The character system of the comedy is woe. A

Lesson #17. Topic: “The system of images in the comedy of A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit". Features of the development of comedic intrigue."

Lesson Objectives :

1) Repeat theoretical material on the topic “Comedy of Classicism”;

2) Begin to analyze the comedy by action;

3) Get interested in comedy, awaken interest in reading;

4) Continue to develop skills in analyzing literary works.

Equipment: textbook, comedy text, presentation.

Epigraph for the lesson: “The characters in Woe from Wit were so alive and convincing that contemporaries immediately began to recognize them as living people.”

D.I. Zavalishin “Notes of the Decembrist”.

Lesson objectives:

Repeat the features of a classic comedy.

Begin a study of comedy from the point of view of the theory of classicism and realism.

Start researching the plot of a comedy.

Introduction to the heroes of the comedy and analysis of act 1.

During the classes.

1. The teacher introduces the epigraph and the objectives of the lesson . (Display via projector).

2.Check homework

3. Updating basic knowledge .

Now let's listen to the history of the creation of the comedy.

- It is believed that the plan for the comedy began to take shape already in 1816, and individual scenes were written at the same time. There is a version of the birth of the comedy idea in a dream.

1821 Tiflis. A comedy plan was formed. Written I And II acts.

1823 The comedy was brought to Moscow. Work on the last acts on Begichev's estate has been completed.

The comedy was distributed in manuscripts. About 40 thousand manuscripts were made. One of these copies was received from A.S. Pushkin, who came to Mikhailovskoye Pushchin.

During Griboedov's lifetime, in 1825, only a small part of the comedy was published. For the first time, without censorship distortions, the comedy was published in Russia in 1862.

Teacher: Reading, studying dramatic work requires some preparation from you. To make it easier for you to start studying the comedy “Woe from Wit,” we will repeat the features of the comedy as literary genre. (presentation No. 1)

Features of comedy as a genre of literary work

comedy

Limitation of action by spatial and temporal boundaries.

Revealing the character's character through moments of confrontation (the role of conflict)

Organization of speech in the form of dialogues and monologues

Stages of conflict development

Presence of a plot

Teacher: The comedy was written during the reign of classicism. This situation greatly influenced the determination of the method of creating the work.

Let us recall the features of classical comedy.

- comedy belongs to the lower style;

- one of the features of the plot is a love triangle: the struggle of two young men for the hand of one girl;

- compliance rules of three unities: place, time, action;

- speaking surnames;

- literary work must cultivate loyalty to the state, the Fatherland;

- in the end, vice is punished, virtue triumphs.

Teacher: Along with the traditional features of that time, comedy has features of both realism and romanticism. We will talk about them in the next lessons.

Teacher: Some traditional features classicism you can celebrate today.

Teacher: The system of images of a dramatic work differs from other genres. (presentation No. 2).

Teacher: I suggest you fill out in the form of a table:

Classification of heroes of dramatic works: (Table No. 2)

Main characters

Minor characters

Off-stage characters

Teacher: Finally, let’s turn to the heroes of the comedy “Woe from Wit.” Among them there are heroes with speaking surnames. These surnames of Griboyedov reflect not the essence of the heroes as a whole, as was the case with Fonvizin (Skotinin, Pravdin, Starodum), but also the ability to “hear” and “speak” them.

Teacher: In your opinion, what are the “speaking” names?

- P.A. Famusov – (from lat. Fama - rumor.) Famusov is afraid of people's rumors.

- Repetilov – (from the French Repeter – repeat)

- Molchalin - a single-root verb - to remain silent. In the first act he is silent and laconic.

In the description of Skalozub, it is first indicated that he is a “colonel”, because he is the main thing in his image, and then it is only added - Sergei Sergeich.

Prince Tugoukhovsky is hard of hearing.

Old woman Khlestova - a single-root verb - to whip, to beat with something flexible. There is an expression “to speak bitingly.”

Teacher: Chatsky Alexander Andreevich - in the draft version Griboyedov wrote this surnameChadian , shortening the surnameChaadaeva . Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev is a friend of Pushkin. Participated in the War of 1812. In 1821 he interrupted military career and joined a secret society. From 1823 to 1826 he traveled around Europe and studied philosophy. After returning to Russia in 1828–1830, he wrote and published the treatise “Philosophical Letters.” These letters adhered to progressive views and contradicted the orders of Russia.

By decree of the Tsar, Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev was declared crazy. In the image of Chatsky, Griboyedov predicted the fate of Chaadaev (Chatsky was also declared crazy).

Teacher: Let’s imagine the house of a rich Moscow gentlemanI half XIXcentury. We enter the living room. (viewing a fragment of the beginning of the performance)

Teacher: this is how the director of Petersburgsky imagined the living room academic theater drama named after Pushkin.

What characters did you meet?

