present and future success in the Famus world.
The Famus society is represented not only by the main characters of the play, but also by episodic ones.
Old Khlestova is an important Moscow lady, rude, imperious, accustomed not to restrain herself in words. She, even in relation to Famusov, cannot help but show her authority. And at the same time, she is very similar to Famusov: both with a constant desire to command people, and devotion to the old, obsolete foundations and orders.
Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky is a necessary companion of the Famusovs and Khlestovs. He is always ready to offer his services, while his dubious moral qualities do not embarrass the owners of society. Khlestova says about him:
He is a liar, a gambler, a thief ...
I was from him and the doors were locked;
Yes, master to serve ...
Speaking of Zagoretsky, Khlestova also characterizes herself, shows the moral level of both her own and her circle. The circle that Chatsky opposes.
Chatsky is freedom-loving, his ideals are the ideals of the Enlightenment, he sees his duty and life calling in serving the Motherland. The orders existing in Russia revolt him, he angrily denounces the "noble scoundrels" - the feudal lords, who are strangling everything new, oppressing their own people. He is a true patriot, he does not understand the admiration for everything foreign that exists in high society. Chatsky embodied best features progressive youth early XIX century, he is distinguished by a sharp, lively mind. Showing the conflicts of the hero and the society surrounding him, the author reveals the content of the main conflict of the era: the clash of the “current century and the past century”, which does not want to give up its positions. The positions of the “age of the past” are still strong: its representatives form public opinion, the opinion of the world, which is of great importance in the life of anyone. It costs them nothing to declare a person crazy, thereby making him safe for themselves: madness explains Chatsky's impudent speeches, his "strange" behavior. But Sophia keeps Chatsky in Famusov's house, her fate, her attitude towards him.
It was necessary to see a nightly date, to hear with your own ears that it was Sophia who invented and put into circulation the gossip about madness, in order to finally understand that she had long ago made her choice - the choice between him and Molchalin, between the high ideals of humanity and the morality of Famus Moscow. Maybe she does not want to make peace with Molchalin, but Chatsky is lost to her forever. Now it remains for her, together with the priest, to wait with fear, "what Princess Marya Alekseevna will say."
In the comedy, the "past century" wins, but is Chatsky defeated? "Chatsky is broken quantity old force,” writes I.A. Goncharov in the article “A Million of Torments”. In the words of Goncharov, Chatsky is the "forerunner", "pioneer" of the new, and therefore - "always a victim." “Chatsky is inevitable when one century is replaced by another,” the writer concludes.
These words contain the eternal, universal meaning of Griboyedov's play. The struggle between the old and the new will always continue. The author, with an unsurpassed power of persuasiveness, showed that the power of the old is defective, blind.
A huge number of quotes from "Woe from Wit" became sayings, catchphrases, firmly taking their place in the Russian language, thereby ensuring immortality for the comedy, just like its author, Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov. “Woe from Wit” is still unsolved and, perhaps, the greatest creation of all our literature ... ”(A. Blok).
The history of the creation of comedy
The comedy "Woe from Wit" is the main and most valuable result of A.S. Griboyedov. When studying the comedy Woe from Wit, one should analyze, first of all, the conditions in which the play was written. It touches upon the issue of the brewing confrontation between the progressive and conservative nobility. Griboedov makes fun of morals secular society early 19th century. In this regard, the creation of such a work was a rather bold step in that period of the development of Russian history.
There is a known case when Griboyedov, returning from abroad, found himself at one of the aristocratic receptions in St. Petersburg. There he was outraged by the obsequious attitude of society towards one foreign guest. Griboyedov's progressive views prompted him to express his sharply negative opinion on this matter. The guests considered young man crazy, and the news of this quickly spread through the community. It was this incident that prompted the writer to create a comedy.
Theme and problems of the play
It is advisable to start the analysis of the comedy "Woe from Wit" by referring to its name. It reflects the idea of the play. Grief from his sanity is experienced by the main character of the comedy - Alexander Andreyevich Chatsky, who is rejected by society only because he is smarter than the people around him. Another problem follows from this: if a society rejects a person of an extraordinary mind, then how does this characterize society itself? Chatsky feels uncomfortable among people who consider him insane. This gives rise to numerous speech clashes between the protagonist and representatives of the society he hates. In these conversations, each side considers itself smarter than the interlocutor. Only the mind of the conservative nobility lies in the ability to adapt to existing circumstances in order to obtain maximum material benefits. Anyone who does not pursue ranks and money for them is a madman.
Accepting the views of Chatsky for the conservative nobility means starting to change their lives in accordance with the requirements of the time. Nobody finds this convenient. It's easier to declare Chatsky crazy, because then you can simply ignore his diatribes.
In the clash between Chatsky and representatives of aristocratic society, the author raises a number of philosophical, moral, national, cultural and everyday issues. Within the framework of these topics, the problems of serfdom, service to the state, education, family life. All these problems are revealed in comedy through the prism of understanding the mind.
The conflict of a dramatic work and its originality
The peculiarity of the conflict in the play "Woe from Wit" lies in the fact that there are two of them: love and social. social controversy lies in the clash of interests and views of the representatives of the "current century" in the person of Chatsky and the "past century" in the person of Famusov and his supporters. Both conflicts are closely related to each other.
Love experiences force Chatsky to come to Famusov's house, where he has not been for three years. He finds his beloved Sophia in a confused state, she accepts him very coldly. Chatsky does not realize that he arrived at the wrong time. Sophia is busy with experiences love story with Molchalin, his father's secretary, who lives in their house. Endless thoughts about the reasons for the cooling of Sophia's feelings make Chatsky ask questions of his beloved, her father, Molchalin. During the dialogues, it turns out that Chatsky's views differ from each of the interlocutors. They argue about service, about ideals, about the mores of secular society, about education, about the family. The views of Chatsky frighten the representatives of the "past century", because they threaten the usual way of life of the Famus society. Conservative nobles are not ready for change, so a rumor about Chatsky's madness, accidentally launched by Sophia, instantly spreads in society. The protagonist's lover is the source of unpleasant gossip because it interferes with her personal happiness. And this again sees the interweaving of love and social conflicts.
Comedy character system
In the depiction of characters, Griboedov does not adhere to a clear division into positive and negative, which was mandatory for classicism. All heroes have both positive and negative traits. For example, Chatsky is smart, honest, brave, independent, but he is also quick-tempered, unceremonious. Famusov is the son of his age, but at the same time he is a wonderful father. Sophia, ruthless towards Chatsky, is smart, brave and determined.
