Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov in his satirical comedy play “Woe from Wit” clearly describes the society of the nobles of the early 19th century. In the image of the main character, Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, the readers are presented with a young noble man who, due to his honesty and free-thinking, wants to change the surrounding society, make it modern, different from the society of past centuries. The author presents him as a counter-image not only to all other characters in the comedy, but also to Famus society itself, with its established traditions, orders and rules.
Famusov Pavel Afanasyevich is a typical Moscow official, a bureaucrat, for whom all set goals are primarily financially profitable. Famusov is stuck in bribery and is devoid of any morality. Pavel Afanasyevich served his Motherland only for the sake of his future title and his due income. Unlike Famusov, Chatsky truly served his Motherland, tried to be useful for any society and the people as a whole, with all his might he opposed serfdom and for the freedom of each individual.
Pavel Famusov’s society included many individuals similar in character and disposition, who were united by only one thing - a single view of existing life. For them, the priority was ignorance, constant idleness, serfdom and veneration of rank. Society lived only for the sake of spreading gossip and discussing all the surrounding “dissident” people. That is why Chatsky opposed the Famus society, because there were no like-minded people in it. Criticizing him, Chatsky could not understand why people did not want to live in a new way, to live a better life than they had now, but no one wanted to listen to him.
Famusov is a prominent representative of the “past century,” while Chatsky is the only character of the “current one.” But no matter how hard the main character tried, he was unable to resolve the conflict of Famusov’s society, so Famusov won, but Chatsky’s character was not broken, he was able to win a moral victory over the world of the nobility, with all its patriarchy. Chatsky believes that time should put everything in its place, that people should be found who can support him and become true supporters.
Option 2
Griboyedov wrote the comedy “Woe from Wit” at a time when the progressive nobility in high Russian society began to oppose the old conservative mores. The main representative of progress in comedy is Chatsky, and the opposition to him is Famus society.
At first it seems that this is a lyrical comedy, where the main theme is the love of the main characters: Alexander Andreevich Chatsky and Sofia Pavlovna Famusova. Chatsky cannot imagine for a minute that Sophia could be carried away by such a nonentity as Molchalin.
In fact, in the comedy only a single character, and this is Chatsky, resists ignorance and flattery. The beginning of the conflict occurs after Alexander Andreevich’s phrase that he does not want to serve (sickening). To this statement, Famusov gives the example of his distant relative, who did not hesitate to pretend to be a buffoon in order to serve and advance in the career line to his superiors.
Chatsky comes to the Famusovs to ask for Sophia’s hand, but having been refused, in complete bewilderment, noticing that they are laughing at him, he pronounces his famous monologue “Who are the judges?” He boldly denounces serfdom and mocks the predilection of high society people to speak French. Alexander Andreevich highly values his Russian people, their ingenuity and religiosity.
Famusov completely shows himself to be a limited person. He is negligent in his duties and does not like to develop. He even forbids reading to his daughter, believing that the books contain a lot of things that are harmful to both the soul and the eyes. People like Famusov bow only to wealth. For his daughter, he found a suitable groom in the person of Skalozub, who is both rich and advancing in society (“aims to become a general”). He is not interested in the feelings of his daughter and Chatsky; it seems that he does not at all notice how stupid Skalozub is (the name speaks for itself).
Alexander Andreevich Chatsky acts boldly. Despite the ridicule, he denounces Famus society, its stupidity, greed, and ignorance. The saying that people laugh at what they do not understand is completely justified in this case. Famus society quite makes fun of a progressive person. With the help of Sophia, he is called crazy and Chatsky is forced to leave defeated.
And although in a comedy the main character loses in an argument with representatives of the “past century,” in essence he emerges victorious in moral terms. His like-minded people are becoming more and more numerous. The calm life of Famus society will soon end, they will be replaced by free people, devoid of prejudices.
