Woe From Wit is a realistic comedy. Griboyedov gave in it a true picture of Russian life. The comedy poses topical social problems of those times: about enlightenment, contempt for everything national, worship of a foreign, upbringing, service, ignorance of society.
The main character of the comedy is Alexander Andreevich Chatsky. Witty, eloquent, he evilly ridicules the vices of the society that surrounds him. He sharply differs from those around him in his mind, abilities, independence of judgment. The image of Chatsky is something new, bringing change. This hero is the spokesman for the progressive ideas of his time. Famus society is traditional. His positions in life are such that “you need to learn, looking at your elders,” to destroy free-thinking thoughts, to serve with obedience to those who are one step higher, be sure to be rich. Famusov's only passion is a passion for rank and money.
The convictions of Chatsky and Famus society are different. Chatsky condemns serf slavery, imitation of foreign slavery, people's lack of desire for education and their own opinion. The dialogues between Chatsky and Famusov are a struggle. At the beginning of the comedy, it is not so acute. Famusov is even ready to give up the hand of Sophia, but he sets the following conditions:
I would say, firstly: do not whims,
In name, brother, do not run wrongly,
And, most importantly, come and serve.
To which Chatsky replies:
I would be glad to serve, to serve is sickening.
But gradually the struggle turns into a battle. Chatsky argues with Famusov about the way and way of life. But the protagonist is alone in the struggle against the views of Moscow society, in which he has no place.
Molchalin and Skalozub are not the last representatives of the Famus society. They are rivals and opponents of Chatsky. Molchalin is helpful, silent. He wants to please with his humility, neatness, flattery. Skalozub shows himself to be someone very important, businesslike, significant. But under his uniform he hides "weakness, reason, poverty." His thoughts are connected only with getting a higher rank, money, power:
Yes, to get ranks, there are many channels;
As a true philosopher, I judge about them:
I just wanted to be a general.
Chatsky does not tolerate lies and falsehood. This man's tongue is as sharp as a knife. Each of its characteristics is label and caustic:
Molchalin was so stupid before! ..
Miserable creature!
Has he really grown wiser? .. And he -
Wheeze, stranglehold, bassoon,
A constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas!
Chatsky's monologue “Who are the judges? ..” mercilessly condemns the Famus society. Each new face that appears in the development of the plot takes the side of Famusov. Gossip grows like a snowball. And Chatsky can't stand it. He can no longer remain in the company of low, mean, arrogant and stupid people. They condemned him for his intelligence, for freedom of speech and thought, for honesty.
Before leaving, Chatsky throws to the whole Famus society:
You are right: he will come out of the fire unharmed,
Who will have time to stay with you for the day,
Breathe the air alone
And in him the reason will survive.
Chatsky is higher than them, the best and rare qualities are manifested in him. Those who cannot see and appreciate this, at the very least, are simply fools. Chatsky is immortal, and now this hero is relevant.
The comedy "Woe from Wit" made a huge contribution to the development of Russian literature. Griboyedov's play was, is and will be a modern work until honor, greed, and gossip disappear from our lives.
The satirical comedy by Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov describes a noble society of 10-20 years of the XIX century. The main character of the work, Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, is a young, noble, honest and free-thinking person. In the comedy, he is opposed not only to individual characters, but to the entire Famus society, which lived according to the traditions of the "past century."
Famusov, in whose house the events unfolded, is a typical Moscow master, an official - a bureaucrat, a serf, devoid of morality. He did not like service, he served only for the sake of money, ranks and awards. He didn’t even know the essence of his work: “It’s signed, off your shoulders”, and he wasn’t interested in what he was signing. Chatsky, on the other hand, served the Motherland, wanted to benefit the people, fought for the abolition of serfdom and individual freedom. He was very intelligent and educated.
Aleksey Stepanovich Molchalin lived and worked in Famusov's house. He courted Sophia, but did not love her, but simply hoped with her help to get better in life, to make a career. For this, he did not stop at anything: he deceived Famusov and fawned upon everyone. All his courtesy is feigned, he just wanted to appear as what others wanted to see him. His motto is to please everyone on whom he depends. In society, Molchalin was accepted, although he is just a minor nobleman. Chatsky spoke about him tartly, considered him stupid and ridiculous. He spoke of Molchalin with a contemptuous grin: "He will reach the degrees of the known, because nowadays they love the dumb."
