The most exciting page of the comedy Woe from Wit. Woe from Wit - Griboyedov A.S.

PICTURE OF CHARACTERS AND MORAL IN A. S. GRIBOEDOV’S COMEDY “WOE FROM MIND”

Be present, send them to the Senate!
Irina Vlasevna! Lukerya Alekseek?
Tatyana Yuryevna! Pulcheria Andrevna!
Princess Marya Aleksevna has very great weight in society, whose opinion Famusov is very afraid of. Chatsky makes fun of these “rulers”, their emptiness, stupidity and absurd character.
In addition to the “aces,” there are smaller people in noble society. There are more of them, and therefore they are typical representatives of the middle nobility. Representatives of this type are Zagoretsky and Repetilov, and from the off-stage ones we can name “the little black one, on the legs of a crane,” as well as “three of the boulevard persons” whom Chatsky mentions. All of them, aware of their insignificance before the “pillars” of the Moscow nobility, try to serve them, subserviently, winning their favor. The spirit of servility and hypocrisy permeates the entire Famus society.
All off-stage characters are necessary in order to highlight the characters of the main characters and reveal them more fully. Famusov's admiration for insignificant people emphasizes his limitations. From this we can conclude that he achieved a position in society and became an influential “ace” thanks to the ability to use any means to achieve his goal. When he reproaches Sophia that she is like her mother in that she “just jumped out of bed” - already with young people, then there is no doubt: he married for convenience. Swaggering towards those who occupy a lower position, Famusov openly ingratiates himself and seeks the favor of the stupid Skalozub, who is “not a general today or tomorrow.” Chatsky speaks mockingly about Famusov’s relatives;
And that consumptive one, your relatives, the enemy of books,
To the Scientific Committee which settled
And with a cry he demanded oaths,
So that no one knows or learns to read and write?
This character, depicted in a comedy, helps to understand the socio-political situation in Russia, to feel the atmosphere prevailing in society. Everyone is afraid of educated people like Chatsky, because they understand that the time is not far when they will be swept away like unnecessary trash by a new force, that is

Educated advanced nobles. They are afraid of change, because without serfs they themselves cannot do anything in life, they have neither knowledge, nor intelligence, nor abilities. Ardent serf owners are ready to declare anyone crazy in order to hold on to their privileges.
Pushkin said that the purpose of comedy is “the depiction of characters and morals.” The immorality of Famus society and the immorality of those ideals of the “past century” that they worship reminds us that the vices of human nature are ineradicable, therefore the modern Molchalins and Chatskys are in eternal confrontation. The ability to “bravely sacrifice the back of the head” for the sake of a career, the shamelessness with which “they rush to get into the regiments of jesters” - all this makes Griboedov’s comedy immortal. Chatsky in one phrase aptly characterizes Famus society:
Funny, shaved, gray chins,
Both hair and minds are short!
Old woman Khlestova says: “You will really go crazy from these, from boarding houses, schools, lyceums,...”. She is echoed by Skalozub that a project has been released stating that “there they will only teach in our way: one, two; and the books will be preserved like this: for great occasions.” He regrets his brother: “The rank followed him: he suddenly left the service and began reading books in the village.” It would seem that he should be glad that his brother is smarter, more far-sighted, but Skalozub feels nothing but irritation. Famusov declares: “And in order to stop evil, take away all the books and burn them!” Griboyedov himself wrote: “The more educated a person is, the more useful he is to his fatherland.” But Famus society does not want to be useful to its fatherland. They essentially do not know their homeland and their people and do not want to know.
In the comedy there are many off-stage characters from the serf class. All images, even the most insignificant ones, play an important role in the development of the plot, which helps to realize the main ideological plan of the comedy - to give a broad picture of Russian reality of that time, to show the struggle of two camps, that is, the “present century” with the “past century.” Off-stage characters help the author create a complete satirical picture of society, generalizing, typifying

Zeroing in on the conflict. This is Griboedov's innovation. The conservative mass of the nobility preached the ideals of the “last century”: “And win awards and live happily” - this is their slogan, their motto. Chatsky and others like him see the goal of life in the reconstruction of society, when “slaves in spirit” will be replaced by a harmoniously developed personality, capable of self-sacrifice in the name of progress. Chatsky says about the “past century”: “The century of obedience and fear was direct.” The hero contrasts Famusov’s ideals with a high understanding of honor and duty, the social role and responsibilities of man.

“Woe from Wit” is one of the most topical works of Russian drama. The problems posed in the comedy continued to excite Russian social thought and literature many years after its birth. “Woe from Wit” is the fruit of Griboyedov’s patriotic thoughts about the fate of Russia, about the ways of renewal and reconstruction of its life.

From this point of view, the comedy highlights the most important political, moral and cultural problems of the era. The content of the comedy is revealed through the collision and change of two eras of Russian life - the “present century” and the “past century.” The border between them, in my opinion, is the War of 1812 - the fire in Moscow, the defeat of Napoleon, the return of the army from foreign campaigns. After the Patriotic War, two public camps emerged in Russian society: the camp of feudal reaction represented by Famusov, Skalozub and others, and the camp of advanced noble youth represented by Chatsky. The comedy clearly shows that the clash of “centuries” was an expression of the struggle between these two camps.

In Famusov’s enthusiastic stories and Chatsky’s accusatory speeches, the author creates an image of the 18th century, the “past century.” “The Past Century” is the ideal of Famusov’s society, because he is a convinced serf owner. He is ready to exile his peasants to Siberia over any trifle, hates education, grovels before his superiors, currying favor as best he can in order to receive a new rank. He bows to his uncle, who “ate on gold,” served at the court of Catherine herself, and walked “all in orders.” Of course, he received his numerous ranks and awards not thanks to faithful service to the fatherland, but by currying favor with the empress.

Next to Famusov in the comedy stands Skalozub - “and a golden bag and aims to become a general.” Colonel Skalozub is a typical representative of the Arakcheevo army environment. At first glance, his image is caricatured. But this is not so: historically it is quite true. Like Famusov, Skalozub is guided in his life by the philosophy and ideals of the “past century,” but in a rougher form. He sees the purpose of his life not in serving the fatherland, but in achieving ranks and awards, which, in his opinion, are more accessible to a military man.

The people of Famusov's circle are selfish and selfish. They spend all their time in social entertainment, vulgar intrigues and stupid gossip. This special society has its own ideology, its own way of life, its own outlook on life. They are sure that there is no other ideal than wealth, power and universal respect. “After all, only here they also value the nobility,” says Famusov about lordly Moscow. Griboyedov exposes the reactionary nature of feudal society and thereby shows where the dominance of the Famusovs is leading Russia.

He puts his revelations into the monologues of Chatsky, who has a sharp mind. For friends and enemies, Chatsky was not just smart, but a “freethinker” who belonged to the progressive circle of people. The ideas that worried him disturbed the minds of all progressive youth of that time. Chatsky arrived in St. Petersburg when the Decembrist movement was born there. In this environment, in my opinion, Chatsky’s views and aspirations take shape. He knows literature well. Famusov heard rumors that Chatsky “writes and translates well.” Such a passion for literature was typical of free-thinking noble youth.

At the same time, Chatsky is also fascinated by social activities: we learn about his connections with ministers. I believe he even managed to visit the village, because Famusov claims that he “made a fortune” there. It can be assumed that this “whim” meant a good attitude towards the peasants, perhaps some economic reforms. These high aspirations of Chatsky are an expression of his patriotic feelings, hostility towards lordly morals and serfdom in general. I think I won’t be mistaken in assuming that Griboedov, for the first time in Russian literature, revealed the national-historical origins of the Russian liberation movement of the 20s of the 19th century, the circumstances of the formation of Decembrism. It is the Decembrist understanding of honor and duty, the social role of man that is opposed to the slave morality of the Famusovs. “I would be glad to serve, but it’s sickening to be served,” declares Chatsky. Just like Griboyedov, Chatsky is a humanist who defends freedom and independence of the individual.

He sharply exposes serfdom in his angry speech “Who are the judges?” In it, Chatsky denounces the feudal system he hates. He highly evaluates the Russian people, speaks of their intelligence and love of freedom, and this, in my opinion, also echoes the ideology of the Decembrists. The comedy introduces the idea of ​​“independence” of the Russian people. Kowtowling to everything foreign, French upbringing, common among the nobility, evokes a sharp protest from Chatsky.

Obviously, Chatsky is not alone in comedy. He speaks on behalf of the entire generation. A natural question arises: who did the hero mean by the word “we”? Probably the younger generation taking a different path. Chatsky believes in the advent of a new era. More recently, “it was just an age of obedience and fear.” Today, a sense of personal dignity is awakening. Not everyone wants to be served, not everyone is looking for patrons. Public opinion arises. It seems to Chatsky that the time has come when it is possible to change and correct the existing serfdom through the development of advanced public opinion, with the help of new humane ideas.

The fight against the Famusovs in the comedy did not end, because in reality it had just begun. The Decembrists and Chatsky were representatives of the first stage of the Russian liberation movement.

“The Past Century” presents in the comedy the Moscow noble society, which adheres to the established rules and norms of life. A typical representative of this society is Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. He lives the old fashioned way, and considers his ideal to be Uncle Maxim Petrovich, who was a shining example of a nobleman from the time of Empress Catherine. Here's what Famusov himself says about him:

It's not on silver

Ate on gold; one hundred people at your service;

All in orders; I was always traveling in a train;

A century at court, and at what court!

Then it was not the same as now...

Chatsky considers that century to be the century of “humility and fear.” He is convinced that those morals are a thing of the past and today, “laughter frightens people and keeps shame in check.”

However, it's not that simple. The traditions of days gone by are too strong. Chatsky himself turns out to be their victim. With his directness, wit, and audacity, he becomes a disturber of social rules and norms. And society takes revenge on him. At the first meeting with him, Famusov calls him “carbonari.” However, in a conversation with Skalozub, he speaks well of him, says that he is “a guy with a head,” “writes and translates well,” and regrets that Chatsky does not serve. But Chatsky has his own opinion on this matter: he wants to serve the cause, not individuals. For now, apparently, this is impossible in Russia.

At first glance, it may seem that the conflict between Famusov and Chatsky is a conflict of different generations, a conflict of “fathers” and “children,” but this is not so.

After all, Sophia and Molchalin are young people, almost the same age as Chatsky, but they fully belong to the “past century.” Sophia is not stupid. Chatsky’s love for her can also serve as proof of this. But she absorbed the philosophy of her father and his society. Her chosen one is Molchalin. He is also young, but also a child of that old environment. He fully supports the morals and customs of old lordly Moscow. Both Sofia and Famusov speak well of Molchalin. The latter keeps him in his service “because he’s businesslike,” and Sophia sharply rejects Chatsky’s attacks on her lover. She says: Of course, he doesn’t have this mind, What a genius for others, but for others a plague...

But for her, intelligence is not the main thing. The main thing is that Molchalin is quiet, modest, helpful, disarms the priest with silence, and will not offend anyone. In general, an ideal husband. You can say the qualities are wonderful, but they are false. This is just a mask behind which his essence is hidden. After all, his motto is moderation and accuracy,” and he is ready to “please all people without exception,” as his father taught him. He persistently moves towards his goal - a warm and moneyed place. He plays the role of a lover only because it pleases Sophia herself, the daughter of his master. And Sophia sees in him the ideal husband and boldly moves towards her goal, without fear of “what Princess Aleksevna will say.”

Chatsky, finding himself in this environment after a long absence, is at first very friendly. He strives here, because the “smoke of the Fatherland” is “sweet and pleasant” to him, but this smoke turns out to be carbon monoxide for him. He encounters a wall of misunderstanding and rejection. His tragedy lies in the fact that on stage he alone confronts Famus society.

But the comedy mentions Skalozub’s cousin, who is also “strange” - “he suddenly left his service,” locked himself in the village and began reading books, but he “followed his rank.” There is also a nephew of Princess Tugoukhovskaya, “chemist and botanist” Prince Fyodor. But there is also Repetilov, who is proud of his involvement with a certain secret society, all of whose activities boil down to “make noise, brother, make noise.” But Chatsky cannot become a member of such a secret union.

But you can understand Chatsky. He experiences a personal tragedy, he does not find friendly sympathy, he is not accepted, he is rejected, he is expelled, but the hero himself could not exist in such conditions. “The present century” and the “past century” collide in comedy. The past time is still too strong and gives rise to its own kind. But the time for change in the person of Chatsky is already coming, although it is still too weak. “The “present century” replaces the “past century,” for this is an immutable law of life. The appearance of the Chatsky Carbonari at the turn of historical eras is natural and logical.

Phenomenon 2

Lisa And Famusov.
Lisa
Oh! master!

Famusov
Master, yes.
(Stops hour-long music)
After all, what a naughty girl you are.
I couldn’t figure out what kind of trouble this was!
Now you hear a flute, now it’s like a piano;
Would it be too early for Sophia?..