But the use of "speaking" surnames in the play is a direct legacy of classicism. In the surname of the hero, Griboedov tries to put the leading feature of his personality. For example, the surname Famusov is derived from the Latin fama, which means "rumour". Therefore, Famusov is the person who is most concerned about public opinion. It is enough to recall his final remark to be convinced of this: “... What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say!”. Chatsky was originally Chadsky. This surname hints that the hero is in the midst of his struggle with the mores of an aristocratic society. The hero Repetilov is also interesting in this respect. His surname is connected with the French word repeto - I repeat. This character is a caricatured double of Chatsky. He does not have own opinion, but only repeats other people's words, including the words of Chatsky.
It is important to pay attention to the placement of characters. social conflict occurs mainly between Chatsky and Famusov. A love confrontation is built between Chatsky, Sofia and Molchalin. These are the main characters. Unites love and public conflict the figure of Chatsky.
The most difficult in the comedy "Woe from Wit" is the image of Sophia. It is difficult to attribute it to people who adhere to the views of the "gone century". In relations with Molchalin, she despises the opinion of society. Sophia reads a lot, loves art. She is disgusted by the stupid Puffer. But you can’t call her a supporter of Chatsky either, because in conversations with him she reproaches him for his causticity, ruthlessness in words. It was her word about Chatsky's madness that became decisive in the fate of the protagonist.
Both secondary and episodic characters are important in the play. For example, Lisa, Skalozub are directly involved in the development of a love conflict, complicating and deepening it. episodic characters, appearing on a visit to Famusov (Tugoukhovskaya, Khryumin, Zagoretsky), more fully reveal the mores of Famusov society.
Development of dramatic action
Analysis of the actions of "Woe from Wit" will reveal compositional features works and features of the development of dramatic action.
All the phenomena of the first act before the arrival of Chatsky can be considered an exposition of the comedy. Here the reader gets acquainted with the scene and learns not only about the love affair between Sophia and Molchalin, but also that Sophia used to have tender feelings for Chatsky, who left to wander around the world. The appearance of Chatsky in the seventh appearance of the first act is the plot. This is followed by a parallel development of social and love conflicts. Chatsky's conflict with the Famus society reaches its peak at the ball - this is the culmination of the action. The fourth act, 14th comedy phenomenon (Chatsky's final monologue) is the denouement of both the social and love lines.
In the denouement, Chatsky is forced to retreat before the Famus society, because he is in the minority. But he can hardly be considered defeated. It's just that Chatsky's time has not yet come, a split in the noble environment has only just begun.
The originality of the play
Research and analysis of the work "Woe from Wit" will reveal its bright originality. Traditionally, "Woe from Wit" is considered to be the first Russian realistic play. Despite this, the features inherent in classicism have been preserved in it: “speaking” surnames, the unity of time (the events of the comedy take place within one day), the unity of place (the play takes place in Famusov’s house). However, Griboyedov refuses the unity of action: two conflicts develop in parallel in comedy, which contradicts the traditions of classicism. In the image of the protagonist, the formula of romanticism is also clearly visible: an exceptional hero (Chatsky) in unusual circumstances.
Thus, the relevance of the play's problems, its unconditional innovation, the aphoristic language of comedy are not only of great importance in the history of Russian literature and dramaturgy, but also contribute to the popularity of comedy among modern readers.
Artwork test
It took two years to write the play. This play cannot be attributed to the genre of comedy, despite the fact that the author himself considers "Woe from Wit" a comedy.
There is drama and tragedy in the play. The end of the play is also tragic. The play consists of two types of conflict: a love drama and a confrontation between the new time and the old. Also, there is a romantic conflict.
The writer condemns careerism, the injustice of serfdom, ignorance, the problem of education, martinetism. With the help of secondary characters, which the author added to his play, Griboedov, resorting to satire, condemns the stupid, deceitful, vulgar people who occupy good positions and position in society, but do not cause any respect in relation to themselves. Even the best moral qualities good man, may be lost under the influence of the majority (the Famusov society). So, circumstances forced Molchalin (a good person with positive qualities) to change his moral principles. In order to succeed, the hero is forced to live according to the canons of this society, to adapt to the environment.
The names of some characters are speaking. The surname "Molchalin" hints to the reader that the character is a hidden nature, a hypocrite. The surname "Skalozub" is a person with a boorish character.
Nowadays, people use idioms and Griboedov's quotes, without knowing it. The title reflects the very idea and essence of the play. The main character could not find his place in society and is rejected by this society, only because he is smarter than other people. This is the main problem: what good can be said about this society, which rejects an intelligent person, considering him a madman. Chatsky looks like a madman in the eyes of society, since he is the only one who does not pursue money, status and ranks. It is not convenient for society to change its habitual life for the sake of one person who is trying to explain the expediency of change in accordance with the requirements of the present. It is preferable for society to declare this one person - gone mad, than to listen to him.
This comedy reveals the problems of serfdom, education, serving the state. It is noteworthy that the author does not divide his characters strictly into positive and bad guys. All of them have both positive and negative qualities. For example, Chatsky is an honest, intelligent, independent and courageous person. But at the same time, he is quick-tempered, impulsive and touchy. Famusov, despite his negative qualities, is also an excellent father.
Analysis 2
One of the most amazing works The nineteenth century is considered to be the comedy of Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov "Woe from Wit". It was created by the writer in 1822-1824, ten years after the Patriotic War of 1812. While writing the play, Griboedov was inspired by the stories of his childhood friend Evgenia Grekhova.
"Woe from Wit" contains elements of various literary trends such as: classicism, romanticism and realism. In comedy, one of the three unities included in the norms of classicism is observed: the unity of time. However, other laws of classicism are not respected: there are four acts in comedy instead of five; there is no unity of action: there are two storylines in the work.
You should also pay special attention to the composition of the work. It is circular: it all started and ended in Famusov's house.
Comedy is based on social conflict. This is a conflict of different characters and worldviews, in which Alexander Andreevich Chatsky opposes the entire Moscow society. Chatsky is an ardent opponent of serfdom. He wants to serve the cause and considers service to be an activity for the common good, while others use service to serve their own ends. This is confirmed by his phrase: "I would be glad to serve, it is sickening to serve." Alexander Andreevich is against imitation of foreign, he believes that the preservation of the culture and traditions of his own people is much more important. Also, Chatsky "does not recognize the authorities", speaking out for the freedom of the individual.
The second, no less important basis of the work is love line. Griboedov went beyond the generally accepted, destroying the "love triangle" and creating a "love square". In the center of this "square" is the girl Lisa - the maid of the Famusov house. She is in love with another servant, Petrushka. At the same time, Famusov and Molchalin show signs of attention to the girl. Famusov's daughter, Sophia, is in love with the latter. In which, in turn, Chatsky and Skalozub are in love. We end up with a long string of comedy love affairs.