Another representative of the Famus society was Sergei Sergeevich Skalozub. Colonel, spent all his life in the barracks, a smug careerist. He was promoted at the expense of deceased or dismissed colleagues. Skalozub also saw service as a source of personal gain. His dream is to rise to the rank of general, while not spending any energy. Famusov dreamed of such a son-in-law, because their worldviews are the same. Chatsky did not understand how it was possible to live next to such small people who were not interested in anything except money and power, who were so disdainful of everything national and valued a person only by origin and the number of serfs.
The Famus society also included: the prince and princess Tugoukhovsky, the spouses Gorichi, Zagoretsky, the imperious lady Khlestov. All of them were united by the same outlook on life. All of them supported respect for rank, ignorance, serfdom and idleness. Their main occupations were entertainment and gossip. Chatsky criticized this society, he could not find like-minded people in it. He did not understand why they did not want to change their lives for the better, and did not even listen to his judgments. Chatsky has completely different views on education and upbringing, on service, civic duty, social order, attitude towards people. He did not fit into the Famus society, and therefore left Moscow. It became clear to him that their loyalty to the ideals of the "past century" was still firmly held.
The play "Woe from Wit" is a well-known work by A. S. Griboyedov. In the process of its creation, the author departed from the classical canons of writing "high" comedy. The heroes in Woe From Wit are ambiguous and multifaceted characters, not cartoon characters endowed with one characteristic feature. This technique allowed Aleksandr Sergeevich to achieve stunning verisimilitude in the depiction of the "moral picture" of the Moscow aristocracy. This article will be devoted to the characterization of representatives of such a society in the comedy "Woe from Wit".
Problems of the play
There are two plot-forming conflicts in Woe From Wit. One of them concerns the personal relationships of the characters. It involves Chatsky, Molchalin and Sofia. The other is a social and ideological confrontation between the main character of the comedy and all the other characters in the play. Both storylines reinforce and complement each other. Without taking into account the love line, it is impossible to understand the characters, worldview, psychology and relationships of the heroes of the work. However, the main one, of course, is Chatsky and the Famus society are opposed to each other throughout the entire play.
"Portrayal" of the heroes of the comedy
The appearance of the comedy "Woe from Wit" caused a lively response in literary circles of the first half of the 19th century. Moreover, they were not always laudatory. For example, a longtime friend of Alexander Sergeevich - PA Katenin - reproached the author for the fact that the characters in the play are too "portrait", that is, complex and multifaceted. However, Griboyedov, on the contrary, considered the realism of his characters to be the main advantage of the work. In response to criticism, he replied that "... cartoons that distort the real proportions in the appearance of people are unacceptable ..." and argued that there is not a single such comedy in his comedy. Having managed to make his heroes alive and believable, Griboyedov achieved an amazing satirical effect. Many unwittingly recognized themselves in the characters of the comedy.
Famus society representatives
In response to comments about the imperfection of his "plan", he stated that in his play "25 fools for one sane person." Thus, he spoke out rather sharply against the capital's elite. It was obvious to everyone who the author portrayed under the guise of comedic characters. Alexander Sergeevich did not hide his negative attitude towards Famus society and opposed it with the only intelligent person - Chatsky. The rest of the characters in the comedy were typical images of that time: the well-known and influential Moscow "ace" (Famusov); loud and stupid careerist-soldier (Skalozub); quiet and wordless scoundrel (Molchalin); domineering, half-mad and very rich old woman (Khlestova); eloquent chatterbox (Repetilov) and many others. Famus society in comedy is motley, diverse and absolutely unanimous in its resistance to the voice of reason. Let's consider the character of its most prominent representatives in more detail.