Lisa
No, sir, I... just by chance...

Famusov
Just by chance, take notice of you;
Yes, that's right, with intent.
(He presses closer to her and flirts.)
Oh! potion, spoiler.

Lisa
You are a spoiler, these faces suit you!

Famusov
Modest, but nothing but
Mischief and the wind are on your mind.

Lisa
Let me in, you little windbags,
Come to your senses, you are old...

Famusov
Almost.

Lisa
Well, who will come, where are we going?

Famusov
Who should come here?
After all, Sophia is sleeping?

Lisa
Now I'm taking a nap.

Famusov
Now! And the night?

Lisa
I spent the whole night reading.

Famusov
Look, what whims have developed!

Lisa
Everything is in French, aloud, read while locked.

Famusov
Tell me that it’s not good to spoil her eyes,
And reading is of little use:
She can't sleep from French books,
And the Russians make it hard for me to sleep.

Lisa
I'll report what happens,
If you please go, wake me up, I'm afraid.

Famusov
What to wake up? You wind the watch yourself,
You're blasting a symphony throughout the entire block.

Lisa
(as loud as possible)
Come on, sir!

Famusov
(covers her mouth)
Have mercy on the way you scream.
Are you going crazy?

Lisa
I'm afraid it won't work out...

Famusov
What?

Lisa
It's time, sir, for you to know that you are not a child;
Girls' morning sleep is so thin;
You creak the door a little, you whisper a little:
They hear everything...

Famusov
You're all lying.

Famusov
(hurriedly)
Shh!
(He sneaks out of the room on tiptoe.)

Lisa
(one)
Gone... Ah! away from the gentlemen;
They prepare troubles for themselves at every hour,
Pass us away more than all sorrows
And lordly anger, and lordly love.

Phenomenon 3

Lisa, Sofia with a candle behind it Molchalin.

Sofia
What, Lisa, attacked you?
You're making noise...

Lisa
Of course, it’s hard for you to break up?
Having locked yourself until daylight, and it seems like everything is not enough?

Sofia
Ah, it really is dawn!
(Puts out the candle.)
Both light and sadness. How fast the nights are!

Lisa
Push, know that there is no urine from the outside,
Your father came here, I froze;
I spun around in front of him, I don’t remember that I was lying;
Well, what have you become? bow, sir, give it.
Come on, my heart is not in the right place;
Look at your watch, look out the window:
People have been pouring down the streets for a long time;
And in the house there is knocking, walking, sweeping and cleaning.

Sofia
Happy hours are not observed.

Lisa
Don't watch, your power;
And what in return for you, of course, I will get.

Sofia
(Molchalin)
Go; We'll be bored all day long.

Lisa
God be with you, sir; take your hand away.

(Separates them, Molchalin at the door collides with Famusov.)

Phenomenon 4

Sofia, Lisa, Molchalin, Famusov.

Famusov
What an opportunity! Molchalin, are you brother?

Molchalin
I'm with.

Famusov
Why here? and at this hour?
And Sophia!.. Hello, Sophia, how are you?
Up so early! A? for what concern?
And how did God bring you together at the wrong time?

Sofia
He just came in now.

Molchalin
Now back from a walk.

Famusov
Friend, is it possible for a walk?
Should I choose a nook further away?
And you, madam, almost jumped out of bed,
With a man! with the young one! - Something to do for a girl!
He reads tall tales all night,
And here are the fruits of these books!
And all the Kuznetsky Bridge, and the eternal French,
From there fashion comes to us, both authors and muses:
Destroyers of pockets and hearts!
When the Creator will deliver us
From their hats! caps! and stilettos! and pins!
And bookstores and biscuit shops!..

Sofia
Excuse me, father, my head is spinning;
I can barely catch my breath from fear;
You deigned to run in so quickly,
I'm confused...

Famusov
Thank you humbly,
I soon ran to them!
I'm in the way! I scared!
I, Sofya Pavlovna, am upset all day long
There is no rest, I'm rushing around like crazy.
According to the position, the service is a hassle,
One pesters, another, everyone cares about me!
But was I expecting new troubles? to be deceived...

Sofia
(through tears)
By whom, father?

Famusov
They will reproach me
That it’s no use I always scold.
Don't cry, I mean it:
Didn't they care about you?
About education! from the cradle!
Mother died: I knew how to hire
Madame Rosier is a second mother.
I put the old gold woman under your supervision:
She was smart, had a quiet disposition, and rarely had rules.
One thing does not serve her well:
For an extra five hundred rubles a year
She allowed herself to be lured by others.
Yes, the power is not in madame.
No other sample is needed
When your father's example is in your eyes.
Look at me: I don’t boast about my build,
However, he was vigorous and fresh, and lived to see his gray hairs;
Free, widows, I am my own master...
Known for his monastic behavior!..

Lisa
I dare, sir...

Famusov
Be silent!
Terrible century! Don't know what to start!
Everyone was smart beyond their years.
And most of all, daughters, and good-natured people themselves,
These languages ​​were given to us!
We take tramps, both into the house and with tickets,
To teach our daughters everything, everything -
And dancing! and singing! and tenderness! and sigh!
It’s as if we are preparing them as wives for buffoons.
What are you, visitor? Why are you here, sir?
He warmed up the rootless one and brought him into my family,
He gave the rank of assessor and took him on as secretary;
Transferred to Moscow through my assistance;
And if it weren’t for me, you would be smoking in Tver.

Sofia
I can’t explain your anger in any way.
He lives in the house here, what a great misfortune!
I walked into the room and ended up in another.

Famusov
Did you get in or did you want to get in?
Why are you together? It can't happen by accident.

Sofia
Here's the whole case:
How long ago you and Lisa were here,
Your voice scared me extremely,
And I rushed here as fast as I could...

Famusov
Perhaps all the fuss will fall on me.
At the wrong time my voice alarmed them!

Sofia
In a vague dream, a trifle disturbs.
Tell you a dream: you will understand then.

Famusov
What's the story?

Sofia
Should I tell you?

Famusov
Well, yes.
(Sits down.)

Sofia
Let me... see... first
Flowery meadow; and I was looking
Grass
Some, I don’t remember in reality.
Suddenly a nice person, one of those we
We'll see - it's like we've known each other forever,
He appeared here with me; and insinuating and smart,
But timid... You know, who is born in poverty...

Famusov
Oh! Mother, don’t finish the blow!
Anyone who is poor is not a match for you.

Sofia
Then everything disappeared: the meadows and the skies. -
We are in a dark room. To complete the miracle
The floor has opened - and you are out of there
Pale as death, and hair on end!
Then the doors opened with thunder
Some are not people or animals
We were separated - and they tortured the one sitting with me.
It’s like he’s dearer to me than all the treasures,
I want to go to him - you bring with you:
We are accompanied by groans, roars, laughter, and whistles of monsters!
He shouts after him!..
Awoke. - Someone says -
Your voice was; What, I think, is it so early?
I run here and find you both.

Famusov
Yes, it’s a bad dream; I'll see.
Everything is there, if there is no deception:
And devils, and love, and fears, and flowers.
Well, my sir, what about you?

Famusov
It's funny.
They were given my voice, and how well
He is heard by everyone, and he calls everyone until dawn!
He was in a hurry to hear my voice, why? - speak.

Molchalin
With papers, sir.

Famusov
Yes! they were missing.
Have mercy that this suddenly fell
Diligence in writing!
(Rises.)
Well, Sonyushka, I will give you peace:
Some dreams are strange, but in reality they are stranger;
You were looking for some herbs,
I came across a friend quickly;
Get rid of the nonsense from your head;
Where there are miracles, there is little stock. -
Go, lie down, go to sleep again.
(Molchalin.)
Let's go sort out the papers.

Molchalin
I was just carrying them for the report,
What cannot be used without certificates, without others,
There are contradictions, and many things are inappropriate.

Famusov
I'm afraid, sir, I'm mortally afraid of one,
So that a multitude of them do not accumulate;
If you had given it free rein, it would have settled;
And for me, what matters and what doesn’t matter,
My custom is this:
Signed, off your shoulders.

(He leaves with Molchalin and lets him through at the door.)

Phenomenon 5

Sofia, Lisa.

Lisa
Well, here's the holiday! Well, here's some fun for you!
However, no, it’s no laughing matter now;
The eyes are dark and the soul is frozen;
Sin is not a problem, rumor is not good.

Sofia
What is the rumor to me? Whoever wants to, judges it that way,
Yes, father will force you to think:
Grouchy, restless, quick,
This has always been the case, but from now on...
You can judge...

Lisa
I’m not judging by stories;
He will ban you; - good is still with me;
Otherwise, God have mercy, at once
Me, Molchalin and everyone out of the yard.

Sofia
Just think how capricious happiness is!
It can be worse, you can get away with it;
When sad nothingness comes to mind,
We lost ourselves in music, and time passed so smoothly;
Fate seemed to be protecting us;
No worries, no doubts...
And grief awaits around the corner.

Lisa
That's it, sir, my stupid judgment
You never regret:
But here's the problem.
What better prophet do you need?
I kept repeating: there will be no good in love
Not forever and ever.
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;
Here, for example, Colonel Skalozub:
And a golden bag, and aims to become a general.

Sofia
How cute! and it's fun for me to fear
Listen about the frunt and rows;
He never uttered a smart word, -
I don’t care what goes into the water.

Lisa
Yes, sir, so to speak, he is talkative, but not very cunning;
But be a military man, be a civilian,
Who is so sensitive, and cheerful, and sharp,
Like Alexander Andreich Chatsky!
Not to confuse you;
It's been a long time, can't turn it back
And I remember...

Sofia
What do you remember? He's nice
He knows how to make everyone laugh;
He chats, jokes, it’s funny to me;
You can share laughter with everyone.

Lisa
But only? as if? - Shed tears,
I remember, poor thing, how he parted with you. -
“Why, sir, are you crying? live laughing..."
And he responded: “No wonder, Lisa, I’m crying:
Who knows what I will find when I return?
And how much I might lose!”
The poor thing seemed to know that in three years...

Sofia
Listen, don’t take unnecessary liberties.
I was very windy, perhaps I acted
And I know, and I’m guilty; but where did it change?
To whom? so that they could reproach with infidelity.
Yes, it’s true that we were brought up and grew up with Chatsky;
The habit of being together every day inseparably
She bound us together with childhood friendship; but after
He moved out, he seemed bored with us,
And he rarely visited our house;
Then he pretended to be in love again,
Demanding and distressed!!.
Sharp, smart, eloquent,
I'm especially happy with friends,
He thought highly of himself...
The desire to wander attacked him,
Oh! if someone loves someone,
Why search for the mind and travel so far?

Lisa
Where is it running? in what areas?
They say he was treated in sour waters,
Not from illness, tea, from boredom - more freely.

Sofia
And, of course, he’s happy where the people are funnier.
The one I love is not like this:
Molchalin is ready to forget himself for others,
The enemy of insolence is always shy, timid,
Someone you can spend the whole night with like that!
We are sitting, and the yard has long since turned white,
What do you think? what are you doing?

Lisa
God knows
Madam, is this my business?

Sofia
He will take your hand and press it to your heart,
He will sigh from the depths of his soul,
Not a free word, and so the whole night passes,
Hand in hand, and doesn’t take his eyes off me. -
Laugh! is it possible! what reason did you give
Do I make you laugh like this?

Lisa
Me, sir?.. your aunt has now come to mind,
How a young Frenchman ran away from her house,
Darling! wanted to bury
Out of frustration, I couldn’t:
I forgot to dye my hair
And three days later she turned gray.
(Continues to laugh.)

Sofia
(with sadness)
That's how they'll talk about me later.

Lisa
Forgive me, really, as God is holy,
I wanted this stupid laugh
Helped to cheer you up a bit.

Sofia
I wish I could bring you and my aunt together,
To count everyone you know.

Chatsky
And auntie? all girl, Minerva?
All the maid of honor of Catherine the First?
Is the house full of pupils and mosquitoes?
Oh! Let's move on to education.
That now, just as in ancient times,
The regiments are busy recruiting teachers,
More in number, cheaper in price?
It’s not that they are far off in science;
In Russia, under a great fine,
We are told to recognize everyone
Historian and geographer!
Our mentor, remember his cap, robe,
Index finger, all signs of learning
How our timid minds were disturbed,
As we have been accustomed to believe since early times,
That without the Germans we have no salvation! -
And Guillaume, the Frenchman, blown by the wind?
Is he not married yet?

Sofia
On whom?

Chatsky
At least on some princess,
Pulcheria Andrevna, for example?

Sofia
Dancemaster! is it possible!

