Lesson topic: "Who is to blame for the death of Katerina?" (Katerina's love in A.N. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm")
The purpose of the lesson:- analyze the image of the heroine; understand why she decided to love Boris, what this love led to.
Finding out Katerina's suicide is strength or weakness.
Find out the character traits of Katerina, why she cannot live according to the laws of the "dark kingdom".
Learn to conduct research work according to the text.
Learn to express your opinion.
Lesson Form: dispute.
Methodical methods: conversation with episode analysis, student reports, musical accompaniment, use of motion picture and illustrations .
Equipment: A.N. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm", illustrations for the play, portraits of actresses who played Katerina, film "Thunderstorm", musical accompaniment, poems by A. Dementiev and P. Vegin .
During the classes:
Organizing time.
Organization of the group to work, mark the absent.
Presentation of the topic and objectives of the lesson.
Love stronger than death stronger than the fear of death.
(I.S. Turgenev)
Music sounds: romance "Under the caress of a plush blanket" - 2min 35 sec.
What kind of love is sung in the romance? (love is self-sacrifice that leads to death).
The main character of the play "Thunderstorm" love also led to death.
The topic of our lesson is “Do not tempt me by loving!” (Katerina's love in A.N. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm")
The epigraph of the lesson: "Love is stronger than death, stronger than the fear of death."
How do you understand these words?
When a person loves, he is ready for anything, ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of his beloved, ready to perform a feat in the name of love. The main character of the play, Katerina, is ready to sacrifice a lot in the name of love, even her principles, she rushes into the pool, not being afraid of God's punishment.
We must figure out why Katerina decided to love Boris, why Katerina committed suicide, Katerina's death - victory or defeat, identify Katerina's character traits, why she cannot live according to the laws of the "dark kingdom", what are the origins of Katerina's character. We conduct the lesson in the form of a debate, in which you must express your opinion - love Katerina - weakness is that or power? Katerina's suicide - is it victory or defeat? Can this be called Katerina's protest against the "dark kingdom"? During the lesson, each of you should form your own own opinion about this, which you will express during the dispute.
Implementation homework.
To better understand the image of Katerina and its incompatibility with the norm and morality of the "dark kingdom", let's recall the previous lesson, the life and customs of the city of Kalinov, having completed the tasks.
Assignments: “Do you know the play“ Thunderstorm ”(Handout)
Students read the question and answer it orally
Homework question: Which of the heroes of the play does not belong to either the "victims" or the "owners" of the city of Kalinov? (Katerina Kabanova). Why? (She does not subordinate anyone to herself and does not know how to obey herself)
new material.
1) Character traits of Katerina.
Katerina - the main character of Ostrovsky's play, does not obey the "masters" of life (Kabanikha and Diky), the laws of the dark kingdom are alien to her, she lives as her conscience tells her. The names of the heroes are symbolic meaning: Katerina - Greek. "purity", "decency"; but the name of Kabanikhi - Martha - Greek. “mistress”, “mistress”, this is how she feels herself in the play; the daughter of Kabanikhi - Barbara - from the Greek "foreign", "rude". Such Katerina by virtue of her character.
What character traits appear from the very first remarks of Katerina? (read out remarks) - inability to be hypocritical, directness.
Already from the very first remarks of Katerina, a conflict is felt.
Where did such character traits of Katerina come from, if the city of Kalinov lives according to other principles? (upbringing in childhood, in the home)
Let's compare Katerina's life in the house of Kabanikh and in the house of her parents.
At the parents' house:
- “like a bird in the wild”
- "mother did not have a soul in her"
- "not forced to work"
- “Embroidered, went to church, walked”
In the house of her parents, Katerina felt the cordial attitude of her relatives, relative freedom, listened to the stories of wanderers, pilgrims, attended church. Hence Katerina's painful impressionability and romantic attitude to life.
In the Kabanikhi's house:
- "withered like a flower"
- "out of love they scold you"
- "everything is forced"
- "I will not be afraid, you and even more so"
In the house of Kabanova, Katerina was worried violent relationship to her mother-in-law, which caused a constant spiritual rebellion, and Tikhon did not understand Katerina. And he lived on the orders of Kabanikhi.
