Time and space in the comedy “Woe from Wit. Key scenes of "Woe from Wit" Place and time of the comedy "Woe from Wit"

History of the comedy

The comedy “Woe from Wit” is the main and most valuable result of the work of A.S. Griboedova. When studying the comedy “Woe from Wit”, analysis should be made, first of all, of the conditions in which the play was written. It touches on the issue of the brewing confrontation between the progressive and conservative nobility. Griboyedov ridicules the mores of secular society of the early 19th century. In this regard, the creation of such a work was a rather bold step in that period of development of Russian history.

There is a known case when Griboyedov, returning from abroad, found himself at one of the aristocratic receptions in St. Petersburg. There he was outraged by the obsequious attitude of society towards one foreign guest. Griboedov's progressive views prompted him to express his sharply negative opinion on this matter. The guests considered the young man crazy, and news of this quickly spread throughout society. It was this incident that prompted the writer to create a comedy.

Themes and issues of the play

It is advisable to begin the analysis of the comedy “Woe from Wit” by referring to its title. It reflects the idea of ​​the play. The main character of the comedy, Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, who is rejected by society only because he is smarter than the people around him, experiences grief from his sanity. This also leads to another problem: if society rejects a person of extraordinary intelligence, then how does this characterize society itself? Chatsky feels uncomfortable among people who consider him crazy. This gives rise to numerous verbal clashes between the protagonist and representatives of the society he hates. In these conversations, each party considers itself smarter than the other. Only the intelligence of the conservative nobility lies in the ability to adapt to existing circumstances in order to obtain maximum material gain. Anyone who does not pursue rank and money is considered a madman.

Accepting Chatsky's views for the conservative nobility means beginning to change their lives in accordance with the demands of the time. Nobody finds this comfortable. It’s easier to declare Chatsky crazy, because then you can simply ignore his accusatory speeches.

In Chatsky’s clash with representatives of aristocratic society, the author raises a number of philosophical, moral, national-cultural and everyday issues. Within the framework of these topics, the problems of serfdom, service to the state, education, and family life are discussed. All these problems are revealed in comedy through the prism of understanding the mind.

The conflict of a dramatic work and its originality

The uniqueness of the conflict in the play “Woe from Wit” lies in the fact that there are two of them: love and social. The social contradiction lies in the clash of interests and views of representatives of the “present century” represented by Chatsky and the “past century” represented by Famusov and his supporters. Both conflicts are closely related to each other.

Love experiences force Chatsky to come to Famusov’s house, where he has not been for three years. He finds his beloved Sophia in a confused state, she receives him very coldly. Chatsky does not realize that he arrived at the wrong time. Sofya is busy experiencing a love story with Molchalin, her father’s secretary, who lives in their house. Endless thoughts about the reasons for the cooling of Sophia's feelings force Chatsky to ask questions to his beloved, her father, Molchalin. During the dialogues, it turns out that Chatsky has different views with each of his interlocutors. They argue about service, about ideals, about the morals of secular society, about education, about family. Chatsky’s views frighten representatives of the “past century” because they threaten the usual way of life of Famus society. Conservative nobles are not ready for change, so rumors about Chatsky’s madness, accidentally started by Sophia, instantly spread through society. The protagonist's beloved is the source of unpleasant gossip because he interferes with her personal happiness. And here again we see the interweaving of love and social conflicts.

System of comedy characters

In his depiction of characters, Griboyedov does not adhere to a clear division into positive and negative, which was mandatory for classicism. All heroes have both positive and negative traits. For example, Chatsky is smart, honest, brave, independent, but he is also quick-tempered and unceremonious. Famusov is the son of his age, but at the same time he is a wonderful father. Sophia, ruthless towards Chatsky, is smart, courageous and decisive.

But the use of “speaking” surnames in the play is a direct legacy of classicism. Griboedov tries to put the leading feature of his personality into the hero’s surname. For example, the surname Famusov is derived from the Latin fama, which means “rumor.” Consequently, Famusov is the person who is most concerned about public opinion. It is enough to remember his final remark to be convinced of this: “...What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say!” Chatsky was originally Chadsky. This surname hints that the hero is in the throes of his struggle with the mores of aristocratic society. The hero Repetilov is also interesting in this regard. His last name is related to the French word repeto - I repeat. This character is a caricature double of Chatsky. He does not have his own opinion, but only repeats the words of others, including the words of Chatsky.

It is important to pay attention to the placement of characters. The social conflict occurs mainly between Chatsky and Famusov. A love confrontation is being built between Chatsky, Sophia and Molchalin. These are the main characters. The figure of Chatsky unites love and social conflict.