Chatsky
Well? he is a gentleman.
We will be required to be with property and in rank,
And Guillaume!.. - What’s the tone here these days?
At congresses, at large ones, at parish festivals?
A confusion of languages ​​still prevails:
French with Nizhny Novgorod?

Sofia
A mixture of languages?

Chatsky
Yes, two, you can’t live without it.

Lisa
But it’s tricky to tailor one of them like yours.

Chatsky
At least not inflated.
Here's the news! - I'm taking advantage of the moment,
Enlivened by meeting you,
And talkative; isn't there a time,
That I am more stupid than Molchalin? Where is he, by the way?
Haven't you broken the silence of the press yet?
There used to be songs where there were new notebooks
He sees and pesters: please write it off.
However, he will reach the known degrees,
After all, nowadays they love dumb.

Sofia
(to the side)
Not a man, a snake!
(Loud and forced.)
I want to ask you:
Has it ever happened that you laughed? or sad?
A mistake? did they say good things about anyone?
At least not now, but in childhood, maybe.

Chatsky
When is everything so soft? both tender and immature?
Why so long ago? Here's a good deed for you:
The calls are just ringing
And day and night across the snowy desert,
I'm rushing to you at breakneck speed.
And how do I find you? in some strict rank!
I can endure the cold for half an hour!
The face of the most holy praying mantis!..
And yet I love you without memory. -
(A minute's silence.)
Listen, are my words really all caustic words?
And tend to harm someone?
But if so: the mind and heart are not in harmony.
I'm eccentric to another miracle
Once I laugh, then I forget:
Tell me to go into the fire: I’ll go as if for dinner.

Sofia
Yes, okay - will you burn, if not?

Phenomenon 8

Sofia, Lisa, Chatsky, Famusov.

Famusov
Here's another one!

Sofia
Ah, father, sleep in hand.
(Leaves.)

Phenomenon 9

Famusov, Chatsky(looks at the door through which Sofia went out).

Famusov
Well, you threw it away!
I haven’t written two words for three years!
And it suddenly burst out, as if from the clouds.
(They hug.)
Great, friend, great, brother, great.
Tell me, tea, you're ready
A meeting of important news?
Sit down, announce it quickly.
(Sit down)

Chatsky
(absently)
How Sofya Pavlovna has become prettier for you!

Famusov
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.

Chatsky
Oh! no, I’m not spoiled enough by hopes.

Famusov
“A dream in my hand,” she deigned to whisper to me.
So you thought...

Chatsky
I? - Not at all.

Famusov
Who was she dreaming about? what's happened?

Chatsky
I'm not a dream teller.

Famusov
Don't believe her, everything is empty.

Chatsky
I believe my own eyes;
I haven’t met you in ages, I’ll give you a subscription.
So that it would be at least a little like her!

Famusov
He's all his own. Yes, tell me in detail,
Where were you? wandered for so many years!
Where from now?

Chatsky
Now who cares?
I wanted to travel around the whole world,
And he didn’t travel a hundredth part.
(Gets up hastily.)
Sorry; I was in a hurry to see you soon,
Didn't go home. Farewell! In one hour
When I show up, I won’t forget the slightest detail;
You first, then you tell it everywhere.
(In the door.)
How good!

Chatsky
No, the world is not like that these days.

Famusov
A dangerous person!

Chatsky
Everyone breathes more freely
And he’s in no hurry to fit into the regiment of jesters.

Famusov
What does he say? and speaks as he writes!

Chatsky
The patrons yawn at the ceiling,
Show up to be quiet, shuffle around, have lunch,
Bring up a chair and pick up the scarf.

Famusov
He wants to preach freedom!

Chatsky
Who travels, who lives in the village...

Famusov
Yes, he does not recognize the authorities!

Chatsky
Who serves the cause and not the individuals...

Famusov
I would strictly forbid these gentlemen
Drive up to the capitals for the shot.

Chatsky
I will finally give you some rest...

Famusov
I have no patience, it’s annoying.

Chatsky
I scolded your age mercilessly,
I leave it to you to:
Throw away the part
At least in addition to our times;
So be it, I won’t cry.

Famusov
And I don’t want to know you, I don’t tolerate debauchery.

Chatsky
I finished my sentence.

Famusov
Okay, I covered my ears.

Chatsky
For what? I won't insult them.

Famusov
(patter)
Here they are scouring the world, beating their thumbs,
They come back, expect order from them.

Chatsky
I stopped...

Famusov
Perhaps have mercy.

Chatsky
It is not my desire to continue the debate.

Famusov
At least let your soul go to repentance!

Phenomenon 3

Servant
(included)
Colonel Skalozub.

Famusov
(doesn't see or hear anything)
You're going to get screwed.
On trial, they'll give you something to drink.

Chatsky
Someone came to your house.

Famusov
I'm not listening, I'm on trial!

Chatsky
A man is coming to you with a report.

Famusov
I'm not listening, I'm on trial! on trial!

Chatsky
Turn around, your name is calling.

Famusov
(turns around)
A? riot? Well, I’m still waiting for sodom.

Servant
Colonel Skalozub. Would you like to accept it?

Famusov
(rises)
Donkeys! should I tell you a hundred times?
Receive him, call him, ask him, tell him he’s home,
I'm very glad. Let's go, hurry up.
(The servant leaves.)
Please, sir, beware in front of him:
Famous person, respectable,
And he picked up signs of darkness;
Beyond his years and enviable rank,
Not today, tomorrow General.
Please act modestly in front of him.
Eh! Alexander Andreich, it’s bad, brother!
He often comes to see me;
You know, I’m glad for everyone;
In Moscow they will always add three times:
It’s like he’s marrying Sonyushka. Empty!
He, perhaps, would be glad in his soul,
Yes, I don’t see the need myself, I’m big
The daughter will not be given away tomorrow or today;
After all, Sophia is young. But by the way, the power of God.
Please, don’t argue at random in front of him,
And give up these false ideas.
However, he is not there! whatever the reason...
A! know, he came to me in the other half.

Famusov
Dear man, and look - so grab,
Your cousin is a wonderful man.

Skalozub
But I firmly picked up some new rules.
The rank followed him: he suddenly left the service,
In the village I began to read books.

Skalozub
I am quite happy in my comrades,
Vacancies are currently open:
Then the elders will turn off others,
The others, you see, have been killed.

Famusov
Yes, whatever the Lord searches for, he will exalt!

Skalozub
It happens that mine is luckier.
In our fifteenth division, not far away.
At least say something about our brigadier general.

Famusov
For mercy's sake, what are you missing?

Skalozub
I'm not complaining, they didn't bypass me,
However, they kept the regiment under control for two years.

Famusov
Are you in pursuit of the regiment?
But, of course, in what else
You have a long way to go.

Skalozub
No, sir, there are people older than me in terms of body size,
I have been serving since eight hundred and nine;
Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
I judge them as a true philosopher:
I just wish I could become a general.

Famusov
And judge well, God bless you
And the rank of general; and there
Why put it off any longer?
Are we talking about the general's wife?

Skalozub
Marry? I don't mind at all.

Famusov
Well? who has a sister, niece, daughter;
In Moscow, there is no translation for brides;
What? breed year after year;
And, father, admit that you barely
Where can you find a capital like Moscow?

Skalozub
Huge distances.

Famusov
Taste, father, excellent manner;
There are laws for everything:
For example, we have been doing this since ancient times,
What honor is there between father and son;
Be bad, but if you get enough
Two thousand ancestral souls, -
He's the groom.
The other one, at least be quicker, puffed up with all sorts of arrogance,
Let yourself be known as a wise man,
But they won’t include you in the family. Don't look at us.
After all, only here they also value the nobility.
Is this the same thing? take some bread and salt:
Whoever wants to come to us is welcome;
The door is open for the invited and the uninvited,
Especially from foreign ones;
Whether an honest person or not,
It’s all the same for us, dinner is ready for everyone.
Take you from head to toe,
All Moscow ones have a special imprint.
Please take a look at our youth,
For young men - sons and grandchildren;
We scold them, but if you figure it out,
At the age of fifteen, teachers will be taught!
What about our old people? - How enthusiasm will take them,
They will condemn deeds, that the word is a sentence, -
After all, the pillars don’t bother anyone;
And sometimes they talk about the government like this,
What if someone overheard them... trouble!
It’s not that new things were introduced - never,
God save us! No. And they will find fault
To this, to that, and more often to nothing,
They will argue, make some noise, and... disperse.
Retired direct chancellors - wisely!
I'll tell you, it's not time to know,
But the matter cannot be accomplished without them. -
What about the ladies? - anyone, try to master it;
Judges of everything, everywhere, there are no judges above them;
Behind the cards, when they rise up in a general revolt,
God grant me patience, because I myself was married.
Order the command in front of the front!
Be present, send them to the Senate!
Irina Vlasevna! Lukerya Aleksevna!
Tatyana Yuryevna! Pulcheria Andrevna!
And whoever has seen the daughters, hang your head...
His Majesty the King of Prussia was here;
He marveled not at the Moscow girls,
Their good character, not their faces;
And indeed, is it possible to be more educated!
They know how to dress themselves up
Taffeta, marigold and haze,
They won’t say a word in simplicity, everything is done with a grimace;
French romances are sung to you
And the top ones bring out notes,
They flock to military people,
But because they are patriots.
I will say emphatically: barely
Another capital will be found, like Moscow.

Skalozub
In my opinion,
The fire contributed a lot to her decoration.

Famusov
Don’t tell us, you never know how much they’re screaming!
Since then, roads, sidewalks,
Home and everything in a new way.

Chatsky
The houses are new, but the prejudices are old.
Rejoice, they won’t destroy you
Neither their years, nor fashion, nor fires.

Famusov
(To Chatsky)
Hey, tie a knot for memory;
I asked you to be silent, it was not a great service.
(To Skalozub.)
Allow me, father. Here you go - Chatsky, my friend,
Andrei Ilyich's late son:
It does not serve, that is, he does not find any benefit in it,
But if you wanted to, it would be businesslike.
It's a pity, it's a pity, he's small in head,
And he writes and translates well.
One cannot help but regret that with such a mind...

Chatsky
Is it possible to regret someone else?
And your praise annoys me.

Famusov
I’m not the only one, everyone is also condemning.

Chatsky
Who are the judges? - For the antiquity of years
Their enmity towards a free life is irreconcilable,
Judgments are drawn from forgotten newspapers
The times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of Crimea;
Always ready to fight,
Everyone sings the same song,
Without noticing about yourself:
The older it is, the worse it is.
Where? show us, fathers of the fatherland,
Which ones should we take as models?
Aren't these the ones who are rich in robbery?
They found protection from court in friends, in kinship,
Magnificent building chambers,
Where they spill out in feasts and extravagance,
And where foreign clients will not be resurrected
The meanest features of the past life.
And who in Moscow didn’t have their mouths covered?
Lunches, dinners and dances?
Aren't you the one to whom I was born from the shrouds?
For some incomprehensible plans,
Did you take the children to bow?
That Nestor of noble scoundrels,
Surrounded by a crowd of servants;
Zealous, they are in the hours of wine and fights
Both honor and life saved him more than once: suddenly
He traded three greyhounds for them!!!
Or that one over there, which is for tricks
He drove to the serf ballet on many wagons
From mothers and fathers of rejected children?!
I myself am immersed in mind in Zephyrs and Cupids,
Made all of Moscow marvel at their beauty!
But the debtors did not agree to a deferment:
Cupids and Zephyrs all
Sold out individually!!!
These are the ones who lived to see their gray hairs!
This is who we should respect in the wilderness!
Here are our strict connoisseurs and judges!
Now let one of us
Among the young people there will be an enemy of quest,
Without demanding either places or promotion,
He will focus his mind on science, hungry for knowledge;
Or God himself will stir up heat in his soul
To the creative, high and beautiful arts, -
They immediately: robbery! fire!
And he will be known to them as a dreamer! dangerous!! -
Uniform! one uniform! he is in their former life
Once covered, embroidered and beautiful,
Their weakness, poverty of reason;
And we follow them on a happy journey!
And in wives and daughters there is the same passion for the uniform!
How long ago did I renounce tenderness towards him?!
Now I can’t fall into this childishness;
But who wouldn’t follow everyone then?
When from the guard, others from the court
We came here for a while -
The women shouted: hurray!
And they threw caps into the air!

Famusov
(About myself)
He'll get me into trouble.
(Loud.)
Sergey Sergeich, I'll go
And I'll be waiting for you in the office.

Sofia
No, stay as you wish.

Phenomenon 9

Sofia, Lisa, Chatsky, Skalozub, Molchalin(with a tied hand).

Skalozub
Risen and safe, hand
Slightly bruised
And, however, it’s all a false alarm.

Molchalin
I scared you, forgive me for God's sake.

Skalozub
Well! I didn't know what would come of it
Irritation for you. They ran in headlong. -
We shuddered! -You fainted
So what? - all the fear out of nothing.