The influence of life at the Kabanovs on Katerina:
A) Awareness of one's doom
B) Closure, disappointment in family life.
C) Passionate desire for freedom, love, happiness.
Now let's find out character traits main character And what is her conflict with others?
Katerina's character traits - the principles of life in the Kabanikh's house
Freedom - submission
Independence - giving up one's will
Feeling dignity- humiliation by reproaches and suspicions
Dreaminess and poetry - lack of spiritual principles
Religiosity - religious hypocrisy
Decisiveness - not to let live according to one's own will (bondage)
Kindness, disinterestedness - rudeness and abuse
Honesty, spontaneity - deceit
Conclusion: For Katerina, the main thing is to live according to your soul, and for Kabanikha, the main thing is to subdue and not let you live in your own way. Here there is a sharp contrast - an irreconcilable conflict follows.
What is your opinion on the question: How does Katerina differ from the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov? (spontaneity, kindness, sincerity, honesty, etc.)
Is Katerina's striving for freedom a protest or a state of mind? (Students' opinions)
2) Is Katerina's love for Boris a protest or a sincere feeling?
Love is driving force plot. What is love? Definition according to Ozhegov's dictionary (Love of children, parents, friends, high feeling)
1) all the characters talk about love, especially Katerina.
2) It's about different love(love of parents, friendly, sons
and about love as a high spiritual feeling.)
3) First and latest replicas about love belong to Katerina.
4) In 4.D, where the scene of Katerina's repentance is described - there are no replicas with the word "love" at all
Is Katerina's tragedy a tragedy of love or conscience?
A. Dementiev's poem "The soul does not want change"
Love is not only uplifting.
Love sometimes destroys us.
Breaks destinies and hearts...
Beautiful in her desires
She can be so dangerous
Like an explosion, like nine grams of lead.
She bursts in suddenly.
And you can't tomorrow
Don't see a pretty face.
Love is not only uplifting.
Love rules and decides everything.
And we go into this captivity.
And we do not dream of freedom.
While the dawn in the soul rises,
The soul does not want change.
So Katerina's love is not only an exalted feeling, but a destructive feeling, which played a fatal role in her fate, led the heroine to death. Cases of suicide in the patriarchal merchant world were not isolated - we will see this from the history of the creation of the play "Thunderstorm" (student report)
“On the instructions of His Imperial Highness, General-Admiral, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, prominent Russian writers who already had travel experience and a taste for essay prose were sent around the country for new materials for the Marine Collection. They had to study and describe the folk crafts associated with the sea, lakes and rivers, the methods of local shipbuilding and navigation, the situation of domestic fisheries and the very state of Russia's waterways.
Ostrovsky got the Upper Volga from its source to Nizhny Novgorod. And he got down to business with passion.”
“In the old dispute of the Volga cities about which of them, by the will of Ostrovsky, was turned into Kalinov (the scene of the play “Thunderstorm”), arguments in favor of Kineshma, Tver, Kostroma are most often heard. The debaters seemed to forget about Rzhev, but meanwhile it was Rzhev who was clearly involved in the birth of the mysterious idea of \u200b\u200bthe Thunderstorm!
Where the Thunderstorm was written - at a dacha near Moscow or in Zavolzhsky Shchelykovo - is not exactly known, but it was created with amazing speed, truly by inspiration, in a few months of 1859.
For quite a long time, it was believed that Ostrovsky took the plot of The Thunderstorm from the life of the Kostroma merchants, that it was based on the Klykov case, which was sensational in Kostroma at the end of the summer of 1859. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Kostroma residents proudly pointed to the place of Katerina's suicide - a gazebo at the end of a small boulevard, in those years literally hanging over the Volga. They also showed the house where she lived - next to the Church of the Assumption. And the code "Thunderstorm" for the first time was on the stage of the Kostroma Theater, the artists made up "under the Klykovs".