How does Famusov relate to others? What are your first impressions?

- Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov is a wealthy landowner and high-ranking official. He is a manager in a government place. The play takes place in his house.

In this scene we see him as the master of the house. He is a domineering gentleman. I imagined him as a good-natured and at the same time grumpy, hot-tempered person. His arrogant tone is revealed in his address to Molchalin.

What other feature of Famusov did you notice?

- Famusov – loving father. He raised Sophia alone. That's how he says about this: (phenomenon 4, p. 108)

What did Sophia seem like to you?

- Sophia is smart, proud, with a strong and independent character, dreamy. She is 17 years old. She was left without a mother early, so she feels like the mistress of the house. Hence her authoritative tone.

Who is she in love with? Why?

- Sophia is in love with Molchalin. At night she reads French sentimental literature. They brought up dreaminess and sensitivity in her. These novels could make her pay attention to Molchalin - an ignorant, poor, modest man who did not dare raise his eyes to her. This is how she speaks about Molchalin: (appearance 5, p. 113)

What did you learn about Molchalin?

- Molchalin’s goal in life is to slowly but surely move forward career ladder. He doesn't love Sophia at all. During the 3 years of Chatsky's absence, he achieved brilliant success. An unknown, rootless Tver tradesman became Famusov's secretary, received 3 awards, became Sophia's lover and secret fiancé, an irreplaceable person in Famusov's house.

What is the atmosphere like in Famusov’s house?

- The main thing I noticed was deception and hypocrisy. Sophia deceives her father, Molchalin deceives her boss Famusov and Sophia. Liza, forced to cover up Sophia and Molchalin, deceives Famusov.

What are phenomena 1-5 in terms of plot development?

- Exposition. In it, Griboyedov introduces the scene of action and the main characters.

What event does the plot begin with?

- From the appearance of Chatsky in Famusov’s house.

What is the nature of the plot?

- The plot of the play has loving character. Main character Chatsky comes to Moscow because of his beloved girl Sophia.

At first in Famusov’s house, he is cheerful, excited, in a good mood and is so blinded by Sophia’s beauty that he does not even notice her coldness and alienation.

Noticing Sophia's coldness, Chatsky seeks to find out who Sophia really loves.

How does Chatsky appear in the play?

(Apparition 5, page 112)

What in Chatsky’s behavior immediately catches your eye?

-Chatsky loves Sophia. His love is sincere, just like 3 years ago. He was looking forward to the meeting. At first he is cheerful, excited, and in a good mood.

How does Sophia greet him?

- She greets him coldly and aloofly, although they grew up together in Famusov's house. Chatsky was brought up and studied together with Sophia under the guidance of Russian and foreign teachers and tutors.

Teacher: This is how a conflict arises between Sophia and Chatsky. What is conflict?

- Conflict is a clash, contradiction between characters or characters and circumstances. (entry in dictionaries)

Teacher: It happens internal conflict when a person experiences internal contradictions. What is the nature of the conflict between Sophia and Chatsky?

- Love.

Teacher: But already in Act 1, in addition to a personal, love conflict, a social conflict is also outlined. It can be seen in Chatsky’s satirical remarks about Moscow morals. Read this scene. (Appearance 6, page 115)

Teacher: For development social conflict We will follow, based on table No. 3: (display through a projector). You will need to write down quotes from the comedy.

Attitude to:

Chatsky

Famus Society

To the people and to serfdom;

Enlightenment;

Foreign;

Wealth, rank;

Love, marriage;

The meaning of the word "mind"

(selection of several quotes)

Teacher: In Act 1 there are expressions that have become popular. They are called aphorisms. Entry in dictionaries: an aphorism is a short expressive saying containing a generalizing conclusion. (selection of several aphorisms from 1 act).

Lesson summary.