Sofia
(without looking at anyone)
Oh! I really see, out of nowhere,
And now I’m still trembling.

Chatsky
(About myself)
Not a word with Molchalin!

Sofia
However, I will say about myself,
Which is not cowardly. It happens,
The carriage will fall, they will pick it up: I will again
Ready to gallop again;
But every little thing in others scares me,
Although there is no great misfortune from
Even if he’s a stranger to me, I don’t care.

Chatsky
(About myself)
Asks him for forgiveness
What a time I regretted someone!

Skalozub
Let me tell you the news:
There is some kind of Princess Lasova here,
Rider, widow, but there are no examples,
So that many gentlemen travel with her.
The other day I was completely bruised, -
Joke did not support it; he apparently thought it was flies. -
And without that she is, as you can hear, clumsy,
Now the rib is missing
So she is looking for a husband for support.

Sofia
Ah, Alexander Andreich, here -
You appear to be quite generous:
It’s unfortunate for your neighbor that you are so partial.

Chatsky
Yes, sir, I just revealed this,
With my most diligent efforts,
And by sprinkling and rubbing,
I don’t know for whom, but I resurrected you.

(Takes his hat and leaves.)

Phenomenon 10

The same, except Chatsky.

Sofia
Will you be visiting us in the evening?

Skalozub
How early?

Sofia
Home friends will arrive early,
Dance to the piano -
We are in mourning, so we can’t give a ball like that.

Skalozub
I will appear, but I promised to go to the priest,
I take my leave.

Sofia
Farewell.

Skalozub
(shakes Molchalin’s hand)
Your servant.

Natalya Dmitrievna
Platon Mikhailych is in very poor health.

Chatsky
My health is weak! How long ago?

Natalya Dmitrievna
All rumatism and headaches.

Chatsky
More movement. To the village, to a warm region.
Be on horseback more often. The village is paradise in summer.

Natalya Dmitrievna
Platon Mikhailych loves the city,
Moscow; Why will he waste his days in the wilderness!

Chatsky
Moscow and the city... You're an eccentric!
Do you remember before?

Platon Mikhailovich
Yes, brother, it’s not like that anymore...

Natalya Dmitrievna
Oh! my friend!
It's so fresh here that there's no urine,
You opened up all over and unbuttoned your vest.

Platon Mikhailovich
Now, brother, I'm not the same...

Natalya Dmitrievna
Listen just once
My dear, fasten your buttons.

Platon Mikhailovich
(coolly)
Now.

Natalya Dmitrievna
Yes, move away from the doors,
There is a through wind blowing from behind!

Platon Mikhailovich
Now, brother, I'm not the same...

Natalya Dmitrievna
My angel, for God's sake
Move further away from the door.

Platon Mikhailovich
(eyes to the sky)
Oh! mother!

Chatsky
Well, God judge you;
You certainly became not the same in a short time;
Wasn't it last year, at the end,
Did I know you in the regiment? only morning: foot in the stirrup
And you rush around on a greyhound stallion;
The autumn wind blows, either from the front or from the rear.

Platon Mikhailovich
(with a sigh)
Eh! brother! It was a nice life back then.

Phenomenon 7

The same, Prince Tugoukhovsky And Princess with six daughters.

Natalya Dmitrievna
(in a small voice)
Prince Pyotr Ilyich, princess, my God!
Princess Zizi! Mimi!
(Loud kisses, then sit down and look each other from head to toe.)

1st Princess
What a wonderful style!

2nd princess
What folds!

1st Princess
Trimmed with fringe.

Natalya Dmitrievna
No, if only you could see it, my vest is made of satin!

3rd princess
What a charm my cousin gave me!

4th princess
Oh! yes, barezhevoy!

5th princess
Oh! lovely!

6th princess
Oh! how sweet!

Princess
Ss! -Who is that in the corner, we went up and bowed?

Natalya Dmitrievna
Newcomer, Chatsky.

Princess
Retired?

Natalya Dmitrievna
Yes, I was traveling and recently returned.

Princess
And ho-lo-wait?

Natalya Dmitrievna
Yes, not married.

Princess
Prince, prince, come here. - More alive.

Prince
(turns the ear tube towards her)
Oh-hmm!

Princess
Come to us for the evening, Thursday, ask quickly
Natalya Dmitrevna's friend: there he is!

Prince
E-hmm!
(He leaves, hangs around Chatsky and coughs)

Princess
That's it kids:
They have a ball, and father drags himself to bow;
Dancers have become terribly rare!..
Is he a chamberlain cadet?

Natalya Dmitrievna
No.

Princess
Bo-gat?

Natalya Dmitrievna
ABOUT! No!

Princess
(loud as loud as you can)
Prince, prince! Back!

Phenomenon 8

The same And Countesses Khryumina: grandmother and granddaughter.

Countess-granddaughter
Oh! grandmaman! Well, who arrives so early!
We are first!
(Disappears into a side room.)

Princess
This honors us!
Here is the first one, and he considers us to be no one!
The girls have been evil for a whole century, God will forgive her.

Countess-granddaughter
(returning, points a double lorgnette at Chatsky)
Monsieur Chatsky! Are you in Moscow! How were they, were they all like that?

Chatsky
Why should I change?

Countess-granddaughter
Are you back single?

Chatsky
Who should I marry?

Countess-granddaughter
In foreign lands on whom?
ABOUT! our darkness without distant references
They get married there, and we are given kinship
With the mistresses of fashion shops.

Chatsky
Unhappy! Should there be no reproaches?
From wannabe milliners?
For daring to choose
Original lists?

Phenomenon 9

The same and many other guests. By the way, Zagoretsky. Men appear, shuffle, move aside, wander from room to room, etc. Sofia comes out of himself, everything is towards her.

Countess-granddaughter
Eh! bon soir! vous voila! Jamais trop diligente,
Vous nous donnez toujours le plaisir de l’attente.

Zagoretsky
(Sofya)
Do you have a ticket for tomorrow's performance?

Sofia
No.

Zagoretsky
Let me hand it to you, it would be in vain for anyone to take it
Another one to serve you, but
Wherever I threw myself!
Everything is taken to the office,
To the director - he is my friend -
With dawn at six o'clock, and by the way!
Since the evening no one could get it;
Besides this and that, I knocked everyone off their feet;
And this one finally kidnapped him by force
One, he’s a frail old man,
A friend of mine, a known homebody;
Let him sit at home in peace.

Sofia
Thank you for the ticket,
And double the effort.
(Some more appear, meanwhile Zagoretsky goes to the men.)

Zagoretsky
Platon Mikhailych...

Platon Mikhailovich
Away!
Go to women, lie to them, and fool them;
I'll tell you the truth about you,
Which is worse than any lie. Here, brother,
(To Chatsky)
I recommend!
What are these people called politely?
Tenderer? - he is a secular man,
A notorious swindler, rogue:
Anton Antonich Zagoretsky.
With it, beware: endure too much,
And don’t play cards: he’ll sell you.

Zagoretsky
Original! grumpy, but without the slightest malice.

Chatsky
And it would be funny for you to be offended;
Besides honesty, there are many joys:
They scold you here and thank you there.

Platon Mikhailovich
Oh, no, brother, they scold us
Everywhere, and everywhere they accept.

(Zagoretsky interferes with the crowd.)

Phenomenon 10

The same And Khlestova.

Khlestova
Is it easy at sixty-five years old?
Should I drag myself to you, niece?.. - Torment!
I drove from Pokrovka for an hour, I had no power;
Night is the end of the world!
Out of boredom I took it with me
A little black girl and a dog;
Tell them to feed, already, my friend;
A handout came from dinner. -
Princess, hello!
(Sela.)
Well, Sofyushka, my friend,
What kind of arapa do I have for services:
Curly! hump of the shoulder blade!
Angry! It's all cat tricks!
Yes, how black! Yes, how scary!
After all, God created such a tribe!
The devil is real; she's in her maiden clothes;
Should I call?

Sofia
No, sir, at another time.

Khlestova
Imagine: they are being paraded around like animals...
I heard there... there is a Turkish city...
Do you know who saved it for me?
Anton Antonich Zagoretsky.
(Zagoretsky moves forward.)
He is a liar, a gambler, a thief.
(Zagoretsky disappears.)
I left him and locked the doors;
Yes, the master will serve: me and sister Praskovya
I got two little blacks at the fair;
He bought tea, he says, and cheated at cards;
And a gift for me, God bless him!

Chatsky
(with laughter to Platon Mikhailovich)
You won't get well from such praises,
And Zagoretsky himself could not stand it and disappeared.

Khlestova
Who is this funny guy? From what rank?

Sofia
This one? Chatsky.

Khlestova
Well? what did you find funny?
What is he happy about? What kind of laughter is there?
It's a sin to laugh at old age.
I remember you often danced with him as children,
I pulled his ears, but not enough.

Phenomenon 11

The same And Famusov.

Famusov
(loudly)
We are waiting for Prince Pyotr Ilyich,
And the prince is already here! And I hid there, in the portrait room.
Where is Skalozub Sergei Sergeich? A?
No, it seems not. - He is a remarkable person -
Sergei Sergeich Skalozub.

Khlestova
My creator! deafened, louder than any trumpet.

Phenomenon 12

The same and Skalozub, Then Molchalin.

Famusov
Sergey Sergeich, we are late;
And we waited, waited, waited for you.
(Leads to Khlestova.)
My long-time sister-in-law
It's been said about you.

Khlestova
(sitting)
You were here before... in the regiment... in that...
in grenadier?

Skalozub
(bass)
In His Highness, you want to say,
Novo-Zemlyansky Musketeers.

Khlestova
I’m not an expert at distinguishing between shelves.

Skalozub
But there are differences in form:
The uniforms have piping, shoulder straps, and buttonholes.

Famusov
Let's go, father, I'll make you laugh there;
We have a funny whist. Behind us, prince! I beg.
(He takes him and the prince with him.)

Khlestova
(Sofia)
Wow! I definitely got rid of the noose;
After all, your father is crazy:
He was given three fathoms of daring, -
He introduces us without asking, is it pleasant for us, isn’t it?

Molchalin
(hands her a card)
I made up your party: Monsieur Kok,
Foma Fomich and me.

Khlestova
Thank you my friend.
(Rises.)

Molchalin
Your Pomeranian is a lovely Pomeranian, no bigger than a thimble;
I stroked it all: like silk fur!

Khlestova
Thank you my dear.

(She leaves, followed by Molchalin and many others.)

Phenomenon 13

Chatsky, Sofia and several strangers, which continue to diverge.

Chatsky
Well! cleared the cloud...

Sofia
Is it possible not to continue?

Chatsky
Why did I scare you?
Because he softened the angry guest,
I wanted to praise.

Sofia
And they would end in anger.

Chatsky
Shall I tell you what I thought? Here:
All old women are angry people;
It’s not bad if they have a famous servant
It was like a thunderbolt here.
Molchalin! - Who else will settle everything so peacefully!
There he will stroke the pug in time,
It’s time to rub the card in,
Zagoretsky will not die in it!
You have already calculated his properties for me,
But have many forgotten? - Yes?

Princess
No, the institute is in St. Petersburg
Pe-da-go-gic, that’s what their name seems to be:
There they practice schisms and unbelief,
Professors!! - our relatives studied with them,
And he left! at least now to the pharmacy, to become an apprentice.
He runs away from women, and even from me!
Chinov doesn’t want to know! He's a chemist, he's a botanist,
Prince Fedor, my nephew.

Skalozub
I will make you happy: universal rumor,
That there is a project about lyceums, schools, gymnasiums;
There they will only teach in our own way: one, two;
And the books will be saved like this: for big occasions.

Famusov
Sergey Sergeich, no! Once evil is stopped:
They would take all the books and burn them.

Zagoretsky
(with meekness)
No, sir, books are different. What if, between us,
I was appointed censor
I would lean heavily on fables; Oh! fables are my death!
Eternal mockery of lions! over the eagles!
Whatever you say:
Although they are animals, they are still kings.

Khlestova
My fathers, whoever is upset in his mind,
It doesn’t matter whether it’s from books or from drinking;
And I feel sorry for Chatsky.
In a Christian way; he deserves pity
He was a sharp man, he had about three hundred souls.

Famusov
Four.

Khlestova
Three, sir.

Famusov
Four hundred.

Khlestova
No! three hundred.

Famusov
On my calendar...

Khlestova
Calendars all lie.

Famusov
Just four hundred, oh! argue vociferous!

Khlestova
No! three hundred! - I don’t know other people’s estates!

Famusov
Four hundred, please understand.

Khlestova
No! three hundred, three hundred, three hundred.

Phenomenon 22

The same everything and Chatsky.

Natalya Dmitrievna
Here he is.

Countess-granddaughter
Shh!

All
Shh!
(They back away from him in the opposite direction.)