The most difficult part in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is the image of Sophia. It is difficult to classify her as a person who adheres to the views of the “past century.” In her relationship with Molchalin, she despises the opinion of society. Sophia reads a lot and loves art. She is disgusted by the stupid Skalozub. But you can’t call her a supporter of Chatsky either, because in conversations with him she reproaches him for his causticity and mercilessness in his words. It was her word about Chatsky’s madness that became decisive in the fate of the main character.

Minor and episodic characters are also important in the play. For example, Lisa and Skalozub are directly involved in the development of a love conflict, complicating and deepening it. The episodic characters who appear as guests of Famusov (Tugoukhovskys, Khryumins, Zagoretsky) more fully reveal the morals of Famusov’s society.

Development of dramatic action

Analysis of the actions of “Woe from Wit” will reveal the compositional features of the work and the features of the development of dramatic action.

The exposition of the comedy can be considered all the phenomena of the first act before Chatsky’s arrival. Here the reader gets acquainted with the scene of action and learns not only about the love affair between Sophia and Molchalin, but also that Sophia previously had tender feelings for Chatsky, who had gone to travel around the world. The appearance of Chatsky in the seventh scene of the first act is the beginning. What follows is the parallel development of social and love conflicts. Chatsky's conflict with Famus society reaches its peak at the ball - this is the culmination of the action. The fourth act, 14th appearance of the comedy (Chatsky’s final monologue) represents the denouement of both social and love lines.

At the denouement, Chatsky is forced to retreat to Famus society because he is in the minority. But he can hardly be considered defeated. It’s just that Chatsky’s time has not yet come; a split among the nobility has only just begun.

The originality of the play

Research and analysis of the work “Woe from Wit” will reveal its striking originality. Traditionally, “Woe from Wit” is considered the first Russian realistic play. Despite this, it retained the features inherent in classicism: “speaking” surnames, unity of time (the events of the comedy take place within one day), unity of place (the action of the play takes place in Famusov’s house). However, Griboyedov refuses the unity of action: in the comedy two conflicts develop in parallel at once, which contradicts the traditions of classicism. In the image of the main character, the formula of romanticism is also clearly visible: an exceptional hero (Chatsky) in unusual circumstances.

Thus, the relevance of the play’s problems, its unconditional innovation, and the aphoristic language of the comedy are not only of great importance in the history of Russian literature and drama, but also contribute to the popularity of the comedy among modern readers.

Work test

for the 9th grade course

Option 1.

1. Where does the play “Woe from Wit” take place?

A) in the city of N, B) in Chatsky’s house, C) in Famusov’s house

2. What is the name of the critical article for the comedy “Woe from Wit”?

A) “A million torments”, B) “What is Oblomovism?”

B) “A ray of light in a dark kingdom”

3. What is the basis of the plot of the comedy “Woe from Wit”?

A) a love affair, B) a conflict between the “present century” and the “past century”, C) a duel between Chatsky and Famusov

4. Determine the genre of the work “Eugene Onegin”:

A) comedy, B) poem C) novel in verse

5. Which of Pushkin’s heroes sang “separation, and sadness, and something, and the fog in the distance, and romantic roses”?

A) Lensky, B) Onegin, C) Dubrovsky

6. Which of the heroines of the novel “Eugene Onegin”

Dick, sad, silent,...
She is in her own family
The girl seemed like a stranger...

A) Tatiana, B) Tatiana’s nanny, C) Olga.
7. Name the poem in which God commands his messenger to “burn the hearts of people with a verb”

A) “Prophet”, B) “Prisoner”, C) “Monument”
8. How did Pushkin die?

A) died in hard labor, B) died in a duel, C) died in the war.

9. What work made the name of M.Yu. Lermontov famous?

A) "Sail", B) "Hero of Our Time", C) "Death of a Poet"

10. To whom in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” do the words belong: “I have an innate passion to contradict; “My whole life has been nothing but a chain of sad and unsuccessful contradictions to my heart or reason”?

A) Pechorin, B) Grushnitsky, C) Werner

11. Which of the women, according to Pechorin, made his heart beat (M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”)?

A) Mary, B) Vera, C) Princess Ligovskaya.

12. Which of the heroes of the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov’s “Hero of Our Time” calls himself a “moral cripple”?

A) Grushnitsky, B) Pechorin, C) Werner

13. Which of the landowners of “Dead Souls” does the author call a “historical” person?

A) Nozdryov; B) Chichikova; B) Manilov; D) Plyushkina.