P>The play “Woe from Wit” was written at a time when romanticism and realism were developing in literature. Griboedov is a writer who laid the foundations of innovation in Russian dramaturgy XIX century.
Despite the strict requirements of the classic canons - the presence of 5-8 characters, in “Woe from Wit,” according to the author himself, “twenty-five fools for one sane person.”
The figurative system of comedy is based on the realistic principle of typification. Since realism is based on historicism, the play reflects the era that came after the War of 1812. This was the time of the birth and development of the Decembrist movement. It was at this time that two camps emerged in society: the camp of advanced noble youth and the conservative camp of serf owners.
The Moscow nobility is represented in the play by Famusov and his entourage, and the progressive nobility is represented by Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, a true exponent of Decembrist ideas and sentiments in the comedy. Thus, in “Woe from Wit” there is a social and psychological typification of the heroes.
No, despite the typicality, all the characters in the play are individual. For example, Famusov is not only a Moscow gentleman who defends patriarchal foundations, but also a loving father:
Didn't they care about yours?
About education! From the cradle!
In addition, Famusov is a rather frivolous gentleman, flirting with his daughter’s maid:
After all, what a naughty girl you are...
Oh! Potion, spoiled girl.
In addition, he has a sense of humor:
They were given my voice, and how well
Everyone hears and calls everyone until dawn!
His daughter Sophia is capable of deep feeling (“Molchalin! How my sanity remains intact! You know how dear your life is to me!”) and meanness. It is she who starts gossip about Chatsky’s madness: “He doesn’t
sane!"
Thus, in addition to characters that are clearly positive or negative, there are heroes whose assessment is ambiguous (Famusov, Sophia, Platon Mikhailovich Gorich, who was once Chatsky’s friend in military service, but turned into a “husband-boy, husband-servant”). Classicism was characterized by a clear division of characters into positive and negative.
From a love affair point of view figurative system“Woe from Wit” basically corresponds to the classical system of roles. The plot of the comedy is based on a love triangle (Chatsky - Sophia - Molchalin). There is also the girl’s father, who has no idea about her love, and there is also a maid who helps arrange love dates for her mistress.
But there are also deviations from traditions. Chatsky is not exactly a hero-lover, since he fails in love:
Blind! In whom I sought the reward of all my labors!
I was in a hurry!.. flying!. trembled!
Happiness, I thought, was close.
Before whom I just now was so passionate and so low
He was a waster of tender words!
On the other hand, Chatsky is a hero-lover and a reasoner at the same time, because many of his statements express the opinion of the author himself: Ah! If we were born to adopt everything, At least from the Chinese we could borrow a little from their Wise ignorance of foreigners. Will we ever be resurrected from the alien power of fashion?
Chatsky’s rival Molchalin does not quite fit the definition of “second lover”, because he is successful in love, but at the same time he is not the first lover, since he is far from ideal and is depicted with a negative author’s assessment. Sophia is also not an ideal heroine.
Go beyond the role and minor characters. Liza, Sophia's maid, is not only a soubrette, but also a kind of second reasoner: she gives apt characteristics of the characters and comments on the events taking place:
Like all Moscow people, your father is like this:
He would like a son-in-law with stars and ranks,
And under the stars, not everyone is rich, between us;
Well, of course, then
And money to live on, so he could give balls...
Famusov is not only a father who does not know about his daughter’s love, but also an ideologist of the “past century.”
Thus, the characters do not fit into the framework of traditional roles, they are broader.
In addition to the main one, there are also comic love triangles: Lisa - Molchalin - bartender Petrusha and Lisa - Famusov - Petrusha.
From the point of view of social conflict, the system of characters is built on the antithesis of the “present century” and the “past century.” Chatsky, the only stage character, is opposed to Famus society. The very appearance of Alexander Andreevich in this atmosphere of sycophancy, tyranny and servility makes his conflict with the “past century” inevitable. He exposes vices and shortcomings Famusov society and is the ideologist of the “present century”.
A parody of Chatsky is Repetilov, a member of the “most secret union”, who claims to be the ideologist of his circle:
What's the ball? Brother, where are we all night until broad daylight?
We are shackled in decency, we will not break out of the yoke...
The image of Repetilov also correlates with the image of Molchaliv. Alexey Stepanovich tries to please everyone, he believes that at “his age he should not dare to have his own judgment.” Repetilov doesn’t trust his opinion either:
I often listen without opening my lips;
I can’t do it, brother, and I feel like I’m stupid.
A clear reflection of the image of Molchalin is the universal pleaser Zagoretsky:
Let me hand it to you, it would be in vain for anyone to take it
Another one to serve you...
Zagoretsky is a true bearer of such traits as servility and sycophancy.
From point of view speech characteristics, all the heroes are divided into those who speak in monologues (Chatsky, Famusov, Repetilov), and those who speak in replicas (all the rest).
Those who pronounce monologues are ideologists (Famusov and Chatsky) or imitate them (Repetilov). Ideologists do not listen to each other, but the crowd does not hear them either.
During his monologue about the “Frenchman from Bordeaux,” Chatsky looks around and remarks: “everyone is spinning in the waltz with the greatest zeal. The old men scattered to the card tables.”
The guests at the ball are independent group images, without which the “gallery of types” of Famusov’s Moscow would be incomplete.
Famusov’s sister-in-law Khlestova is a typical Moscow lady, “a remnant of the Catherine century.” Six princesses and a countess-granddaughter represent a contingent of brides who are preoccupied with finding profitable suitors. Prince Tugoukhovsky and his wife are busy looking for matches for their daughters. Zagoretsky personifies the image of an obvious swindler. Platon Mikhailovich Gorich - “husband-boy, husband-servant”, aware of the absurdity of his position, speaks to his wife “coolly”, “eyes to the sky”, “with a sigh”.
Colonel Skalozub is a typical representative of the military, who dreams only of “getting promoted to general.” Mask characters, Messrs. N. and V., are needed to spread gossip in society. All these images make up such a concept as Famusov’s Moscow.
Off-stage characters are introduced to typify the conflict. Among them there are representatives of the “present century” and the “past century” who share Famusov’s views. Their career serves as an argument in a dispute with the “present century”; they are an ideal for Famus society. This is the venerable chamberlain Kuzma Petrovich, famous for that “he had the key, and knew how to deliver the key to his son; rich and married to a rich woman.” These include Maxim Petrovich, who knew how to help himself in a timely manner, and Foma Fomich, who was “the head of a department under three ministers,” and Tatyana Yuryevna, who has useful friends and relatives. These people most clearly embody the morals and ideals of Famus society.
The comedy tells about the inhuman cruelty of serf owners, who deal with their serfs like dogs. This is a landowner-theater, who “is fat himself, his artists are skinny”, a landowner-balletomane, “Nestor of noble scoundrels”, Khlestova’s sister Praskovya.
The “past century” also includes foreigners who arrived in Russia “to pursue happiness and rank”: Madame Rosier, Sophia and Chatsky’s mentor, a Frenchman “blown by the wind,” “a Frenchman from Bordeaux.”
Off-stage female characters are just as typical and individual as the stage ones, they complement the latter. This is Sophia’s aunt, “Catherine I’s maid of honor,” Praskovya Fedorovna, Tatyana Yuryevna, Pulkheria Andreevna, Irina Vlasevna, Lukerya Aleksevna.
The off-stage characters of the “present century” show that Chatsky is not alone and testify in favor of his future victories. Representatives of the Famusov society recall that among their loved ones there are people similar to Alexander Andreevich. These include Skalozub’s cousin, who “suddenly left his service” and “began reading books in the village,” Prince Fyodor, nephew of Princess Tugoukhovskaya, who studies chemistry and botany, professor Pedagogical Institute, declared to be practicing “schisms and unbelief.” In his monologue “Who are the judges?..” Chatsky speaks on behalf of an entire generation:
Now let one of us
Among the young people there will be an enemy of quest...
A parody of the “present century” are the members of the most secret union, about whom we learn from Repetilov’s monologue. This is Prince Grigory, Vorkulov Evdokim, Levoy and Borinka, Udushev Ippolit Markelych and their chairman, “a night robber, a duelist,” who is “strongly unclean.”
The introduction of so many off-stage characters was innovative. They are playing big role in the development of social conflict and expand the space-time scope of comedy.
Revealing inner world characters, Griboedov focuses not on their feelings, experiences, psychology, but on their public views, beliefs. All the characters in the play are convex and multifaceted. These are living types of Russian people.