Famusov: staunch conservative
This hero is one of the most influential people in Moscow society. He is a fierce opponent of everything new and believes that it is necessary to live as the fathers and grandfathers bequeathed. For him, Chatsky's statements are the height of free-thinking and debauchery. And in ordinary human vices (drunkenness, lies, servility, hypocrisy), he does not see anything reprehensible. For example, he declares himself to be "known for his monastic behavior," but before that he flirts with Lisa. For Famusov, a synonym for the word "vice" is "learning." For him, the condemnation of bureaucratic servility is a sign of insanity.
The question of service is the main one in the Famusov system. In his opinion, any person should strive to make a career and thereby ensure a high position in society. Chatsky for him is a lost person, as he ignores generally accepted norms. But Molchalin and Skalozub are business, reasonable people. Famus society is an environment in which Petr Afanasievich feels himself to be fulfilled. He is the embodiment of what Chatsky condemns in people.
Molchalin: the wordless careerist
If Famusov in the play is a representative of the "past century", then Aleksey Stepanovich belongs to the younger generation. However, his ideas about life completely coincide with the views of Peter Afanasyevich. Molchalin makes his way "into the people" with enviable persistence, in accordance with the laws dictated by the Famus society. He does not belong to the nobility. His trump cards are "moderation" and "accuracy", as well as servile servility and boundless hypocrisy. Alexey Stepanovich is very dependent on public opinion. The famous remark about evil tongues, which are "more terrible than a gun" belongs to him. His insignificance and lack of principle are obvious, but this does not prevent him from making a career. In addition, thanks to his boundless pretense, Aleksey Stepanovich becomes the protagonist's happy rival in love. "The Molchalins dominate the world!" - Chatsky notes with bitterness. Against Famusian society, he can only expose his own wit.
Khlestova: tyranny and ignorance
The moral deafness of the Famus society is brilliantly demonstrated in the play "Woe from Wit". Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich entered the history of Russian literature as the author of one of the most topical and realistic works of his time. Many aphorisms from this comedy are very relevant today.
Comedy by A.S. Griboyedov's "Woe from Wit" is a satire on the society of Moscow noblemen of the early 19th century. It depicts a split in the nobility that had emerged by that time, the essence of which lies in the historically natural contradiction between old and new views on many social issues. In the play, Chatsky and Famus society collide - "the present century" and "the past century".
The Moscow aristocratic society is represented by Famusov, the manager of the state house, his secretary Molchalin, Colonel Skalozub, minor and off-stage heroes. This rather numerous camp of conservative nobles is opposed by one main character of the comedy - Alexander Andreyevich Chatsky.
The conflict between Chatsky and the Famus society arises when the main character of the play returns to Moscow, where he has been absent for three years. Once Chatsky was brought up together with Sophia, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Famusov. There was a youthful love between them, which still burns in Chatsky's heart. Then he went abroad to "seek the mind."
His beloved now has tender feelings for Molchalin, who lives in their house. But Chatsky does not know about it. The love conflict develops into a social one, forcing Chatsky to speak out against the Famus society on the most pressing issues. Their disputes concern upbringing, family relations, serfdom, government service, bribery, and rank worship.
Returning to Moscow, Chatsky discovers that nothing has changed here, no social problems have been resolved, and the nobles continue to spend their time in merriment and idleness: “What new will Moscow show me? Yesterday there was a ball, and tomorrow there will be two. " Chatsky's attacks on Moscow, on the landowners' way of life, makes Famusov fear him. The conservative nobility is not ready to change their views on life, their habits, they are not ready to part with their comfort. Therefore, Chatsky is a "dangerous person" for Famus society, because "he wants to preach at liberty." Famusov even calls him "carbonari" - a revolutionary - and believes that it is dangerous to let people like Chatsky even close to the capital.
What ideas do Famusov and his supporters defend? The opinion of the world is most valued in the society of the old Moscow nobles. For the sake of gaining a good reputation, they are ready for any sacrifices. In this case, it does not matter whether the person corresponds to the impression that he makes. Famusov believes that the best example for his daughter is the example of her father. In society, he is known for his monastic behavior.