In conclusion, we can say that the play by Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov "Woe from Wit" is a complex work with a ring composition, which is based on a social conflict and a love line. This comedy shows us how strong the reluctance of change in society. The work teaches that one should not thoughtlessly imitate someone, but be oneself, no matter how you are condemned.
Woe from Wit - Analysis
Griboedov's work "Woe from Wit" is a recognized work of the great writer.
The whole ideological essence is displayed in the title of the play. The sound mind of the protagonist Chatsky gives him a lot of problems, as a result of which he is rejected in the society around him. Chatsky is uncomfortable being in the company of people who consider him crazy. In numerous speech clashes, everyone tries to show his mind. Representatives of the nobility are trying to get a profit in everything, and everyone who does not pursue profit becomes a complete madman in their eyes.
The conservative representatives of the nobility could not agree with the opinion of Chatsky, since none of them was ready to adapt to the new time format. So that Chatsky's opinion is not heard, he is declared crazy.
In the play there are two conflicts at once, which are social and love orientation. Social inequality can be traced in the clash of views of modern and long outdated.
Old love memories push Chatsky to go to Famusov's house, where he finds Sofya in confusion. Chatsky thinks about the reasons for the cooling of Sophia's feelings. He asks questions on this subject to everyone, during the dialogues it turns out that no one is able to understand Chatsky's opinions and experiences.
Griboedov endows his heroes with both positive and negative qualities. For example, Chatsky, endowed with intelligence, honor and courage, also has a temper.
The writer, working on a play in the style of classicism, endows his characters with "talking names". Famusov - formed from rumors, this character is worried about public opinion. Repetilov is a repetition, a hero who has no personal opinion, he is only able to repeat.
During the analysis of the play "Woe from Wit" one can notice a certain originality. By tradition, this play is the first one written in Russian realism. You can also notice many features of classicism, which include speaking names, the unity of time and place. The contradiction causes the absence of a single action. The simultaneous development of two conflicts causes a contradiction in the tradition of classicism.
In our time, one can often hear such turns of speech as "a legend is fresh, but hard to believe", "happy hours are not observed" - the author of all these lines is the master of the word Alexander Griboyedov.
The author approached writing with a personal style that is easy to read and remember. In the memory of the Russian people, there was immediately a place for an innovative style. The play remains quite understandable and relevant to the present, largely due to the masterful approach of the writer.
Introduction
Analysis of the comedy "Woe from Wit" Griboyedov A.S.
1 History of the creation and publication of the work
1.2 The ideological and philosophical content of the work
3 Comedy genre
4 Comedy plot
5 Features of building a character system
6 Language and features of comedy verse
2. Immortal work Griboyedov
Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
In the history of literature there are authors who are also called "authors of one work." A classic example of such a writer is Griboyedov. The talent of this man is truly phenomenal. His knowledge was vast and versatile, he learned many languages, was a good officer, a capable musician, an outstanding diplomat with the makings of a major politician. But for all that, few people would remember him if it were not for the comedy Woe from Wit, which put Griboedov on a par with the greatest Russian writers.
The comedy "Woe from Wit" broke into catchphrases, quatrains, expressions before it became well-known. Is this not a true confession? We often say: “And who are the judges?”, “A little light is already on my feet! And I am at your feet”, “ Terrible age!", "Friend, is it possible to choose a back street for walking far away", without thinking that these are phrases from the brilliant comedy "Woe from Wit".
Accurately and truthfully, Griboyedov not only depicted the characters of the heroes of the first quarter of the 19th century, but also presented a wonderful storehouse of wisdom, sparkling humor, from which we have been drawing treasures for more than a hundred years, but it is still not depleted. A picture of the life of the Moscow nobility was no less brilliantly created.
All the action of the comedy takes place in one house (Famusov's house) and lasts one day, but leaves the impression of a peaceful acquaintance with the life of the Moscow nobility. This is "and a picture of manners, and a gallery of living types, and an eternally sharp burning satire." (N. A. Goncharov).
"Griboedov is a 'man of one book,'" VF Khodasevich remarked. "If it weren't for Woe from Wit, Griboedov would have no place at all in Russian literature." Griboyedov in his comedy touched upon and exposed in the spirit of the socio-political ideas of Decembrism wide circle absolutely concrete phenomena of the social life of feudal Russia.
The topical meaning of Griboedov's criticism today, of course, is not felt with such sharpness as it was felt by his contemporaries. But at one time, the comedy sounded just topical. And questions of noble education in "boarding houses, schools, lyceums", and the question of "lankart mutual education"; and debates about the parliamentary system and the reform of the judiciary, and individual episodes of the Russian public life, reflected in the monologues of Chatsky and in the remarks of Famusov's guests - all this was of the most relevant importance.
All of the above factors determine the relevance and significance of the subject matter of the work at the present stage, aimed at a deep and comprehensive study of the system of characters and prototypes of A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit".
This control work is the systematization, accumulation and consolidation of knowledge about the characters of A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit".
In accordance with this goal, the following tasks are supposed to be solved in the work:
- do analysis of the comedy "Woe from Wit";
view gallery human portraits in the comedy A.S. Griboyedov;
The purpose and objectives of the course work determined the choice of its structure. The work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a list of literature used in writing the work.
This construction of the work most fully reflects the organizational concept and logic of the material presented.
When writing the work, the works of domestic authoritative authors in the field of studying the issue under consideration were used: Bat L.I., Ilyushina L.A., Vlashchenko V., Vyazemsky P.A., Gladysh I.A., and others.
1. Analysis of the comedy "Woe from Wit" Griboyedov A.S.
.1 History of creation and publication of the work
Information about the history of the creation of the main artwork Griboyedov are rather stingy. According to the writer's friend, S.N. Begichev, the idea for the comedy arose as early as 1816. It was supposed to write 5 acts, in which Famusov's wife, "a sentimental fashionista and aristocrat," played an important role. Subsequently, the number of actions was reduced, and from the important female image the playwright refused. Apparently, this was not actually about the work that we know, but about a sketch similar in plot to a comedy, but still not being its first edition. The date of commencement of work on "Woe from Wit" is considered to be 1820. A letter from Griboedov from Persia dated November 17, 1820 to an unknown person has been preserved, where a dream is recounted in detail, in which the writer allegedly saw the main points of the future work.