Comedy image system. The problem of prototypes (A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit”)

Comedy heroes can be divided into several groups: main characters, secondary characters, masked characters and off-stage characters. All of them, in addition to the role assigned to them in the comedy, are also important as types that reflect certain character traits Russian society early XIX century.

The main characters of the play include Chatsky, Molchalin, Sophia and Famusov. The plot of the comedy is based on their relationship. The interaction of these characters with each other drives the play.

Minor characters - Lisa, Skalozub, Khlestova, Gorichi and others - also participate in the development of the action, but direct relationship have nothing to do with the plot.

The images of masked heroes are extremely generalized. The author is not interested in their psychology; they interest him only as important “signs of the times” or as eternal human types. Their role is special, because they create a socio-political background for the development of the plot, emphasize and clarify something in the main characters. Their participation in comedy is based on the “distorting mirror” technique. Masked heroes include Repetilov, Zagoretsky, Messrs. N and D, and the Tugoukhovsky family. The author is not interested in the personality of each of the six princesses; they are important in the comedy only as social type"Moscow young lady" These are truly masks: they all look the same, we cannot distinguish the remark of the first princess from the statement of the second or fifth:

3rd. What a charm my cousin gave me!

4th. Oh! yes, barezhevoy!

5th. Oh! lovely!

6th. Oh! how sweet!

These young ladies are funny to Chatsky, the author, and the readers. But they don’t seem funny to Sophia at all. For with all her merits, with all the complexities of her nature, she is from their world, in some ways Sophia and the “chirping” princesses are very, very close. In their society, Sophia is perceived naturally - and we see the heroine in a slightly different light.

Unlike the princesses, whom Griboyedov only numbered, without even considering it necessary to give them names in the poster, their father has both a first and patronymic: Prince Pyotr Ilyich Tugoukhovsky. But he is also faceless, and he is a mask. He doesn’t say anything except “uh-hmm”, “a-hmm” and “uh-hmm”, doesn’t hear anything, is not interested in anything, is completely devoid of his own opinion... In him the features of a “husband” are brought to the point of absurdity, to the point of absurdity. a boy, a husband-servant,” constituting “the high ideal of all Moscow husbands.” Prince Tugoukhovsky is the future of Chatsky’s friend, Plato. Mikhailovich Gorich. At the ball, gossip about Chatsky's madness is spread by Messrs. N and D. Again, no names or faces. The personification of gossip, living gossip. These characters focus all the base traits of Famus society: indifference to the truth, indifference to personality, passion for “washing bones,” hypocrisy, hypocrisy... This is not just a mask, it is rather a mask-symbol.

