Napoleon's quotation plan for war and peace. Composition on the topic: The image of Napoleon in Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace"

War and Peace is Tolstoy's novel, which has become a masterpiece of Russian literature. There, the author uses different images, creates many characters, where the fates of both fictional heroes and real, historical ones are intertwined. Among all the figures, an important place is given to the image of Napoleon, whom the author mentions already at the beginning of his novel. His personality is actively discussed in the salon, where the entire beau monde gathered. Many heroes are fond of him, admire his strategies, his perseverance. However, there are those who did not support him and called him a criminal.

Creating the image of Napoleon, the writer gives an ambiguous description of the hero, a brief assessment of which we will reflect today in ours.

Creating the image of Napoleon in War and Peace, the writer shows the historical figure from several angles. We see Napoleon as a commander who was military strong, erudite, was a man with experience and talent, which manifested itself in military affairs and in his strategies. Many heroes at the beginning of the novel admire him, but then we see despotism, tyranny and cruelty in the face of Napoleon. For many, the once idol turns into a negative hero, which was dangerous not only for other countries and peoples, but also for France itself as a whole.

Image of Napoleon

But he opened his attitude to the French emperor already in the second part, where he debunks the halo of Napoleon's greatness. In general, in his work, the author often repeats the description of Napoleon, where he applies to him such adjectives as low, not so handsome, fat, unpleasant. He writes that he is a fat man with a large belly and broad, thick shoulders. He has fat thighs, a thick neck and a full face. In addition, Napoleon is endowed with negative traits. Reading the work, you understand how terrible and cruel he was, who believed in his superhumanity and decided to decide the fate of people. He is self-confident, selfish, narcissistic, pompous and arrogant.

Somehow it even becomes a pity for such a person who is a little flawed and morally poor. Love, tenderness are alien to him, the joys of life are unfamiliar, even having received a photo of his son, Napoleon could not humanly, paternally show joy, only an imitation of feelings.

Napoleon Bonaparte was not interested in the fate of people, for him people are like pawns on a chessboard, where he could only move the pieces. He is on the corpses to his goals and power, this is a person, as Bolkonsky put it, feels happiness from the misfortune of other people.

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Often, readers of Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" perceive the historical figures depicted in the novel as a documentary image, while forgetting that Tolstoy's work is primarily a literary hoax, which means that the image of any characters, including historical ones, is not without author's, artistic fiction or subjective opinion.

Sometimes authors deliberately idealize or depict a character from the negative side in order to recreate a certain mood of a fragment of a text or a whole work. The image of Napoleon in Tolstoy's novel also has its own characteristics.

Appearance

Napoleon has an unattractive appearance - his body looks too fat and ugly. In the novel, Tolstoy emphasizes that in 1805 the emperor of France did not look so disgusting - he was quite slender, and his face was completely thin, but in 1812 Napoleon's physique did not look the best - he had a stomach that bulged strongly forward, the author in In the novel, he sarcastically calls him "forty-year-old belly."

His hands were small, white and plump. His face was also plump, although it still looked youthful. His face was marked by large expressive eyes and a broad forehead. His shoulders became too full, as were his legs - with his short stature, such changes seemed terrifying. Without hiding his disgust at the appearance of the emperor, Tolstoy calls him "fat".

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Napoleon's clothes always differ in appearance - on the one hand, it is quite typical for people of that time, but not without chic: Napoleon is usually dressed in a blue overcoat, white camisole or blue uniform, white waistcoat, white leggings, over the knee boots.

Another attribute of luxury is a horse - a thoroughbred Arabian horse.

Russian attitude towards Napoleon

In Tolstoy's novel, one can trace the impression Napoleon made on the Russian aristocracy before and after the outbreak of hostilities. In the beginning, most members of high society treat Napoleon with obvious reverence and admiration - they are flattered by his assertive character and talent in the military sphere. Another factor that makes many respect the emperor is his desire for intellectual development - Napoleon does not look like an outright martinet who sees nothing beyond his uniform, he is a comprehensively developed personality.