Khlestova
Well, from crazy eyes
If he starts to fight, he will demand to be cut up!

Famusov
Oh my God! have mercy on us sinners!
(Carefully.)
Dearest! You're out of your element.
I need sleep from the road. Give me a pulse. You are unwell.

Chatsky
Yes, there is no urine: a million torments
Breasts from friendly vices,
Feet from shuffling, ears from exclamations,
And worse than my head from all sorts of trifles.
(Approaches Sophia.)
My soul here is somehow compressed by grief,
And in the crowd I am lost, not myself.
No! I'm dissatisfied with Moscow.

Khlestova
Moscow, you see, is to blame.

Sofia
(To Chatsky)
Tell me, what makes you so angry?

Chatsky
In that room there is an insignificant meeting:
The Frenchman from Bordeaux, pushing his chest,
Gathered around him a kind of evening
And he told how he was preparing for the journey
To Russia, to the barbarians, with fear and tears;
I arrived and found that there was no end to the caresses;
Not a Russian sound, not a Russian face
I didn’t meet him: as if in the fatherland, with friends;
Its own province. You'll see in the evening
He feels like a little king here;
The ladies have the same sense, the same outfits...
He is happy, but we are not happy.
Silenced, and here on all sides
Longing, and groaning, and groaning.
Oh! France! There is no better region in the world! -
The two princesses, sisters, decided, repeating
A lesson that was taught to them from childhood.
Where to go from the princesses!
I sent wishes away
Humble, yet out loud,
So that the unclean Lord destroys this spirit
Empty, slavish, blind imitation;
So that he would plant a spark in someone with a soul,
Who could, by word and example
Hold us like a strong rein,
From the pitiful nausea on the stranger's side.
Let them call me an Old Believer,
But our North is a hundred times worse for me
Since I gave everything in exchange for a new way -
And morals, and language, and holy antiquity,
And stately clothes for another
According to the jester's example:
The tail is in the back, there is some kind of wonderful notch in the front,
Despite reason, in spite of the elements;
Movements are connected, and not beautiful to the face;
Funny, shaved, gray chins!
Like dresses, hair, and minds are short!..
Oh! if we are born to adopt everything,
At least we could borrow some from the Chinese
Their ignorance of foreigners is wise.
Will we ever be resurrected from the alien power of fashion?
So that our smart, cheerful people
Although, based on our language, he didn’t consider us Germans.
“How to put the European in parallel
Something strange about the national one!
Well, how to translate madame and mademoiselle?
Really? madam!!” - someone muttered to me...
Imagine, everyone here
Laughter arose at my expense.
« Madam! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Wonderful!
Madam! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! terrible!!" -
I, angry and cursing life,
He was preparing a thunderous answer for them;
But everyone left me. -
Here’s my case, it’s not new;
Moscow and St. Petersburg - in all of Russia,
That a man from the city of Bordeaux,
As soon as he opened his mouth, he was happy
Instill sympathy in all princesses;
And in St. Petersburg and Moscow,
Who is the enemy of written out faces, frills, curly words,
In whose head, unfortunately,
Five, six there are healthy thoughts
And he will dare to announce them publicly, -
Lo and behold...

(Looks around, everyone is spinning in the waltz with the greatest zeal. The old people scattered to the card tables.)

Zagoretsky
By the way, here is Prince Pyotr Ilyich,
The princess and with the princesses.

Repetilov
Game.

Phenomenon 7

Repetilov, Zagoretsky, Prince and Princess with six daughters; a little later Khlestova descends from the main staircase, Molchalin leads her by the hand. Lackeys in the hustle and bustle.

Zagoretsky
Princesses, please tell me your opinion,
Is Chatsky crazy or not?

1st Princess
What doubt is there in this?

2nd princess
The whole world knows about this.

3rd princess
Dryansky, Khvorov, Varlyansky, Skachkov.

4th princess
Oh! keep old ones, who are they new to?

5th princess
Who doubts?

Zagoretsky
Yes, he doesn’t believe it...

6th princess
(Repetilov)
You!

Together
Monsieur Repetilov! You! Monsieur Repetilov! what do you!
Yes, like you! Is it possible against everyone!
Yes, why you? shame and laughter.

Repetilov
(covers his ears)
Sorry, I didn't know it was too public.

Princess
It wouldn’t be public yet, it’s dangerous to talk to him,
It's time to lock it up long ago.
Listen, so his little finger
Smarter than everyone, and even Prince Peter!
I think he's just a Jacobin
Your Chatsky!!!.. Let's go. Prince, you could carry
Katish or Zizi, we will sit in the six-seater.

Khlestova
(from the stairs)
Princess, card debt.

Princess
Follow me, mother.

All
(each other)
Farewell.

(The princely family is leaving and Zagoretsky too.)

Phenomenon 8

Repetilov, Khlestova, Molchalin.

Repetilov
King of heaven!
Amfisa Nilovna! Oh! Chatsky! poor! Here!
What a lofty mind we have! and a thousand worries!
Tell me, what in the world are we busy with?

Khlestova
So God judged him; but by the way
They'll treat you, they'll cure you, maybe;
And you, my father, are incurable, no matter what.
Deigned to show up on time! -
Molchalin, there's your closet,
No wires needed; God bless you.
(Molchalin goes to his room.)
Farewell, father; it's time to get mad.

(Leaves.)

Phenomenon 9

Repetilov with your lackey.

Repetilov
Where to go now?
And it’s already approaching dawn.
Go put me in the carriage
Take it somewhere.

(Leaves.)

Phenomenon 10

The last lamp goes out.

Chatsky
(leaves from Swiss)
What is this? did I hear with my ears!
Not laughter, but clearly anger. What miracles?
Through what witchcraft
Everyone repeats the absurdity about me out loud!
And for others it’s like a triumph,
Others seem to have compassion...
ABOUT! if someone penetrated people:
What's worse about them? soul or language?
Whose essay is this!
Fools believed it, they passed it on to others,
The old women instantly sound the alarm -
And here is public opinion!
And here is that homeland... No, on this visit,
I see that I will soon get tired of her.
Does Sophia know? - Of course, they told me
It’s not that she’s doing me any harm
I had fun, and whether it’s true or not
She doesn't care if I'm different,
In all conscience she does not value anyone.
But this fainting spell? unconsciousness from where??
Nervous, spoiled, whimsical, -
A little will excite them, and a little will calm them down, -
I considered it a sign of living passions. - Not a crumb:
She would certainly lose her strength as well,
When would anyone step
On the tail of a dog or cat.

Sofia
(above the stairs on the second floor, with a candle)
Molchalin, is that you?
(Hastily closes the door again.)

Chatsky
She! she herself!
Oh! my head is burning, my whole blood is in excitement!
She has appeared! she's gone! really in a vision?
Am I really going crazy?
I am definitely prepared for the extraordinary;
But it’s not a vision here, the time for the meeting has been agreed upon.
Why should I deceive myself?
Molchalin called, this is his room.

His lackey
(from the porch)
Kare...

Chatsky
Ss!..
(Pushes him out.)
I'll be here and won't sleep a wink,
At least until the morning. If it's hard to drink,
It's better right away
Why hesitate, but slowness will not get rid of troubles.
The door opens.

(Hides behind a column.)

Phenomenon 11

Chatsky hidden, Lisa with a candle.

Lisa
Oh! no urine! I'm timid:
Into the empty hallway! at night! you're afraid of the brownies,
You are also afraid of living people.
A tormenting young lady, God bless her.
And Chatsky is like a thorn in the eye;
See, he seemed to her somewhere here, below.
(Looks around.)
Yes! of course! He wants to wander around the hallway!
He, tea, has long been out of the gate,
I saved my love for tomorrow,
Home and went to bed.
However, it is ordered to push the heart.
(Knocks on Molchalin’s door.)
Listen, sir. If you please, wake up.
The young lady is calling you, the young lady is calling you.
Hurry up so they don't catch you.

Phenomenon 12

Chatsky behind the column Lisa, Molchalin(stretches and yawns). Sofia(sneaks from above).

Lisa
You, sir, are stone, sir, ice.

Molchalin
Oh! Lizanka, are you on your own?

Lisa
From the young lady, sir.

Molchalin
Who would have guessed
What's in these cheeks, in these veins
Love has not yet blushed!
Do you only want to be on the errands?

Lisa
And to you, bride seekers,
Don't bask or yawn;
Handsome and cute, who doesn't finish eating
And he won’t sleep until the wedding.

Molchalin
What wedding? with whom?

Lisa
What about the young lady?

Molchalin
Come on,
There is a lot of hope ahead,
We are wasting time without a wedding.

Lisa
What are you talking about, sir! who are we?
Other things as your husband?

Molchalin
Don't know. And I'm shaking so much,
And at one thought I’m afraid,
What Pavel Afanasyich times
Someday he'll catch us
He will disperse, he will curse!.. So what? should I open my soul?
I don’t see anything in Sofya Pavlovna
Enviable. May God grant her a rich life,
I once loved Chatsky,
He will stop loving me like he did.
My little angel, I would like half
I feel the same for her as I feel for you;
No, no matter how much I tell myself,
I’m getting ready to be gentle, but when I’m dating, I’ll throw a sheet.

Sofia
(to the side)
What baseness!

Chatsky
(behind the column)
Scoundrel!

Lisa
And you are not ashamed?

Molchalin
My father bequeathed to me:
First, please all people without exception -
The owner, where he will live,
The boss with whom I will serve,
To his servant who cleans dresses,
Doorman, janitor, to avoid evil,
To the janitor's dog, so that it is affectionate.

Lisa
Let me tell you, sir, you have great care!

Molchalin
And now I take the form of a lover
To please the daughter of such a man...

Lisa
Who feeds and gives water,
And sometimes he’ll give you a gift?
Let's go, we've talked enough.

Molchalin
Let's go share love with our deplorable theft.
Let me hug you from the fullness of my heart.
(Lisa is not given.)
Why isn't she you!
(He wants to go, Sofia won’t let him.)

Sofia
(almost in a whisper, the whole scene is in an undertone)
Go no further, I've heard a lot,
Horrible man! I'm ashamed of myself, the walls.

Molchalin
How! Sofya Pavlovna...

Sofia
Not a word, for God's sake,
Keep quiet, I’ll decide on anything.

Molchalin
(throws himself on his knees, Sofia pushes him away)
Oh, remember, don’t be angry, look!..

Sofia
I don't remember anything, don't bother me.
Memories! like a sharp knife.

Molchalin
(crawls at her feet)
Have mercy...

Sofia
Don't be mean, stand up
I don't want an answer, I know your answer,
You'll lie...

Molchalin
Do me a favor...

Sofia
No. No. No.

Molchalin
I was joking, and I didn’t say anything except...

Sofia
Leave me alone, I say, now,
I'll scream to wake everyone in the house,
And I will destroy myself and you.
(Molchalin gets up.)
From then on, it was as if I didn’t know you.
Reproaches, complaints, my tears
Don’t you dare expect, you’re not worth it;
But so that the dawn does not find you in the house here,
May I never hear from you again.

Molchalin
As you order.

Sofia
Otherwise I'll tell you
Tell the whole truth to the priest out of frustration.
You know that I don't value myself.
Come on. - Stop, be glad,
What happens when dating me in the silence of the night?
They were more timid in their disposition,
Than even during the day, and in front of people, and in reality,
You have less insolence than crookedness of soul.
I myself am pleased that I found out everything at night,
There are no reproachful witnesses in the eyes,
Just like before, when I fainted,
Chatsky was here...

Chatsky
(throws between them)
He's here, you pretender!

Lisa and Sofia
Oh! Oh!..

(Liza drops the candle in fright; Molchalin disappears into his room.)

Phenomenon 13

The same, except Molchalina.

Chatsky
Rather faint, now it's alright
There is a more important reason why
Here is the solution to the riddle at last!
Here I am donated to!
I don’t know how I curbed my rage!
I looked and saw and didn’t believe it!
And darling, for whom is it forgotten?
And the former friend, and women's fear and shame, -
He hides behind the door, afraid to be held accountable.
Oh! how to comprehend the game of fate?
A persecutor of people with a soul, a scourge! -
Silent people are blissful in the world!

Sofia
(all in tears)
Don't continue, I blame myself all around.
But who would have thought that he could be so insidious!

Lisa
Knock! noise! Oh! My God! the whole house is running here.
Your father will be grateful.

Phenomenon 14

Chatsky, Sofia, Lisa, Famusov, a crowd of servants with candles.

Famusov
Here! Behind me! hurry up!
More candles and lanterns!
Where are the brownies? Bah! All familiar faces!
Daughter, Sofya Pavlovna! Stranger!
Shameless! Where! with whom! Neither give nor take, she
Like her mother, the deceased wife.
It happened that I was with my better half
A little apart - somewhere with a man!
Fear God, how? How did he seduce you?
She called him crazy!
No! Stupidity and blindness have attacked me!
It's all a conspiracy, and there was a conspiracy
He himself and all the guests. Why am I being punished like this!..

