Heroes of the comedy “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov: list of characters (actors). Khlestakov the main character of Gogol's comedy The main character of the comedy

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In Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit", there are many characters. Most of them are used by the author as a background or confirmation of certain principles of secular society.

The main characters of the comedy

Despite the large number of heroes, the main action in the comedy is centered around four characters - Chatsky, Famusov, Sophia, Molchalin.
Alexander Andreevich Chatsky

Alexander Chatsky

This is a young nobleman who was left an orphan at an early age. A family friend, Famusov, was involved in his upbringing. Having matured, Chatsky begins an independent life.

He spent three years abroad and after returning from the trip he visits his teacher Famusov and his daughter Sonya, for whom he has tender feelings and with whom he hopes to marry.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with what Alexander Griboyedov wrote.

However, the picture he saw greatly discouraged him - Famusov was far from that childhood memory of his teachers.

Thanks to a trip abroad, Chatsky was able to learn about the excellent relationships between people and their goals in life, so the corrupt aristocracy, mired in clichés and empty, meaningless actions, disgusts Chatsky. Chatsky’s attempts to explain his position and convince others of the opposite do not lead to success - at the end of the work he leaves Moscow, because he sees no other way out.

Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov
Famusov is the teacher of Alexander Chatsky. At the time of the story, he is the manager of a government agency. His wife died long ago, leaving him a daughter, Sophia. The image of Famusov is very contradictory; on the one hand, he is a person who is not devoid of positive character traits - for example, he takes Alexander into his upbringing after the death of his parents and treats him as his son. On the other hand, he is a dishonest and hypocritical person. The main measure of a person’s success and integrity for him is financial security and a high position. Famusov is a bribe-taker and a deceiver, which is why he has a conflict with his pupil.

Sofia Famusova
Sophia is the daughter of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. In the comedy she is depicted as an adult - a girl of marriageable age.

Despite the fact that she is not so mired in the aristocratic swamp, the girl is still a partially negative character - her disregard for true feelings pushes her away from this character.

The girl loves when people please her, and she doesn’t care much about the fact that such behavior looks humiliating.

Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin
Molchalin is Famusov’s personal secretary, although officially he is an archive worker at the government agency where Famusov works. Molchalin is a simple man by birth, so for the sake of the title and the right to belong to high society, he is ready to do anything. Molchalin pleases Famusov and his daughter in every possible way in order to make his dream come true. In fact, he is a hypocritical, stupid and dishonest person.

Minor characters

This category includes characters who have a significant influence on the formation of the plot of the comedy, but at the same time they are not active characters. In addition, this also includes heroes who have overly generalized and vague character traits, such as Lisa.

Repetilov
Repetilov is an old friend of Famusov. During his youth, he led a dissolute and stormy life, giving in to balls and social pastimes. Due to absent-mindedness and lack of concentration, he was unable to secure career growth.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the comedy “Woe from Wit,” written by Alexander Griboyedov.

Sergey Sergeevich Skalozub

Skalozub is a rich officer. By nature he is a prominent person, but stupid and uninteresting. Skalozub is too fixated on military service and his career and does not see the point in anything else.

Lisa
Lisa is a young girl, a servant in Famusov’s house. She has an attractive appearance, which turns out to be a negative trait in her case - Famusov and Molchalin pester her. In Liza’s case, life in Famusov’s house is further complicated by her complex relationship with Sophia – Famusov’s daughter from time to time drags Liza into her love affairs, which can cause the latter to have serious problems.

Tertiary characters

In a comedy there are the largest number of characters whose action occupies a fragmentary, episodic period of time. However, it cannot be said that their presence in the text is unjustified - in fact, they play a very important role. With their help, the main types of personalities of aristocratic society and the main negative qualities of representatives of this stratum are depicted.

Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky
Zagoretsky became famous in society as a rogue and deceiver - he has an extraordinary passion for playing cards, but always plays in a dishonest way. In addition, Anton Antonovich prefers to lead an active social life - he is a regular person at theaters, balls and dinner parties.

Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova
Anfisa Nilovna is a relative of Famusov. At the time of the story, she is already an old woman. Khlestova was once a maid of honor, but now, in her old age, no one needs her.