Masked heroes play the role of a mirror placed opposite the “high society”. And here it is important to emphasize that one of the author’s main tasks was not just to reflect the features of modern society, but make society recognize itself in the mirror.

This task is facilitated by off-stage characters, that is, those whose names are mentioned, but the heroes themselves do not appear on stage and do not take part in the action. And if the main characters of “Woe from Wit” do not have any specific prototypes (except for Chatsky), then in the images of some minor characters and off-stage characters, the features of the author’s real contemporaries are completely recognizable. Thus, Repetilov describes to Chatsky one of those who “make noise” in the English Club:

You don’t need to name it, you’ll recognize it from the portrait:

Night robber, duelist,

He was exiled to Kamchatka, returned as an Aleut,

And he is firmly unclean in his hand.

And not only Chatsky, but also the majority of readers “recognized from the portrait” the colorful figure of that time: Fyodor Tolstoy - the American. It’s interesting, by the way, that Tolstoy himself, having read “Woe from Wit” in the list, recognized himself and, when meeting with Griboedov, asked to change the last line as follows: “He’s dishonest when it comes to cards.” He corrected the line in this way with his own hand and added an explanation: “For the fidelity of the portrait, this amendment is necessary so that they do not think that he is stealing snuff boxes from the table.”

In the collection scientific works"A. S. Griboyedov. Materials for the biography" contains an article by N. V. Gurov "That little black one..." ("Indian Prince" Visapur in the comedy "Woe from Wit")." Remember, at the first meeting with Sofia Chatsky, Trying to revive the atmosphere of former ease, he goes through old mutual acquaintances, with whom they both made fun of three years ago. In particular, he remembers a certain “darkie”:

And this one, what’s his name, is he Turkish or Greek?

That little black one, on crane legs,

I don't know what his name is

Wherever you turn: it’s right there,

In dining rooms and living rooms.

So, Gurov’s note talks about the prototype of this “passing” off-stage character. It turns out that it was possible to establish that during the time of Griboyedov there was a certain Alexander Ivanovich Poryus-Vizapursky, who quite fits the description of Chatsky.

Why did you need to look for a prototype of the “black one”? Isn't he too small a figure for literary criticism? It turns out - not too much. For us, a century and a half after the publication of “Woe from Wit,” it makes no difference whether there was a “black one” or Griboyedov invented him. But modern reader(ideally the viewer) of the comedy immediately understood who it was about we're talking about: “I recognized it from the portrait.” And the gap between the stage and auditorium, fictional characters they talked about persons known to the public, the viewer and the character turned out to have “mutual acquaintances” - and quite a lot. Thus, Griboedov managed to create an amazing effect: he blurred the line between real life and stage reality. And what is especially important is that the comedy, while acquiring an intense journalistic sound, did not lose one iota in artistic terms.

The problem of the prototype of the comedy protagonist requires special discussion. First of all, because it is impossible to speak about Chatsky’s prototype with the same certainty and unambiguity as about the prototypes of off-stage characters. The image of Chatsky is least of all a portrait of this or that real person; This collective image, a social type of the era, a kind of “hero of the time”. And yet it contains the features of two outstanding contemporaries of Griboyedov - P.Ya. Chaadaev (1796-1856) and V.K. Kuchelbecker (1797-1846). A special meaning is hidden in the name of the main character. The surname "Chatsky" undoubtedly carries an encrypted allusion to the name of one of most interesting people that era: Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev. The fact is that in the draft versions of “Woe from Wit” Griboedov wrote the hero’s name differently than in the final version: “Chadsky”. Chaadaev’s surname was also often pronounced and written with one “a”: “Chadaev”. This is exactly how, for example, Pushkin addressed him in the poem “From the seashore of Taurida...”: “Chadaev, do you remember the past?..”

Chaadaev participated in Patriotic War 1812, in the anti-Napoleonic campaign abroad. In 1814, he joined the Masonic lodge, and in 1821 he suddenly interrupted his brilliant military career and agreed to join a secret society. From 1823 to 1826, Chaadaev traveled around Europe, comprehended the latest philosophical teachings, met Schelling and other thinkers. After returning to Russia in 1828-1830, he wrote and published a historical and philosophical treatise: “Philosophical Letters.” The views, ideas, judgments - in a word, the very system of worldview of the thirty-six-year-old philosopher turned out to be so unacceptable for Nicholas Russia that the author " Philosophical letters" suffered an unprecedented and terrible punishment: by the highest (that is, personally imperial) decree he was declared crazy. It so happened that literary character did not repeat the fate of his prototype, but predicted it.