Kostroma local historians then thoroughly examined the Klykovo case in the archive and, with documents in their hands, came to the conclusion that it was this story that Ostrovsky used in his work on Thunderstorm. The coincidences were almost literal. A.P. Klykova was extradited at the age of sixteen to a gloomy and unsociable merchant family, consisting of old parents, a son and an unmarried daughter. The mistress of the house, severe and obstinate, depersonalized her husband and children with her despotism. She forced her young daughter-in-law to do any menial work, refused her requests to see her relatives.
At the time of the drama, Klykova was 19 years old. In the past, she was brought up in love and the soul of a doting grandmother in her, she was cheerful, cheerful, lively. Now she was unkind and a stranger in the family. Her young husband, Klykov, a carefree and apathetic man, could not protect his wife from the harassment of his mother-in-law and treated her indifferently. The Klykovs had no children. And then another man stood in the way of the young woman, Maryin, who works in the post office. Began suspicions, scenes of jealousy. It ended with the fact that on November 10, 1859, the body of A.P. Klykova was found in the Volga. A long legal process began, which received wide publicity even outside the Kostroma province, and none of the Kostroma residents doubted that Ostrovsky had used the materials of this case in Groz.
Many decades passed before the researchers of Ostrovsky’s work established for sure that The Thunderstorm was written before the Kostroma merchant Klykova rushed into the Volga. Ostrovsky began work on The Thunderstorm in June-July 1859 and finished on October 9 of the same year.
It can be concluded that such cases merchant environment happened, so the patriarchal foundations of society did not allow them to live freely, independently, but subjugated, enslaved. A woman could not love the one she wants, they married not for love, and she had to come to terms with her fate.
Katerina Kabanova did not reconcile herself, as did A.P. Klykova.
Reading the dialogue of Katerina and Barbara (D.2, yavl. 2)
Who did Katerina love?
Why does Varvara guess about Katerina's love?
What can be said about the principles of the Kabanovs' house? How has Barbara adapted?
Katerina fell in love with Boris, but Katerina's conscience, her religiosity does not allow her to cross moral law- change her husband. Katerina's torment was noticed by Varvara, who adapted to the laws of the "dark kingdom", learned to deceive and, secretly from her mother, meets her beloved Curly. It is Varvara who arranges a meeting between Katerina and Boris when Tikhon leaves on business.
Analysis of the scene "Seeing Tikhon" D2, yavl.3,4,5.
(Reading by role)
How do the characters behave in this scene, how does this characterize them?
What is the significance of this scene in the development of events?
(In this scene, the despotism of Kabanikha is revealed to the extreme, Tikhon's complete inability to not only protect but also understand Katerina is revealed. This scene explains Katerina's decision to go on a date with Boris.)
How does Tikhon behave before leaving?
(To understand state of mind Tikhon before leaving, you need to clearly understand his position in his mother's house, his desire to be freed from guardianship for at least two weeks. With a sense of relief, Tikhon utters his line: "Yes, sir, it's time." But it turns out that's not all. The mother demands that he instruct Katerina how to live without him. Tikhon understands that by doing the will of his mother, he humiliates his wife.
When Kabanikh's instructions become completely offensive, Tikhon tries to object to the bullying of Katerina, but his mother is adamant, and he quietly, embarrassed, as if apologizing to his wife, says: "Don't look at the guys!" The goal of the Kabanikha is to bring to the complete obedience of the household and, above all, the wayward Katerina)
Analysis of a monologue with a key. D 2, yavl.10.
Let's try to understand why Katerina fell in love with Boris?
We will find the answer in Dobrolyubov's article: “In this passion lies her whole life; all the strength of her nature, all her living aspirations merge here. She is attracted to Boris not only by the fact that she likes him, that he does not look like the rest of those around her, but her need for love, which has not found a response in her husband, and the offended feeling of his wife and woman, and the mortal anguish of her monotonous life, and the desire for freedom, space, hot, unrestricted freedom.
Reading a monologue. (student reads)
What feelings does Katerina experience, how are these feelings reflected in her speech? What is the meaning of the scene?
(Here the victory of Katerina's natural feeling over the dogmas of house-building is revealed. Katerina's speech is full of short, abrupt interrogative and exclamatory sentences, repetitions, comparisons conveying the tension of Katerina's feelings.
