Genre "Woe from Wit. Genre of the play "Woe from Wit" by Griboyedov: genre originality and features of the work Genre affiliation of the work Woe from Wit

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Writers are some of the most unique people on the planet, they know how to create a multifaceted masterpiece based on a short situation. Almost the same fate befell Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit".

The history of the creation of the work "Woe from Wit"

Once Griboyedov happened to attend one of the dinner parties in aristocratic circles. There he witnessed an unusual picture: one of the guests was a foreign citizen. Aristocrats greatly appreciated everything foreign, they wanted to be as much like them as possible, so any contact with foreign guests, especially those of noble origin, was flattering for representatives of high society. Therefore, the whole time of the dinner was devoted to a reverent attitude towards a foreign guest - Griboyedov, who was hostile to the attempts of the Russian aristocracy to get everything foreign, including behavior, language and lifestyle, could not miss the moment and not speak out about this.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the comedy “A. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit".

Naturally, his speech was not heard - the aristocrats considered Griboyedov out of his mind and immediately gladly spread a rumor about his mental illness. Outraged, Alexander Sergeevich then decided to write a comedy in which he would denounce all the vices of an aristocratic society. It happened in 1816.

Comedy publishing history

However, Griboyedov began to create the work after some time. In 1823, the first fragments of the comedy were already ready. Griboyedov presented them to the public from time to time, first in Moscow, then in Tiflis.

There were also difficulties with the publication for a long time - the text repeatedly succumbed to censorship and, as a result, to revision and revision. Only in 1825 were fragments of the work published.

During Griboyedov's lifetime, his work was never fully published - in the hope that his friend Bulgarin would help in this, Alexander Sergeevich gave him the manuscript of his comedy, which at that time was called "Woe of the Wit", but there was no publication.

Four years after the death of Griboyedov (in 1833), "Grief" nevertheless saw the light. However, the text of the comedy was distorted by the editorial and censorship commission - there were too many moments in the text that were unacceptable for publication. It was not until 1875 that the work was published uncensored.

Comedy heroes

All the heroes of the play can be divided into three categories - main, secondary and tertiary.

The central images of the comedy include Famusov, Chatsky, Molchalin and Sofya Pavlovna

• Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov- an aristocrat by origin, a manager in a state institution. He is a dishonest and corrupt official, as a representative of society, he is also far from ideal.
• Sofia Pavlovna Famusova- the young daughter of Famusov, despite her young age, she is already actively using the tricks adopted in aristocratic circles - the girl loves to play with the feelings of other people. She likes to be the center of attention.
• Alexander Chatsky- a hereditary aristocrat, an orphan. He was taken in by the Famusovs after the death of his parents. For some time, Alexander was in military service, but became disillusioned with this type of activity.
• Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin- Famusov's secretary, a man of ignoble origin, who, thanks to the actions of Famusov, acquires a noble rank. Molchalin is a vile and hypocritical person who is driven by the desire to break into aristocratic circles at any cost.

The secondary characters include Skalozub, Lisa and Repetilov.

• Sergei Sergeevich Skalozub- a nobleman, a young officer who is only interested in promotion.
• Repetilov- an old friend of Pavel Afanasyevich, a hereditary nobleman.
• Lisa- a servant in the Famusovs' house, with whom Molchalin is in love.

Actors of secondary importance include the images of Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky, Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova, Platon Mikhailovich Gorich, Natalya Dmitrievna Gorich, Prince Pyotr Ilyich Tugoukhovsky, Countess Khryumin and Petrushka - all of them briefly act in the play, but thanks to their social position they help to describe an accurate and unsightly picture of reality.

The young landowner Chatsky returns home after a three-year absence from Russia. He visits the house of his tutor Famusov in order to woo his daughter, with whom he has long been in love, Sophia.

In Famusov's house, Chatsky notices that during his absence the vices of the aristocracy have only worsened. The young man is surprised by the self-interest and calculation of representatives of high society. Aristocrats, instead of setting an example of humanism and honesty, set an example of bribery and playing for the public - this discourages Chatsky. The ideal of behavior in the highest circles has become servility - for aristocrats it has become unimportant to serve - now it is in vogue to serve. The denunciation of the opposite position of Chatsky in relation to the Famusovsky society becomes the main reason why he cannot claim Sonya's hand.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A. Griboyedov.

Alexander still does not lose hope. He thinks that the girl's favor will be able to change the situation, but even here Chatsky will be disappointed - Sonya actually loves not him, but her father's secretary.

However, Sonya is in no hurry to refuse Chatsky - she hides the true state of affairs from Chatsky and pretends that Alexander's sympathy is pleasant to her. In addition, the girl spreads rumors that

Chatsky has mental health problems. When Alexander finds out the truth, he realizes that such a girl cannot be his wife. The only thing left for Alexander is to leave Moscow.

Poetic size and features of the verse of the play

Griboyedov's play "Woe from Wit" is written in iambic. The number of feet in poetry is not the same (in contrast to the traditional Alexandrian verse, which provided for the use of iambic six-foot) - periodically Alexander Sergeevich changes the number of feet. Their number varies from one to six.

The rhyming system is also unstable. In the play, you can see virtually all options - steam room, cross, belted. In addition, Griboyedov uses internal rhyme.

Themes and problems of the play

The main conflict of the play is determined by the framework of the confrontation between the "current century" and the "past century". Such a concept is not limited solely to the attitude to the service and prosperity of a person - a large array of problems is hidden under these phrases.

First of all, the problem of the type of human activity and their distribution into noble occupations (civil service in state institutions and military service) and shameful ones (writing, scientific activity) are singled out.

The second problem of the play was the glorification of sluts - authority and respect in society are earned not by valiant service or roughly done work, but by the ability to please the higher leadership.

The next problem is bribery and mutual responsibility. All problems in society can be solved with money or connections.

The problem of sincerity and honesty is also raised by Griboyedov - people say what is beneficial. They are ready to dissemble and deceive for the sake of gaining some benefits. Few people are ready to express a true opinion, especially if it does not coincide with the opinion of the majority.

Most people become dependent on the opinions of others, they are ready to build their lives, guided not by convenience, but by tradition, even when it makes their lives much more difficult.

The problem of selfishness has become the reason for the appearance of duplicity on the love front - being monogamous has become out of fashion.

Genre of the work "Woe from Wit"

Features of the themes and problems of the play became the reason for the emergence of a discussion in literary circles about the genre of "Woe from Wit". Researchers are divided on this issue.

Some believe that it is right to assign the genre of comedy to the work, while others are sure that such problems are typical for works of a dramatic nature.

The main reason that allows us to define the play as a drama is the global nature of the problem raised. The conflict of the play is built on a deep sense of disappointment, which is not typical for a comedy. The elements of the comic, which are present in the description of the characters, are minimal and, according to the researchers, are used to enhance the dramatic function in the text.

Proceeding from this position, along with proposals to define the genre as a comedy or drama, proposals for mixing genres began to appear in the course of the discussion. So, for example, N.I. Nadezhdin designated it as a satirical picture.

N.K. Piskanov, analyzing the features of the play, came to the conclusion that it is impossible to define its genre precisely - literary critics have every reason to designate it as a social drama, a realistic everyday play, a psychological drama, and even a musical drama (based on the features of the play's verse).

Despite all the discussions, Griboedov's play "Woe from Wit" continues to be called a comedy. First of all, this is due to the fact that Alexander Sergeevich himself designated the genre of his work in this way. Although the elements of the comic are not widely used in the play, and its structure and plot features are far from traditional comic ones, the influence of satire and humor still had a noticeable place in the play.

Thus, the play by A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit" is a multifaceted and extensive work.

The diversity of the themes and problems of the play, as well as the ways of depicting the essence of the conflict, caused a discussion in terms of the genre of the play.

The problems and topics raised by Griboedov can be classified as “eternal” topics that never lose their relevance.

It would seem that, the author himself defined the genre: "Woe from Wit" - comedy, but after all, in the 19th century, any dramatic work that did not have a tragic ending was called a comedy. Comedy is a picture of morals, and the play has a comedic beginning: at first glance, the work is built according to the traditional classic comedy scheme.

Here the trinity of time, place and action is observed, the usual characters are included in the number of heroes: the hero-reasoner in love (Chatsky), the girl in love (Sofia), the second lover (Molchalin), the stupid daddy (Famusov), the nimble maid (Liza). But Griboyedov gives a new interpretation to the usual masks, he seems to turn everything “upside down”, deliberately deceiving the reader in his expectations: the happy lover is not a positive hero at all, the girl in love herself bears little resemblance to the model, the reasoning hero outrages others with her behavior and, moreover, ridiculed by them; the maid is denied a significant role, etc.

But the comedic intrigue based on the love triangle is observed, however, and Griboedov solves it in a very peculiar way: he introduces additional love parallels: Skalozub - Sofia -Chatsky, Skalozub - Sofia - Molchalin, Famusov - Lisa - Molchalin, Molchalin - Lisa - Petrushka, thus deepening the comedy line and at the same time complicating the characterization of the characters. Such parallels help to achieve the main effect: ridicule of the main love triangle, built on true and imaginary feelings and which turns out to be false in the finale.

Griboyedov introduces tragic notes into the comedy scheme: the true feelings experienced by the heroes are crumbling (Chatsky is disappointed in Sofia, Sofia is humiliated and insulted by Molchalin), and only imaginary heroes are simply exposed in the spirit of comedy. The tragedy of the main characters acquires a sound towards the end, but is inherent in them from the very beginning. Chatsky, who bears the features of a romantic hero, suffers from the uncertainty and uncertainty of his position, Sofia from the inability to reveal her feelings to others and find personal happiness.

The problem of finding personal happiness, and through it, excites both heroes, but it is solved in different ways. Once offended by the departure of Chatsky, Sofia is looking for calm and reliability in the person of Molchalin, and Chatsky needs Sofia's understanding and her love.

The tragedy of the heroes causes "a million torments" that have befallen them. The conflict is insoluble: true feelings cannot adapt, and the characters carry the traits of tragedy more than comedy. Combining the features of these genres allows the author to almost break the canons and bring his work to the level of complex internal rather than external contradictions.

Griboyedov builds a comedy on two storylines: a love story connected with Sophia and Chatsky, and a social one based on the difference in the views of the two opposing sides. The second, according to tradition, is defined by genre as social satire. But is it worth limiting yourself to such an assessment?

Famusov's Moscow is a limited world, in which a calm life, kinship, following customs, admiration for foreigners, servility, denial of education and, in general, everything new are valued. All these features are noticed by Chatsky with his ironic mind, he denounces them in front of the viewer. They carry elements of satire as a phenomenon rethought with the help of laughter. But the storyline of Famusov - Chatsky is not limited to satire: it is deeper and more original. Famusov and Chatsky are not heroes of opposite camps; Chatsky was brought up in Famusov’s house, grew up before his eyes and left his house to wander, and Famusov sees in Chatsky a close person who has certain abilities (“he writes and translates nicely”) that are pleasant to society.

The conflict between them arises gradually: not from deep dissatisfaction with the interlocutor, but from the randomness of the moment of explanation. Chatsky's inner feelings, irritability, love uncertainty run into complacent questions
and teachings. A spark of love fire kindles a fire of discontent in Chatsky against the existing social order: he
gradually, reacting to Famusov's remarks, without wanting it himself, he becomes more and more inflamed against what is unpleasant to him and what, from his point of view, needs to be changed. This storyline reaches its apogee in the ball scene, when (again due to love vicissitudes) Chatsky is declared crazy.

In relations with others, Chatsky acquires the features of a dramatic hero. But the drama of the hero is not only in the fact that he is almost the only one who sees all the shortcomings of society and denounces them, but also in the fact that he himself acquires the comedic features of a jester,
entertaining the public.

In a dramatic development, the love and social lines are connected in the finale and reconciled by a farcical vaudeville, which, starting at the ball, ends with an explanation scene between Lisa and Molchalin. Features of vaudeville with its deliberately comical elements (the false deafness of Prince Tugoukhovsky, the revealingly loud hunt for the suitors of the Tugoukhovsky family, the fall of Repetilov, Molchalin's monologue) set off all the storylines, showing almost the absurdity of any sincere experiences in the atmosphere of such a farce. Griboedov builds the dramatic beginning of the work, using the features of different genres: tragedies, comedies, dramas, satires, vaudeville-farces, thereby not only destroying the usual canons, but also accumulating dramatic energy into a fundamentally new genre whole, in which one can talk about serious things at the same time both comical and tragic.

For some reason, the fact that a work created for the viewer remained (and, perhaps, still remains) the property of the reader's attention is bypassed in literary works for some reason. According to some of the writer's contemporaries, Griboedov, realizing the impossibility of staging and publishing "Woe from Wit", before giving it to scribes, changed a lot in it. It is no coincidence that when analyzing the work, one can detect an epic element: the traditional spectator's subjective perception is opposed not by the author's objective point of view on the characters, but by the characters' subjective perception of each other.

In "Woe from Wit" it is difficult to place traditional classic roles precisely because each hero evaluates the other from the point of view of "his own truth" and has his own word in the play: Chatsky, convinced of the insignificance of Molchalin and the exclusivity of Sofia, Sofia - in irony, causticity, the dangers of Chatsky, Molchalin - in a misunderstanding of life, the stupidity of Chatsky. All these points of view are equal, and the characters who express them acquire an epic sound in the canvas of a dramatic work. (Arguments in defense of this thesis can be cited by the fact that all productions of Woe from Wit on stage turned out to be unsuccessful.)

The special depth of Griboedov's poems, their aphorism allow us to speak about the presence of a lyrical element in comedy. In our opinion, the author uses a number of lyrical genres: from a parody of a ballad to civil lyrics. Already in the first act, we are faced with Griboyedov's much-disliked ballad genre, which he simply openly mocks, talking about something that does not exist. This is Sophia's dream, which did not exist at all, since the heroine did not sleep at night. The ballad appears before us in a comedic way: Sofia, who is familiar with dream books, signs, literary ballads, almost composes it on her own: a flowery meadow, the heroine is looking for some kind of grass, a person dear to her heart appears to her, then the appearance of her father, separation from her lover , monsters, whistles, screams, roars - all elements of this genre.

Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" has been known to us since childhood, as it has long been included in the school curriculum. In this article, we will talk in more detail about the genre of the work, its main themes and idea, consider the plot, the images of the main characters, and also give some of the most popular aphorisms.

About the work

We will consider the genre (“Woe from Wit”) below, but for now let's talk about the history of creation. It is known that Griboedov began writing the play in 1821. During these years, the writer served in Tiflis, but nevertheless found time to work. In 1823, Griboyedov returned to Moscow, where he completed work on the comedy. Here he first read the work in a circle of friends.

Genre

It is quite difficult to determine what its genre is. "Woe from Wit" is an innovative work and violates many of the canonical principles of classicism. Like any traditional play, "Woe from Wit" is basically a love affair, but the main thing is a social conflict that develops in parallel. In addition, the play combines everyday comedy, comedy of characters and social satire, which is unacceptable for classicism.

There are also doubts about whether the work can be called a comedy, as the author described it. After all, the main character is completely atypical and does not cause laughter. On the other hand, all the signs of the declared genre are present - satirical characters and situations.

As a result, modern critics called the work a high comedy, since Griboyedov raises serious social and moral problems in it. And the changes made to the genre by the author are due to the fact that the implementation of the idea required more opportunities than the classical tradition allowed.

What's new?

The genre (“Woe from Wit”) is not in vain considered innovative. Let's start with the fact that the author violated the unity of action in the work. That is, instead of one conflict, as was customary in classicism, Griboyedov depicts two - social and love. Also in classical comedy, vice is inevitably overcome by virtue, but this does not happen here either. Chatsky is outnumbered and forced to flee.

It also portrays the characters of the Griboyedovs in a different way. They are not divided into negative and positive, and are endowed with more realistic features: they have both impartial and positive qualities. For example, Sophia is experiencing a personal drama, despite the fact that it is difficult to call her a negative character. The girl was sincerely in love with Molchalin.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that the originality of the work lies in the fact that it includes several genres, of which the leading one is public comedy.

The meaning of the name

When analyzing the play, it is impossible not to reveal the meaning of the title. "Woe from Wit" - a title that helps the reader understand the main topic that the author wanted to reveal. Namely, he focused attention precisely on the categories of the mind. Let's start with the fact that the name refers us to a Russian folk proverb, which describes the clash of the smart and the stupid, ending in the victory of the latter. Thus, even before reading the text, we can already predict the denouement.

This conflict of stupidity and intelligence has always been important for classicism. But Griboyedov rethought it. No wonder contemporaries immediately had a question: who is smart in comedy? Critics agree that two are endowed with this quality - Molchalin and Chatsky. However, he helps the first to live, and destroys the second. The fact is that we have two types of mind. Molchalin's is moderate, worldly, while Chatsky's is ardent and unadapted to realities. Thus, the meaning of the name (“Woe from Wit”) takes on a slightly different meaning. We see that it is not just the mind that brings misfortune, but a certain type of mind.

The protagonist of the work is Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, a nobleman who, after a three-year journey, returns to his beloved Sophia. Thus, at first we see the usual love plot.

“Woe from Wit” begins with the awakening of Lizonka, who did not get enough sleep because of the nightly meetings of Sophia and Molchalin, because she had to keep the date a secret. On the same day, the girl recalls her old passion for Chatsky, calling him an intelligent and outstanding person. However, this was all just a childish hobby, and besides, he offended her with his unexpected departure. At this moment Chatsky's return is reported.

The young man is happy to meet and intends to marry Sophia, but she meets him very coldly. Famusov also does not want to give his daughter to a nobleman without a high rank. There is a dispute about "old" and "new" people.

Gradually, Chatsky begins to suspect that Sophia has another lover. He becomes cold, for which the girl is accused of insensitivity.

Left alone with Lisa, Molchalin flirting with her.

Acts 3 and 4: climax and denouement

Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" does not give the reader an ideal hero: even Chatsky is portrayed as an imperfect person with his own shortcomings.

So, the main character cannot understand who is nice to Sophia. He cannot consider Molchalin a candidate, since he is “the most miserable creature”, incapable of ardent feelings and selflessness. When it turns out that it was he who became Sophia's chosen ones, Chatsky is disappointed in his beloved.

The protagonist delivers an accusatory monologue about modern society. At the same time, a rumor spread by Sophia that Chatsky is insane is spreading in the world. As a result, the hero is forced to flee from Moscow.

"Woe from Wit": characters

First, let's list the main characters of the comedy.

• Let's start, of course, with Alexander Chatsky. He knew Sophia from childhood and was in love with her. But 3 years before the start of the comedy, he went to travel. It is with his return that the beginning of the play and the beginning of all conflicts are connected. Chatsky opposes himself to society with all the ardor of youth. But in the end, he is defeated and he has to flee from the house he has known since childhood.
• Sofia Famusova is a 17-year-old girl who grew up without a mother and was raised by her father. She is selflessly in love with Molchalin and is ready to defend him to the last. Sophia is not stupid, Griboyedov also endowed her with courage and the ability to resist the opinions of others.
• Alexei Molchalin - serves as Famusov's secretary and lives in his house. He is very cautious and prudent, he remembers his low origin. Molchalin knows that Sophia loves him. He does not reciprocate and is willing to pretend for the sake of a good relationship with his employer.
• And, finally, Famusov Pavel Afanasevich - Sophia's father, who serves as a manager in a state-owned house. Two things are important to him - rank and the opinion of the world. He is very afraid of enlightenment and educated people.

Minor Heroes

There are other characters in the play "Woe from Wit". The characters of the second plan, one might say, are divided into two groups - these are representatives of the local society and servants. The first are a reflection of social trends. From them one can judge what is going on in the minds of representatives of high society. Griboyedov portrays them as narrow-minded, ossified, stupid conservatives. These include Skalozub, Tugoukhovsky, Khryumins, Gorichi, and Famusov, the head of the house. The genre (“Woe from Wit”) suggests the presence of a comic beginning, which was embodied in this society.

Servants do not occupy such a significant place. They, as is customary in Russian literature, reflect the character of the people. Among this group, two stand out - Lizonka, Sophia's maid, who helps her secretly see Molchalin, and Petrushka, who plays the role of a mocker.

Themes of the work

The play has more than one theme. "Woe from Wit" has a wide range of problems. Griboyedov managed to touch on almost all the problems of his time. That is why the play was censored for a long time. So, let's list the main themes of the comedy: the education and upbringing of the nobles, the cruelty of the landlords, serfdom, senseless bureaucracy, the pursuit of ranks, the struggle between the "old" and the "new", Arakcheevism, French mania, liberalism, love for everything foreign. The writer also addresses such eternal topics as love, marriage, family, relations between a woman and a man, etc.

Aphorisms from "Woe from Wit"

Quotes from the play have long been loved by readers and "gone to the people." Now we can’t always even understand that these are words from Griboyedov’s work, we are so used to these expressions.

Here are the most famous:

• “And the smoke of the Fatherland is sweet and pleasant for us!”
• "Happy hours are not observed."
• “A little light on my feet! And I'm at your feet."
• "Carriage for me, carriage!"

Aphorisms from "Woe from Wit" are so popular due to their accuracy and amazing topicality, which has survived to this day.

The work “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov can be considered the first comedy drama in Russian classical literature, since the plot is based on the interweaving of love and socio-political lines, these plot twists are combined only by the main character Chatsky.

Critics attributed "Woe from Wit" to various genres: political comedy, satirical comedy, social drama. However, Griboyedov himself insisted that his work was a comedy in verse.

But still, it is impossible to unambiguously call this work a comedy, since both social problems and problems of a love nature are affected in its storyline, it is also possible to separately identify social problems that are relevant in the modern world.

In modern times, critics still recognize the right for a work to be called a comedy, since all the social problems raised are described with a great deal of humor. For example, when her father found Sophia in the same room with Famusov, Sophia laughed it off: “He went to one room, but got into another,” or take into account situations when Sophia teased Skalozub about his lack of education, and Skalozub answered: “Yes There are many channels to get the rank, and as a true philosopher, I judge about them.

A feature of the work is how abruptly and at the most dramatic moment the comedy ends, because as soon as the whole truth is revealed, the heroes only have to follow the path of a new life.

Griboyedov took a somewhat unusual step in the literature of that time, namely: he moved away from the traditional plot denouement and a happy ending. Also, a genre feature can be called the fact that the writer violated the unity of action. Indeed, according to the rules of comedy, there should be one main conflict, which is resolved in a positive sense by the end, and in the work “Woe from Wit” there are two equally important conflicts - love and social, but there is no positive ending in the play.

Another feature that can be singled out is the presence of elements of drama. The emotional experiences of the characters are so clearly shown that sometimes you don’t even pay attention to a certain comicality of the situation. For example, Chatsky's inner feelings about separation from Sofia, Sofia simultaneously experiences her personal drama with Molchalin, who in fact absolutely does not love her.

Also, Griboedov's innovation in this play can be highlighted by the fact that the characters are described quite realistically. There is no usual division of characters into positive and negative. Each hero has his own characteristics and is fully endowed with both positive and negative character traits.

In conclusion, the main feature of the genre of Griboedov's work "Woe from Wit" can be called the fact that this work has signs of mixing different types of literary genre. And there is no consensus on whether this is a comedy or a tragicomedy. Each reader focuses in this work on what is more important to him, and it is based on this that the main genre of the work can be determined.

Griboyedov wrote the play for two years (1822-1824). Since Alexander Sergeevich served as a diplomat and was considered an influential person, he hoped that his creation would easily pass the censorship and soon become a full-fledged performance. However, he soon realized: comedy "no pass." It was possible to publish only fragments (in 1825 in the almanac "Russian Thalia"). The entire text of the play was published much later, in 1862. The first theatrical production took place in 1831. However, in handwritten lists (samizdat of that time), the book spread rapidly and became very popular among the reading public.

comedy feature

Theater is the most conservative art form, so while romanticism and realism were developing in literature, classicism still dominated the stage. Griboyedov's play combines the features of all three directions: "Woe from Wit" is a classic work in form, but realistic dialogues and problems related to the realities of Russia in the 19th century bring it closer to realism, and the romantic hero (Chatsky) and the conflict of this hero with society - a characteristic opposition to romanticism. How do Woe from Wit combine the classicist canon, romantic motifs, and a general realistic orientation towards vitality? The author managed to harmoniously weave contradictory components together due to the fact that he was brilliantly educated by the standards of his time, often traveled the world and read in other languages, so he absorbed new literary trends before other playwrights. He did not rotate among writers, he served in a diplomatic mission, and therefore his mind was free from many stereotypes that prevented authors from experimenting.

Drama genre "Woe from Wit". Comedy or drama?

Griboyedov believed that "Woe from Wit" is a comedy, but since tragic and dramatic elements are very developed in it, the play cannot be attributed exclusively to the comedy genre. First of all, you need to pay attention to the ending of the work: it is tragic. Today it is customary to define "Woe from Wit" as a drama, but in the 19th century there was no such division, so it was called "high comedy" by analogy with the high and low calm of Lomonosov. This wording contains a contradiction: only tragedy can be “high”, and comedy is by default “low” calm. The play was not unambiguous and typical, it broke out of the existing theatrical and literary clichés, which is why it was so highly appreciated by both contemporaries and the current generation of readers.

Conflict. Composition. Issues

The play is traditionally distinguished two types of conflict: private (love drama) and public (contrasting the old and new times, the "famus society" and Chatsky). Since this work is partially related to romanticism, we can argue that there is a romantic conflict between the individual (Chatsky) and society (Famusovsky society) in the play.

One of the strict canons of classicism is the unity of action, which implies a causal relationship of events and episodes. In Woe from Wit, this connection is already significantly weakened, it seems to the viewer and reader that nothing significant is happening: the characters walk back and forth, talk, that is, the external action is rather monotonous. However, the dynamics and drama are laid down precisely in the dialogues of the characters, the play must first of all be listened to in order to catch the tension of what is happening and the meaning of the production.

The peculiarity of the composition is that it is built according to the canons of classicism, the number of acts does not coincide with it.

If the comedies of writers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries denounced individual vices, then Griboyedov's satire fell upon the entire conservative way of life, saturated with these vices. Ignorance, careerism, martinetism, cruelty and bureaucratic inertia - all these are the realities of the Russian Empire. The Moscow nobility with its ostentatious puritanical morality and unscrupulousness in business is represented by Famusov, stupid military careerism and blinkered consciousness - Skalozub, obsequiousness and hypocrisy of officials - Molchalin. Thanks to episodic characters, the viewer and reader get acquainted with all the types of the “famus society” and see that their cohesion is the result of the solidarity of vicious people. The many-sided and motley clique absorbed all the vulgarity, lies and stupidity that society is accustomed to worship and yield to. The characters are not only on stage, but also off stage, mentioned in the replicas of the characters (truthmaker Princess Marya Aleksevna, writer of "exemplary nonsense" Foma Fomich, influential and all-powerful Tatyana Yuryevna and others).

The meaning and innovation of the play "Woe from Wit"

In the play, which the author himself considered a comedy, oddly enough, the most pressing problems of that period are highlighted: the injustice of serfdom, an imperfect state apparatus, ignorance, the problem of education, etc. Griboyedov also included, it would seem, in an entertaining work, the vital disputes about boarding houses, jury trials, censorship and institutions.

Moral aspects, which are no less important for the playwright, give rise to the humanistic pathos of the work. The author shows how the best qualities in a person die under the pressure of the “famus society”. For example, Molchalin is not devoid of positive qualities, but he is forced to live according to the laws of Famusov and others like him, otherwise he will never succeed. That is why "Woe from Wit" occupies a special place in Russian dramaturgy: it reflects real conflicts and non-fictional life circumstances.

The composition of the drama is sustained in the classic style: the observance of the three unities, the presence of large monologues, the speaking names of the characters, etc. The content is realistic, so the performance is still sold out in many theaters in Russia. Heroes do not personify one vice or one virtue, as was customary in classicism, they are diversified by the author, their characters are not devoid of both negative and positive qualities. For example, critics often call Chatsky a fool or an overly impulsive hero. Sophia is not to blame for the fact that during his long absence she fell in love with the one who was nearby, and Chatsky is immediately offended, jealous and hysterically denounces everything around just because his beloved has forgotten him. A quick-tempered and absurd character does not paint the main character.

It is worth noting the colloquial language of the play, where each character has his own speech turns. This idea was complicated by the fact that the work was written in verse (iambic multi-footed), but Griboedov managed to recreate the effect of a casual conversation. Already in 1825 the writer V.F. Odoevsky stated: “Almost all the verses of Griboedov’s comedy became proverbs, and I often happened to hear in society, the whole conversations of which were mostly verses from Woe from Wit.”

It is worth noting speaking names in "Woe from Wit": for example, “Molchalin” means the hidden and hypocritical nature of the hero, “Skalozub” is the inverted word “gnawing”, meaning boorish behavior in society.

Why is Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" now readable?

At present, people often use Griboyedov's quotes without knowing it themselves. Phraseologisms “a legend is fresh, but hard to believe”, “happy hours are not observed”, “and the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us” - all these catchphrases are familiar to everyone. The play is still relevant today due to Griboedov's light aphoristic author's style. He was one of the first to write a drama in real Russian, which people still speak and think. The heavy and pompous lexicon of his time was not remembered by his contemporary in any way, but Griboedov's innovative style found its place in the linguistic memory of the Russian people. Is it possible to call the play "Woe from Wit" relevant in the 21st century? Yes, if only because we speak it in quotes in everyday life.