Bibliography

Monakhova O.P., Malkhazova M.V. Russian literature XIX century. Part 1. - M.-1994

Comedy image system. The problem of prototypes (A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit”)

The secondary characters - Lisa, Skalozub, Khlestova, Gorichi and others - also participate in the development of the action, but have no direct relation to the plot.

The images of masked heroes are extremely generalized. The author is not interested in their psychology; they interest him only as important “signs of the times” or as eternal human types. Their role is special, because they create a socio-political background for the development of the plot, emphasize and clarify something in the main characters. Their participation in comedy is based on the “distorting mirror” technique. Masked heroes include Repetilov, Zagoretsky, Messrs. N and D, and the Tugoukhovsky family. The author is not interested in the personality of each of the six princesses; they are important in the comedy only as a social type of “Moscow young lady”. These are truly masks: they all look the same, we cannot distinguish the remark of the first princess from the statement of the second or fifth:

3rd. What a charm my cousin gave me!

4th. Oh! yes, barezhevoy!

5th. Oh! lovely!

6th. Oh! how sweet!

This task is facilitated by off-stage characters, that is, those whose names are mentioned, but the heroes themselves do not appear on stage and do not take part in the action. And if the main characters of “Woe from Wit” do not have any specific prototypes (except for Chatsky), then in the images of some minor heroes and off-stage characters the features of the author’s real contemporaries are completely recognizable. Thus, Repetilov describes to Chatsky one of those who “make noise” in the English Club:

You don’t need to name it, you’ll recognize it from the portrait:

Night robber, duelist,

He was exiled to Kamchatka, returned as an Aleut,

And he is firmly unclean in his hand.

The collection of scientific works "A. S. Griboyedov. Materials for the biography" contains an article by N. V. Gurov "That little black one..." ("Indian Prince" Visapur in the comedy "Woe from Wit")." Remember, at the first meeting with Sophia, Chatsky, trying to revive the atmosphere of former ease, goes through old mutual acquaintances, with whom they both made fun of three years ago. In particular, he remembers a certain “darkie”:

And this one, what’s his name, is he Turkish or Greek?

That little black one, on crane legs,

I don't know what his name is

Wherever you turn: it’s right there,

In dining rooms and living rooms.

Why did you need to look for a prototype of the “black one”? Isn't he too small a figure for literary criticism? It turns out - not too much. For us, a century and a half after the publication of “Woe from Wit,” it makes no difference whether there was a “black one” or Griboyedov invented him. But the modern reader (ideally, the viewer) of the comedy immediately understood who he was talking about: “he recognized it from the portrait.” And the gap between the stage and the auditorium disappeared, the fictional characters talked about people known to the public, the viewer and the character turned out to have “mutual acquaintances” - and quite a lot. Thus, Griboedov managed to create an amazing effect: he blurred the line between real life and stage reality. And what is especially important is that the comedy, while acquiring an intense journalistic sound, did not lose one iota in artistic terms.

The problem of the prototype of the comedy protagonist requires special discussion. First of all, because it is impossible to speak about Chatsky’s prototype with the same certainty and unambiguity as about the prototypes of off-stage characters. The image of Chatsky is least of all a portrait of this or that real person; This is a collective image, a social type of the era, a kind of “hero of the time.” And yet it contains the features of two outstanding contemporaries of Griboyedov - P.Ya. Chaadaev (1796-1856) and V.K. Kuchelbecker (1797-1846). A special meaning is hidden in the name of the main character. The surname “Chatsky” undoubtedly carries an encrypted hint to the name of one of the most interesting people of that era: Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev. The fact is that in the draft versions of “Woe from Wit” Griboedov wrote the hero’s name differently than in the final version: “Chadsky”. Chaadaev’s surname was also often pronounced and written with one “a”: “Chadaev”. This is exactly how, for example, Pushkin addressed him in the poem “From the seashore of Taurida...”: “Chadaev, do you remember the past?..”

Chaadaev took part in the Patriotic War of 1812, in the anti-Napoleonic campaign abroad. In 1814, he joined the Masonic lodge, and in 1821 he suddenly interrupted his brilliant military career and agreed to join a secret society. From 1823 to 1826, Chaadaev traveled around Europe, comprehended the latest philosophical teachings, and met Schelling and other thinkers. After returning to Russia in 1828-1830, he wrote and published a historical and philosophical treatise: “Philosophical Letters.” The views, ideas, judgments - in a word, the very system of worldview of the thirty-six-year-old philosopher turned out to be so unacceptable for Nicholas Russia that the author of the Philosophical Letters suffered an unprecedented and terrible punishment: by the highest (that is, personally imperial) decree he was declared crazy. It so happened that the literary character did not repeat the fate of his prototype, but predicted it.