14. Which of the landowners on the farm worked a lot about strength (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

15. Who suggested that Chichikov scratch his heels at night (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

A) Manilov; B) Box; B) Plyushkin; D) Sobakevich.

16. Which of the landowners was previously a thrifty owner?

A) Plyushkin; B) Sobakevich; B) Manilov; D) Nozdrev.

17. Who always had a book in their office with a bookmark on page 14 (N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”)?

A) at Korobochka; B) at Sobakevich; B) at Plyushkin; D) at Manilov.

18. What order did Chichikov’s father give (N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”)?

A) “take care of your penny”, B) “serve your Fatherland faithfully”, C) “take care of your honor from a young age”

Final test in Russian literature

for the 9th grade course

A) Goncharov, B) Griboyedov, C) Gogol.

2. Determine the genre of the work “Woe from Wit”:

A) comedy, B) tragedy, C) novel in verse.

3. How does “Woe from Wit” end?

A) the wedding of the heroes, B) the departure of the hero, C) the death of the hero.

4. Find out the hero of the work “Eugene Onegin”:

I danced the mazurka easily

And he bowed casually...

A) Lensky, B) Onegin, C) Dubrovsky.

A) portrait of Goncharova, B) gallows, C) portrait of Tatyana Larina.

6. How does Onegin find out about Tatyana’s love?

A) Lensky told him, B) from Olga’s letter, C) from Tatyana’s letter.

7. Thanks to whom did Pushkin feel close to the people already in his childhood?

A) mother, B) uncle, C) nanny.

8. To whom is the poem “In the depths of the Siberian ores...” dedicated?

A) Decembrists, B) Emperor Alexander, C) Natalya Goncharova.

9. What monument is A.S. talking about? Pushkin in the poem of the same name?

A) about the monument to Peter the Great,

B) about your literary heritage,

B) about the monument to Derzhavin.

10. To whom did Yu. Lermontov dedicated the poem “The Death of a Poet”?

A) Derzhavin, B) Pushkin, C) Chaadaev.

11. Who is the hero of his time in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time"?

A) Grushnitsky, B) Maxim Maksimych, C) Pechorin

12. Whose goal in life is to “become the hero of a novel” (M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”)?

13. Whose opinion is this: “Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to himself; - I cannot be a slave, and in this case commanding is tedious work, because at the same time I have to deceive; and besides, I have a lackey and money!” (M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”)?

A) Pechorin, B) Grushnitsky, C) Werner.

14. Which of the heroes in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls" there was a gazebo with the inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection"?

A) from the governor; B) at Nozdrev; B) at Sobakevich; D) at Manilov.

15. Who had the habit from the very first minutes of meeting him to say “you” to his interlocutor and call him various offensive words (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

A) at Sobakevich; B) at Nozdrev; B) at Plyushkin; D) at Manilov.

16. Who does Gogol call “the hole in humanity” (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

A) Manilov; B) Plyushkina; B) Sobakevich; D) A box.

17. Which of the landowners had fruit trees covered with nets, and there were scarecrows in the garden (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

A) at Manilov; B) at Korobochka; B) at Sobakevich; D) at Nozdryov's.

18. Who had a “passion for cards” (N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”)?

A) Nozdrev; B) Sobakevich; B) Plyushkin; D) Box.

• Final test in Russian literature for the 9th grade course

Option 1 (page 49)

not fully solved" (A. Blok)

The comedy "Woe from Wit" was written between 1815 and 1820. The content of the play is closely related to the historical events of that time in Russia. The work remains relevant in our time. At that time, society included defenders of serfdom and Decembrists, imbued with love for the Motherland and opposing violence against individuals.

The comedy describes the clash of two centuries: the “present century” with the “past century.” A striking example of the old times is the so-called Famus society. These are acquaintances and relatives of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov, a wealthy Moscow gentleman, in whose house the play takes place. These are Khlestova, the Gorichi spouses, Skalozub, Molchalin and others. All these people are united by one point of view on life. They are all cruel serf owners; human trafficking is considered normal among them. The serfs save their lives and honor, serve sincerely, and they can exchange them for a pair of greyhounds. So at Famusov’s ball, Khlestova tells Sophia to give her a sop from dinner for her blackamoor - a girl and a dog. She doesn't see any difference between them. This remains relevant today. When a rich person with power and money can humiliate another person of lower level. The ideals for today's society are rich people in ranks. Famusov uses Kuzma Petrovich as an example to Chatsky, who was a venerable chamberlain, “with a key,” “rich and was married to a rich woman.” Pavel Afanasyevich wants a groom like Skalozub for his daughter, because he “has a golden bag and aspires to be a general.”