After an excited introduction, Katerina's bitter thoughts about life in captivity follow. Speech becomes more restrained, balanced. Katerina disputes the original decision to throw the key: “What a sin if I look at it once, at least from afar! Yes, at least I’ll talk about it! .. But he himself didn’t want to. ” This part of the monologue is accompanied by remarks: after thinking, silence, reflects, looks thoughtfully at the key, characterizing the state of Katerina.
The monologue ends with a strong outburst of feelings: “I should even die, but see him…”
A love choice dooms Katerina to torment. She is dating Boris.
An excerpt from the movie "Thunderstorm" (scene "Date")
What is the difficulty internal state Katerina?
(Katerina deceives and stands on a par with Varvara, this is not typical of Katerina's nature. The author shows the evolution of the heroine's state of mind - from confusion to the assertion of the right to love. Katerina "quietly descends the path, .. with her eyes downcast on the ground", addresses to Boris “with fright, but without raising his eyes”, “raises his eyes and looks at Boris”, “throws himself on his neck.”)
How is Katerina's struggle with herself shown in these monologues? (her monologues are tense, emotional, it is not the mind that speaks in them, but the heart.)
What is Katherine's determination expressed in? (decided on love with Boris, acted at the behest of the heart, not the law)
Conclusion: Katerina's love is a sincere feeling, she is not capable of hypocrisy and pretending, she acts at the behest of her heart, violating the moral and religious law - she cheats on her husband, and Tikhon did not seek to win Katerina's love, but lived on the orders and orders of his "mother", therefore Katerina did not find support and love in him, so she is looking for it on the side.
So. Is Katerina's love a sincere feeling or a protest? (students' opinions )
Repentance of Katerina (D.4, Yavl 6)
After the arrival of her husband, Katerina “simply became on her own ... She is trembling all over, as if she were having a fever; so pale, rushing about the house, just what she was looking for. Eyes like a lunatic."
Why has there been a change in Katerina? (Katerina was religious, cheating on her husband, she committed a grave sin, she went to deceit, which is contrary to her nature, so Katerina is hard on her soul, it is easier for her to confess, repent)
Since the drama is called "Thunderstorm", the motive of the thunderstorm is present throughout the play. Let's try to figure out how the title of the play determines the actions of the main character.
What do you think the meaning of the title is?
(Thunderstorm - in nature - the motive of an impending thunderstorm is constantly heard.
A thunderstorm in Katerina's soul - disagreement with the morality of the "dark kingdom", the desire to live according to her own heart, love for Boris, leads to confusion in the soul.
A thunderstorm in society - a conflict is brewing, the unwillingness of many to live according to the norms and
house building rules, free feelings awaken in an unfree society.)
Thunderstorm in nature - refreshing
Thunderstorm in the soul - cleanses
Thunderstorm in society - enlightens.
How the inhabitants of Kalinovo perceived a thunderstorm (as a divine phenomenon. As a punishment of God, Katerina is no exception, she is afraid of a thunderstorm, following religious promptings)
How is the scene of repentance motivated? (read an excerpt from the play)
(A thunderstorm is approaching, which, according to the Kalinovites, “is sent to us as a punishment.” The gloomy color is enhanced by the scene of action - instead of the panorama of the Volga - a narrow gallery with oppressive vaults. Katerina is now “unarmed.” She is hurt both by Kabanikha’s hints and Tikhon’s affectionate joke. Weasel husband, before whom she is guilty - for her torture)
What is the difference in Katerina's state of mind in D.1 and D.4?
(The difference in Katerina’s state of mind is also expressed in her exclamations after the mistress’s departure in D.1 “Oh, how she frightened me, I’m trembling all over, as if she was prophesying something to me; D.4.: “Oh, I’m dying!” Katerina waiting for God's punishment. She seeks protection from God, kneels down and sees the image of hell in front of her. Thus Ostrovsky leads to the climax of the play - the scene of repentance.)
D.4.yavl.6. - Read the passage. How does Katerina feel now?
(If the victory of love in Katerina's soul is revealed in the monologue with the key and in the meeting scene, then in the scene of repentance, the power of the norms of religious morality gravitating over Katerina is clearly revealed.)