After the intensification of hostilities by Napoleon in relation to the Russian Empire, the enthusiasm of the Russian aristocracy in relation to the Emperor of France is replaced by irritation and hatred. Such a transition from admiration to hatred is shown especially clearly by the example of the image of Pierre Bezukhov - when Pierre had just returned from abroad, he was simply overwhelmed with admiration for Napoleon, but later the name of the Emperor of France only causes bitterness and anger in Bezukhov. Pierre even decides to kill his "former idol", whom by that time he already considers an outright murderer and almost a cannibal. Many aristocrats have gone through a similar development path - once admiring Napoleon as a strong personality, they experienced the destructive effect of his destructive power, and came to the conclusion that a person who bears so much suffering and death cannot a priori be an example to follow.

Personality characteristic

The main feature of Napoleon is narcissism. He considers himself an order of magnitude higher than other people. Tolstoy does not deny that Napoleon is a talented commander, but at the same time his path to the emperorship looks like a pure accident.

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Based on the fact that Napoleon considers himself better than other people, his attitude towards other people follows. In the bulk, it is dismissive - as a person who has made his way from the masses to the top of the aristocracy, in particular the state apparatus, he considers people who have not committed such a thing not worthy of his attention. Accompanying qualities to this set are selfishness and egocentrism.

Tolstoy portrays Napoleon as a spoiled man who loves comfort and pampered by comfort, but at the same time draws the attention of readers to the fact that Napoleon was on the battlefield more than once, and not always in the role of a revered commander.

At the beginning of his political and military career, Napoleon often had to be content with little, so the troubles of soldiers are familiar to him. However, over time, Napoleon moved away from his soldiers and wallowed in luxury and comfort.

The key to the concept of Napoleon's personality, according to Tolstoy, is also the desire of the emperor to be more significant than everyone else - Napoleon does not accept any other opinion than his own. The Emperor of France thinks that he has reached considerable heights in the military field, and he has no equal here. In the concept of Napoleon, war is his native element, but at the same time, the emperor does not consider himself guilty for the destruction caused by his war. According to Napoleon, the heads of other states themselves are to blame for the outbreak of hostilities - they provoked the emperor of France to start a war.

Attitude towards soldiers

In Tolstoy's novel, Napoleon is shown as a person devoid of emotionality and empathy. First of all, this concerns the attitude towards the soldiers of his army. The Emperor of France takes an active part in the life of the army outside of hostilities, he is interested in the affairs of the soldiers and their problems, but he does it out of boredom, and not because he really cares about his soldiers.

In a conversation with them, Napoleon always behaves a little arrogantly, according to Tolstoy, Napoleon's insincerity and his ostentatious care lie on the surface, and therefore are easily read by soldiers.

Author's position

In Tolstoy's novel, one can trace not only the attitude of other characters to Napoleon, but also the attitude of the author himself to the personality of Napoleon. In general, the author's attitude to the personality of the Emperor of France is negative. Tolstoy is of the opinion that the high rank of Napoleon is an accident. The features of Napoleon's character and intellect did not contribute to his becoming the face of the nation with the help of painstaking work. In the concept of Tolstoy, Napoleon is an upstart, a big deceiver who, for some unknown reason, ended up at the head of the French army and state.

Napoleon is driven by the desire to assert himself. He is ready to act in the most dishonest ways, just to achieve his goal. And the very genius of the great political and military leader is a lie and fiction.

In the activities of Napoleon, one can easily find many illogical acts, and some of his victories look like a frank coincidence.

Comparison with a historical figure

The image in the novel by Tolstoy of Napoleon is built in such a way that it is opposed to Kutuzov, and therefore in most cases Napoleon is presented as an absolutely negative character: he is a person who does not have good character qualities, treats his soldiers badly, does not keep himself in shape. Its only indisputable advantage is military experience and knowledge of military affairs, and even then it does not always help to win the war.