But when no one is watching him, not a trace remains of Famusov's morality. Before scolding his daughter for being in the room alone with Molchalin, he flirts with his servant Lisa, makes her unambiguous hints. It becomes clear to the reader that Famusov, who reads the morality of his daughter, himself lives by immoral principles, the main of which is “sin is not a problem, rumor is not good”.
This is also the attitude of the Famus society to the service. Here, external attributes prevail over internal content. Chatsky calls the Moscow nobility passionate about ranks and believes that the uniform covers "their weakness, reason, poverty."
When Chatsky turns to Famusov with the question of what Sophia's father would answer to his possible matchmaking to his daughter, Famusov angrily replies: "Serve as you go." Chatsky "would be glad to serve," but he refuses to "serve". For the protagonist of a comedy, this is unacceptable. Chatsky considers this a humiliation. He seeks to serve "the cause, not the persons."
But Famusov sincerely admires the ability to "help out". Here the reader, according to Famusov, learns about Maxim Petrovich, who "knew honor before everyone," had "a hundred people at service" and "ate on gold." At one of the empress's receptions, Maxim Petrovich stumbled and fell. But, seeing the smile on Catherine's face, he decided to turn this incident to his own benefit, so he fell several more times on purpose to amuse the yard. Famusov asks Chatsky: “... What do you think? In our opinion, he's smart. " But the honor and dignity of Chatsky cannot allow him to "fit into the regiment of jesters." He is not going to earn a position in society at the expense of clerical worship and sycophancy.
If Famusov is outraged by Chatsky's unwillingness to serve, then the careerism of Colonel Skalozub, who has an "enviable rank beyond his years", causes servile awe in this hero. Skalozub, according to Sophia, is so stupid that "he will not utter the words of a clever one at a time." But it is him that Famusov wants to see as his son-in-law. After all, all Moscow nobles want to acquire relatives "with stars and ranks." Chatsky can only lament that this society is driving "people with a soul", that the personal qualities of a person do not matter here, and only money and ranks are valued.
Even Molchalin, who was laconic throughout the play, in a dialogue with Chatsky boasts of his successes in the service: "As I worked and tried, since I was listed in the archives, I received three awards." He, despite his young age, is accustomed, like the old Moscow nobles, to make acquaintances based on personal gain, because “you have to depend on others” until you yourself have a high rank. Therefore, the life credo of this character is: "In my years I should not dare to have my own judgment." It turns out that the silence of this hero is just a mask covering his meanness and duplicity.
Chatsky's attitude to Famusian society and to the principles by which this society exists is sharply negative. Only those "whose neck bent more often" reach heights in it. Chatsky values his freedom.
The noble society, depicted in the comedy "Woe from Wit", is afraid of changes, everything new, which, under the influence of historical events, penetrates the consciousness of the Russian nobleman. He manages to defeat Chatsky only due to the fact that in this comedy he is completely alone. This is the originality of the conflict between Chatsky and Famus society. However, the aristocrats experience genuine horror at the words of Chatsky, because he fearlessly denounces their vices, indicates the need for change, and therefore threatens their comfort and well-being.
The light found a way out of this situation. At the ball, Sophia, in a conversation with one of the guests, throws a phrase that Chatsky is "out of his mind." Sophia cannot be attributed to the representatives of the "past century", but her former lover Chatsky threatens her personal happiness. This gossip instantly spreads among the guests of Famusov, because only the crazy Chatsky does not pose a danger to them.
By the end of the day, in which the action of the comedy "Woe from Wit" unfolds, all of Chatsky's hopes are dispelled. He "sobered up ... in full." Only having felt on himself all the cruelty of Famus society, he realizes that his paths with him completely parted. He has no place among people who live their lives "in feasts and in extravagance."
Thus, Chatsky in the comedy "Woe from Wit" is forced to retreat in the face of Famus society only because he alone has no chance of winning. But time will put everything in its place, and Chatsky's supporters will bring the spirit of freedom and the value of a person's personal qualities into the environment of the nobles.