Several interesting essays
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Throughout the entire narrative, this psychologically complex work is intertwined with the mystical meaning of numbers. And throughout the entire novel, a series of numbers that the author uses in his story are remembered by ear.
The first publication of the work causes controversial and stormy opinions in the literary community, expressed in the lack of unanimity in the assessment of the novel, reaching the point of polar opposite judgments and polemics.
In his work “Woe from Wit,” Griboyedov describes the events that take place in Russia after the defeat of Napoleonic army. In this era, the relationship between representatives of the nobility, who adhere to age-old foundations, and progressive youth is tense. Society here is represented by Famusov, and Chatsky is ideologically opposed to him.
Chatsky personifies a progressive man of that time. He is not at all worried about how many people believe and support him, he simply believes in the sincerity of his words, which means no one and nothing can convince him. His dissimilarity from other representatives of Famus society, as a Protestant and a dreamer, encourages local people to listen to his beliefs. His speech is direct, hot and passionate, and with it Chatsky brings enormous damage to Famus society.
Chatsky is aware of his exclusion from Famus society and perfectly understands his extraordinary nature. After all, a representative of the Famus world should not have his own opinion; it is guided only by the opinion of society. With indignation, Chatsky accuses the serf owners of cruel morals and tyranny. His ideal is an independent, free, enlightened person.
In Famus society, human dignity is not valued, here power and wealth have power, here they strive with all their might for money, titles, and position in society. Subservience and falsehood are openly extolled as virtues. A person here can achieve success in different ways, derogatory and sacrilegious, impermissible for a moral and noble person.
The entire objective assessment of Famus’s “friends” and “relatives” can be given at the ball, where they show their attitude towards each other. The reader sees the pettiness of the souls of slow-witted backbiters, arrogant and talkative loafers. Chatsky sees them as “tormentors of the crowd.”
Opponents of education, who do not know how to think independently, adhere only to public concepts, they are united only by uncompromising, hateful hostility towards people with progressive judgment, not being subject to opinions, and Chatsky’s intellectuality.
Vainly boasting of their attachment to Moscow and the Fatherland, these patriots are trying to show how alien and hateful to them is the dominance of foreigners in their native city.
But what does the reader actually see? “Longing and groaning and groaning” for France, reading - French novels, singing - French romances. The teachers are French tutors.
To summarize, we can say that the work touches on “eternal” themes of problems that are relevant to this day. By choosing comical and meaningful names for the characters, Griboyedov suggests not only making fun of them, but also thinking about their appearance.
Essay 2
The author of the satirical comedy play “Woe from Wit” examines the problems of interaction between two generations, the differences in beliefs, principles and views of their representatives. The Famusov society is the embodiment of the secular society of Moscow in the nineteenth century. Progressive youth is reflected only in the only hero of the work - Alexander Chatsky.
Chatsky lived abroad for a long time, received an education and managed to wean himself from Russia. Returning back, he is faced with misunderstanding on the part of the majority of the country's population, which is represented in the work by the Famus Society.
Chatsky had self-esteem, strived for freedom, was an honest, principled young man with liberal views.
Famusov and the people around him, on the contrary, were adherents of outdated principles and norms of behavior. First of all, they strived for their own comfort and safety. The secular society of Moscow in the nineteenth century was distinguished by hypocrisy and veneration of rank; the desire for prestigious positions, without seeing obstacles in the form of, for example, bribery to achieve their selfish goals. So Pavel Afanasyevich was a typical official, a bureaucrat who saw only material gain in all tasks. In contrast, Alexander was truly a patriot, an opponent of the enslavement of the peasants, and a supporter of equal rights.
Alexander's speeches, filled with the desire for change and the desire for freedom, horrified representatives of secular society. They were not ready to say goodbye to a comfortable life and easily eliminated Chatsky, who irritated them, calling him mentally retarded and ceasing to pay him due attention.