The historical Napoleon is in many respects similar to the image that Tolstoy depicted - by 1812, the French army had been at war for more than one year and was exhausted by such a long military way of life. More and more, they begin to perceive the war as a formality - apathy and a sense of the senselessness of the war are spreading among the French army, which could not but affect either the attitude of the emperor to the soldiers, or the attitude of the soldiers to their idol.

The real Napoleon was a very educated person, he is even credited with the creation of a mathematical theorem. In the novel, Napoleon is shown as an upstart, because he happened to be in the place of a significant person, the face of the whole nation.

In most cases, Napoleon is spoken of as a talented political and military figure, his physical and mental abilities are often cited as an example. However, when analyzing the image of Napoleon in the novel, a clear parallel should be drawn between the historical figure and the literary character.

Assessing a person in real life, we realize that it is impossible to have exclusively positive or exclusively negative qualities of character.

The literary world allows you to create a character who would not adhere to such a criterion. Naturally, as a historical figure, Napoleon was able to achieve significant success for his country in the political and military field, even despite his inability to stop in time, but it is impossible to designate his activities with a connotation in one pole (“good” or “bad”). The same thing happens with his character traits and actions in the field of "Napoleon as a man" - his actions and deeds were not always ideal, but they do not go beyond the universal. In other words, his actions are quite typical for a person in certain situations, however, when it comes to "great people" who are the hero of a certain nation, whose personality has become overgrown with legends and deliberate idealization, such manifestations of typicality are disappointing.

In the novel, Tolstoy depicts Napoleon as a sharply negative character - this corresponds to his intention in the novel - according to the author's idea, the image of Napoleon should be opposed to the image of Kutuzov and partially the image of Alexander I.

Why Napoleon lost the war

In War and Peace, one way or another, you can find the answer to the question “why Napoleon, having won most of the battles, lost the war. Of course, in the case of Tolstoy, this is a very subjective opinion, but it also has the right to exist, as it is based on philosophical concepts, in particular, such an element as the “Russian soul”. According to Tolstoy, Kutuzov won the war because more sincerity can be traced in his actions, while Napoleon is guided exclusively by the charter.
At the same time, Tolstoy does not consider knowledge of tactics and battle strategy important - without knowing anything about this, one can be a successful commander.

Thus, Napoleon from Tolstoy's novel is not a documentary description of the historical personality of the French commander. The artistic version is full of author's inclusions and grotesque. This state of affairs is not a defect of Tolstoy; the special negative image of Napoleon is due to the specifics of the work.

In the literary portrait created by Tolstoy, Napoleon looks like an unbalanced person, a military leader who is indifferent to his soldiers - the victories of his troops are just a way to amuse his pride.

In 1867, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy completed work on the work War and Peace. The main theme of the work is the wars of 1805 and 1812 and military figures who took part in the confrontation between the two great powers - Russia and France.

The outcome of the war of 1812 was determined, from the point of view of Tolstoy, not by a mysterious and inaccessible fate to human understanding, but by the “club of the people’s war”, which acted with “simplicity” and “expediency”.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, like any peace-loving person, denied armed conflicts, argued passionately with those who found the “beauty of horror” in hostilities. When describing the events of 1805, the author acts as a pacifist writer, but, telling about the war of 1812, he is already moving to the position of patriotism.

The novel offers Tolstoy's view of the First Patriotic War and its historical participants: Alexander I, Napoleon and his marshals, Kutuzov, Bagration, Benigsen, Rostopchin, as well as other events of that era - Speransky's reforms, the activities of Freemasons and political secret societies. The view of the war is fundamentally polemical with the approaches of official historians. Tolstoy's understanding is based on a kind of fatalism, that is, the role of individuals in history is negligible, the invisible historical will is made up of "billions of wills" and is expressed as the movement of huge human masses.