Chatsky
(Sofia)
So I still owe you this fiction?

Famusov
Brother, don’t be a trick, I won’t be deceived,
Even if you fight, I won’t believe it.
You, Filka, you are a real blockhead,
He made a lazy grouse into a doorman,
Doesn't know anything, doesn't smell anything.
Where were you? where did you go?
Why didn’t the seney lock it?
How come you didn’t watch it? and how did you not hear?
To work you, to settle you:
They are ready to sell me for a penny.
You, quick-eyed, everything comes from your mischief;
Here it is, Kuznetsky Most, outfits and updates;
There you learned how to make lovers meet,
Wait, I'll correct you:
Go to the hut and go after the birds.
Yes, and you, my friend, I, daughter, will not leave,
Be patient for two more days:
You shouldn’t be in Moscow, you shouldn’t live with people.
Farther from these grips,
To the village, to my aunt, to the wilderness, to Saratov,
There you will grieve,
Sit at the hoop, yawn at the calendar.
And you, sir, I really ask you
You don’t want to go there either directly or along a side road;
And this is your last feature,
What, tea, the door will be locked for everyone:
I will try, I will ring the alarm bell,
I'll cause trouble for everything around the city,
And I will announce to all the people:
I will submit it to the Senate, to the ministers, to the sovereign.

Chatsky
(after some silence)
I won’t come to my senses... it’s my fault,
And I listen, I don’t understand,
As if they still want to explain to me,
Confused by thoughts... waiting for something.
(With fervor.)
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 am I so passionate and so low
He was a waster of tender words!
And you! Oh my God! who did you choose?
When I think about who you preferred!
Why did they lure me with hope?
Why didn't they tell me directly?
Why did you turn everything that happened into laughter?!
That the memory even disgusts you
Those feelings, in both of us the movements of those hearts,
Which have never cooled in me,
No entertainment, no change of place.
I breathed and lived by them, was constantly busy!
They would say that my sudden arrival was to you,
My appearance, my words, actions - everything is disgusting, -
I would immediately cut off relations with you,
And before we part forever
I wouldn't bother to get there very much,
Who is this dear person to you?..
(Mockingly.)
You will make peace with him after mature reflection.
Destroy yourself, and why!
Think you can always
Protect, and swaddle, and send to work.
Husband-boy, husband-servant, from the wife's pages -
The high ideal of all Moscow men. -
Enough!.. with you I am proud of my breakup.
And you, sir father, you, passionate about ranks:
I wish you to sleep in happy ignorance,
I do not threaten you with my matchmaking.
There will be another well-behaved one,
A sycophant and a businessman,
Finally, the advantages
He is the equal of his future father-in-law.
So! I have completely sobered up
Dreams out of sight - and the veil fell;
Now it wouldn't be a bad thing
For the daughter and the father,
And on a foolish lover,
And pour out all the bile and all the frustration onto the whole world.
Who was it with? Where fate has taken me!
Everyone is driving! everyone curses! Crowd of tormentors
In the love of traitors, in the tireless enmity,
Indomitable storytellers,
Clumsy smart people, crafty simpletons,
Sinister old women, old men,
Decrepit over inventions, nonsense, -
You have glorified me as crazy by the whole choir.
You are right: he will come out of the fire unharmed,
Who will have time to spend a day with you,
Breathe the air alone
And his sanity will survive.
Get out of Moscow! I don't go here anymore.
I’m running, I won’t look back, I’ll go looking around the world,
Where is there a corner for the offended feeling!..
Carriage for me, carriage!

(Leaves.)

Phenomenon 15

Except Chatsky.

Famusov
Well? Don't you see that he's gone crazy?
Say seriously: - In Griboyedov’s time, it was fashionable to paint the walls of rooms with flowers and trees.

And that consumptive, your relatives, the enemy of books, who settled in the scientific committee...- The Scientific Committee was established in 1817. He supervised the publication of educational literature and pursued a reactionary policy in educational matters.

And the smoke of the Fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us!- inaccurate quote from a poem by G.R. Derzhavin “Harp” (1789):

Good news about our side is dear to us:
Fatherland and smoke is sweet and pleasant to us...

Minerva- in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom.

The deceased was a respectable chamberlain, with a key, and he knew how to deliver the key to his son...- Chamberlains (court rank) wore a golden key on their ceremonial uniforms.

...they won’t nod when they’re stupid- Tupey - an old hairstyle: a bun of hair gathered at the back of the head.

A nobleman in case...- that is, in favor, favorite.

Kurtag- reception day at the palace.

Whist- card game.

Carbonari (carbonari)- members of a secret revolutionary society in Italy (19th century).

For the third of August- August 3 is the day of Alexander I’s meeting with the Austrian Emperor in Prague, marked by celebrations and awards. There were no hostilities on this day; Thus, Skalazub’s “feat” consisted only in the fact that they “sat down in a trench.”

It was given to him with a bow, around my neck.- The same orders differed in degree in the way they were worn. Lower orders (III and IV degrees) were worn in the buttonhole, and the ribbon could be tied in a bow; the highest (I and II degrees) - on the neck.

The times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of Crimea...- The capture of the Turkish fortress of Ochakov and the annexation of Crimea to Russia took place in 1783.

Grandmother (French).

A! Good evening! Finally, you too! You are in no hurry, and we are always happy to wait for you. (French).

He will tell you the whole story in detail (French).

Yes, from Lankart mutual training...- Lankartachny is a distorted word for “Lancasterian”. The system of the English teacher Lancaster (1771–1838) was that the stronger students taught the weaker ones, helping the teacher. In Russia, this system was carried out by advocates of public education, advanced officers in training soldiers in the army, in particular, the Decembrists. In government circles, Lancaster schools were viewed with suspicion as a breeding ground for freethinking. The same reputation was enjoyed by boarding houses (Noble boarding house at Moscow University), lyceum (Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum) and Pedagogical Institute (St. Petersburg Pedagogical Institute).

“Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov occupies a special place. The living images of this book, telling about the distant past, also excite the modern reader. The main conflict of the comedy - the struggle of the “past century” with the “present century” - is still close to us. In the center of the image is lordly Moscow, but in the remarks and conversations of Griboyedov’s characters, both the appearance of the capital Petersburg and the Saratov wilderness, where Famusov threatens to send Sophia, in a word, the vast expanses of Russia, appear before us. The comedy represents all layers of Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century: from Famusov and Khlestova, representatives of the Moscow nobility, to serf servants. And in Chatsky’s accusatory speeches the voice of future Decembrists sounds. The comedy shows that the clash of the “present century” with the “past century” was an expression of the struggle between two public camps that emerged in Russia after the Patriotic War of 1812 - the defenders of serfdom and the advanced noble youth.

In Chatsky’s accusatory speeches and Famusov’s enthusiastic stories, the appearance of Catherine’s century was recreated. This is “the age of obedience and fear,” with nobles “on occasion,” with court flatterers, with insane extravagance and feasts in magnificent chambers. This “past century” is the ideal of Famus society. “And take awards and live happily” - these words of Molchalin, as well as Famusov’s admiration for the nobleman Maxim Petrovich, express the ideals of Famusov’s society. The world of the Famusovs consists not only of serf-owners - the aces, but also of the sycophants who serve them - officials, such as Molchalin.

Molchalin also became a symbol of lackeyness. When he commits a vile act, he does not even understand that it is vile. He is quite sincerely perplexed how it is that in small ranks “you can dare to have your own opinion.”

By exposing the ideals of the “past century,” Griboyedov wanted to show where the dominance of the Skalozubs, Famusovs and the like was leading Russian society. The irreconcilable hostility of the defenders of serfdom to culture and enlightenment led to the backwardness of Russia, to the prosperity of ignorance, bribery, and voluntary servility. Chatsky is opposed to the enemies of free thought and enlightenment in the comedy. In the eyes of contemporaries and subsequent generations, this one is most often associated with the Decembrists.

Chatsky contrasts the slave morality of the Famusovs and Molchalins with a high understanding of honor and duty, the social role and responsibilities of man. A free and independent way of thinking instead of admiration for the “opinions of others”, independence and proud dignity instead of servility and flattery, service not to individuals, but to a cause for the good of the Motherland - these are Chatsky’s moral principles. He is a passionate defender of education and believes in its power, in the power of the word.

Chatsky deals a terrible blow with his denunciations of Famusov and Molchalin. Their calm and carefree existence was disrupted, they were exposed, their ideals were condemned. In response, Famus society takes revenge on Chatsky by spreading gossip about his madness. The main meaning of A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” is that it depicts the personal protagonist as a social drama of an entire generation of people of the Decembrist era. Chatsky represents the best, progressive part of Moscow society; he expresses the ideas of the progressive people of his time.

He fights against everything vile and inhuman for the good, the worthy, the honest. But in Famus society, every independent thought, sincere noble feeling is doomed to persecution. About the further fate of Griboyedov’s hero, Herzen wrote that he walked the straight road to hard labor, i.e., he shared the fate of the Decembrists. The era has changed, the heroes of the comedy are a thing of the past, but much of what they worried and argued about still worries us. Understand

(4)

ACT ONE

The action of the play “Woe from Wit” begins in the morning in the house of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. The maid Lisa wakes up and complains that she didn’t sleep well. The fact is that Sofia, Famusov’s daughter, was expecting a friend to visit at night - Alexei Stepanovich Molchalin, Famusov’s secretary. Lisa had to make sure that Famusov did not find out about this.

Lisa knocks on the door of the hostess’s room, asking her to hurry up and say goodbye to Molchalin, because soon everyone in the house will wake up. Famusov finds her doing this and begins to flirt with her. Lisa tells the owner that she’s afraid that someone might come in, like Sofia, who just fell asleep because she’d been reading all night. Famusov is surprised how he can read all night, because reading makes him fall asleep. Then he leaves.

Lisa reproaches Sofia for being out of caution while she says goodbye to Molchalin. At this moment Famusov enters. He wonders why Molchalin came so early.

He replies that he has just returned from a walk. Famusov scolds his daughter for being nice to a young man at such an hour. After all, he cared so much about her upbringing after the death of her mother and is himself the best example of morality.

Sofia says that she had a dream: as if she was walking through a meadow, and a young man appeared to her - modest, smart, poor. Suddenly they found themselves in a dark room, and some forces, together with her father, want to separate Sofia and this young man... At this point the dream was interrupted. Famusov advises her to throw all sorts of nonsense out of her head and leaves with Molchalin.

Lisa asks Sofia to be careful. She believes that the father will not agree to his daughter’s marriage to Molchalin, because he is poor and ignorant. The best match for Sofia is Colonel Sergei Sergeevich Skalozub. Sofia says that she will never agree to this union: “I don’t care whether it’s for him or not.” Lisa remembers Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, who was brought up in Famusov’s house and with whom Sofia grew up.

Sofia says that Chatsky has gone far away and is not giving any news about himself. Molchalin is nearby, he is helpful, modest, quiet and timid. Here Chatsky himself appears. He had just returned from abroad, where he spent three years. Chatsky is glad to meet, but is surprised by Sofia’s coldness. He wonders if she is in love with someone. In a conversation with Famusov, Chatsky admires Sofia.

ACT TWO

Famusov asks the servant to give him a calendar and remembers which houses and which noble people he should go to for a visit this week. Chatsky appears. He wonders what Famusov would answer if he wooed Sofia. Famusov says that first you need to serve and receive a rank.

Famusov considers the ability to curry favor as the most useful. He is proud of his uncle Maxim Petrovich, his wealth and orders. Maxim Petrovich, like no one else, knew how to curry favor, which won the praise and favor of the empress herself. He deliberately fell, which made her laugh, and for this he was invited to receptions more often than others, received a substantial pension and universal honor.

Chatsky despises servility and accuses Famusov and others like him of judging a person by rank and wealth. Famusov experiences fear because of Chatsky’s disrespect for those in power.

Skalozub comes to Famusov. Famusov respects him very much: after all, Skalozub has only recently served, and is already a colonel. He ingratiates himself with Skalozub and tries to please him. Famusov wonders if Skalozub is going to get married. They remember Skalozub’s cousin, who had career prospects, but suddenly gave up everything and retired to the village.

Chatsky joins the conversation. He stigmatizes a society where only rank and wealth are valued, and condemns landowners who treat their serfs as property. Admiration for the uniform evokes contempt and indignation in him.

Sofia appears, frightened by the fact that Molchalin fell from his horse. She faints. Skalozub leaves to help Molchalin. Lisa and Chatsky bring Sofia to her senses. Everything is fine with Molchalin. But Chatsky understands who is busy
Sofia's heart.

Enter Skalozub and Molchalin, who only hurt his hand. Skalozub promises to come in the evening. He and Chatsky leave.

Molchalin reproaches Sofia for carelessness and excessive frankness, but the heroine is not bothered by the opinions of others. Molchalin is most afraid of “evil tongues.” Sofia promises to pretend to her father that she is cheerful and carefree in order to lull his vigilance. She leaves, and Molchalin, left alone with Lisa, begins to flirt with her, promising her gifts in exchange for favors. Lisa reproaches him for his duplicity.

ACT THREE

Chatsky is trying to find out from Sofia who she likes more - Molchalin or Skalozub. Sofia does not answer directly, saying that she appreciates Molchalin for his meekness of character and modesty. Chatsky mocks Molchalin and does not understand how one can admire such a person.

Chatsky talks with Molchalin to get to know him better. Molchalin is proud of such qualities as “moderation and accuracy.” He boasts of his rich and noble patrons. Chatsky ridicules such life principles.

In the evening, a ball is planned at the Famusovs' house. Guests appear. These are the Gorichi couple, the Tugoukhovsky family, Countess Khryumina with her granddaughter, old woman Khlestova - rich and influential people. The guests are talking.

Chatsky is familiar with the Gorichs - the cutesy and flirtatious Natalya Dmitrievna and the bored Platon Mikhailovich. He is unpleasantly surprised by how Platon Mikhailovich, a former brave military man, and now a lazy and submissive husband, has changed.

The ladies praise each other's outfits and ask which of the male guests is single and whether the potential groom has rank and wealth. Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky, one of the guests, flatters the ladies and tries to serve them. Platon Mikhailovich calls him a swindler.

The old woman Khlestova boasts about her new blackamoor maid. Famusov is polite to the guests. Skalozub arrives. Molchalin praises Khlestova’s dog, which earns her approval.

Chatsky's behavior is not respectful. He is mocking, ironic, and impudent with everyone. Everyone is outraged by his behavior. Molchalin's helpfulness evokes Chatsky's ridicule. Sofia is angry with him. Her accidentally dropped phrase that Chatsky is “out of his mind” instantly spreads among the guests.

Zagoretsky ensures that all invitees learn about Chatsky’s madness. Chatsky's imaginary madness became the main event of the evening. Chatsky feels uncomfortable among the guests. He says that he is dissatisfied with Moscow and reflects on meeting a Frenchman who, once in Russia, feels like he is at home.

Chatsky is outraged by foreign influence in Russia and the worship of everything French:

But our North is a hundred times worse for me
Since I gave everything in exchange
in a new way:
And morals, and language, and holy antiquity,
And majestic clothes for another...

ACT FOUR

The ball ends. The guests are leaving. Chatsky is also going to leave Famusov’s house. He does not understand why he was considered crazy and who started this rumor.

Chatsky accidentally witnesses a conversation between Lisa and Molchalin. It turns out that Molchalin is not going to marry Sofia and that he does not love her.

He likes Lisa much more, and he only looks after Sofia because she is Famusov’s daughter. Sofia hears this conversation. Molchalin tries to beg her forgiveness. But she tells him to leave the house immediately, otherwise she will tell her father about everything.

Chatsky appears. He reproaches Sofia. She justifies herself that she did not suspect such meanness and deceit in Molchalin. Famusov enters. From his speeches, Chatsky understands who was the first to call him crazy. Famusov is indignant and threatens to send his daughter to the village.

Chatsky is disappointed. His hopes were not justified, and his best feelings were insulted. He blames Sofia for supporting his conviction of her love. But now he doesn't regret their breakup. And there is no place for him in Moscow. He's leaving here forever.

HISTORY OF CREATION AND MEANING OF THE TITLE

“Woe from Wit” is a comedy in verse, the first realistic work of Russian literature. The idea for the play originated with A. Griboyedov back in 1820. By this time he had already written other dramatic works.

Work on the text began in Tiflis after the writer returned from Persia. In the summer of 1823, the first version of the play was completed, but it was still far from completion. In 1825, excerpts from acts 1 and 3 of the comedy were published. However, the author did not receive permission to stage it in the theater. Despite this, the comedy was distributed in lists and became widely known among the enlightened intelligentsia, who enthusiastically accepted the work. “Woe from Wit” was first published with large cuts in 1833, and in its entirety only in 1861.

Initially, A. Griboedov intended to call the comedy “Woe to Wit.” In this case, the meaning of the work would be transparent: Chatsky, an intelligent man, is opposed to the surrounding society, but in the end he is rejected by it. The meaning of the name would boil down to the following: woe to an intelligent person among limited and narrow-minded people. But the author, by choosing a different name, changed the meaning of the work.

Chatsky, who considers himself an intelligent person, often behaves stupidly and does not notice the obvious (he cannot believe that Sofia is in love with Molchalin, does not understand that others are laughing at him). From the point of view of Famusov and his guests, Chatsky is stupid (he does not know how to adapt, is not ready to lie, flatter, insinuate, and does not use his abilities to achieve success). He even became known as a madman, which all the characters in the work readily believed. But the concept of intelligence for A. Griboyedov does not include prudence (in this sense, Famusov can also be called smart), but implies freethinking, educational views, new, different from the established ones. Chatsky exposes the vices of patriarchal society and opposes himself to it. This is the source of all his troubles.

Chatsky suffers not so much from his mind as from his own desire to change the world, to make it better. Therefore, he is comical in Famus society. The author himself, who defined the genre of his work as a comedy, is ironic about what is happening.

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Traditionally, the genre of “Woe from Wit” is defined as a comedy in verse. Formally, the play corresponds to the principles required for a classical dramatic work. The action takes place in one place within one day. The characters are clearly divided into positive and negative, the author’s position is transparent, and his sympathies are immediately guessed. The plot is based on a love affair. However, the comedy was innovative in many ways. Social conflict pushes the love affair into the background. The play raises many serious questions that can cause heated debate and give rise to deep thought. Therefore, the work combines the features of character comedy, everyday comedy, and satirical work.

The play really has the characteristics of a comedy. There are comic characters and situations. The comedy is also based on the discrepancy between the character's self-image and who he really is. So, Skalozub imagines himself to be significant and important, but in reality he is limited and narrow-minded. The main character himself is not comical. Chatsky, who finds himself in the minority, seems defeated and misunderstood. He must retreat, at least for a while. In the finale there is no triumph of the positive hero, which is mandatory for a classic comedy: vice must be defeated by virtue.

The characters depicted by Griboyedov are close to real people. They are not as clear as they seem at first glance. Each of them is endowed with both positive and negative qualities. For example, Sofia, the positive heroine and beloved of Chatsky, undoubtedly evokes sympathy. At the same time, she constantly lies, is carried away by Molchalin, understanding his insignificance. Famusov, Chatsky’s ideological opponent, does not seem to be a sharply negative character. His disagreement with Chatsky’s ideas is determined by his upbringing and lifestyle, that is, by another generation.

Chatsky himself, the only positive character, cannot help but evoke sympathy and slight condescension due to the fact that he does not understand the meaninglessness of his tirades in front of Moscow society. Thus, the play, which is based on a comedy of manners, is a mixture of several genres.

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ISSUES

The play touches on the most pressing issues that worried the enlightened society of that time: the plight of the Russian people, serfdom, autocratic power, the level of education of society, the principles of educating the younger generation, veneration of rank, bribery, etc. A real dispute unfolds between the characters about the meaning of education, the appointment of teachers , the need for knowledge. For Famusov, teachers are “vagabonds”; he does not see the need to teach children and worry too much about their development. Chatsky criticizes the low level of education of the Moscow nobility, understanding its superficiality and formal nature. The work depicts pictures of landlord tyranny towards serfs. One master, like Famusov, exchanged a crowd of faithful servants for three greyhounds, another sold peasants, separating parents and children.

The old woman Khlestova, boasting about her new blackamoor maid, tells how she made this acquisition. At the same time, she is incredibly gentle with the dog. Chatsky is outraged that landowners perceive servants as useful things. Attitudes towards service are also becoming a subject of debate. Famusov perceives his job responsibilities formally, without delving into details and without being interested in details. Molchalin wants to curry favor and treats Famusov’s service as a means of achieving his selfish goals. Chatsky does not recognize this approach to his duties. He believes that one must serve the cause, for the good of the Fatherland, and not for the sake of rank, the praise of one’s own boss or the approval of society. But it is not only social phenomena that give rise to Chatsky’s critical statements.

Personal and family relationships characteristic of noble society are also not accepted by them. The Gorichs' marital relationship seems artificial to Chatsky and evokes his irony. The fact that Platon Mikhailovich found himself under his wife’s heel is incomprehensible to Chatsky. The relationship between Sofia and Molchalin could be built in a similar way. The husband’s lack of his own opinion, outward humility, and constant boredom cannot evoke positive emotions in the hero. Chatsky turned out to be the spokesman for the views of that part of the enlightened intelligentsia who did not want to put up with the established way of life.

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FEATURES OF THE CONFLICT

There are two lines in the work - love and social. The love conflict lies on the surface, and the work begins with it. Chatsky wants to marry Sofia, but is faced with a cool attitude from her father. He learns about another contender for Sofia’s hand, more worthy, in Famusov’s opinion, Skalozub. Besides him, there is Molchalin, who clearly enjoys the favor of Sofia herself.

The love affair is presented rather superficially. We do not observe the clash and struggle between Chatsky and his rival for Sofia’s favor. And the final departure of the hero is connected not only with love failure. The uniqueness of the conflict in the play is that, having begun as a love conflict, it develops into a social conflict. The heroes are divided into two unequal camps: all of Famus’s Moscow and Chatsky himself. Famusov and his entourage are supporters of patriarchal traditions and the usual way of life.

In Famusov’s house, everything is built on pretense: Sofia hides her love for Molchalin, Famusov puts on a virtuous appearance, Molchalin pretends to love Sofia, although he does it for selfish reasons. Famusov is supported by a huge number of characters - his allies. These are household members, guests, and even heroes who are simply mentioned, but who do not participate in the action. Due to this, the play turns out to be quite densely “populated” with characters, although the main action is connected with members of the same family. The very number of characters opposed to Chatsky speaks of the inequality of forces involved in the conflict. Chatsky is lonely, and this is his tragedy.

The social conflict reaches its climax in the scene at the ball in Famusov's house, when Chatsky turns out to be an outcast not only because of his views and daring speeches, but because of imaginary madness. Other heroes readily believe in his madness. This turned out to be much more convenient to explain Chatsky’s behavior than to delve into his speeches and try to understand him. Thus, all of Chatsky’s actions automatically become meaningless for those around him. The main conflict of the play is the clash of new progressive views in the person of Chatsky with the old patriarchal world of lordly Moscow.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF CHATSKY

The young nobleman Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, after spending three years outside of Russia, returns to Moscow, to the house of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov, where he was raised after the death of his parents. Remembering Chatsky, Lisa says: But be a military man, be a civilian, Who is so sensitive, and cheerful, and sharp, Like Alexander Andreich Chatsky! And Sofia adds: “Sharp, smart, eloquent.”

Chatsky is ardent and hot, he appears before Sofia like a whirlwind and immediately disturbs the calm of the inhabitants of Famus’s house. His loud and passionate speech, wild joy, laughter, and sincerity are inappropriate here. Chatsky's impetuosity and enthusiasm confuses other heroes. From Famusov’s lips come the words: “dangerous person”, “does not recognize the authorities”, “he wants to preach freedom”. Chatsky is dangerous in a society where you have to curry favor, pretend and lie. Chatsky’s speech, first of all, testifies to his education and erudition. He quotes Derzhavin (And the smoke of the Fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us!), refers to images of world literature (Minerva, Cupid, Nestor), in his speech there are both Old Slavonicisms and words of high style (hungry, quest, daviche), and romantic pathetic expressions (I love you without memory, I am at your feet). Chatsky’s speech is emotional, rich in comparisons, metaphors, and combines sublime and purely colloquial vocabulary (black-haired, hoarse, strangled).

Chatsky's views are characteristic of an advanced person. They may seem idealistic and naive. Chatsky believes that one must serve the cause, not the boss, that origin and wealth do not make a person better, and superficial education does not make a person smarter. The mind tells Chatsky that he needs to escape from Famusov’s house, but his heart speaks of love for Sofia. He cannot come to terms with her attachment to Molchalin. Chatsky is unclear what such an intelligent girl found in Molchalin, how she could fall in love with such an insignificant and petty person, such an empty personality.

Chatsky is a man of action, enthusiastic, energetic and active. But in Famusov’s Moscow, no one needs him, because his ideas do not find a response, he only interferes, tries to disrupt the usual way of life.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMUSOV

Famusov Pavel Afanasyevich - manager in a government place, Sofia's father, widower. The entire action of the comedy takes place in his house. Famusov is an opponent of enlightenment.