(If Katerina hid her sin, learned to pretend and deceive, continued to go on dates with Boris, then this would mean that Katerina adapted to the surrounding society, reconciled with its moral principles, despotism)
What explains Katherine's remorse?
(Katerina’s repentance is explained not only by the fear of God’s punishment, but also by the fact that her high morality rebels against the deceit that entered her life. She said about herself: “I can’t deceive, I can’t hide anything.” For Katerina's moral assessment of her actions and thoughts is important side spiritual life. And in the popular recognition of Katerina, one can see an attempt to atone for her guilt, severely punish herself, an attempt at moral purification.)
Could Katherine have found a way to save her soul? Why? (students' opinions)
Farewell to Boris. (D.5, Yavl 3.4)
(Reading an excerpt)
The romance "And in the end I will say" sounds
Katerina rushes into the Volga, not reconciled with the laws of the "dark kingdom".
Why Boris couldn’t save Katerina (He was a “victim” of the “dark kingdom”, lived under the influence of the Wild, and could not disobey him, obeyed him and could not, like Katerina, oppose captivity because of the fear of the “victim”)
What can be the conclusion?
Conclusion: Katerina never betrayed herself, she decided on love at the behest of her heart, she confessed to treason from an inner sense of freedom (a lie is not freedom), she says goodbye to Boris not only because of a feeling of love, but also because he suffered because of her, rushed into the Volga at the request of a free soul.
Prove that Katerina's death is a protest.
(The timid Tikhon blames his mother for the death of his wife, Varvara runs away from home)
Who will pray for the heroines who died for love?
P. Vegin's poem "Keeper of the Hearth"
You are destroying the hearth.
Blue fire is boiling
In desperate eyes
Warrior in love
What is drama to you, what is shame?
And you destroy the house
To build a temple.
The heroine of the play, destroying her family, went to love, experienced moments of happiness, built a temple of love, probably the goddess of love will pray for her soul.
Will the city of Kalinov be able to live as before after Katerina's death? (students' opinions)
Work according to the textbook (Reserve)
The role of Katerina was played by many actresses, all of them approached the interpretation of this image in different ways.
"Performers of the roles of Katerina"
1- Kositskaya
2-Fedotova
3-Strepetova
4-Yermolova
5-Tarasova
6-Kozyreva
Textbook work: How did the actresses embody the image of Katerina?
Conclusion: Diverse stage incarnations are a continuation of the controversy: is it strength or weakness? Protest or humility?
6. Critics about the play.
What is a critic to do here?
Student Message
Dobrolyubov "Ray of Light in dark kingdom»
- "Thunderstorm" is the revolutionary forces ripening in the depths of Russia
The critic noted strong, rebellious motives in the character of Katerina
In Katerina we see a protest against Kaban's notions of morality.
Katerina is a healthy person. Which found in itself the determination to end this rotten life at all costs.
D. Pisarev "Motives of Russian drama"
Katerina is a "crazy dreamer
Katerina's whole life consists of internal contradictions
She constantly goes from one extreme to the other.
She confuses her life and the lives of others at every step.
She confuses everything, cuts the protracted knots by the most stupid means - suicide.
Apollon Grigoriev
I saw poetry in Katerina folk life
He noted the beauty of nature, the Volga, against which the action unfolds: “As if not an artist, but whole nation created here!
7. Fixing.
T test task.
Lesson summary.
So, we examined in the lesson the image of the main character of Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm", what conclusion can be drawn about her? (strong, decisive, able to love, defend her feelings, but not able to lie, deceive, afraid of God - all this led the heroine to death)
Disassemble the diagram. (Met Zolotareva p.196) - draw a conclusion of the lesson
Submit ratings.
Lesson conclusion: Katerina - strong personality who knew how to love, is ready for self-sacrifice in the name of love, but she is honest, sincere and therefore she is not able to pretend, deceive, i.e. live according to the laws of the "dark kingdom", she chose a way out - suicide, in order to save herself and her soul from remorse and get away from the norms and rules of the city of Kalinov.