Because of such dissatisfaction with life, the old woman acquired a bad character and is an extremely unpleasant person.

Her house is full of young girls whom she has taken in and dogs - such company allows her to seem important and necessary and entertains the old woman in times of despondency.

Platon Mikhailovich Gorich
Not all representatives of the aristocracy are people with leveled qualities. Examples of people who have retained their moral character are Platon Mikhailovich Gorich. He is a kind and sincere person, with a sound mind and the ability to think, but he has too soft a character, which made him a confident henpecked man.

Natalya Dmitrievna Gorich
Natalya Dmitrievna is Platon Mikhailovich’s wife. The woman is much younger than her husband, and in contrast to him, has a special love for social life, which terribly burdens her husband, but Gorich is unable to resist his wife’s desires.

Pyotr Ilyich Tugoukhovsky
The surname of Pyotr Ilyich fully corresponds to his essence, or rather to his physical defect. The prince is terribly hard of hearing, which makes his life much more difficult. Hearing problems became the reason that Pyotr Ilyich rarely appears in public, and his wife became the commander of her husband and their life in general.

Marya Alekseevna Tugoukhovskaya
Marya Alekseevna is Pyotr Ilyich’s wife. They had 6 daughters in their marriage. All of them are unmarried girls at the time of the story. The prince and princess are forced to constantly appear in public with their daughters in order to successfully marry off their daughters, but so far the hopes of these nobles have not been justified.

Countesses Khryumina
The grandmother and granddaughter are hiding under the name of the countesses Khryumin. The main emphasis in the comedy of the two of them is on the granddaughter, who remains an old maid, and therefore she is always angry and offended by the whole world.

The Grandmother Countess is a decrepit old woman who can no longer afford dinner parties and balls, but she still tries to attend them, apparently in order to find a husband for her granddaughter.

Parsley
The image of Petrushka, although in no way connected with aristocrats, since this character is a simple peasant by origin, nevertheless, due to his significance in the comedy, Petrushka should be classified as a tertiary character.

Petrushka works as a bartender in Famusov's house - he is a poor man, but a pure soul. The maid Lisa is in love with him.

Thus, in Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” we can see a kaleidoscope of diverse characters. Basically, the author does not describe their characters in detail, but this does not interfere with the perception of comedy and understanding of the essence of the work.

The main idea of ​​the work “Woe from Wit” is to illustrate meanness, ignorance and servility before ranks and traditions, which were opposed by new ideas, genuine culture, freedom and reason. The main character Chatsky acted in the play as a representative of that same democratic-minded society of young people who openly challenged conservatives and serf owners. Griboedov managed to reflect all these subtleties that were raging in social and political life using the example of a classic comedic love triangle. It is noteworthy that the main part of the work described by the creator takes place over the course of just one day, and the characters themselves are depicted by Griboyedov very vividly.

Many of the writer’s contemporaries awarded his manuscript with sincere praise and advocated for permission to publish the comedy to the Tsar.

The history of writing the comedy "Woe from Wit"

The idea of ​​writing the comedy “Woe from Wit” came to Griboyedov during his stay in St. Petersburg. In 1816, he returned to the city from abroad and found himself at one of the social receptions. He was deeply indignant at the Russian people’s craving for foreign things, after he noticed that the city’s nobility worshiped one of the foreign guests. The writer could not restrain himself and showed his negative attitude. Meanwhile, one of the invitees, who did not share his beliefs, retorted that Griboedov was crazy.

The events of that evening formed the basis of the comedy, and Griboyedov himself became the prototype of the main character Chatsky. The writer began work on the work in 1821. He worked on comedy in Tiflis, where he served under General Yermolov, and in Moscow.

In 1823, work on the play was completed, and the writer began to read it in Moscow literary circles, receiving rave reviews along the way. The comedy was successfully distributed in the form of lists among the reading population, but it was first published only in 1833, after the request of Minister Uvarov to the Tsar. The writer himself was no longer alive by that time.

Analysis of the work

The main plot of the comedy

The events described in the comedy take place at the beginning of the 19th century, in the house of the capital official Famusov. His young daughter Sophia is in love with Famusov's secretary, Molchalin. He is a prudent man, not rich, and holds a minor rank.

Knowing about Sophia's passions, he meets with her for convenience. One day, a young nobleman, Chatsky, a family friend who has not been in Russia for three years, comes to the Famusovs’ house. The purpose of his return is to marry Sophia, for whom he has feelings. Sophia herself hides her love for Molchalin from the main character of the comedy.

Sophia's father is a man of the old way of life and views. He is subservient to the ranks and believes that young people should please their superiors in everything, not show their opinions and serve their superiors selflessly. Chatsky, in contrast, is a witty young man with a sense of pride and a good education. He condemns such views, considers them stupid, hypocritical and empty. Heated disputes arise between Famusov and Chatsky.

On the day of Chatsky’s arrival, invited guests gather at Famusov’s house. During the evening, Sophia spreads a rumor that Chatsky has gone crazy. The guests, who also do not share his views, actively pick up this idea and unanimously recognize the hero as crazy.

Finding himself the black sheep of the evening, Chatsky is about to leave the Famusovs’ house. While waiting for the carriage, he hears Famusov’s secretary confessing his feelings to the master’s maid. Sophia also hears this and immediately drives Molchalin out of the house.

The denouement of the love scene ends with Chatsky's disappointment in Sophia and secular society. The hero leaves Moscow forever.

Heroes of the comedy "Woe from Wit"

This is the main character of Griboedov's comedy. He is a hereditary nobleman, in whose possession there are 300 - 400 souls. Chatsky was left an orphan early on, and since his father was a close friend of Famusov, from childhood he was raised together with Sophia in the Famusovs’ house. Later he became bored with them, and at first he settled separately, and then left to wander the world.

Since childhood, Chatsky and Sophia were friends, but he had more than just friendly feelings for her.

The main character in Griboyedov's comedy is not stupid, witty, eloquent. A lover of ridicule of stupid people, Chatsky was a liberal who did not want to bend to his superiors and serve the highest ranks. That is why he did not serve in the army and was not an official, which was rare for the era of that time and his pedigree.

Famusov is an older man with gray hair at the temples, a nobleman. For his age he is very cheerful and fresh. Pavel Afanasyevich is a widower; his only child is Sophia, 17 years old.

The official is in the civil service, he is rich, but at the same time flighty. Famusov without hesitation pesters his own maids. His character is explosive and restless. Pavel Afanasyevich is grumpy, but with the right people, he knows how to show proper politeness. An example of this is his communication with the colonel, to whom Famusov wants to marry his daughter. For the sake of his goal, he is ready to do anything. Submission, servility before ranks and servility are characteristic of him. He also values ​​society’s opinion of himself and his family. The official does not like to read and does not consider education to be something very important.

Sophia is the daughter of a wealthy official. Pretty and educated in the best rules of the Moscow nobility. Left early without her mother, but under the care of the governess Madame Rosier, she reads French books, dances and plays the piano. Sophia is a fickle girl, flighty and easily attracted to young men. At the same time, she is gullible and very naive.

During the course of the play, it is clear that she does not notice that Molchalin does not love her and is with her because of his own benefits. Her father calls her a disgrace and a shameless woman, but Sophia herself considers herself an intelligent and not a cowardly young lady.

Famusov's secretary, who lives in their house, is a single young man from a very poor family. Molchalin received his noble title only during his service, which was considered acceptable in those days. For this, Famusov periodically calls him rootless.

The hero's surname perfectly matches his character and temperament. He doesn't like to talk. Molchalin is a limited and very stupid person. He behaves modestly and quietly, respects rank and tries to please everyone around him. He does this solely for profit.

Alexey Stepanovich never expresses his opinion, due to which those around him consider him quite a handsome young man. In fact, he is vile, unprincipled and cowardly. At the end of the comedy, it becomes clear that Molchalin is in love with the maid Liza. Having confessed this to her, he receives a portion of righteous anger from Sophia, but his characteristic sycophancy allows him to remain in the service of her father further.

Skalozub is a minor hero of the comedy; he is a lack-of-initiative colonel who wants to become a general.

Pavel Afanasyevich classifies Skalozub as one of the eligible Moscow bachelors. In Famusov’s opinion, a rich officer with weight and status in society is a good match for his daughter. Sophia herself did not like him. In the work, the image of Skalozub is collected in separate phrases. Sergei Sergeevich joins Chatsky’s speech with absurd reasoning. They betray his ignorance and lack of education.

Maid Lisa

Lizanka is an ordinary servant in Famus’s house, but at the same time she occupies a fairly high place among other literary characters, and she is given quite a lot of different episodes and descriptions. The author describes in detail what Lisa does and what and how she says. She forces other characters in the play to confess their feelings, provokes them to certain actions, pushes them to various decisions that are important for their lives.

Mr. Repetilov appears in the fourth act of the work. This is a minor but bright character in the comedy, invited to Famusov’s ball on the occasion of his daughter Sophia’s name day. His image characterizes a person who chooses the easy path in life.

Zagoretsky

Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky is a secular reveler without ranks and honors, but he knows how and loves to be invited to all receptions. Due to your gift - to be pleasing to the court.

Hurrying to be in the center of events, “as if” from the outside, the secondary hero A.S. Griboyedov, Anton Antonovich, himself, finds himself invited to an evening at the Faustuvs’ house. From the very first seconds of the action with his person, it becomes clear that Zagoretsky is still a “frame”.

Madame Khlestova is also one of the minor characters in the comedy, but still her role is very colorful. This is a woman of advanced years. She is 65 years old. She has a Spitz dog and a dark-skinned maid - a blackamoor. Khlestova is aware of the latest gossip of the court and willingly shares her own life stories, in which she easily talks about other characters in the work.

Composition and storylines of the comedy "Woe from Wit"

When writing the comedy “Woe from Wit,” Griboyedov used a technique characteristic of this genre. Here we can see a classic plot where two men are vying for the hand of one girl at once. Their images are also classic: one is modest and respectful, the second is educated, proud and confident in his own superiority. True, in the play Griboyedov placed accents in the characters’ characters a little differently, making Molchalin, and not Chatsky, sympathetic to that society.

For several chapters of the play there is a background description of life in the Famusovs’ house, and only in the seventh scene does the beginning of the love plot begin. A fairly detailed long description during the play tells about just one day. The long-term development of events is not described here. There are two storylines in the comedy. These are conflicts: love and social.

Each of the images described by Griboyedov is multifaceted. Even Molchalin is interesting, towards whom the reader already develops an unpleasant attitude, but he does not cause obvious disgust. It's interesting to watch him in various episodes.

In the play, despite the adoption of fundamental structures, there are certain deviations to construct the plot, and it is clearly evident that the comedy was written at the junction of three literary eras: flourishing romanticism, emerging realism and dying classicism.

Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" gained its popularity not only for the use of classical plot techniques in a non-standard framework, it reflected obvious changes in society, which were then just emerging and taking their first sprouts.

The work is also interesting because it is strikingly different from all other works written by Griboedov.

Is the main character of Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" smart?

Dispute with V.G. Belinsky

(Article: “Woe from Wit.” Comedy in 4 acts, in verse. Composition by A. S. Griboyedov.)

Belinsky is an outstanding Russian critic, a brilliant expert and theorist of art and life. I am not an artist myself. In real life, he is more of a bystander than an active participant. In general, we can say that he is a theorist in all spheres of life. Except for one thing: critical activity.
This was very clearly reflected in his literary analysis of works and characters. Aesthetic views and critics' assessments are, of course, very important. But they are to a lesser extent divorced from artistic practice if the writer also composes, and successfully. Articles by writers about writers, composers about composers, poets about poets can be biased, but they are interesting precisely because of how one creator evaluates another. Practitioner - practice. And the opinions of theorists, even outstanding ones, can be somewhat sketchy.
There is an ideal (even if subjective) understanding of what comedy, drama, or tragedy should be like in a given era. And my own, albeit largely theoretically fair, understanding of what heroes should be. Positive and negative, smart and stupid, deep and superficial, multifaceted and primitive. And analysis based on internal attitudes will always suffer from some degree of bias. You must try not to get into an argument with the writer, but try to put yourself in the place of his characters. Although this is not an ideal method that promotes maximum completeness of understanding. And a person is not able to renounce his “I” by turning into someone else. But he will at least put himself in the proposed circumstances, try to feel what another is experiencing, even if different from him in temperament, character, intellect, system of values ​​and moral guidelines.
Belinsky enters into an argument with the writer - and I get the impression that he does this as if in advance. Reads with a certain attitude towards polemics on a variety of issues. He is looking for topics for discussion. And, seeing the opportunity to express his opinion in the most detailed and interesting way, he readily clings to such an opportunity. Of course, this is the task of the critic. But to reduce critical activity solely to the desire to teach writers how to work does not seem to me to be the only possible approach to the analysis of works.
If desired, one can find a lot of contradictions in the analytical works of Belinsky himself. What he condemns in one writer, he praises in another, and vice versa. Tatyana Larina should not have married without love and remained faithful to her husband, according to Belinsky, because this made no sense. Dostoevsky believes that, having understood Onegin, she should have sufficiently lost interest in him and unraveled him. Disputes over the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", as well as regarding any original work, are a natural phenomenon that should only be welcomed.
But Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit,” in my opinion, is not so much an example of impartial analysis as an attempt to talk about an abstract topic. The very definition of the genre already says a lot - heroes, even the most positive ones, cannot be role models. And in comedies they may well be functional - bred for a specific purpose. As was the case in the plays of the Enlightenment, the characters were clearly divided into positive and negative, the struggle between duty and feelings was resolved in favor of duty, but ideally a situation could arise where both would merge. If not, feelings were rejected for the sake of the victory of abstract virtue.
Indeed, Chatsky does not behave like a calculating person, he is emotional, impetuous, speaks quickly, and does not control himself. But this is a young man. Moreover, he is temperamental and explosive. I don't think there is a need to equate the nervous system with the intellect. Sometimes even cold-blooded killers cannot control themselves. It is worth defining what we mean by the concept of “human mind”. IQ? Practical acumen? The ability to find a common language with anyone? There are different types of intelligence or “different minds,” and a person does not necessarily have all three types of intelligence. The lack of one is compensated by the greater development of the other. When assessing intelligence or stupidity, we also need to clarify what type we are talking about.
Did Belinsky himself have character traits of a hero that he did not like, and did he notice this in himself? “Not intelligence, but cleverness” - this expression was remembered by everyone who studied the text of his brilliant article. Chatsky reads morals to everyone, denounces them, although it would be smarter not to argue with fools, because it makes no sense. But assessments of a mature person should take into account age and temperamental characteristics? Chatsky does not know how to restrain himself, does not know how to pretend. He can play for a short time - more than one page of text is missing. We can safely say that he is catastrophically deprived of this skill. And this is not a virtue, because life complicates and spoils. He makes a lot of enemies. But he still won’t be able to play along and assent. The only way out is silence. In the play, as in any classical comedy, there are two extreme positions: servility and defiant behavior. The characters are somewhat exaggerated and grotesque.
And it cannot be said that he does not understand intellectually: one must be able to pretend, at least within the framework of secular behavior. Or he doesn’t understand intellectually: you should first get to know the person better before drawing conclusions that you are madly in love. But feelings may not obey reason. Especially for a very young, inexperienced person.
Naturally, Griboedov understands that not a single person in his right mind and sound memory would devote every moment of his existence to exposing morals. But this is a comedy. And here everything is too much. Everything is brought to the point of absurdity. It should be fun. Everyone is ridiculous. Funny. This is why a work is written. This is not “Hamlet” with other features of the genre and, accordingly, the character of the characters (emotional undertones).
And not all careerists think exclusively about their career every second; this is impossible. Just as it is not possible to just love or just hate. But this is a comedy. That says it all. In this genre, it is quite understandable why heroes such as servants become the most alive, devoid of schematism and any kind of edification. Lisa, with whom Molchalin is infatuated, is perceived as a breath of fresh air if you take all the other characters seriously.
The very name “Woe from Wit” carries such a charge of the author’s irony that it is difficult not to feel it. The scene in which Famusov was “scared” of Chatsky’s freethinking is a moment, it seems to me, of the playwright’s mischief. After all, Chatsky does not so much speak out as the bearer of a sum of dangerous views, but openly teases Famusov. Childish. Prank. And not some kind of intelligible opposition to the ruling regime. Could the comedy genre have justified itself if Griboedov had not limited himself to the word “carbonari”, but decided to cause a real commotion in society with hitherto unprecedented freedom of thought? After all, Chatsky does not utter anything other than general judgments. He just laughs at everyone. And so he has fun with all the fervor of an ardent mischief-maker.
Chatsky is serious in the matter of love. He, like Sophia, does not understand that he invented an image that does not exist in reality. A classic and most common situation in life. Although even here Griboyedov, exposing the insidious Molchalin, could not resist making a joke. "Scoundrel!" - through the lips of Chatsky it is “loudly said” about him. A tribute to the somewhat pretentious and outdated manner in tragedies and dramas of saying “to the side”: “Scoundrel!” Or exclaim: “Righteous heaven!” In comedies, such lines are introduced for a different purpose - exaggeration, excessive emotional intensity “from scratch.”
It is not so much Chatsky who is funny as the attitude of the other characters towards him. Perhaps Sophia is not so stupid. Her reasoning, the meaning of which Chatsky does not understand with all his declared intelligence, is quite understandable. She doesn’t want to be in the shadow of a brighter person; she herself wants to lead, to play the main role in her life. This is what lovers do not understand. The desire of another to manage, lead, direct, and not at all to obey. Sophia herself would not be able to explain why she is not attracted to Chatsky, but this seems obvious to me. She has such a strong desire to be brighter and more noticeable that she chooses a completely wordless character who listens to her and is silent.
But doesn’t this also partly explain Chatsky’s choice? He found a girl who would listen to his witticisms with delight. It seems so to him. But this role does not suit her.
He did not find enthusiastic listeners and spectators, and like an artist who has suffered defeat, he is annoyed: the public did not understand, did not hear. There was no applause. He wanted too much at once. But, being young, he turned out to be too arrogant. Of course, there are dramatic notes in Chatsky’s speeches; it can be said without exaggeration that there is enough genuine bitterness in them. But when reading a comedy, you must always remember what genre it is, at any, even the seemingly most serious, dramatic moment.
I don't think that general phrases can seriously frighten anyone or cause a stir. Namely, Chatsky’s speech is replete with them. Condemning careerism evokes a reaction in people that is only possible in comedy. And this can be equated to political opposition with the same success as admiration for nature is to pantheism.
The intonations of the characters seem natural to me, successfully found. Each character has its own pace and manner of speech, the characters cannot be confused. Having obscured the names, the main characters can be identified by their statements, and this is a great achievement for a playwright. Despite how comically exaggerated everything is, the feeling of simplicity and naturalness is so strong that at some point you can forget about the genre. This is what happens to the audience. And Belinsky’s article is further proof of this.
And the proof of sincerity is precisely the stupid things that a person says and does under the influence of emotions and the inability to cope with them in time. Otherwise, he is an experienced intriguer, and not a lover. In order to think through all your words and actions, you need indifference, at least a significant amount of it. And I don’t think anyone is actually flattered by the thoughtful tactics of a cold-blooded intriguer.
Not everyone equates intelligence with cunning. There is a well-known statement by Shakespeare, who considered cunning a sign of a narrow mind. But again, this is in theory. Cunning can also be varied. It is impossible to imagine the same Chatsky without any guile or cunning. Like almost any hero of drama, comedy or tragedy. Otherwise, he will be deprived of a certain amount of charm.
The goals that Molchalin and Chatsky set for themselves do not coincide. That's why their behavior is different. I don’t think it’s worth explaining: Chatsky is not looking for an opportunity for a profitable life.
This is already obvious.

Reviews

If you enlarge a photograph until large grains appear, until the general appearance disappears, and try to reason about the image based on the relationships of these grains, you may end up with a different image.
The image of Chatsky should not be considered as a living model, and even in isolation from those with whom he interacts. The main thing is the author’s experience, and his idea is not to show a certain type, but their interaction. The story itself is typical, and we still encounter similar things today: stupidity constantly dominates the mind. But in Russian life this is probably ineradicable, but Griboyedov had to endure it, apparently he himself is Chatsky. If stupidity were not from above, then there would be no conversation with “fools,” but putting up with and tolerating such a superior is impossible for a living mind. For the average person, yes.
Belinsky is always interesting to read. You can learn from him. But it's too late to teach him. You can take something useful.

Together with the hapless government officials - the heroes of the comedy, the author introduces us in “The Inspector General” to a visiting sly man from St. Petersburg, Khlestakov. It was this scoundrel who managed to disrupt the quiet life in the city and fool all the officials. The false auditor is given a central place in this satirical work.
Khlestakov occupies the lowest civilian rank of collegiate registrar in St. Petersburg. This is a frivolous and frivolous man, throwing away his father’s money left and right. Having lost on the road and being left without funds, Khlestakov, together with his servant, is forced to stay in the city.
It was at this time that a rumor spread among city officials about the possible arrival of an auditor. By luck and thanks to the stupidity of the employees, everyone mistakes Khlestakov for that same inspector.
Despite the fact that he holds a low rank, in his dreams and secret aspirations Khlestakov imagines himself as a man of high rank. He has neither hard work, nor frugality, nor decency. Even the servant Osip says this about his master: “... he doesn’t take care of business: instead of taking office, and he walks around the prespekt, he plays cards. Father will send money, something to hold it with - and where... he goes on a spree: he drives a cab, goes to the church every day, and there, a week later, he sells a new tailcoat.”
Khlestakov has extraordinary abilities to lie and deceive. This was useful to him during his forced stay in the city. He lies so masterfully and invents all sorts of fables about himself that city officials open their mouths in amazement. Khlestakov even introduced himself as the manager of the department, a very famous person in secular circles.
He shamelessly lies to the mayor’s wife and daughter about his friendship with Pushkin, about “his” famous works, which he never wrote. It even came to the point of Khlestakov’s future marriage to the mayor’s daughter Marya Antonovna.
Imagining himself significant and important in his dreams, our hero constantly demands respectful treatment: “You are used to treating others there: I, brother, am not of that kind! I don’t recommend it with me... I don’t like to joke.”
We laugh at Khlestakov and are surprised at him. And what we laugh at, we don’t want to repeat ourselves.
With his comedy N.V. Gogol made the main character immortal, and since then we call all liars by the name of Khlestakov.

Essay on literature on the topic: The main character of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”

Other writings:

1. It is known that Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, no matter how important the fight against all kinds of bribe-takers, embezzlers and other crooks weakening the state seemed to him, nevertheless made the crook and rogue Khlestakov the main character of his play. What is this? A stroke of genius by a great artist? Read More......
2. It is known that Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, no matter how important the fight against all kinds of bribe-takers, embezzlers and other crooks seemed to him, considered the crook and rogue Khlestakov to be the main character of his play. One can only guess what this means: a stroke of genius by a great artist, Read More......
3. Together with hapless government officials living and working in a small provincial town, in “The Inspector General” Gogol introduces us to a visiting sly man from St. Petersburg. It was this scoundrel who managed to disrupt the quiet life in the city and fool all the officials. The false auditor is given a central place in the satirical Read More......
4. Meet Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov (based on N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”) Meet Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a young man, a minor employee in one of the St. Petersburg offices. Having lost at cards, he got stuck in a county town, where he was mistaken for an auditor - “incognito”, “more Read More ......
5. N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” acquired social significance. The author criticized and ridiculed the vices and shortcomings of Tsarist Russia. Gogol chooses a small provincial town as the setting for the work, from which “even if you ride for three years, you won’t reach any state.” The characters of the play Read More ......
6. Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a petty St. Petersburg official, in the words of his servant Osip, “a simple élistratist” (that is, he has the rank of collegiate registrar, the lowest in the table of ranks), heading from the northern capital “to the Saratov province, to his own village,” was received in the county Read More ......
7. The appearance of the comedy “The Inspector General” in 1836 caused an uplifting and exciting feeling in society. This spring gave the audience a meeting with a real masterpiece. More than 160 years have passed since then, but the comedy “The Inspector General” has not lost its relevance and its sound today. Not Read More......
8. The main characters in N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” are, without a doubt, the mayor and Khlestakov. In the work, these heroes act as opponents. The mayor mistakes Khlestakov for an auditor sent to their district town for an inspection. Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky’s task is to hide Read More......

One of the main features of the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboedov is the presence in the play of two conflicts that are closely related to each other. One of them is love, the other is social. This determines the arrangement of the heroes of the comedy “Woe from Wit”. The love line is represented by Chatsky, Sophia and Molchalin. The social line is expressed by the opposition between the conservative nobility, the main exponent of which is Famusov, and the progressive views on the structure of society, which Chatsky preaches. Molchalin, Sophia’s lover, also belongs to the Famus society. Love and social conflicts are united by the image of Chatsky, the main character of “Woe from Wit”.

Alexander Andreevich Chatsky returned from abroad and immediately went to Famusov’s house, where he had once been brought up and where he had been absent for three years. Chatsky dreams of meeting his beloved Sophia, Famusov’s daughter. But Sophia greets him with extreme restraint, because she is in love with Molchalin. The hero does not understand the reasons for the girl’s cooling towards him. He begins to ask her, her father, about this. And in the verbal battles between these heroes, serious contradictions appear on issues of morality, culture, education, and the structure of society.

Famusov in comedy it represents the “past century”. The main feature of the worldview of the conservative nobility is that they do not want any changes, because changes threaten their well-being. In the noble society, at which Griboyedov’s satire is directed, only rank and money are valued. And Famusov is no exception. He speaks with pride of his uncle, Maxim Petrovich, who knew how to “curry favor” and therefore “knew honor before everyone.” The only thing that Famusov really cares about is society’s opinion of him.

On behalf of the “past century” also speaks Molchalin. Its main advantages are “moderation and accuracy.” He is a worthy successor to the views of Moscow high society. He knows how to curry favor and strives to make and maintain useful contacts. Even his relationship with Sophia is nothing more than serving her father.

Chatsky is sharply opposed to these heroes. Their views on the structure of society are alien to him. Chatsky is the owner of an active, creative mind. He wants to serve “the cause, not individuals,” because he highly values ​​individual freedom, honor and dignity. Chatsky is the only comedy hero who represents the “present century.” It expresses the ideas of the author himself - ideas of morality and enlightenment that conservative nobles are not ready to accept.

When characterizing the characters in “Woe from Wit,” the most difficult thing to interpret is the image Sofia Famusova.

It cannot be attributed either to the “present century” or “to the past century.” Unlike her father and Molchalin, Sophia is not afraid of the opinion of society. She tells Molchalin as much when he asks her to be careful and not show her feelings in public. She plays music and reads books, which Famusov considers unnecessary and even harmful. But Sophia is not on Chatsky’s side, since his accusatory monologues threaten not only the comfortable life of the nobles, but also her personal happiness. That is why Sophia starts a rumor that Chatsky is crazy, and society is so actively spreading this gossip.

The list of characters in “Woe from Wit” is not limited to the main characters. To understand the issues, the secondary characters of “Woe from Wit” are also important. For example, it is impossible to imagine the development of a love affair in a comedy without Lisa's maids, who helps Sofya and Molchalin keep their dates secret. Also, the image of Lisa participates in a more complete disclosure of other characters in Griboedov’s “Woe from Wit”. Molchalin shows her signs of attention, and it immediately becomes clear to the reader that he has no feelings for Sophia.

Colonel Skalozub also participates in the development of the love line. He is tipped to be Sophia's groom because he has money. The only pity is that I have no mind at all. But this helps to portray the army in a satirical way.

Off-stage characters carry a special meaning. They do not participate in the actions of the comedy, but other characters talk about them, which allows us to more fully imagine the mores of the noble society of that time. The most famous off-stage character is Maxim Petrovich, Uncle Famusov, who deliberately fell several times at the empress’s reception in order to amuse her and earn respect at court.

It should be noted that all the images of the comedy heroes acquire a deeper sound than was customary before the appearance of the play “Woe from Wit.” There are no absolute villains here, no heroes without flaws. Griboyedov refuses the traditional division of characters into good and bad. So Famusov is a caring father for his daughter, and Chatsky in some moments shows excessive ardor and unceremoniousness.

The characters created by Griboyedov do not lose their relevance today. After all, the problem of replacing old views with new ones is always topical. At all times there are people who bring progressive ideas to society, and those who refuse to accept the new, defending their outdated views.

This article describes the main characters of Griboedov's comedy. A description of the heroes and their characters will be useful to 9th grade students when preparing a report or essay on the topic “The main characters of the comedy “Woe from Wit”.”

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