Bibliography

Monakhova O.P., Malkhazova M.V. Russian literature of the 19th century. Part 1. - M.-1994

To prepare this work, materials from the site http://www.gramma.ru were used

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Comedy “Woe from Wit” - greatest work Russian literature. It contains extremely important questions the era that came after the War of 1812 - the time of the birth and development of the Decembrist movement in the country.
Specifics of the conflict genre originality, the features of the language and style of comedy are used by the author to achieve the main goal - showing the struggle between two eras of Russian life - “the present century” and the “past century”. Griboedov is an innovator of his time. Departing from the canons of classicism, he exceeds the permissible number of characters. In addition, a large number of off-stage characters are introduced into the comedy, the number of which exceeds the stage ones, which is also an innovation for a classic work.
We can divide all the images in the comedy into three groups: the main characters - they participate in a personal conflict (Sofya, Silent, Chatsky, Famusov and Lisa), secondary and off-stage. The second group includes guests of the Famusov dance evening. The third includes all off-stage characters, which we learn about from the dialogues of the characters on stage.
This character system is not accidental. The main characters are presented to us in close-up, the secondary ones complement them, helping to deepen the images, and the off-stage characters expand the spatial and temporal framework of the play. “Woe from Wit” is a realistic comedy, accordingly everything characters- this is the embodiment of typical traits typical characters under typical circumstances.
Such heroes can be divided into two large camps - representatives of the “past century” and representatives of the “present century”.
The first and most prominent representative of the “past century” is Famusov. A serf-owning gentleman, “like all Moscow people,” who dreams of getting a son-in-law “with stars and ranks” for his daughter. Service for Famusov, as for all representatives of noble Moscow, is only a means of moving up the career ladder. He adheres to the custom - “it’s signed, off your shoulders.”
Famusov does not want to accept anything new. Old customs and orders suit the entire patriarchal society, and any changes can lead to the loss of their social and material well-being. Therefore, it is not surprising that Pavel Afanasyevich is an ardent opponent of all teachings, professors of the Pedagogical Institute, who “practice in schisms and unbelief.” “They would take all the books and burn them,” he declares. Like all of Griboyedov’s Moscow, Famusov leads an idle life, “fills himself in feasts and extravagance”: “on Tuesday I am called to the trout”, “on Thursday I am called to the funeral”, and on Friday or Saturday I must “baptize at the doctor’s house”, which “according to his calculations” “should give birth” - this is how Pavel Afanasyevich’s week goes. On the one hand, Famusov, like all heroes, is typical, but, on the other hand, he is individual. Here Griboyedov no longer has a strict division into positive and negative heroes, as it was during the period of classicism. Famusov is not only a serf-lord who oppresses his peasants, but also a loving father, master of the house, flirting with his maid.
His daughter Sophia stands out among other people. Passionate about reading French novels, she imagines herself as their heroine. That’s why there are many psychological motives in her speech (“I’m ashamed of myself, I’m ashamed of the walls,” “don’t dare expect reproaches, complaints, my tears, you’re not worth them”). Possessing an imperious character and a practical mind, Sophia in the future will be the same as Natalya Dmitrievna, pushing around her “husband-boy, husband-servant.” There are no Gallicisms in the girl’s speech. She was brought up with Chatsky. Sophia boldly expresses her opinion: “Whoever I want, I love,” and at the same time does not care what “Princess Marya Aleksevna will say.” That is why she gives her preference to Molchalin. Sophia understands that he will become “the ideal of all Moscow husbands,” and will be grateful to the end of his life for the fact that she raised him to her level and introduced him into society.
Silent - a bright representative of Famus society. He has been serving in Famusov’s house for three years, “listed in the archives,” and has already “received three awards.” He values two qualities in himself, “two talents” - “moderation and accuracy”, he is sure that “at his age one should not dare to have one’s own judgment”, that “one must depend on others.”
The goal of his life is to be in right time in the right place, and most importantly - to follow the behests of his father: “to please all people without exception.” He is a man of few words, uses cutesy words in his speech, which not only corresponds to his lifestyle, but also to his last name - “Molchalin”. Every word and step he takes is thought out. He skillfully pretends to be the lover of his master’s daughter, although he himself has sympathy for the maid Liza (“Her position, you...”).
The main character of the comedy, representing the “present century,” is Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, educated and smart. A clear and sharp mind proves that he is not just clever man, but also a “freethinker.” He is a hero-lover and the main reasoner at the same time. And if Chatsky fails completely in love, then he fulfills his socially accusatory mission. Being the main exponent of Decembrist ideas in comedy, the hero in his angry speeches exposes the ignorance, deceit, harshness and serf-based basis of Famus society.