The romance "Love - Wonderland»
9. D / s
Write a description literary hero– Katerina according to the plan (see stand)
"Ostrovsky Thunderstorm Lesson" - The ideological and artistic originality of the drama "Thunderstorm". The conflict of the play = the basis of the plot. The theme of the work. Love married woman to another man Collision of old and new. To reveal the ideological and artistic originality of the play. Microthemes. Curly vs Wild. Barbara vs Kabanikhi. Genre originality.
“Analysis of the Thunderstorm” - The main thing in the character of Prince Boris. The problem of power. Love. Follow all Christian laws. Kabanova. What made Katerina decide to change her fate. She cheated on her husband, she broke the oath given in the church before God. The character of Kabanova. Catherine's love. The drama "Thunderstorm" is more connected with the ancient Russian cultural era.
"Heroes of the Snow Maiden" - Musical instruments. Test results. Tests for fixing on the topic. Music. A.N. Ostrovsky. Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov. winter fairy tale. Scene. Composer. Music by Rimsky-Korsakov. Magic wreath. Characters. Goblin. Lely's image. The power and beauty of nature. The nature of the music. Snow Maiden. Careful attitude To cultural traditions people.
"The Thunderstorm Play" - A.N. Ostrovsky. Motivational organization of drama. And how did you miss the thunderstorm in the poster? Look at how the motives of sin and death are realized in the text. The system of images of drama. S. Shevyrev. Find how the motives of sin and death are realized in the text. Storm. The meaning of the title of A. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm".
"Ostrovsky Thunderstorm" - Traits of character that developed under the influence of life from parents. The influence of life at the Kabanovs on Katerina. Textbook pages. Boar. A.N. Ostrovsky. Passion of nature, depth of feelings Striving for freedom. “Katerina is a ray of light in a dark kingdom” N.A. Dobrolyubov. Decisiveness, courage. Constant spiritual rebellion.
"Heroes of the Thunderstorm" - Zamoskvorechye. Moscow State University. Dictionary. Monument to A.N. Ostrovsky. Social activity A.N. Ostrovsky. speech characteristic. Katerina's lessons. Drama Storm. The results of the actions of the heroes. A.N. Ostrovsky wrote 50 plays. Inability to be hypocritical. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm".
The idea for The Thunderstorm arose during Ostrovsky's trip along the Volga (1856-1857), but the drama was written only in 1859. The Thunderstorm, Dobrolyubov wrote, is without a doubt Ostrovsky's most decisive work. This assessment has not lost its strength to the present day. Among all written by Ostrovsky, The Thunderstorm is undoubtedly the best work, the pinnacle of his work. This is a real pearl of Russian drama, standing on a par with such works as "Undergrowth", "Woe from Wit", "Inspector", "Boris Godunov".
The most complete and convincing assessment of Ostrovsky's work was given by Dobrolyubov in the articles "Dark Kingdom" (1859) and "Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom" (1860), which had a huge revolutionary influence on the young generation of the 1860s. In the works of Ostrovsky, the critic saw, first of all, a remarkably truthful and versatile depiction of reality. Possessing a "deep understanding of Russian life and a great ability to depict sharply and vividly its most essential aspects," Ostrovsky was, according to Dobrolyubov's definition, a real folk writer. Ostrovsky's work is distinguished not only by its deep nationality, ideology, bold denunciation of social evil, but also by high artistic skill, which was entirely subordinated to the task of a realistic reproduction of reality. Ostrovsky repeatedly emphasized that life itself is a source of dramatic collisions and situations.
With amazing force depicts the Ostrovsky corner of the “dark kingdom”, where he brazenly tramples on people human dignity. The masters of life here are tyrants. They tyrannize in their families and suppress every manifestation of living human thought. The main character of the drama is Katerina. In terms of character, she stands out sharply from those around her. Her fate is tragic and, unfortunately, is a vivid and typical example of the fate of thousands of Russian women of that time.
Katerina is the wife of the merchant's son Tikhon Kabanov. She recently left her native home and moved to her husband, where she lives with her mother-in-law Kabanova. In the family, Katerina has no rights, she is not even free to dispose of herself. With warmth and love she remembers parental home, my girl's life. There she lived freely, surrounded by the caress and care of her mother. She went to the key for water, looked after flowers, embroidered on velvet, went to church, listened to the stories and singing of wanderers. The religious upbringing that she received in the family developed in her impressionability, daydreaming, faith in afterlife and retribution for sins.