The described peculiarity of the conflict between Chatsky and Famusian society will help 9th grade students to recreate the confrontation between two worlds in their essay on the topic "Chatsky and Famusian society"
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We got acquainted with the comedy of A. S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit." In this work, we are faced with an insoluble for that time conflict between Chatsky and Famusovsky society, which is a direct reflection of the social conflict of that era. These differences of opinion are really very strong, since the confrontation is not just between individual people, it is intergenerational.
This means that older people who lived in a time of sycophancy, servility and self-interest are opposing the younger generation in every possible way, who, like no one else, understands the need for change.
Famusov is the main personification of the conservative society in this work. He is an ardent adherent of the past century and cannot even hear talk about the need for change in Moscow. "Goodness I have plugged my ears" - replies Famusov in a conversation with Chatsky, unpleasant for his conservative views. Famusov considers the past century an ideal for the development of Russia. Freedom of speech and action in some Western countries at that time was not for him. He believes that Russia should develop in its own way, where the use of its own citizens, in fact, as slaves, still reigns. Chatsky is a clear opposition to the views of the Famus society. He supports the present century and its progressive development. He considers the past century to be the century of fear to express his point of view, as well as the century of servility and self-interest for his own benefit. “And who in Moscow didn’t have their mouths shut,” says Chatsky. In his opinion, society should progress and have long lost all old prejudices, which from the outside seem extremely unpleasant, but for the conservatives themselves are the norm. Such an act is the special falls of Maxim Petrovich in front of Catherine, which caused her not only a smile and laughter, but also the need for him to advance in rank. This act seems disgusting, but Famusov not only approves of it, he sets it as an example. Famus society does not accept modern trends of change and firmly believes that they will destroy Russia. The Chatsky society, on the other hand, understands that if changes do not come now, then not the best times may soon come in the country. Service to the fatherland, in the view of Famusov, is a service in which the main element is the ability to please the boss at the right time so that he will move you up the career ladder. In the mind of Molchalin, service is constant sycophancy and servility, most likely done so that the right moment does not even have to be chosen. In Skalozub's view, service is only the military support of the state, where, in order to get a new rank, just like everywhere you need to please your boss. It turns out that the opinions of these three people are practically the same, since they all belong to the past century, some because of their age, and some because of the hope of gaining benefits. Chatsky's opinion is completely different. He believes that you need to serve not to the bosses, not to those who pat you on the head, you need to serve only the homeland. And if all people adhere to this opinion, then there will be much more sense than from sycophancy towards individual people. Chatsky is against serfdom, he is opposed to slavery and considers it unacceptable. Every person is born equal in rights, and he perfectly understands this. Famus society does not imagine how landowners will exist without peasants, it is primarily interested not in the freedom of millions of people, but in the welfare of thousands. But on this issue they can be justified, since because of their worldview and conservative views on life, they believe that the peasants have been under the supervision of the landowners for too long and now they cannot exist without them. The Famus society considers the ideal of life to be constant demonstration events, going to balls and visiting each other. All this is achieved with the help of accepting the views of other people and constant sycophancy to persons who are more significant than you yourself. Famusov refers to this with irony, since he understands that the constant holidays to maintain their weight in society cannot be liked even by the person who goes to them. He believes that people should work and rest in moderation for their pleasure, without fear that someone will shame or reject them for this. Chatsky promotes enlightenment and education among people in every possible way, but the Famus society practically all opposes this. It believes that knowledge only clogs the head and confuses consciousness, although fortunately, this applies only to the most ardent conservatives. Chatsky considers Russia's admiration for French culture unacceptable, he believes that our heritage is no worse and it is better to first learn Russian sciences than immediately study foreign ones. All these points of view of Chatsky, which run counter to the views of Famus' Moscow, led to the fact that Chatsky was considered insane. But we understand that this only confirmed his innocence, since people simply could not answer the correct remarks of our hero and at once believed in this gossip.
I believe that Chatsky emerged from this story as the unconditional winner. Despite the fact that he was alone, and there were a lot of representatives of the Famus society, Chatsky confidently defended his point of view and caused a stir in this house. He not only did not break down in front of a large number of people, but also instilled in their soul a small particle of doubt about the correctness of their life.