An important role is played by Lisa, Sophia's maid, an intelligent, lively, lively girl. On the one hand, she is a soubrette (a traditional role of classicism) and helps her mistress arrange love dates. Besides, Lisa is the second reasoner on stage. She gives apt characteristics to the heroes: “Who is so sensitive, and cheerful, and sharp, like Alexander Andreich Chatsky”, “Like all Moscow, your father is like this: he would like a son-in-law with stars and with ranks”, “And Skalozub, like his own crest will spin, tell, faint, add a hundred embellishments.”
The secondary characters are presented in the third act of the comedy at Famusov's dance party. They complement the picture of the Moscow nobility.
A striking example of militaryism and Arakcheevism is Colonel Skalozub, in whose image military careerism and passion for drill are exposed. Limited and rude, he is respected in society, because he is “both a gold bag and aims to be a general.” His speech, like that of all heroes, is authorized. Skalozub speaks in monosyllabic and incoherent sentences, often constructing phrases incorrectly: “I am ashamed, like an honest officer!” And Sophia says that “he never said a smart word.”
Next, we see a whole gallery of representatives of the Moscow nobility. These are the Gorichi, who are a typical noble family, where “the husband is a boy, the husband is a servant,” and the powerful, narcissistic wife who plays the role of a guardian: “Move away from the door, the wind blows through there from behind.” Even in the recent past, Platon Mikhailovich “ran around on a greyhound stallion”, and now he suffers from “rumatism and headaches”, “camp noise, comrades and brothers” have been replaced by a different activity: “On the flute I repeat the A-mole duet.”
This is Prince Tugoukhovsky with his wife and six dowry-free daughters, who travels to balls in search of suitors. This is the Countess Khryumina: Countess-granddaughter- spinster, always dissatisfied with everything, and her grandmother, who no longer sees or hears anything, but stubbornly attends entertaining evenings.
This is the “fraudster, rogue” Zagoretsky, who found “protection from court” in best houses Moscow. These are Messrs. N. and O., who are needed only to spread gossip about Chatsky’s madness, and Repetilov - a pathetic parody of representatives secret society. All of them embody such a concept as “Famusov’s Moscow.”
Finally, the comedy contains a large number of off-stage characters, the number of which exceeds the number of stage ones, which is a violation of the canons of classicism. The role of these characters is great: they expand both the temporal and spatial boundaries of the comedy. It is thanks to them that Griboyedov manages to cover the period of time from Empress Catherine II to the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I. Without the off-stage characters, the picture would not be so complete. Like all stage plays, they can be divided into two opposing camps - the “past century” and the “present century”. From dialogues and remarks we learn about “Nestor of the noble scoundrels,” who exchanged his devoted servants “for three greyhounds,” about the balletomane landowner, “who did not agree to the debtors’ deferment,” as a result of which “Zephyrs and Cupids were all sold one by one,” about Khlestova’s sister Praskovya, for whom Zagoretsky “got two little blacks at the fair,” and about many others.
We also learn about their attitude to service, their servility and respect for rank. This is Maxim Petrovich, who, if necessary, “bent over,” and Kuzma Petrovich, who “was a venerable chamberlain, with a key, and knew how to deliver the key to his son; rich and was married to a rich woman,” and Foma Fomich, who “was the head of a department under three ministers,” and Molchalin’s father, who bequeathed to his son “to please all people without seizure,” and others.
The favorite pastime of Moscow ladies is gossip. So, Tatyana Yuryevna, who “returned from St. Petersburg,” talked about Chatsky’s “connection with the ministers.”
Many foreigners who went to Russia “with fear and tears”, but because of the ignorance of Moscow society, found that “there is no end to the caresses.” This is Madame Rosier, and the Frenchman from Bordeaux, and the dancing master Guillaume, who, thanks to their foreign origin were highly respected.
Representatives of the secret society that Repetilov speaks about also belong to the “past century.” All this is just a pathetic parody of the Decembrist meetings. Anglomaniac Prince Grigory, lover of Italian opera Vorkulov Evdokim, “wonderful guys” Levoy and Borinka, genius writer Udushev Ippolit Markelych, and their chairman “night robber, duelist” - these are those who apply for the role advanced people of its time.
But there are also representatives of the “present century”. These are the professors of the Pedagogical Institute, who “practice in schisms and unbelief,” and Skalozub’s cousin, who “suddenly left his service and began reading books in the village,” and Princess Tugoukhovskaya’s nephew Fyodor, who studies chemistry and botany, and all the progressive youth, on whose behalf Chatsky speaks in his monologue “And who are the judges?..”
And although there are many characters in the play, there is nothing superfluous in it: not a single extra hero, scenes, a wasted word, not a single unnecessary stroke. The main characters in the comedy are shown in close-up, the secondary ones complement the picture, and the off-stage characters expand its temporal and spatial boundaries. This system of images is aimed at revealing the main conflict of the play.