In the husband's house, freedom was replaced by stuffy slavery. At every step, Katerina felt dependent on her mother-in-law, endured humiliation and insults. On the part of Tikhon, she does not meet any support, much less understanding, since he himself is under the rule of Kabanikh. Katerina is ready to treat Kaba-niha like her own mother. She tells her: "For me, mother, it's all the same that own mother, what you". But sincere feelings Katerina does not meet with the support of either Kabanikha or Tikhon. Life in such an environment changed the character of Katerina: “What a frisky I was, but you completely withered ... Was I like that?” Katerina's sincerity and truthfulness collide in the house of Kabanikh with lies, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, and rudeness.
When love for Boris is born in Katerina, it seems to her a crime, and she struggles with the feeling that has washed over her. Truthfulness and sincerity make her suffer so much that she finally has to repent to her husband. These human qualities incompatible with the life of the "dark kingdom", therefore they became the cause of the tragedy of Katerina. The tension of her experiences especially increases after the return of Tikhon: she “trembles all over, as if her fever beats ... she rushes about the house, as if she is looking for something, her eyes, like those of a mad woman, this morning she began to cry, and sobs.”
Katerina's public repentance shows the depth of her suffering, her moral greatness and determination. But after repentance, her position became unbearable. Her husband does not understand her, Boris is weak-willed and does not come to her aid. The situation has become hopeless - Katerina is dying. No one person is to blame for her death. Her death is the result of the incompatibility of morality and the way of life in which she was forced to exist.
Katerina - new type people of Russian reality in the 60s of the XIX century. Dobrolyubov wrote that Katerina’s character “is full of faith in new ideals and is selfless in the sense that death is better for him than life with those beginnings that are disgusting to him. A decisive, integral character, acting among the Wild and Kabanovs, is in Ostrovsky in the female type, and this is not without its serious significance. Dobrolyubov calls Katerina "a ray of light in a dark kingdom." He says that her suicide, as it were, illuminated for a moment the unshakable darkness of the “dark kingdom”. In her tragic end, according to the critic, "a terrible challenge is given to self-foolish force."
Katerina's last monologue is evidence of her inner victory over the forces of the "dark kingdom". “To live again? No, no, don't ... not good! man goes speech! At the thought of the violence that will be committed against her, Katerina exclaims: “Oh, hurry, hurry!” The thirst for liberation triumphs.
Katerina is imbued with the conviction of her right to freedom of feelings, to the freedom to choose between life and death. “It’s all the same that death will come, that itself ... but you can’t live!” she reflects on suicide, which from the point of view of the church is a mortal sin. And then she questions this notion: “Sin! Will they not pray? Whoever loves will pray...” The thought of love is stronger than the fear of religious taboos, And dying words Katerinas are not turned to God and do not express repentance for their sins, they are turned to their beloved: “My friend! My joy! Goodbye!" So free from pre-reasons, alive and strong feeling won in the soul of Katerina, and she broke free from the fetters of the "dark kingdom".
The theme of sin, retribution and repentance in the highest degree traditional for Russian classical literature. Suffice it to recall such works as "The Enchanted Wanderer" of the National Assembly. Leskova, “Who should live well in Rus'” N.A. Nekrasov, "Crime and Punishment" by F.M. Dostoevsky and many others. Of course, the emergence of this theme in Russian literature is not accidental - it is a reflection of Christian worldview, the principles of religious morality inherent in the most different layers population Russia XIX century. The same theme is developed in his socio-psychological drama "Thunderstorm" and A.N. Ostrovsky, one of outstanding masters Russian dramaturgy.
The drama "Thunderstorm", written in 1859 on the basis of real life impressions, draws bright picture life of a provincial Volga city, a philistine-merchant environment. The main character, Katerina, is the wife of the merchant Tikhon Kabanov. She represents outstanding personality- sincere, not able to hypocrisy, freedom-loving and natural. It is difficult for such a heroine to get along in a family where everyone obeys an imperious, despotic mother, where a weak-willed and spineless husband cannot serve as her support and protection. But Katerina is also deeply religious. This is already the contradiction between the freedom-loving, open nature of the heroine and the preaching of Christian humility and patience. The motif of a thunderstorm, Katerina’s unreasonable fear of this natural phenomenon, is also connected with this: she is not afraid of death, but of the fact that she will die without repentance, not having time to perform all the necessary religious rites as she should. The scary thing is “that death will suddenly find you, as you are, with all your sins, with all your evil thoughts,” Katerina admits to Varvara. His nascent love for Boris
she considers it a “terrible sin”, trying to break and deceive herself that she will love only her husband, forcing her to take a “terrible oath” from her so that she does not even dare to think about anyone. The scene of Tikhon's departure is decisive for further development actions. Katerina was rudely humiliated by her mother-in-law, did not understand and pushed Tikhon away, led Varvara into temptation, giving the key to the gate. Author as Master psychological analysis, reveals the state of mind of the heroine: why she, well aware of the sinfulness, the taboo of her love, is unable to resist it. She clearly understands that she has “ruined” her soul, and for her this is the most terrible tragedy. In this, Katerina is contrasted with all the other characters - Varvara, Kudryash, Boris himself, for whom the main thing is a secret, so that everything is “sewn and covered”, so that “no one knows” about this love. Katerina is not interested in the opinions of others, public reputation - all this is petty and insignificant compared to the tragedy of a soul ruined by mortal sin. “If I am not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?” she says to Boris. Therefore, "Thunderstorm" is not so much a tragedy of love as a tragedy of conscience, the collapse of inner world heroine forced to live by the rules of hypocritical public morality. The morality of society and the morality of a truly religious are different things, as the author shows us. And as a true believer, Katerina could not pretend to her husband that nothing had happened: she was in a state close to hysteria, so much so that even Kabanikha felt something was wrong. In the scene of Katerina's public repentance, Ostrovsky again proves himself to be a subtle psychologist: he again connects the state of mind of the heroine with the motive of a thunderstorm, and we see how every seemingly trifle influences the further outcome of events. Random replicas of passers-by, the threats of a crazy lady, a fresco on the wall of the chapel - all this overflows the heroine's patience drop by drop, and she falls to her knees, confessing her sin. Again, the contrast of a truly believing soul and the hypocritical behavior of the townsfolk is shown. The most important thing for Tikhon is to hide everything from his mother, and Marfa Ignatievna - to prove his case. Now Katerina is becoming an outcast of society: everyone laughs in her eyes, reproach "every word." There is no room for forgiveness or mercy. In response to Kuligin's words that enemies must be forgiven, Tikhon replies: "Go and talk to your mother, what will she say to you." Just as weak is Boris Grigoryevich, unable to protect Katerina. The poor woman dreams of last date, considering only himself to blame for everything. She dreams of death as a deliverance from torment, it doesn’t matter to her now: “I have already ruined my soul.” And having said goodbye to Boris, she realizes even more clearly that she has nothing more to live for: she is disgusted with the house, its walls, people. The already ruined soul is indifferent to the sin of suicide, it is much more important that “it is impossible to live”. Katerina's suicide in criticism was regarded in different ways: both as a protest of the individual against the foundations of the "dark kingdom" (N.A. Dobrolyubov), and as simply stupidity (D.I. Pisarev). But one can probably also talk about the tragedy of a truly religious person in a world of generally accepted hypocritical morality, where sin is simply covered up by outward decency and lies, and there is no place for forgiveness and mercy. Katerina paid dearly for her originality, exclusivity, desire for love and happiness. Will retribution come to this society for the lost soul? Is it possible to consider the words of Tikhon, thrown by him in anger to his mother, as an epiphany: “Mother, you ruined her ...” something refreshing and encouraging” (N.A. Dobrolyubov). But the character of the main character, a sincere, bright personality, capable of selfless love and selflessness, has become one of the brightest characters in Russian drama and arouses the sympathy of readers, even though the heroine is a sinful, lost soul.