Alexander was upset by the worldview of the inhabitants of Moscow and was forced to leave the country again. Not finding support for his ideas from the Russian population, Chatsky was unable to reach minds that did not even want to accept information about possible changes. The hero sincerely did not understand why people did not want to live in an intelligent society and change their lives for the better. The answer lay in the fact that society was not ready for such drastic changes, but, despite this, after some time the political system in Russia began to change.
Chatsky loses the argument with Famusov’s society, but emerges from the dispute as a moral winner. He gains more followers, devoid of stereotypes and possessing the same internal foundations as Alexander himself.
Griboyedov ironically ridiculed the secular society of Russia two centuries ago, however, the vices he described have still not ceased to exist today.
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What is unique about Chatsky’s conflict with Famus society? (Based on the comedy by A.S. Griboedov “Woe from Wit”)
Teacher of Russian language and literature
GBOU No. 1794 of Moscow
A.S. Griboyedov. We are preparing for the Unified State Exam in Literature.
1. In the comedy A.S. Griboyedov's "Woe from Wit" the main conflict is the clash between people who hope to change society with ossified views and foundations, with those who reject all kinds of changes and new ideas. The “present century” and the “past century” in the person of Chatsky and the Famus society are in conflict. 2. What are the features of this conflict?
Conflict is a contradiction, a struggle on which the development of the plot in a work of art is built.
2.1. The peculiarity of the conflict is that it develops even outside the action of the comedy. Both Chatsky and the Famus society had already formed their beliefs and views by the time of their collision. Regardless of whether they have a meeting or not, the potential conflict already exists.
Here they are scouring the world, beating their heads, They come back, expect order from them.
I wanted to travel around the whole world, but I didn’t travel a hundredth part
What new will Moscow show me?
Yesterday there was a ball, and tomorrow there will be two.
2.2. The uniqueness of the conflict lies in the fact that it develops on the basis of Chatsky’s love for Sophia.
You young people have nothing else to do,
How to notice girlish beauty:
A famous man, respectable, and has picked up many marks of distinction; Beyond his years and an enviable rank, Not today, tomorrow, general
2.3. The contradictions of Chatsky and Famusov, as the brightest representatives of their society, are a confrontation not only of two people, but also of two worldviews, two social positions, two social sides.
Who are the judges?
That’s it, all of you proud people, you should ask like your fathers did, you would learn by looking at your elders...
2.4. What can also be noted as unique is that in the play the relationships of these characters are clarified to the end, but from a universal human point of view there is no peaceful resolution to this conflict. 3. Conclusion. A.S. Griboyedov managed to brilliantly show the vital and social contradictions in Russian society of the 20s of the 19th century. The conflict between two worldviews considered by Griboyedov remains relevant to this day, and this is also its originality. List of sources used
- http://ilibrary.ru/text/5/p.1/index.html
- http://litena.ru/literaturovedenie/
- http://www.literaturus.ru/2015/08/illjustracii-gore-ot-uma-griboedov.html
- http://malena33.livejournal.com/15916.html
- http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/4168247/post211096218/
- http://literatura5.narod.ru/kardovsky.html
- http://hallenna.narod.ru/griboedov_portrety.html
- https://yandex.ru/images/search?text=view%20Moscow%20times%20Griboyedov&stype
- https://yandex.ru/images/search?text=monuments%20%20Griboyedov
Comedy A.S. Griboyedov's "Woe from Wit" is a satire on the society of Moscow nobles of the early 19th century. It presents the split that had emerged by that time among the nobility, the essence of which lies in the historically natural contradiction between old and new views on many social issues. In the play, Chatsky and Famus society collide - “the present century” and “the past century.”
Moscow aristocratic society is represented by Famusov, the manager of the state house, his secretary Molchalin, Colonel Skalozub, and minor and off-stage characters. This rather large camp of conservative nobles is opposed by one main character of the comedy - Alexander Andreevich Chatsky.
The conflict between Chatsky and Famus society arises when the main character of the play returns to Moscow, where he had been absent for three years. Once upon a time, Chatsky was brought up together with Sophia, Famusov’s seventeen-year-old daughter. There was youthful love between them, which still burns in Chatsky’s heart. Then he went abroad to “search for his mind.”
His beloved now has tender feelings for Molchalin, who lives in their house. But Chatsky has no idea about this. The love conflict develops into a social one, forcing Chatsky to speak out against Famus society on the most pressing issues. Their disputes concern education, family relations, serfdom, public service, bribery, and servility.
Returning to Moscow, Chatsky discovers that nothing has changed here, no social problems have been resolved, and the nobles continue to spend their time in fun and idleness: “What new will Moscow show me? Yesterday there was a ball, and tomorrow there will be two.” Chatsky’s attacks on Moscow and on the way of life of landowners makes Famusov fear him. The conservative nobility is not ready to change their views on life, their habits, and are not ready to part with their comfort. Therefore, Chatsky is a “dangerous person” for Famus society, because “he wants to preach freedom.” Famusov even calls him a “carbonari” - a revolutionary - and believes that it is dangerous to let people like Chatsky even close to the capital.
What ideas does Famusov and his supporters defend? Most of all, in the society of Old Moscow nobles, the opinion of the world is valued. To gain a good reputation, they are ready to make any sacrifice. It doesn’t matter whether the person matches the impression he makes. Famusov believes that the best example for his daughter is the example of her father. In society he is “known for his monastic behavior.”
But when no one is watching him, not a trace remains of Famusov’s morality. Before scolding his daughter for being in the room alone with Molchalin, he flirts with his maid Liza and makes clear hints to her. It becomes clear to the reader that Famusov, who reads his daughter’s morals, himself lives by immoral principles, the main one of which is “sin is not a problem, rumor is not good.”
This is the attitude of Famus society towards service. Here, too, external attributes prevail over internal content. Chatsky calls the Moscow nobility passionate about rank and believes that the uniform covers “their weakness, poverty of reason.”
When Chatsky turns to Famusov with a question about how Sophia’s father would respond to his possible matchmaking with his daughter, Famusov angrily replies: “Go ahead and serve.” Chatsky “would be glad to serve,” but he refuses to “serve.” This is unacceptable for the protagonist of a comedy. Chatsky considers this humiliation. He strives to serve “the cause, not the persons.”
But Famusov sincerely admires the ability to “curry favor.” Here the reader, from the words of Famusov, learns about Maxim Petrovich, who “knew honor before everyone,” had “a hundred people at his service” and “ate on gold.” At one of the receptions with the Empress, Maxim Petrovich stumbled and fell. But, seeing the smile on Catherine’s face, he decided to turn this incident to his advantage, so he fell several more times on purpose to amuse the court. Famusov asks Chatsky: “...What do you think? In our opinion, he’s smart.” But Chatsky’s honor and dignity cannot allow him to “fit into the regiment of jesters.” He is not going to earn his position in society through servility and sycophancy.
If Famusov is outraged by Chatsky’s reluctance to serve, then the careerism of Colonel Skalozub, who is “beyond his years and has an enviable rank,” evokes obsequious awe in this hero. Skalozub, according to Sophia, is so stupid that “he will never utter a smart word.” But it is him who Famusov wants to see as his son-in-law. After all, all Moscow nobles want to acquire relatives “with stars and ranks.” Chatsky can only lament that this society persecutes “people with a soul”, that a person’s personal qualities do not matter here, and only money and rank are valued.
Even Molchalin, who is taciturn throughout the entire play, in a dialogue with Chatsky boasts of his successes in the service: “With my work and effort, since I am listed in the archives, I have received three awards.” Despite his young age, he was accustomed, like the old Moscow nobles, to making acquaintances based on personal gain, because “you have to depend on others” until you yourself have a high rank. Therefore, the life credo of this character is: “At my age one should not dare to have one’s own judgment.” It turns out that the silence of this hero is just a mask covering his meanness and duplicity.
Chatsky’s attitude towards Famus society and the principles by which this society exists is sharply negative. In it, only those “whose necks bend more often” reach heights. Chatsky values his freedom.
The noble society depicted in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is afraid of change, of everything new that, under the influence of historical events, penetrates the consciousness of the Russian nobleman. He manages to defeat Chatsky only due to the fact that he is completely alone in this comedy. This is the uniqueness of Chatsky’s conflict with Famus society. However, the aristocrats experience genuine horror from Chatsky’s words, because he fearlessly exposes their vices, points out the need for change, and therefore threatens their comfort and well-being.
Light found a way out of this situation. At the ball, Sophia, in a conversation with one of the guests, throws out the phrase that Chatsky is “out of his mind.” Sophia cannot be classified as a representative of the “past century,” but her former lover Chatsky threatens her personal happiness. This gossip instantly spreads among Famusov’s guests, because only the crazy Chatsky does not pose a danger to them.
By the end of the day in which the action of the comedy “Woe from Wit” takes place, all Chatsky’s hopes are dispelled. He “sobered up... completely.” Only after experiencing all the cruelty of Famus society does he realize that his paths with him have completely diverged. He has no place among people who live their lives “in feasts and extravagance.”
Thus, Chatsky in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is forced to retreat in the face of Famus’s society only because alone he has no chance of winning. But time will put everything in its place, and Chatsky’s supporters will introduce among the nobles the spirit of freedom and the value of a person’s personal qualities.
The described originality of Chatsky’s conflict with Famusov’s society will help 9th grade students recreate the confrontation between two worlds in their essay on the topic “Chatsky and Famusovsky society”
Work test
Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov wrote: “In my comedy there are one smart person for twenty-five fools.” Indeed, hardly anyone can argue with the author that Chatsky is the only character in the play who combines rich spiritual qualities and also the ability to mercilessly and irreconcilably fight against the “past century,” symbolized in the comedy “Woe from Wit.” Famus society."
It would seem that Famusov is waiting for Chatsky with special impatience. But the appearance of the hero causes an ambiguous reaction among many. Sophia, for whose sake Chatsky, in general, returned to Moscow, ironically notes that Alexander Andreevich went abroad to “search for intelligence.” She reacts with indignation to most of Chatsky’s statements addressed to her current fiancé, Molchalin. The examples are not new to me;
It is noticeable that you are ready to pour out bile on everyone;
And I, so as not to interfere, will avoid here.
The hero's relationship with the owner of the house, Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov, is also ambiguous. At the very beginning of the play, the landowner tries to set the young man on the right path:
You young people have nothing else to do,
How to notice girlish beauty:
She said something casually, and you,
I am filled with hopes, enchanted.
Subsequently, the reader notices how different the views of Chatsky and Famusov are. For every remark of Pavel Afanasyevich, the young hero has a prepared answer:
Famusov: I would say, firstly: don’t be a whim, don’t mismanage your property, brother, and, most importantly, go and serve.
I would be glad to serve, but being served is sickening.
Of course, the confrontation between Chatsky and Famusov is not only a generational conflict, which was masterfully portrayed much later by I. S. Turgenev in his novel “Fathers and Sons.” Of course, the life positions of Chatsky and Bazarov are in many ways similar, but Griboyedov’s hero enters into a struggle not only with an individual, even a very strong, personality, but also with society as a whole.
The comedy is structured in such a way that most of the characters are introduced by the author in the second and third acts. The plot develops progressively. Griboyedov introduces new characters into the comedy, who can also be counted among Famus’s circle. For example, Pavel Afanasyevich’s like-minded person, Colonel Skalozub, symbolizes an official typical of military circles. He is a careerist, which, by and large, is welcomed in the Famusovs’ house. Skalozub's goal in life is to become a general. To obtain this title, he is ready to do any tricks:
Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
I judge them as a true philosopher:
I just wish I could become a general.