The original version of the play's title is "Woe to the Mind". In a letter to Katenin, the writer formulated the main intrigue of the future comedy as follows: "The girl, herself not stupid, preferred a fool to an intelligent person." However, in the indicated plot scheme social contradictions did not fit. In addition, the very name sounded like a sentence to every mind for all time. Griboyedov, on the other hand, tried to present such a paradoxical, but, alas, typical situation in which the positive quality of the personality - the mind - brings misfortune. It was this situation that was reflected in the new name - "Woe from Wit".
Direct study of the first and second actions was carried out in 1822 in the Caucasus. Important role in the image of social confrontation, communication with Kuchelbecker played, whose observations Griboyedov took into account. Work on the 3rd and 4th acts was carried out in 1823 at the estate of S.N. Begichev, and it was burned and rewritten, again the first act. The completely original version of the comedy was completed in 1824 in Moscow and presented to the same Begichev (the so-called Museum autograph). For censorship permission, the writer leaves for St. Petersburg, continuing to make changes to the text along the way. So the scene of Molchalin's flirting with Lisa in the 4th act was completed and the entire finale was changed. Arriving in the capital, Griboedov reads a play by A.A. Gendru, who was in charge of the whole office. The latter instructs the scribes to make lists of the work. The playwright presented the list with his signature straightened out by his own hand to his friend (Jandre's manuscript). main role in the distribution of the play during this period, the future Decembrists played.
The second half of 1824 and the beginning of 1825 passed in trouble: the writer met with the Minister of the Interior, B.C. Lansky, Minister of Education A.S. Shishkov, Governor of St. Petersburg M.A. Miloradovich, was introduced to the Grand Duke (future Emperor) Nikolai Pavlovich. All of them reacted favorably to the playwright, but it was not possible to achieve the publication of the entire work. Only phenomena 7-10 of the first act and the third act with censored abbreviations were printed in F.V. Bulgarin "Russian Waist for 1825". To him, leaving in 1828 for the East, Griboyedov presented the last authorized version of the work (Bulgarin list). After the death of the writer, permission was finally obtained for theatrical production in a highly distorted form. In 1833 a theatrical "edition" of the comedy was published.
Completely without censored cuts, the play was published abroad in 1858, and in Russia - only in 1862. By this time, there were several tens of thousands of handwritten copies in the country, which significantly exceeded all the print runs known at that time. At the same time, the handwritten versions contained serious inconsistencies, due both to simple scribal errors and their desire to make their own additions and changes to the text. These difficulties could not be fully overcome by the editors of the 1862 edition. Piksanov, on the basis of a comparison of the Museum autograph, the Zhandrovskaya manuscript and the Bulgarinsky list, the version of the text of the comedy that we have today was established.
Artistic method of comedy
Traditionally, "Woe from Wit" is considered the first Russian realistic comedy. This fact is indisputable. At the same time, the features of classicism were preserved in the play (for example, the unity of time and place, "speaking surnames", traditional roles: "deceived father", "narrow-minded military man", "confidante sobrette") and elements of romanticism were manifested, reflected in a number of exceptional features. the personality of the protagonist, in his incomprehensibility by others and loneliness, in his maximalism, opposition to all the reality surrounding him and putting forward his own ideal representations, as well as in the pathos of his speech. Realism was expressed primarily in the typification of characters and circumstances, as well as in the author's conscious refusal to follow the numerous norms of constructing classicist plays. Griboedov violated a number of genre and plot-compositional canons<#"justify">.4 Comedy plot
Considering the conflict and the plot organization of Woe from Wit, it must be remembered that Griboedov approached the classicist theory of three unities in an innovative way. Observing the principles of unity of place and unity of time, the playwright did not consider it necessary to be guided by the principle of unity of action, which, according to the existing rules, was supposed to be based on one conflict and, starting at the beginning of the play, get a denouement in the final, and main feature The denouement consisted in the triumph of virtue and the punishment of vice. Violation of the rules of construction of intrigue caused sharp disagreements in criticism. So, Dmitriev, Katenin, Vyazemsky spoke about the absence of a single action in Woe from Wit, emphasized the dominant role of events rather than conversations, seeing this as a stage flaw. The opposite point of view was expressed by Kuchelbecker, who argued that in the comedy itself there is much more movement than in plays built on traditional intrigue.
The essence of this movement lies precisely in the consistent disclosure of the points of view of Chatsky and his antipodes, "... in this very simplicity - news, courage, greatness ..." Griboyedov. The polemic was later summed up by Goncharov, who singled out two conflicts and, accordingly, two storylines closely intertwined with each other that form the basis of the stage action: love and social. The writer showed that, having started as a love conflict at first, the conflict is complicated by opposition to society, then both lines develop in parallel, culminate in the 4th act, and then the love affair gets a denouement, while the resolution of the social conflict is taken out of the scope of the work - Chatsky is expelled from Famusov's society, but remains true to his convictions. Society does not intend to change its views - therefore, further clashes are inevitable.
In this kind of "openness" of the finale, as well as in the refusal to show the obligatory triumph of virtue, Griboedov's realism was reflected, striving to emphasize that in life, unfortunately, there are often situations when vice triumphs. The unusual nature of plot decisions with a pattern led to an unusual compositional structure: instead of the three or five actions prescribed by the rules, the playwright creates a comedy of four. If the love affair were not complicated by a social conflict, then three actions would probably be enough to resolve it; if we assume that the author would set out to show the final outcome of the social conflict, then, obviously, he would need to write the fifth act.
.5 Features of building a character system
Considering the features of building a system of characters and revealing characters, it is necessary to keep in mind the following circumstances. Firstly, the author creates the images of his heroes according to the principles of realism, while maintaining, however, fidelity to some features of classicism and romanticism. Secondly, Griboedov abandoned the traditional division of characters into positive and negative, which was reflected in the difference critical evaluations given to the images of Chatsky, Sophia, Molchalin. Chatsky, for example, in addition to positive qualities- intelligence, honor, courage, versatile education - also has negative ones - excessive ardor, self-confidence and arrogance.
Famusov, in addition to numerous shortcomings, has an important advantage: he is a caring father. Sophia, who slandered Chatsky so mercilessly and dishonestly, is smart, freedom-loving and resolute. Obsequious, secretive and double-minded Molchalin is also not stupid and stands out for his business qualities. Attempts by critics to absolutize positive or, on the contrary, negative sides heroes led to their one-sided perception and, consequently, to a distortion of the author's position. The writer fundamentally opposed the traditional way of creating characters, based on the classical roles and hyperbolization of any one character trait ("cartoons", according to Griboedov), the way of depicting social types, drawn through individual detailing as versatile and multidimensional characters (called by the author "portraits" ).