All representatives of Famus society are characterized by an indifferent attitude towards affairs. Famusov, a “manager in a government place,” deals with affairs only once; at Molchalin’s insistence, he signs the papers, despite the fact that they “contradict and contain many things.” He thinks: “It’s signed, off your shoulders.” The saddest thing is that these days people think exactly the same as Famusov. Almost everyone has an irresponsible attitude towards work. This is the unsurpassability of great comedy; it remains vital and relevant in the 20th century.

The main character of the play is Chatsky, through whom the author expresses his progressive ideas. He opposes the senseless imitation of everything foreign. He wants to punish those around him that they must love and respect Russian culture. Chatsky says that a Frenchman from Bordeaux, who came to Moscow, did not hear “a word of a Russian” and did not see “a Russian face” here. The comedy "Woe from Wit" is unique in world literature, since no one except Griboedov reveals the whole reality of the events taking place.

In the comedy, Chatsky is declared crazy because representatives of Famus society do not understand his ideas. He alone does not want to put up with the humiliation of people over people. Chatsky failed to correctly prove the correctness of his beliefs and still cannot reveal the secret. The comedy remains unsolved because humanity blindly follows life events without wanting to change anything.

How does Chatsky turn all the guests against himself?
When does the first clash between Chatsky and Famusov take place?
It is known that the main conflict in comedy is social conflict. What views of representatives of the “past century” and “present century” are opposed in the comedy?
Why did "Woe from Wit" get such a name?
What do you see the difference between the titles “Woe to Wit” and “Woe from Wit”? Give reasons for your answer.

I need an essay on one of these topics:
1. "Chatsky - winner or loser"
2. Chatsky is an exponent of the ideas of his time.
3. Master's Moscow in Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit"
4. How dangerous are molchalins?
5. "The present century and the past century"
6. Author and hero in Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit."
If anyone has an essay on one of these topics, please respond. If it's good, with a plan, and I can't find a copy, I'll pay 40 points

Elena VIGDOROVA

TIME AND SPACE IN COMEDY
"WOE FROM MIND"

For practicing literati

Second conversation

The first scene of Act I is preceded by a remark: “The living room, there is a large clock in it, on the right is the door to Sofia’s bedroom, from where you can hear a piano and flute, which then fall silent. Lizanka is sleeping in the middle of the room, hanging from an armchair.”
The only thing that turns out to be important in the interior of the living room (namely, where Act I takes place) is the clock, the “big clock”; the sounds that are heard from behind the door to Sophia’s bedroom will later be confirmed by the words of Famusov: “You can hear a flute, then it’s like a piano”). The following note indicates the time when the action begins:

“It’s morning, the day is just dawning.”
And Lizanka, suddenly waking up, immediately confirms this: “It’s dawning!” And he adds: “Ah! How quickly the night has passed! It would seem that we may not attach much importance to the fact that “the night is over” soon: that’s what they generally say. But it seems that this night was somehow especially short. After all, Sophia will note: “How fast the nights are.” How long is it really - this question seems to worry everyone and cannot but interest the viewer, because it is constantly talked about one way or another.
Sophia’s conversation with Molchalin, according to Lisa, “went... overnight.” “It’s already day,” she says at the beginning of the first monologue. “Yes, disperse. Morning,” she will say at the end. Sophia responds to her calls with a very specific question: “What time is it?” For some reason Lizanka doesn’t want to answer exactly. She simply reports that “everything in the house has risen,” and when Sophia repeats the question, she will say the famous: “Seventh, eighth, ninth.” Why doesn’t Lizanka want to answer what the clock shows, why, in addition to the “lies” that she has already told, she still needs to take action -
I'll change the clock, at least I know: there will be a race,
I'll make them play.
This action was carried out and confirmed by the remark: “Climbs onto a chair, moves the arrow...”. Famusov immediately comes to the hour-long music. By the way, he tells us that the time is early and that Sophia usually doesn’t get up at this time: “It would be too early for Sophia.” And it’s also curious: Chatsky, who appeared in Act 7, Act I, after the conversation between Liza and Famusov, Famusov’s scandal with Sofia, Lisa, Molchalin, as well as Liza’s conversation with Sofia, claims that the morning is still early: “It’s barely light - already on your feet!”

Let's not analyze the wonderful scene for now - the conversation between Famusov and Lisa - we are concerned about the problem of time. