Woe from Wit is the main theme. The meaning, idea and essence of Griboyedov's comedy Woe from Wit

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was one of the most talented and intelligent people of his time. He received an excellent education. Knew several oriental languages. According to contemporaries, he was a very extraordinary politician and diplomat.
Griboyedov lived only 34 years. He died, torn to pieces by fanatics. His death, in my opinion, has some symbolic meaning: so the world of darkness is relatively recently pounced on everything talented and advanced.
Griboedov could have done much more for culture, but. However, his three wonderful works remained to live forever. These are two waltzes and the comedy “Woe from Wit”. The comedy describes the clash of the “present century” with the “future century”, the clash of morals, views, opinions of people different generations.
The representative of the “present century” is, undoubtedly, Chatsky. The rest of the heroes oppose him. These are mainly Moscow aristocrats who “draw their judgments from forgotten newspapers.” Moral values these people are very underestimated. One of central figures Comedy – Famusov – typical representative Moscow aristocratic society. He is a serf owner with all the moral defects of spirit inherent in a serf owner. He considers it “legal to dispose of people as if they were his own things.” He does not recognize the rights of serfs. Service for him is a pleasant pastime, for which he receives ranks. Official experience occupied a special place in his life. He constantly improves it for his own benefit. For example, working according to the principle: “it’s signed, off your shoulders,” Famusov makes sure that too many papers do not accumulate. In communication with more influential officials he uses flattery and knows at what moment to deliver it. Naturally, such a person cannot appreciate and respect people for their personal qualities. They are more important to him financial situation. There is nothing surprising in the fact that he dreams of seeing his daughter’s groom exactly like this:

Be bad, but if you get enough
Souls of two thousand ancestral -
He's the groom.

In literary criticism there has already been a strong stereotype of this phenomenon - “ Famusov society" It's traditional. His principles of life are such that “one must learn by looking at one’s elders,” destroy free-thinking thoughts, serve higher authorities with obedience, but most importantly, be rich. They saw wealth as the only meaning of their life. The ideological program of this society can be called Famusov’s famous monologue:

Here's an example:
The deceased was a venerable chamberlain,
He knew how to deliver the key to his son;
Rich, and married to a rich woman;
Married children, grandchildren;
He died, everyone remembers him sadly:
Kuzma Petrovich! Peace be upon him! –
What kind of aces live and die in Moscow.

Lack of education does not prevent people like Famusov from living. Moreover, they see negative aspects in teaching and believe that it harms society.
The progressive mind of that time could not come to terms with this, and Griboedov’s comedy became, as it were, a challenge to the dark society that was pulling the country back. The author contrasted those who are rigid in their social vices aristocrats young man Alexander Andreevich Chatsky. The image of Chatsky is new, fresh, bringing changes to the life of society. Griboyedov made his hero an exponent of the progressive ideas of Russian aristocratic youth. Some political program can already be traced in Chatsky’s monologues. Chatsky encroaches on the foundations of serfdom, despises hypocrisy, inhumane attitude towards the people, false patriotism. But for Famus society he is more dangerous because he gives him a merciless characterization. At that time in Russia, as indeed now, there was a fashion for everything foreign. Chatsky criticizes this too:

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.

Chatsky understands that “empty, timid, blind imitation is destructive for Russia.”
Through the image of Chatsky, the author makes it clear that in Russia there are people who do not care about promotion or wealth, for whom science and art are the most important thing in life. But there are still very few such people. They do not find recognition from the Famusovs. Moreover, they become dangerous for them. Chatsky understands the importance of educating Russia and defends his positions to the end.
After an open conflict with the Famus society, Chatsky, before leaving forever, throws them in the face:
He will come out of the fire unharmed, Whoever manages to spend a day with you, will breathe the same air, and his sanity will survive.
I believe that main idea The comedy “Woe from Wit” is revolutionary: denunciation of obscurantism, abolition of serfdom, honor according to the mind, personal freedom. Griboedov himself realized this great idea, which is why the great Russian poet took off his hat to the dead Griboedov. At this moment, Pushkin bowed to the future freedom of our Fatherland!

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Essays on topics:

1. Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov created his famous comedy “Woe from Wit” at that important time for Russia historical period when the Patriotic War ended...

The theme of the mind is central to the work, stated in the title. It is known that at first Griboyedov wanted to call the comedy “Woe to Wit.” This title reflected that the bearer of the mind endures persecution from those around him. However, then he changed it to “Woe from Wit.” There is another meaning here: grief is suffered not only by the bearer of the mind, but also by everyone around him. And indeed, the second title more deeply reflects what happens during the plot: It’s not easy for Chatsky, but it’s also not easy for the representatives of the Moscow nobility who come into contact with him...

If he talks about intelligence, then in comedy there is always a play on the meaning of this word. There are two concepts of mind: the mind of Chatsky and the mind of the “Famus society”.

Chatsky's mind lies in his ability to think freely, to see the essence of surrounding phenomena. He is the bearer of advanced ideas: the liberation of peasants from slavery, new values ​​of life (different from servility and idle pastime). In addition, Chatsky is different expressive speech, likes to throw out apt phrases (“he speaks as he writes”). From this side, Chatsky is smart. On the other hand, he (as Pushkin noted) looks stupid when he tries to convey his ideas to people who do not want to listen to them. Oh, he’s stupid in everything that concerns people, as well as in everything related to everyday practicality (which is so valued in “Famus society”).

If we talk about representatives of Moscow society, they are stupid in the ways that Chatsky is smart. They live only to earn money and achieve a position in society, and do not think at all about what is happening around them. However, they have their own “worldly wisdom” that guides them in life. It lies in being able to find an approach to to the right person, know your place in society and behave based on this and, thus, ensure a quiet life for yourself. Famusov tries to teach Chatsky, telling him about his life views. Molchalin also has this “ worldly wisdom“(he is very cunning) and knows how to constantly enter the role he needs (with Sophia he seems to be a romantic young man in love, with Famusov and the guests of the ball - obedient and meek, with Liza to become cheeky, with Chatsky - indifferent). Here's what Sophia says about him:

Of course, he doesn’t have this mind,

What a genius is to some, and a plague to others,

Which is fast, brilliant and will soon become disgusting,

Which the world scolds on the spot,

So that the world can at least say something about him;

Will such a mind make a family happy?

In these lines, Sophia contrasts the mind of Molchalin and the mind of Chatsky. And gravitates towards the first (like everyone else) Moscow society). As a result, the author of the comedy shows that for real smart people rarely valued in a society filled with fools. And moreover, their mind may seem crazy - as it happened with Chatsky.

If he lived today, he would be called a child prodigy. At the age of seven, the boy was sent to the Moscow University boarding school, and at the age of eleven he became a student in the verbal department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University. But Alexander Sergeevich did not rest on this; after graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy, he entered the Faculty of Law of the University and received a PhD in Law.

Home education allowed the boy to learn English, French, German and Italian languages, and during his studies he mastered Arabic, Persian and Turkish languages. In addition, he was musically gifted, played the piano and flute, and composed music.

Ministry of Alexander Griboyedov

During Patriotic War With Napoleon, Griboyedov voluntarily enlisted at the front as a cornet (junior officer) in a hussar regiment. And subsequently he resigned and entered the College of Foreign Affairs, where A.S. Pushkin also served at that time.

It is not surprising that he is appointed to serve in the Caucasus and conduct diplomatic relations with Turkey and Persia.

As a result, he becomes a victim of a conspiracy of Persian fanatics. His death is, in a sense, a symbol of how limitations and darkness kill everything living and talented. As a cultured and gifted person, Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov could have left an indelible legacy for the country and the future generation, but he did not have time. Only his two waltzes and the famous comedy play in the verses "Woe from Wit".

Essay on “Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov

His immortal comedy "Woe from Wit" is shown in high schools high school. The content is known to everyone, but every time you read it, you can discover something new for yourself, especially in the image of Chatsky. The author shows how the morals, minds, and views of people of different social classes and generations collide with each other.

There Famusov, a representative of aristocratic Moscow society, lives by the principle: the richer, the better. He does not value the moral qualities of a person; he does not consider his servants and serfs to be people at all, much less equal to himself. He fawns over the powers that be and knows how to get close to them with flattery. For only daughter he wants a groom like himself, since not only money is important to him, but also his position in society.

Famus Society

At school, when assigning an essay on “Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov, the content of the play is often divided into several topics. There is such a topic as “Famus Society”, the name of which has already become a household name.

And now people united by similar ideas are called “Famus society.” The life attitudes of this society are deprived of freedom; for them it is important to destroy free-thinking, obediently obey the authorities and be financially secure. They see the meaning of life only in money and respect and appreciate powerful of the world this. They do not see anything reprehensible in their narrow-mindedness; on the contrary, they notice only shortcomings and negative aspects in education and seriously believe that it interferes with human society.

Hero of his time

In addition to the “Famusov society”, teachers give the task to write an essay on the comedy “Woe from Wit”, where main character- Alexander Andreevich Chatsky - opposes this society. Indeed, the comedy begins with the arrival of their friend Alexander Chatsky to the Famusovs. He is a brilliant man with enormous knowledge and broad-minded. A young man (he has been absent for three years) comes to this house with only one purpose - to see Sophia, Famusov’s daughter, with whom he was in love before leaving, and whom he still loves. However, Sophia greets him somewhat coldly. At first Chatsky doesn’t understand what’s going on, but when he finds out the real reason, remains perplexed.

Sofya Famusova in Griboyedov's comedy

Essay on the topic “Sophia. “Woe from Wit” girls like to write. But not all of them fully understand how the educated, witty Sofya Famusova (it’s not for nothing that the main character fell in love with her) chose the narrow-minded Molchalin over Chatsky. Sophia in comedy is one of the most complex characters. On the one hand, she is closest in spirit to Chatsky, on the other, she is the reason for his escape from the “Famus society.”

Sophia is educated, smart, loves to spend time reading books (especially French), and is not afraid to express her opinion. In this quality she is similar to Chatsky, but, as they say, love is evil...

Essay “Woe from Wit. Images of the main characters of the comedy"

Sophia falls in love with the quiet Molchalin, thinking that he is smart and modest, similar to the heroes of novels, but due to inexperience, she takes his duplicity at face value, for real feelings. After all, it is beneficial for Molchalin to marry her; everything is thought out and planned for him. Molchalin’s motto is “moderation and accuracy.” The fact that Sophia preferred Molchalin to Chatsky becomes clear later, after a careful reading immortal comedy. Sophia grew up in a society that could not help but leave its mark on her. In her circle, matriarchy dominated, women were the head of the family, so on an unconscious level, she chose who she could push around (especially since he was poor).

It is most difficult to write an essay on “Woe from Wit” from Sophia’s perspective, since her image is the most tragic in the play. For quite a long time, the young girl has to defend her love, her feelings from the attacks of Chatsky, who jokes about Molchalin. It is she who spreads the rumor about Chatsky’s madness and then bitterly repents of what she has done. Only chance helps her expose Molchalin and see his low nature. However, she would also be unhappy with Chatsky, her strong character she needs a husband who would please and obey her in everything.

Essay on the topic “Woe from Wit. Chatsky" is a favorite theme of schoolchildren. If you look up to anyone in comedy, it would be this smart, educated and witty person. At first, Griboedov wanted to give his hero the surname Chadsky from the word “chad”, showing that he was in the family own ideals and shocks.

Chatsky's character

If you look closely at the character of the hero, you can find in him such qualities as hot temper and even some tactlessness (Sofya Famusova points this out to him). The young man’s ardor can be attributed to his youth and inexperience, and besides, he is in love, and, as he then realizes, hopelessly in love. When considering how to write an essay on “Woe from Wit” (Griboyedov’s comedy), some schoolchildren justify Chatsky’s harsh tone by the fact that he sees the immorality of the society in which he has to live. He is not at all amused or delighted by Uncle Famusov, who fell on purpose at a reception with the Empress. On the contrary, it disgusts him, the statement “I would be glad to serve, but being served is sickening” becomes his credo. Among the nobles, he does not see anyone from whom he could take an example; he notices that Moscow nobles attend balls for only one purpose: to make useful acquaintances.

School essay topics

All high school students have to write an essay on the comedy “Woe from Wit”; often excerpts from the comedy are included in exam papers or I invite the children to describe the image of one or another hero of Griboedov’s work. Therefore, it is important to understand the play, to know by heart excerpts from the monologues of Chatsky and Famusov.

It is not without reason that modern schoolchildren are asked to carefully study the play “Woe from Wit.” The essay topics of this immortal comedy for exams include approximately the following content:

• “The present century and the past century.”
• "Chatsky and Famusov's society - a conflict of generations."
• "Famusovskaya Moscow".
• "The Author and His Hero".
• "Hero and Epoch".
• "Chatsky and Sophia."
• "The meaning of the name of the comedy."
• "Artistic innovation of A. S. Griboedov."

The very name of the comedy “Woe from Wit” is prophetic. For many people, intelligence is synonymous with happiness, but not all carriers of intelligence became happy, rather, on the contrary. They had to face ignorance and narrow-mindedness, and the most advanced among them were often declared crazy.

A. S. Griboyedov was born in 1794, the famous comedy was written in 1824, in early XIX century. The author was 28 years old at that time. Quite mature age. And the problems raised by the author are extremely serious and in many ways still relevant. And immediately after writing, the comedy that was distributed in the lists was very, very popular. Undoubtedly, this is largely explained by its socio-political severity; the atmosphere in Russia was pre-storm. It is characteristic that the exiled A. S. Pushkin brings a list of comedies to Mikhailovskoe from his friend, the future Decembrist Ivan Pushchin. But it is obvious that the content of “Woe from Wit” is in no way limited to exposing specific vices and ill health of Russian society during the reign of Alexander I.

The theme of “mind” is the most important philosophical and moral concept, standing at the center of the comedy. Everyone expresses their attitude towards “mind”, learning, knowledge in one way or another characters, the problem is considered from different angles. This, perhaps, explains the originality of the composition; it is no coincidence that Pushkin predicted that the play would be stolen into proverbs.

For Chatsky, the mind, and precisely his mind, denouncing and uncompromising, “a mind hungry for knowledge,” is almost highest value. Young, sincere, brave, he has an unbalanced, even nervous character, ready to flare up at any moment, he is ready to prove his truth to anyone, caring little about how well he will be understood.

“I would be glad to serve, but it’s sickening to be served,” Chatsky proudly declares. At the same time, “chemist and botanist” cousin Skalozub, perhaps, “hunches for knowledge” no less than Chatsky, but, having surprised society (he retired when his rank followed), he still does not create any “scandal”, he simply retired and “began reading books in the village.” Famusov is also very, very radical in his judgments about intelligence and scholarship:

* Here you go! Great trouble.
* What will a man drink too much!
* Learning is the plague, learning is the reason.
* What is worse now than before,
* Crazy people, deeds, and opinions have grown up.

The judgment, of course, is not entirely without reasonable grounds. A strikingly similar thought is expressed already in our century by one of the characters in Eugene Ionesco’s play: “Nowadays education has gone to our heads, and that’s why life has become worse. Even sweeping has become more difficult.” But in Famus society, another most important instinct stands against intelligence and teaching - protective. “Smart guy” almost sounds like a synonym terrible words“farmazon”, “Jacobin”, “carbonari”. Colonel Skalozub’s “mind” is also decisive and uncompromising:

* ...to get ranks, there are many channels;
* I judge them as a true philosopher.
* I wish I could become a general.