The playwright did not set himself the task of absolutely accurately describing any of the familiar faces, while contemporaries recognized them by separate bright details. Of course, the characters had prototypes, but even there were several prototypes of one character. So, for example, both Chaadaev (due to the similarity of the surname and an important life circumstance: Chaadaev, like Chatsky, was declared crazy), and Kuchelbeker (who returned from abroad and immediately fell into disgrace), and, finally, the author himself, who found himself at some evening in the situation of Chatsky and later declared: “I will prove to them that I am in my mind. Gorich, Zagoretsky, Repetilov, Skalozub, Molchalin and other characters have several prototypes. The situation with Khlestova's prototype looks most definite: most researchers point to the famous N.D. Ofrosimov, who also became the prototype of MD. Akhrosimova in L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace", although there are indications of other persons. For example, attention is drawn to the fact that the behavior and character of Khlestova resemble the features of Griboyedov's mother, Nastasya Fedorovna.
It is very important to remember that both generalizing and individual traits of heroes are created thanks to a whole arsenal of artistic means and tricks. It is the possession of dramatic technique, the ability to create bright, lively, memorable pictures and images that form the basis of the artist's skill. The main personality trait, which the author considered central to the corresponding stage role, is denoted by a "speaking" surname. So, Famusov (from lat. fama - rumor) is a person who depends on public opinion, on rumor ("Ah! My God! What will he say / Princess Marya Aleksevna!"). Chatsky (the original version of the surname Chadsky) - who is in a child of passion and struggle. Gorich is a derivative of "woe". As grief, apparently, one should consider his marriage and the gradual transformation from an efficient officer into a "husband-boy", "husband-slut". The surname Skalozub testifies both to the habit of rude mockery and aggressiveness. The surname Repetilov (from lat. repeto - I repeat) suggests that its owner does not have his own opinion, but is inclined to repeat someone else's. Other surnames are quite transparent in terms of meaning. Messrs. N. and D. are as nameless as they are faceless.
Important means of creating images are also the actions of characters, their views on existing life problems, speech, characterization given by another character, self-characterization, comparison of characters with each other, irony, sarcasm. So, if one of the heroes goes to "look at how cracked" Molchalin fell from the horse, "chest or sideways", then the other at the same time rushes to help Sophia. The characters of both are manifested in their actions. If one assessment of the personality is given behind the eyes (for example: "... a dandy friend; declared a wast, a tomboy ..."), and in the eyes - another ("... he is small with a head; and writes and translates nicely") , then the reader gets the opportunity to form an idea of both the characterized and the characterizing. It is especially important to follow the sequence of changes in the assessments (from, say, "Sharp, smart, eloquent, especially happy in friends ..." to "Not a man - a snake"; from "Carbonari", "Jacobin", "Voltairian" to "crazy ") and understand what caused such extremes.
In order to get an idea about the system of characters as a whole, it is necessary to analyze the interaction of the levels of its organization - the main, secondary, episodic and off-stage. Which heroes can be considered the main ones, which - secondary, which - episodic, depends on their role in the conflict, in posing problems, in stage action. Since the public confrontation is built primarily along the lines of Chatsky - Famusov, and the love affair is based mainly on the relationship between Chatsky, Sophia and Molchalin, it becomes obvious that of the four main actors it is the image of Chatsky that bears the main load. In addition, Chatsky in comedy expresses a set of thoughts that are closest to the author, partly performing the classic function of a reasoner. This circumstance, however, in no way can serve as a basis for identifying the author with his hero - the creator is always more complex and multidimensional than his creation.
Famusov appears in the play both as the main ideological antipode of Chatsky, and as an important character in a love affair (“What kind of commission, Creator, (To be adult daughter father!"), and as a certain public type- a major official, and as an individual character - sometimes imperious and straightforward with subordinates, then flirting with the maid, then trying to "reason" and "set the true path" of a young man, then discouraged by his answers and shouting at him, then affectionate and gentle with daughter, then throwing thunder and lightning at her, helpful and polite with an enviable groom, an amiable host, who, however, can argue with the guests, deceived, at the same time funny and suffering in the finale of the play.
Even more complex is the image of Sophia. A witty and resourceful girl opposes her right to love the will of her father and social norms. However, educated French novels, it is from there that she borrows the image of her beloved - an intelligent, modest, chivalrous, but poor man, the image that she seeks to find in Molchalin and is cruelly deceived. She despises the rudeness and ignorance of Skalozub, she is disgusted by the bilious, caustic language of Chatsky, who, however, speaks the truth, and then she answers no less biliously, not disdaining vindictive lies. Sophia, who is skeptical of society, although not striving for confrontation with it, turns out to be the force with which society inflicts the most painful blow on Chatsky. Not loving falsehood, she is forced to fake and hide, and at the same time finds the strength to make it clear to Chatsky that Molchalin has been chosen by her, which, however, Chatsky refuses to believe. Frightened and forgetting all caution at the sight of her lover who has fallen from a horse, proudly standing up for his defense, she comes to a severe shock when she witnesses the love harassment of her chosen "knight" to her own maid. Courageously enduring this blow, taking the blame on herself, she is also forced to endure her father's anger and Chatsky's mocking proposal to make peace with Molchalin. The latter is hardly possible, given the strength of Sophia's character.
Not absolutely unambiguous in the play and the image of Molchalin, Pushkin wrote about him: "Molchalin is not quite sharply vile; was it not necessary to make a coward out of him?" Of all the characters in the Famus circle, Molchalin, perhaps, is better than the rest can adapt to existing conditions. Possessing, among other things, outstanding business qualities, he is able to achieve high position in society. Molchalin is that type of people, not rich and not noble, who, with their work, perseverance, ability to find mutual language with people slowly and steadily make a career. However, he finds himself in a rather difficult position. Respectful of Famusov, he deceives his boss in favor of his daughter, for whom, however, he does not have any feelings. Given a choice, he seeks to please both. As a result, in order to save his career and not make dangerous enemies, he lies to both Famusov and Sofya. Forced to play so many roles as a duty - both a secretary, and a lover, and a courteous interlocutor, and a card partner, and sometimes even a servant - Molchalin shows only one living feeling (an attraction to Liza), for which he pays: his career is in jeopardy.
Minor characters correlated with the main acting limes, but at the same time they are of great independent importance and directly influence the course of events. So, Skalozub is a type of military man, narrow-minded, but self-confident and aggressive. His appearance complicates both love and social conflict. Liza is a servant-confidante. Without this image, it is impossible to imagine both the emergence and the denouement of a love affair.