Everything new and progressive is perceived with hostility. This is a threat to his well-being and measured life. He calls teachers “tramps” and does not understand why they are hired at all: We take tramps into the house and on tickets, So that we can teach our daughters everything, everything, And dancing, and laziness, and tenderness, and sighs, As if we were preparing them to be wives buffoons. Books make him sad and sleepy: French books make her sleepless, but Russian books make it painful for me to sleep. Famusov selects a groom for his daughter based solely on his position in society and wealth (He would like a son-in-law with stars and ranks...). The wealthy Colonel Skalozub is an ideal candidate for a groom. Famusov says to his daughter: Whoever is poor is not a match for you. Only rich and noble people are invited to Famusov’s ball.

The hero, who is not very well-born himself, is concerned about his own position in society. After the scandal with Molchalin, Famusov most of all laments what Princess Marya Aleksevna will say! Famusov is a hypocrite and a hypocrite. Instilling in his daughter high moral ideals and positioning himself as a champion of morality, he himself flirts with the maid Lisa, who tries to laugh it off: Let me go, you flighty people, Remember, you are old people...

Famusov treats his service formally, without delving into details and without being interested in details. Getting a rank is the main goal of the service. He doesn’t even think about the benefit to society and the Fatherland: But with me, what matters and what does not matter, My custom is this: It’s signed, so off my shoulders. Famusov is a representative of the patriarchal Moscow nobility. His views on enlightenment, education, behavior in society, and attitude towards service were characteristic of most nobles and landowners of that time.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SKALOTOOTH

Skalozub Sergei Sergeevich is a colonel, a good friend of Famusov, a candidate for Sofia’s groom. He is still young, but already has rank. Moreover, he is very rich: For example, Colonel Skalozub: And a golden bag, and aims to become a general. When Skalozub appears at Famusov’s house, the owner begins to fawn over him and ingratiate himself: Dear Sergei Sergeich, Put down your hat, take off your sword, Here’s a sofa for you, lie down on your bed.

Skalozub has all the qualities suitable for an ideal groom. He is respectable, noble, rich, has an enviable rank and prospects. However, rank is the only goal to which Skalozub strives: Yes, to achieve rank, there are many channels; I judge them as a true philosopher, I just wish I could become a general. The skalozub is limited and rough. This is an example of a real martinet. Sofia is horrified at the thought that he could be her fiancé: How sweet! and it’s fun for me to hear about the frunt and the rows. He hasn’t uttered a smart word for a long time, - I don’t care what’s for him, what’s in the water. Skalozub is opposed by another representative of the army class. Together with Famusov, they discuss Skalozub’s cousin, also a military man. He was the same servant as Skalozub, received awards and ranks.

However, he suddenly left the service and retired to the village: The rank followed him: he suddenly left the service and began reading books in the village. Skalozub and Famusov are sincerely surprised and do not understand why a person suddenly left a promising career, retired, began to read books, and think. Famusov is perplexed by the behavior of Skalozub’s relative, but wholeheartedly approves of the behavior of Sergei Sergeevich himself: What youth! - read! .. and then grab it! .. You behaved properly. You have been colonels for a long time, but you have only served recently. Such decisions are unacceptable in the society of Famusov and Skalozub. The image of Skalozub is satirical. He personifies the imperial army with its retrograde orders, drill, veneration of rank and blind obedience.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF MOLCHALIN

Molchalin Alexey Stepanovich is a young man, Famusov’s secretary, who lives in his house. Taken by Famusov (although he tries to place only relatives and acquaintances) from Tver for diligence and accuracy. Molchalin's surname speaks for itself: silence is his main quality, which, however, hides many other negative traits.

Molchalin courtes Sofia because of her father's position and connections. He cleverly deceives the girl, posing as a sensitive and timid young man: Molchalin is ready to forget himself for others, The enemy of insolence - always shy, timid, Who can you spend a whole night with like that? We are sitting, and the courtyard has long since turned white... Molchalin’s timidity is contrasted with Chatsky’s ardor, which frightens and confuses Sofia. Molchalin, on the contrary, is quiet, modest, sentimental: He will take a hand, press it to the heart, He will sigh from the depths of his soul, Not a free word, and so the whole night passes, hand to hand, and does not take his eyes off me... Chatsky treats Molchalin with mockery and slight contempt, not perceiving him as a rival in the fight for the girl’s heart: It used to be that when he sees a new notebook, he asks: please write it off. However, he will reach the known levels, Because nowadays they love the dumb.

At the ball, Molchalin shows his helpfulness to Famusov’s high-ranking guests, which earns Chatsky’s contempt. Molchalin’s actions reveal his admiration for rank and wealth. The reader sees Molchalin's true face in the scenes when he finds himself alone with Lisa. He is no longer timid and admits why he is courting Sophia, setting out his life philosophy: My father bequeathed to me: First, to please all people without exception, the Master where I happen to live, the Chief with whom I will serve, his Servant who cleans dresses, To the doorman, to the janitor, to avoid evil, To the janitor's dog, so that it is affectionate. Having learned about Molchalin's duplicity, Sofia drives him away.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOFIA

Sofia Pavlovna Famusova is Famusov’s daughter, a young girl. She secretly meets with her father's secretary Molchalin, attracted by his ostentatious modesty and helpfulness. Chatsky notes that Sofia has become very prettier, but this is not the only thing that attracts Chatsky. The heroine herself is not distinguished by timidity and meek disposition. Sofia is smart, resourceful, brave. She is not afraid to show her feelings for Molchalin, but she tries to hide them from her father. Sofia has a strong character, intelligence, and sense of humor.

This is a passionate, ardent and selfless nature. She is not interested in the rich Skalozub. Sofia is in love with Molchalin, although he has neither title nor fortune. She is not afraid of public condemnation, she is open and sincere in her feelings. At the same time, Sofia is a product of Famus society. Lies and hypocrisy are the atmosphere in which she grew up. Realizing that Molchalin will never be accepted by her father as a groom, she hides her love. Sofia adapts to the environment in which she lives. She hides her lover, lies to her father, avoids explanations with Chatsky. Probably, brought up in an atmosphere of patriarchal life, Sofia could not have grown up any other way. She did not receive a deep and comprehensive education (although she loves to read).

The heroine's days were filled with endless balls and dances in the company of people like Famusov's guests. Sofia's character was formed in an atmosphere of lies and pretense. Even after learning about Molchalin’s duplicity, Sofia orders him to leave before anyone finds out anything. She is glad that she discovered the truth under the cover of darkness, without witnesses: She herself is pleased that she found out everything at night, There are no reproachful witnesses in her eyes, Like before, when I fainted, Chatsky was here...

It is Sofia who, out of anger, starts a rumor about Chatsky’s madness, throwing out a careless phrase: “He’s out of his mind.” It was she who contributed to his alienation from the whole society; all the guests, without exception, turn away from him. Even Sofia, who is positive, friendly and honest by nature, turns out to be unable to understand Chatsky and respond to calls and be inspired by his ideas.

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FAMUSOVSKAYA MOSCOW

The play reflects the irreconcilable struggle between the conservative landed nobility and bureaucracy, on the one hand, and the progressive intelligentsia, on the other. The lordly Moscow is represented not only in the images of Famusov, Skalozub and Molchalin. A string of images of Famusov’s guests flashes before us: Gorichi, princes Tugoukhovsky, Countess Khryumina with her granddaughter, old woman Khlestova.

They gather at Famusov's for a ball. Here they are proud of their noble family, boasting of ranks and titles. The ladies are flirtatious and cutesy; mothers look for potential suitors for their daughters. Old women are grumpy and arrogant. Natalya Dmitrievna conducts small talk with Chatsky. For her, her husband is a reason to brag, an object that is pleasant to display. Platon Mikhailovich, whom Chatsky knew before, now spends his time in idleness and boredom. The Tugoukhovsky princesses look after the suitors. Khlestova grumbles and lectures everyone. This is patriarchal Moscow, accustomed to living as the fathers bequeathed: slowly, habitually, in the old way. And Chatsky with his ideas is not able to change the established way of life for centuries.

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LANGUAGE OF COMEDY

In the play "Woe from Wit" A. Griboyedov turned out to be a true innovator in terms of language. Language becomes a means of characterizing images. Chatsky’s correct speech reveals his education, at the same time interspersed with apt and vivid colloquial words that enhance the ironic nature of his statements. Only Chatsky is characterized by monologues that are in the nature of sermons. They characterize the hero as a skilled speaker. The main participant in the disputes with Chatsky is Famusov. His remarks are quite long, which emphasizes his loquaciousness.

Famusov is rude to his subordinates, addresses them on a first-name basis, and is unctuously polite to Skalozub. Sofia's romanticism is emphasized by high-style words that could have been borrowed from sentimental novels. Skalozub’s speech is rich in “army” vocabulary, which determines not only his type of activity, but also his limitations and inertia. Molchalin kindly and obsequiously adds the particle -s (short for the word sir) to the words. Most of the comedy characters have become household names, and many of their lines have become part of our everyday speech.

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THE PLAY IN RUSSIAN CRITICISM

The comedy "Woe from Wit" was incredibly popular among its contemporaries and, undoubtedly, had a huge influence on all Russian literature. The work caused a lot of responses and critical statements. A. Pushkin was one of the first to express his opinion about comedy in a letter to A. Bestuzhev (1825). He writes that Griboyedov's goal was to depict a picture of morals. The only intelligent character in the work is Griboyedov himself. Chatsky, ardent, noble and kind, “adopted” the thoughts and satirical remarks of the writer.

Pushkin denies Chatsky intelligence because he wastes words and feelings in front of people like Famusov, Skalozub and Molchalin. At the same time, the poet notes the true talent of the creator of the play. One of the most profound analyzes of the play is presented in I. Goncharov’s article “A Million Torments” (1871). The author writes that the play “is distinguished by its youthfulness, freshness and< … >survivability." He pays special attention to the image of Chatsky, without which “there would be no comedy itself, but there would, perhaps, be a picture of morals.” Goncharov considers him not only smarter than other heroes. He writes that Chatsky is “positively smart.”

In addition to intelligence, the hero has a sensitive heart. At the same time, Chatsky is “impeccably honest.” He is active, and in this he is better than Onegin and Pechorin. The critic notes that the comedy, which began with a love affair, develops into a clash of two worldviews: “the century of the past” and “the century of the present.” As a result of this unequal struggle, Chatsky received his “millions of torments.” He is forced to leave without finding sympathy. Goncharov analyzes in detail Chatsky’s emotional state, noting his internal tension throughout the entire action. The hero's witticisms become more and more bilious, and his remarks become more caustic. The unequal struggle with Famus society exhausted him. “He, like a wounded man, gathers all his strength, challenges the crowd - and strikes everyone - but he does not have enough power against the united enemy.”

Chatsky is the most vivid image in the work. This is a strong and deep nature that cannot be exhausted in comedy. This is a suffering character. “This is the role of all Chatskys, although at the same time it is always victorious.” Unaware of their victory, such people “only sow, but others reap - and this is their main suffering, that is, in the hopelessness of success.” Goncharov pays much attention to the ball scene in Famusov’s house. This is where real comedy is presented - scenes from Moscow life. Sofia, according to Goncharov, is not so to blame for what is happening. He pays tribute to her good instincts, her ardor, her tenderness.

Goncharov's sympathies are clearly on the side of the heroine. No wonder he compares her with Tatyana Larina. Sofia, just like Tatyana, begins a romance herself and is just as carried away by the first feeling of love. Goncharov explains Sofia’s choice of Molchalin solely by chance. Sofia's trouble is in her upbringing, typical of a girl of noble birth at that time. Goncharov’s article notes the bright and original language of the play, which distinguishes it from other works. “The public knows such plays by heart,” so actors in the theater need to pay special attention to the manner in which they pronounce lines. In conclusion, I. Goncharov describes in detail the actors’ performances, analyzes the production of the play and gives instructions for those who will play in the following performances.

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APHORISMS OF GRIBOEDOV

Chatsky: A mixture of languages ​​still prevails: French with Nizhny Novgorod? After all, nowadays they love the dumb. The legend is fresh, but hard to believe... I would be glad to serve, but it is sickening to be served. Ranks are given by people, but people can be deceived. The houses are new, but the prejudices are old. Who are the judges? The women shouted: hurray! And they threw caps into the air! Get out of Moscow! I don't go here anymore. Carriage for me, carriage! Famusov: What a commission, creator, to be the father of an adult daughter!

Learning is a plague... If evil is stopped: Take all the books and burn them. Hey, tie a knot as a souvenir, I asked you to be silent, it’s not a great service. Sofia: They don't watch happy hours. Molchalin: At my age I shouldn’t dare to have my own judgment. Ah, evil tongues are worse than a pistol. Lisa: Pass us away more than all sorrows, And lordly anger, and lordly love.

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