The novel shows two ideological centers: Kutuzov and Napoleon. These two great commanders are opposed to each other as representatives of two superpowers. The idea of ​​debunking the legend of Napoleon occurred to Tolstoy in connection with the final clarification of the nature of the war of 1812 as just on the part of the Russians. It is on the personality of Napoleon that I want to dwell in more detail.

The image of Napoleon is revealed by Tolstoy from the position of “people's thought”. For example, S.P. Bychkov wrote: “In the war with Russia, Napoleon acted as an invader who sought to enslave the Russian people, he was an indirect killer of many people, this gloomy activity did not give him, according to the writer, the right to greatness.”

Turning to the lines of the novel, in which Napoleon is described ambiguously, I agree with this characterization given to the French emperor.

Already from the first appearance of the emperor in the novel, deeply negative traits of his character are revealed. Tolstoy carefully, detail by detail, writes out a portrait of Napoleon, a forty-year-old, well-fed and lordly pampered man, arrogant and narcissistic. “Round belly”, “fat thighs of short legs”, “white plump neck”, “fat short figure” with wide, “thick shoulders” - these are the characteristic features of Napoleon's appearance. When describing Napoleon's morning dress on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy reinforces the revealing nature of the original portrait characteristics of the emperor of France: "Fat back", "overgrown fat chest", "groomed body", "swollen and yellow" face - all these details depict a person who is far from labor life, deeply alien to the foundations of folk life. Napoleon was an egoist, a narcissist who believed that the whole universe obeyed his will. People were of no interest to him.

The writer with subtle irony, sometimes turning into sarcasm, exposes Napoleon's claims to world domination, his constant posing for history, his acting. The emperor played all the time, there was nothing simple and natural in his behavior and in his words. This is expressively shown by Tolstoy in the scene of admiring Napoleon's portrait of his son on the Borodino field. Napoleon approached the painting, feeling "that what he will say and do now is history." “His son played with the globe in a bilbock” - this expressed the greatness of Napoleon, but he wanted to show “the simplest paternal tenderness.” Of course, this was pure acting, the emperor did not express sincere feelings of “fatherly tenderness” here, namely, he posed for history, acted. This scene clearly reveals the arrogance of Napoleon, who believed that with the conquest of Moscow, all of Russia would be conquered and his plans for gaining world domination would be realized.

As a player and actor, the writer portrays Napoleon in a number of subsequent episodes. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon says: "Chess is set, the game will begin tomorrow." On the day of the battle, after the first cannon shots, the writer remarks: "The game has begun." Further, Tolstoy shows that this "game" cost the lives of tens of thousands of people. Thus, the bloody nature of the wars of Napoleon, who sought to enslave the whole world, was revealed. War is not a "game", but a cruel necessity, Prince Andrei thinks. And this was a fundamentally different approach to the war, expressed the point of view of a peaceful people, forced to take up arms under exceptional circumstances, when the threat of enslavement hung over their homeland.

Napoleon is a French emperor, a real historical person depicted in the novel, a hero whose image is associated with the historical and philosophical concept of Leo Tolstoy. At the beginning of the work, Napoleon is the idol of Andrei Bolkonsky, a man whose greatness bows to Pierre Bezukhov, a politician whose actions and personality are discussed in the high society salon of A.P. Scherer. As the protagonist of the novel, the French emperor appears in the Battle of Austerlitz, after which the wounded Prince Andrei sees "a radiance of complacency and happiness" on the face of Napoleon, admiring the view of the battlefield.

Even before the order to cross the borders of Russia, the emperor’s imagination is haunted by Moscow, and during the war he does not foresee its general course. Giving the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon acts "involuntarily and senselessly", not being able to somehow influence its course, although he does nothing harmful to the cause. For the first time during the Battle of Borodino, he experienced bewilderment and hesitation, and after the battle, the sight of the dead and wounded "overcame that spiritual strength in which he believed his merit and greatness." According to the author, Napoleon was destined for an inhuman role, his mind and conscience were darkened, and his actions were "too opposite to goodness and truth, too far from everything human."

As a result, it should be said that throughout the entire novel Tolstoy argued that Napoleon was a toy in the hands of history, and, moreover, not a simple, but an evil toy. Napoleon had both intercessors who tried to show him in the best light, and those who treated the emperor negatively. Undoubtedly, Napoleon was a major historical figure and a great commander, but all the same, in all his actions only pride, selfishness and a vision of himself as the ruler of the world are manifested.

Many writers turn to historical figures in their work. The 19th century was full of various events in which prominent people participated. One of the leading leitmotifs for the creation of literary works was the image of Napoleon and Napoleonism. Some writers romanticized this person, endowing her with power, greatness and love of freedom. Others saw in this figure selfishness, individualism, the desire to dominate people.

The key was the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. The writer in this epic dispelled the myth of the greatness of Bonaparte. Tolstoy denies the concept of a "great man" because it is associated with violence, evil, meanness, cowardice, lies and betrayal. Lev Nikolaevich believes that only a person who has found peace in his soul, who has found the path to peace, can know the true life.

Bonaparte through the eyes of the heroes of the novel

The role of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" can be judged from the very first pages of the work. The heroes call him Buonaparte. For the first time, they begin to talk about him in the living room of Anna Scherer. Many ladies-in-waiting and close associates of the empress are actively discussing political events in Europe. From the lips of the mistress of the salon come the words that Bonaparte was declared invincible in Prussia, and Europe can do nothing to oppose him.

All representatives of high society, invited to the evening, have different attitudes towards Napoleon. Some support him, others admire him, others do not understand him. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy showed from different points of view. The writer portrayed how he was a commander, emperor and man. Throughout the work, the characters express their opinion about Bonaparte. So, Nikolai Rostov called him a criminal. The naive young man hated the emperor and condemned all his actions. The young officer Boris Drubetskoy respects Napoleon and would like to see him. One of the representatives of secular society, Count Rostopchin, compared Napoleon's actions in Europe with pirates.

Vision of the great commander Andrei Bolkonsky

Andrei Bolkonsky's opinion about Bonaparte changed. At first he saw him as a great commander, "a great genius." The prince believed that such a person was only capable of majestic deeds. Bolkonsky justifies many actions of the French emperor, and does not understand some. What finally dispelled the prince's opinion about the greatness of Bonaparte? Battle of Austerlitz. Prince Bolkonsky is mortally wounded. He lay on the field, looked at the blue sky and thought about the meaning of life. At this time, his hero (Napoleon) rode up to him on a horse and uttered the words: "Here is a beautiful death." Bolkonsky recognized Bonaparte in him, but he was the most ordinary, small and insignificant person. Later, when they examined the prisoners, Andrei realized how insignificant greatness was. He was completely disillusioned with his former hero.

Views of Pierre Bezukhov

Being young and naive, Pierre Bezukhov defended Napoleon's views with zeal. He saw in him a person who stood above the revolution. It seemed to Pierre that Napoleon had given citizens equality, freedom of speech and the press. At first, Bezukhov saw a great soul in the French emperor. Pierre took into account the murders of Bonaparte, but admitted that this was permissible for the good of the empire. The revolutionary actions of the French emperor seemed to him the feat of a great man. But the Patriotic War of 1812 showed Pierre the true face of his idol. He saw in him an insignificant, cruel, disenfranchised emperor. Now he dreamed of killing Bonaparte, but he believed that he did not deserve such a heroic fate.

Napoleon before the Battle of Austerlitz and Borodino

At the beginning of hostilities, Tolstoy shows the French emperor, endowed with human features. His face is filled with self-confidence and complacency. Napoleon is happy and looks like a "loving and successful boy". His portrait radiated "thoughtful tenderness".

With age, his face fills with coldness, but still expresses well-deserved happiness. And how do readers see him after the invasion of Russia? Before the Battle of Borodino, he changed a lot. It was impossible to recognize the appearance of the emperor: his face turned yellow, swollen, his eyes clouded, his nose turned red.

Description of the appearance of the emperor

Lev Nikolaevich, drawing the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace", very often resorts to his description. First, he shows him among the marshals on a gray mare and in a gray overcoat. Then not a single muscle moved on his face, nothing betrayed his nervousness and worries. At first, Bonaparte was thin, but by 1812 he was very stout. Tolstoy describes his round big belly, white leggings on fat short thighs, high over the knee boots. He is a pompous man with a white plump neck who smelled of cologne. Fat, small, broad-shouldered, clumsy readers see Napoleon in the future. Several times Tolstoy focuses on the short stature of the emperor. He also describes the small plump hands of the ruler. Napoleon's voice was sharp and clear. He spoke every letter. The emperor walked resolutely and firmly, taking quick steps.

Quotes from Napoleon in War and Peace

Bonaparte spoke very eloquently, solemnly, and did not restrain his irritability. He was sure that everyone admired him. Comparing himself and Alexander I, he said: "War is my trade, and his business is to reign, not to command troops..." compares with ordinary cases that need to be completed: "... the wine is uncorked, you have to drink it ..." Speaking about reality, the ruler said: "Our body is a machine for life." Often the commander thought about the art of war. He considered the most important thing to be stronger than the enemy at a certain moment. He also owns the words: "It is easy to make a mistake in the heat of fire."

Napoleon's goals in War and Peace

The French emperor was a very purposeful person. Bonaparte moved step by step towards his goal. At first, everyone was delighted that this man from an ordinary lieutenant became a great ruler. What was it that guided them? Napoleon had an ambitious desire to conquer the whole world. Being a power-hungry and grandiose nature, he was endowed with selfishness and vanity. The inner world of this person is frightening and ugly. Wanting to dominate the world, he dissolves in vanity and loses himself. The emperor has to live for show. Ambitious goals turned Bonaparte into a tyrant and conqueror.

The indifference of Bonaparte, depicted by Tolstoy

The personality of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is gradually degrading. His actions are contrary to goodness and truth. The fate of other people does not interest him at all. Readers are struck by Napoleon's indifference in War and Peace. People turn out to be pawns in his game of power and authority. In reality, Bonaparte does not notice people. His face did not express a single emotion as he circled the field of Austerlitz after the battle, all littered with corpses. Andrei Bolkonsky noticed that the misfortunes of others gave the emperor pleasure. The terrible picture of the battle of Borodino causes him a slight joy. Taking for himself the slogan "Winners are not judged", Napoleon steps on the corpses to power and glory. This is shown very well in the novel.

Other features of Napoleon

The French emperor considers war to be his craft. He loves to fight. His attitude towards the soldiers is feigned and pompous. Tolstoy shows how important luxury is to this person. The magnificent palace of Bonaparte was simply amazing. The writer portrays him as a pampered and spoiled ghoul. He loves to be admired.

The real appearance of Bonaparte becomes apparent after comparing it with Kutuzov. Both of them are the spokesmen of the historical trends of the times. The wise Kutuzov was able to lead the people's liberation movement. Napoleon was at the head of the war of conquest. The Napoleonic army was destroyed. He himself became a nonentity in the eyes of many, losing the respect even of those who once admired him.

The role of personality in the historical movement on the image of Bonaparte

The characterization of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is needed in order to show the real meaning of events. Unfortunately, the masses sometimes become tools in the hands of great personalities. Tolstoy in his epic tried to show his vision of the one who directs the historical process: accidents, leaders, people, higher mind? The writer does not consider Napoleon great, because there is no simplicity, truth and goodness in him.

Tolstoy's attitude to the French emperor

Napoleon in War and Peace is depicted by Tolstoy as follows:

1. Limited person. He is overconfident in his military glory.
2. Human attributed genius. In battles, he did not spare his army.
3. A sharpie whose actions cannot be called great.
4. Upstart and personality without conviction.
5. Stupid behavior of Bonaparte after the capture of Moscow.
6. Sneaky man.

What concept of Napoleon's life did Lev Nikolaevich show? The French emperor denied the expediency of historical will. He takes individual interests as the basis of history, so he sees it as a random clash of someone's desires. Napoleon overcomes the cult of personality, he does not believe in the inner wisdom of being. To achieve his own goals, he uses intrigue and adventure. His military campaign in Russia is the approval of adventure as a world law. In an attempt to impose his will on the world, he is powerless, therefore he is defeated.

Leo Tolstoy is amazed at the complacency, false chivalry, arrogance, false gallantry, irritability, imperiousness, acting, megalomania of the French ruler, who threatens to erase Prussia from the European map. Tolstoy really wanted to prove that all great rulers are an evil plaything in the hands of history. After all, Napoleon is a very good commander, why did he lose? The writer believes that he did not see the pain of other people, was not interested in the inner world of others, did not have mercy. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy showed a morally mediocre person.

Lev Nikolaevich does not see a genius in Bonaparte, because there is more villainous in him. Depicting the personality of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace", Tolstoy applied the humanistic moral principle. Power endowed the emperor with egocentrism, which developed in him to extreme limits. Napoleon's victories were based on tactics and strategy, but he did not take into account the spirit of the Russian army. According to Tolstoy, the people decide the course of history.

Many Russian writers mention historical figures in their works. In his work, Tolstoy described Napoleon Bonaparte. The commander had an inconspicuous appearance and was full. The commander's stomach was constantly sticking out. The hero's arms were thick and small. The face is very plump. The eyes were expressive and the forehead broad. With a short stature, the commander had full shoulders, legs and arms. Tolstoy called Napoleon fat. His appearance was devoid of chic. The commander dressed quite typically like all the people of that era. Napoleon had a sharp voice and always pronounced every word clearly. He rode on his Arabian horse.

The main feature of the emperor was excessive narcissism. He always put himself above others. The author did not deny the superiority and talent of the hero, but at the same time believed that he became emperor by pure chance. Ordinary residents who did not achieve any heights, Napoleon considered unworthy of his greatness. Also in the commander there is egocentrism and selfishness. The writer emphasized the spoiledness of Bonaparte. During his formation, Napoleon was content with little, but when he became emperor, he moved away from the soldiers, choosing comfort and luxury. According to the author, the emperor did not accept advice and did not take into account opinions other than his own. The emperor believed that he had achieved great success among all.

In Tolstoy's epic, Napoleon has no empathy and no emotions. He showed these traits in relation to his soldiers. He was interested in the affairs of his army only out of boredom, and not because he wanted to help the soldiers. When talking with the army, the commander showed arrogance. According to the author, every soldier noticed his ostentatious care.

In general, Tolstoy expresses a negative attitude towards the image of the emperor. The intelligence and character traits of the commander said that he did not make much effort to achieve success. In the eyes of the writer, Napoleon is an upstart and a deceiver. The author believed that Bonaparte simply wanted to assert himself. The commander is ready to go to the meanest deeds in order to achieve his goal. The genius of a historical person was a mere invention and a complete deception. Napoleon could do illogical things and won the war by pure chance.

In the novel, the image of Napoleon is the opposite of Kutuzov. Bonaparte was not distinguished by a positive character. His only merit was his military experience. Thanks to his knowledge, he won many battles. When comparing the hero with the real Bonaparte, readers may notice some difference. Napoleon was a very educated man and had skills in politics and in the military industry.

Option 2

The novel "War and Peace" is deservedly considered the best creation of the titan of Russian literature, Leo Tolstoy. Many readers treat the events described in the book with great seriousness as if they were documented papers. But they forget that, as in any literary work, in the novel "War and Peace" there are elements of fiction to create a clearer, brighter and more beautiful picture.

Tolstoy used a large number of characters in his epic novel. There are about five hundred of them, of which about two hundred are real people. A large number of historical figures in the novel made it really important for world literature and difficult to read, to be perceived by an unprepared reader.

One of the heroes of the novel, who actually existed, is Napoleon Bonaparte. He is one of the absolutely negative heroes of War and Peace. The author gave a decent amount of words to the description and characterization of this hero.

Napoleon Bonaparte, according to Tolstoy's descriptions, does not have a beautiful appearance. He has a heavy body, swollen face. Lev Nikolaevich writes that in 1805 Napoleon was not so ugly and voluminous, and his face was even thin. But in 1812 (the attack on Russia), Napoleon began to look disgusting: he got fat, got a big fat belly that bulged forward. Therefore, with great sarcasm, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy calls Bonaparte a "forty-year-old belly."

Despite the fact that Napoleon's face looked rather young, it was plump. The forehead was wide, and the eyes, oddly enough, were expressive. And his hands were short, plump and pale. Tolstoy writes the same thing about legs. Expressing his sincere disgust for this character, the writer calls him "fat".

Napoleon's clothes seem to be typical for that time, but they differ in some kind of zest.

Napoleon, as it were, is an opposition to Kutuzov.

By the nature of Napoleon can be attributed to nasty people, because he treats his soldiers badly. This hero is a narcissistic person to the marrow of his bones. Napoleon thinks he's the best.

Thus, Lev Nikolaevich masterfully presented Napoleon Bonaparte from the worst side in his best work.

Characteristics of Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte is a historical figure, the author of the work pays great attention to her. The heroes of the novel treat him ambiguously. The great commander of France is admired by some, and disgusted by others. Bonaparte went through a lot: raised a revolution, came to power, conquered many lands. The hero had a very high opinion of himself. His plans included the conquest of Russian lands and Europe. Napoleon was too self-confident, and this ruined him.

The fate of Bonaparte is incredibly interesting. Napoleon, like everyone else, started from the bottom, at the first opportunity the hero was able to seize power. His stunning victories excited not only the French, but also other peoples. The figure of Napoleon delighted many military personnel. For example, Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of the same take-off that Bonaparte had.

Many elevated Bonaparte to the rank of an idol. However, few people thought about what kind of victims and destruction were behind this hero. He was more terrifying than beautiful. Lev Nikolaevich introduces readers to the other side of the character of the commander.

Compared with Kutuzov, a number of negative qualities can be noted. Mikhail Illarionovich was a true patriot who was interested in the concerns of his native state. Kutuzov did everything to save as many subordinates as possible. Bonaparte was only interested in his own glory. Napoleon did everything to become even more famous. He was indifferent to how many victims and destruction the invasion of foreign territories would bring.

Bonaparte was overshadowed by thoughts of power and greatness. He dreamed about the enslavement of the Russian Empire and Europe. Napoleon did not care how many destinies would be broken by his invasion. Mothers lost their sons in these cruel and bloody wars. The peaceful course of life was disrupted. Many houses and villages were destroyed.

Andrei Bolkonsky at first admired Bonaparte, dreamed of becoming the same as his idol. However, the meeting with Napoleon did not impress Bolkonsky at all. After being wounded, he lay and looked at the sky of Austerlitz. Bonaparte passed by and praised the feat of Andrei. The hero didn't even move. He realized that the pursuit of fame is sheer stupidity.

Bonaparte's appearance is repulsive. His expression reflected vanity and pride. Napoleon was short, with a heavy build and an ugly face. The hero always believed that all his actions should be admired. Young Russian fighters dreamed of killing the French commander with their own hands.