At the same time, Lisa is witty, ironic, gives accurate characteristics different heroes. She is compared with her mistress, and in a number of cases this comparison is resolved in her favor. At the same time, with the help of this image, Griboyedov emphasizes the confrontation between the nobility and the serfs (“Pass us beyond all sorrows / And master's wrath, And master's love").
Noteworthy is the figure of Zagoretsky, who is a type of people without whom no society can do: they know how to be necessary. This character is the antithesis of Chatsky's image. The latter is honest, but expelled from society, while Zagoretsky is dishonest, but accepted everywhere. It is he who, first of all, forms public opinion, picking up, coloring and spreading gossip about Chatsky's madness in all corners.
Compared with the main character and two other characters - Repetilov and Gorich. The first is a type of pseudo-oppositionist. For the author, obviously, it was important to distinguish between a person who has his own deeply thought-out beliefs and someone who is inclined to repeat others. The fate of the second shows what could happen to Chatsky if he tried to fulfill Famusov's conditions and become like everyone else.
Episodic characters - Khlestova, Khryumins, Tugoukhovskys, Mr. N., Mr. D. - take part in public confrontation, pick up and spread gossip about Chatsky's madness. They are additional social types, thanks to the presence of which the picture becomes more satirical. In their depiction, the author widely used the techniques of hyperbole, irony, and sarcasm. It is also important to pay attention not only to what unites them, making them the so-called representatives of the Famus society, but also to how they differ from each other, to their individual traits and to the contradictions that arise between them.
There are unusually many off-stage characters in the comedy, there are even more of them than stage ones.
They also represent one or another of the opposing sides, with their help the scope of the conflict expands: from the local, taking place in one house, it becomes public; the narrow boundaries of the unity of place and time are overcome, the action is transferred from Moscow to St. Petersburg, from the 19th to the 18th centuries; the picture of the mores of those times becomes more complicated and even more concretized.
In addition, thanks to off-stage characters, the reader gets the opportunity to more accurately assess the views of the persons acting on the stage.
.6 Language and features of comedy verse
The language of "Woe from Wit" was significantly different from the language of the comedy of those years. Griboyedov opposed sentimental aestheticism and sensitivity, as well as the classicist "theory of three calms" realistic principle nationalities. The speech of the heroes of the play is, first of all, the speech that could really be heard in the salons and living rooms, "when driving on the porch", in inns, in clubs and in officers' meetings. This rejection of the basic tenets of belles lettres has sparked critical controversy. Dmitriev, already mentioned, reproached Griboyedov with a number of phrases and turns of speech, which, in the opinion of the critic, could not be allowed in literature. However, most critics praised the playwright's linguistic innovation. "I'm not talking about poetry, half of it should become a proverb" - this is how Pushkin assessed Griboedov's skill. “As for the verses in which Woe from Wit is written, in this respect Griboyedov killed for a long time any possibility of Russian comedy in verse. A brilliant talent is needed to continue the work begun by Griboyedov with success ...” - wrote in one of his articles by Belinsky.
Indeed, many lines from the comedy began to be perceived as aphorisms, winged expressions, living their own independent life. Saying: "happy hours do not watch"; "went into a room, ended up in another"; "sin is not a problem, rumor is not good"; "and sorrow awaits from around the corner"; "and the smoke of the Fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us"; "a larger number, a cheaper price"; "with feeling, with sense, with arrangement"; "I would be glad to serve, it's sickening to serve"; "fresh tradition, but hard to believe"; "gossips scarier than a gun"; "the hero is not my novel"; "lie, but know the measure"; "ba! familiar faces" - many people do not remember where these phrases come from.
Language in comedy is both a means of individualization of characters and a method of social typification. Skalozub, for example, as social type the military man very often uses army vocabulary ("frunt", "ranks", "sergeant major", "trench"), and the individual characteristics of his speech reflect his self-confidence and rudeness ("you won't fool me with learning", "but squeal, it will instantly calm you down" ), insufficient education, manifested in the inability to build a phrase ("for the third of August, we sat in a trench: he was given with a bow, on my neck") and in an inaccurate choice of words ("with this estimate" instead of "sharpness"). At the same time, he also tries to be wisecracking ("we did not serve together with her").
Famusov’s speech is the so-called Moscow noble vernacular (“they don’t blow anyone’s mustache”, “would you smoke in Tver”, “I scared you”, “trouble in the service”), replete with diminutive forms (“whether to the cross, to the shtetl "," breather "). This character appears in the play in different situations, therefore his speech is so diverse: it is either ironic (“After all, I am somewhat akin to her,” he says about Sofya Chatsky), then angry (“To work for you! To settle you!”), then frightened.
The monologues and remarks of Chatsky, who also appears as a new social type, close in speech features to the Decembrist pathos, demanded a particularly large amount of authorial work. In his speech, there are often rhetorical questions ("Oh! if someone penetrated into people: what is worse in them? soul or language?"), incomprehensible, children were taken to bow?"), antitheses ("He is fat, his artists are skinny"), exclamations and special vocabulary ("weakness", "meanest", "hungering", "slave", "most holy"). At the same time, in Chatsky's speech, one can meet Moscow vernacular (“alongside”, “I don’t remember”). In the language of the protagonist, most of all aphorisms, irony, sarcasm. In addition, this speech conveys a wide range of psychological characteristics of the character: love, anger, friendly concern, hope, offended pride, etc. The language also reveals the negative aspects of Chatsky's character - harshness and willfulness. So, to Famusov's question: "... do you want to get married?" - he replies: "What do you need?", and Sofya declares: "Did your uncle jump back his eyelid?" The hero's monologues and lines are always right on target and hard to dodge or parry. He does not miss a serious reason, not the slightest reason to strike, and does not give an opportunity to retreat with honor, and then his opponents unite. Chatsky is really a warrior, which Goncharov convincingly showed, but war always entails grief and suffering.
2. The immortal work of Griboyedov
comedy Griboedov hero speech
"For more than 150 years, Griboyedov's immortal comedy "Woe from Wit" has been attracting readers, each new generation rereads it anew, finding in it consonance with what worries him today."
Goncharov in his article "A Million of Torments" wrote about "Woe from Wit" - that it "everything lives its imperishable life, will survive many more epochs and everything will not lose its vitality." I fully share his opinion. After all, the writer drew the real picture manners, created living characters. So alive that they survived to our times. It seems to me that this is the secret of the immortality of the comedy of A. S. Griboyedov. After all, our Famusovs, taciturns, pufferfish, still make Chatsky contemporary to us feel grief from the mind.
The author of the only fully mature and complete work, moreover, not published in its entirety during his lifetime, Griboedov gained extraordinary popularity among his contemporaries and had a huge impact on the subsequent development of Russian culture. For almost a century and a half, the comedy "Woe from Wit" has been living, not aging, exciting and inspiring many generations, for whom it has become part of their own spiritual life, entered their consciousness and speech.
After several years when criticism did not mention Griboyedov's comedy, Ushakov wrote an article. He correctly defines historical meaning comedy "Woe from Wit". He calls Griboedov's work an "immortal creation" and sees the best proof of the "high dignity" of comedy in its extraordinary popularity, in the fact that every "literate Russian" knows it almost by heart.
Belinsky also explained the fact that, despite the efforts of censorship, it “spread over Russia in a stormy stream even before printing and presentation” and acquired immortality.
The name of Griboyedov invariably stands next to the names of Krylov, Pushkin and Gogol.
Goncharov, comparing Chatsky with Onegin and Pechorin, emphasizes that Chatsky, unlike them, is "a sincere and ardent figure": "they end their time, and Chatsky begins new Age, and this is his whole meaning and his whole mind, ”and therefore“ Chatsky remains and will always remain alive. ”He is“ inevitable with each change of one century to another.
"Woe from Wit" appeared before Onegin, Pechorin, survived them, passed unscathed through Gogol period, has lived these half a century since its appearance and still lives its imperishable life, will survive many more epochs and everything will not lose its vitality.
The epigram, the satire, this colloquial verse, it seems, will never die, just like the sharp and caustic, living Russian mind scattered in them, which Griboedov has imprisoned, like a magician of some spirit, in his castle, and it crumbles there with malicious laughter. It is impossible to imagine that another, more natural, simpler, more taken from life speech could ever appear. Prose and verse merged here into something inseparable, then, it seems, to make it easier to keep them in memory and put back into circulation all the mind, humor, joke and anger of the Russian mind and language collected by the author.
The great comedy is still young and fresh. She kept her public sound, its satirical salt, its artistic charm. She continues her triumphal procession through the stages Russian theaters. It is taught at school.
Russian people, who built new life, who showed all mankind a direct and wide road to a better future, remembers, appreciates and loves the great writer and his immortal comedy. Now, more than ever, the words written in grave monument Griboedova: "Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory..."
Conclusion
The comedy of Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov "Woe from Wit" became an event in Russian literature of the early 19th century, was a rare example of its accusatory, satirical direction.
A brilliant playwright, a talented poet and composer, an outstanding diplomat, A.S. Griboedov, according to Belinsky, belonged to "the most powerful manifestation of the Russian spirit." With the immortal comedy "Woe from Wit", the "pearl" of the Russian stage, Griboyedov marked the beginning of the flowering of Russian realistic drama.
The success of the comedy was unheard of. Pushkin gave a brilliant and profound characterization of Woe from Wit. According to the poet, the purpose of comedy is "characters and a sharp picture of morals."
Griboedov created a typical image of a "new man" - a public Protestant and a fighter - in the typical circumstances of his historical time. He showed how systematically and irresistibly, more and more aggravated, the contradiction of the main character, Chatsky, with the Famus society is growing. This society anathematizes Chatsky, which is in the nature of a political denunciation: Chatsky is publicly declared a troublemaker, carbonarius, a man who encroaches on the "legitimate" state and social order.
Woe from Wit, of course, remains one of the masterpieces of punishing social satire. But genuine satire is not one-sided, because a satirist writer, if he stands at the forefront of ideological and artistic positions, always denounces evil and vices in the name of goodness and is virtuous, in the name of affirming some positive ideal - social, political, moral. Griboyedov in "Woe from Wit" not only exposed the world of feudal lords, but also affirmed his positive ideal in the image of the only true hero of the play - Chatsky.
List of used literature
1. A.S. Griboyedov. Point of view. Series "Classical Gymnasium". Comp. biogr. references and notes. A.I. Ostrovskaya. M. Laida, 1994.- p. 187.
Petrieva L.I., Prantsova G.V. A.S. mushroom eaters. Studying at school: Teaching aid.-M.: Flint: Science 2001.-216 p.: ill.
Dictionary of characters in Russian literature: The second half of the 18th-19th centuries - M.-St. Petersburg: Universal book, 200. 362 p.
Aikhenwald Yu. Silhouettes of Russian writers: V 2v, T1 / Foreword. In Kreida.-M.: TERRA.-Book Club; Republic, 1998.-304 p.:
Russian literature XIX-XX centuries: In 2 volumes. T.1: Russian literature of the 19th century. Textbook for applicants to Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov / Comp. And scientific ed. B.S. Bugrov, M.M. Golubkov. 2nd ed., add. And a reworker.
Svetopolk-Mirsky D.P. History of Russian literature since ancient times / D.P. Svyatopolk-Mirsky.-M.: Eksmo, 2008.-608 p.: ill. - (Encyclopepia of Russia).
100 great names in literature: popular science. Ed. / under. Ed. V.P. Sitnikova / V.V. Bykov, G.N. Bykova, G.P. Shalaeva and others - M .: Philol. O-vo "Word", 1998.-544 p.
Encyclopedia for children. T.9. Russian literature. Part 1. / Chief ed. M.D. Aksenova.- M.: Avanta+, 1999.- 672 pp.- pp.- 439-446.
Lanshchikova A.P. "Woe from Wit" as a mirror of Russian life. // Literature at school. - 1997. - No. 5. pp. 31-43.
Vlashchenko V. Lessons according to Griboyedov.// Literature.- 1999.- No. 46.S. 5-12.
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The comedy "Woe from Wit" widely reflected the era of that time: the author paints a picture of life and customs noble society and his worldview, shows an advanced person with his ideals, and this whole picture has that “Moscow imprint” that Griboyedov’s contemporaries spoke about and which accurately conveyed the spirit of lordly Moscow in the 10s-20s of the XIX century.
In the play, we find responses to various topical issues of that time: there are disputes about cameras, jury, Byron, talk about Lancaster "mutual education", about Pedagogical Institute and his professors, about the Carbonari, Jacobins and Freemasons, about the English Club, about the Academic Committee, about the guardianship of the estates of the landowners, about the settlement of serfs for wrongdoing in Siberia, etc. All this creates the flavor of the era and makes Woe from Wit related with "Eugene Onegin", with the difference that in Pushkin's novel the era, way of life and customs are often displayed in lyrical digressions, where the author argues for himself, while Griboedov, due to the peculiarities dramatic work, introduces the era only through the speech of the characters, using this information to characterize the characters, since it is also important how the hero speaks about this or that issue, what is his opinion about this. So, for example, the very first conversation between Chatsky and Sophia introduces the reader to the society of Muscovite nobles and to its interests and way of life (according to Chatsky). Dramatic conflict - the contradiction of the hero with the environment - determines the construction of the work, its composition. But not only one social conflict lies at the heart of Woe from Wit. That speed and liveliness of action, about which the author himself spoke, is given to comedy by another, love conflict. Griboyedov's great skill as a playwright spoke in the way he brilliantly showed the interpenetration of Chatsky's two dramas - public and private. Woe from love and grief from mind, intertwined, grow and deepen together, bringing the whole action to a denouement.
So, in act 1, basically, a love plot line is outlined: Sophia loves Molchalin (the reader will immediately find out about this, but neither Famusov nor Chatsky know). From the conversation between her and Liza, we learn about Chatsky, who is in love with Sophia, and he immediately appears himself, animated, talkative, joking with Sophia, talking about her coldness, not yet believing in her, recalls Moscow acquaintances. Famusov is at a loss: he found Sophia Molchalin, later Chatsky.
Lisa is an active participant in all the scenes where a love affair develops; in act 1, she is cunning, shielding the young lady, and chuckles at her, and evades Famusov's lordly courtship, and remembers Chatsky. The last words of Famusov, with which 1 act ends, is not just a remark at the end, as some critics thought, but at the same time it is the result of the action: Sophia - and two people around her: Molchalin and Chatsky. Famusov is at a loss - which of the two - and both, in his opinion, were not suitable for suitors. In act IV, at the tragic moment of the climax of the act, the comic of Famusov’s situation lies precisely in the fact that he firmly decided this question for himself (“which of the two?”) In favor of Chatsky and is completely sure that he is right (“Even if you fight - I will not believe").
So, in act 1, the social conflict is only outlined by the thin lines of Chatsky's playful, albeit caustic remarks about Moscow society; the center of gravity is in a love affair. But here in the 2nd act, from the 1st to the 6th appearance, public motives are already clearly heard. However, we note that the dispute between Chatsky and Famusov, which turned into a real duel between the “current century” and the “past century”, began because of Sophia: Chatsky asks about her health - Famusov is annoyed, since Chatsky, in his opinion, cannot be suitable groom for Sophia. With great skill, Griboedov translates the conversation to public issues: to the words of Chatsky: “Let me get married, what would you say to me?” - Famusov replies with the proposal "not to bliss", not to manage the estate by mistake, and most importantly - to go to the service, to which Chatsky objects: "I would be glad to serve, it's sickening to serve." Chatsky is annoyed, he has already received, albeit informal, since he himself does not make a formal proposal, but still a refusal from the father of his beloved girl. He is outraged by Famusov's demands, he is not able to give up his convictions for the sake of love.
The motive of civic duty of service is widely developed further in two monologues: Famusov and Chatsky, who express sharply opposite opinions. Famusov is a fan of the old ways of service, receiving places and ranks, Chatsky is an exponent of the view of service as the fulfillment of a person's civic duty. The way Famusov reacts to Chatsky's opinion ("Oh my God! he's carbonari!", etc.), more and more sharply determines the significance of the social conflict. But Griboedov does not forget Chatsky's love drama either. It accompanies the social drama and permeates it. Both conflicts mutually deepen each other. In the 3rd apparition, Famusov hints to Chatsky at Skalozub as a possible groom for Sophia, and in the 4th apparition, Chatsky, inflamed by a dispute with Famusov, shows the confusion brought into his soul by these allusions. The sharpness of the social conflict is clearly defined in two famous monologues (Famusov and Chatsky): “Taste, father, excellent manner” and “Who are the judges?” So, becoming more and more complicated and deepening, the social conflict grows, and at the moment when it reaches great tension, Griboyedov quickly and completely unexpected scene Sophia's fainting turns the reader's attention to the personal relationships of the characters. From the 7th to the 14th phenomenon, a love affair develops, complicated by the treachery of Molchalin. Suspicions about Molchalin are added to Chatsky's suspicions about Skalozub. Liza from a confidante becomes an active participant in the development of a love story. Her famous words:
She to him, and he to me,
And I ... only I crush love to death, -
And how not to fall in love with the barman Petrusha! —
summarizes the new in a love affair during 2nd act(in act 1 Chatsky - to Sofya, Sofya - to Molchalin, and in act 11 Chatsky - to Sofya, Sofya - to Molchalin, Molchalin - to Liza, Liza - to Petrusha).
So, in the 2nd act, the ever-increasing social conflict is clearly indicated and, at the same time, the love affair becomes more complicated. If at the beginning of the 2nd act there are public motives complicated by personal experiences, and by the end of the action there is a rapid development of a love intrigue, then the 3rd act, on the contrary, begins, as if continuing the 2nd act, with the development of predominantly love motives, complicated public. These are the phenomena 1 and 2, where Chatsky tries to ask Sophia about Skalozub and Molchalin, immediately speaking out and public affairs(Chatsky's monologue "Let us leave this debate").
Phenomenon 3 is an example of dialogue in verse. It fully merged both personal and public motives of the play. The dialogue provides rich material for characterizing Molchalin (Chatsky's opinions are no longer new to us, but his brilliant aphorisms are striking) and ends with a natural conclusion for Chatsky:
With such feelings, with such a soul
We love ... The deceiver laughed at me!
Further, from the 4th appearance, follows the picture of the ball at Famusov. Griboedov shows the large number and strength of the camp opposite to Chatsky; the inevitability of an open break is growing, and at the same time, against the background of the struggle between the two camps, inextricably linked with it, Chatsky's heart drama develops. In the apparition of the 13th, Chatsky really angered Sophia by talking about Molchalin with mockery (psychologically, this is quite justified: after all, Chatsky is sure that Sofya cannot love Molchalin). From the irritated Sophia, for the first time, one hears about Chatsky: “He is not in his
mind." This is followed by phenomena in which gossip about Chatsky's madness grows with exceptional speed and ease. The rapidly changing scenes show how gossip finds its most fertile ground, how it acquires new and new, more and more incredible and ridiculous details. The result, to which gossip reaches, are the words of Zagoretsky: “No, sir, barrels of forties!” In the 22nd (last) appearance, Chatsky is opposed to the whole society with his “million torments”, which resulted in an angry monologue: “There is an insignificant meeting in that room ...” The depth of the gap between Chatsky and the people around him is clear, but to that positive program of Chatsky, which outlined by him earlier, the last and very significant features were added: the requirement of respect for the Russian people, for national culture, for mother tongue. The completion of the disclosure of Chatsky's ideological positions and his sharp clash with society ends the 3rd act.