Unhappy Sophia is endowed with a very special mind - a woman’s: “if someone loves someone, why look for intelligence and travel so far?” She declares Chatsky insane, protecting her loved one from his wit and uncompromisingness and

* ...you like to dress everyone up as jesters,
* Would you like to try it on yourself?

It is no coincidence that the heroine’s name is Sophia in Greek “wisdom”. Sophia is indeed by no means stupid, but her mind fails her, just like Chatsky, she is cruelly deceived in her chosen one.

Molchalin is also smart in his own way. His philosophy (“to please all people without exception”) has been developed in great detail and thoroughly. Repetilov’s image is insightful and scary: the stupid windbag paints a terrible parody of the Secret Society. “The most secret union” at the English Club, “secret meetings” on Thursdays, the ideological leader whom

* No need to name, you will recognize by the portrait;
* Night robber, duelist,
* He was exiled to Kamchatka, returned as an Aleut, * And was firmly unclean in his hand;

* Yes clever man can't help but be a rogue.

And this man, in whose “virtues” one can easily discern the portrait of Tolstoy the American, perhaps the most famous hooligan and blunderer, sharper and hooligan of the era,

* When... speaks of high honesty,
* We are inspired by some demon:
* Eyes bloody, face burning,
* He cries himself, and we all cry.

Griboedov seems to foresee the nature of many, many future secret societies. What he managed to say in a few lines, several centuries later, would become the theme of thick novels (“Demons” by Dostoevsky, “On Knives” by Leskov).

The story of Chatsky, a brave, honest man inspired by truly lofty and beautiful ideas, is an obvious illustration of the ancient and eternal wisdom: “think wise to be wise and foolish,” but everyone he meets in his native Moscow is clearly not all smart. okay, clearly not only Chatsky is in grief. Time itself is uncertain and confused: “What time is it?” - “Seventh, eighth, ninth.” Involuntarily I remember the story that is told about wonderful poet- mentally ill Batyushkov:

* What time is it, he was asked here,
* And he answered the curious: “eternity!”
* (O. Mandelstam)

Story unhappy love in the play is not only comical, but also “wrong”, everyone is mistaken, deceived, gets into trouble, naively relying on the unconditionality and “correctness” of their mind. The stable pattern is also broken: love triangle opens up, turns into a quadrangle, Chatsky loves Sophia, Sophia loves Molchalin, and Molchalin loves Liza, who, in turn, does not reciprocate his feelings. A triangle, as is known from geometry, is a rigid figure, a quadrilateral equal sides can have any angles: and at the plot level, misunderstanding and uncertainty multiply.

In his own way, rational, “correct,” protective and well-intentioned Famusov is by no means prosperous and calm, he is drawn into general game: and woe to him:

What a commission, creator, to be a father to an adult daughter!

Only the cynical Colonel Skalozub seems to be mentally stable. But his clear mind is somehow too paradoxical:

*In my opinion,
* The fire contributed a lot to her decoration.
* And this is about the ancient capital!

But let’s return to the “grief” of the protagonist. He clearly sees the imperfection of the world in general and Famus society in particular. He sees and does not want (or cannot, due to the fault of the mind) to reconcile with him. And the imperfect world, the imperfect society takes revenge on him. He, undoubtedly smart, is declared crazy. The comedy appeared on the eve of the tragedy on December 14. And like the smart Chatsky, honest and courageous freedom fighters were not understood, correct definition the leader of the world proletariat are terribly far from the people. Alas, just as the Famus society did not heed Griboedov’s warnings, they did not sober up the Decembrists. The logic of history, unlike the human mind, is precise and inexorable.

And A. S. Griboyedov’s play really became proverbs and entered the living world in fragments. colloquial and continues to live, overcoming time, historical conventions and all sorts of ideological frameworks.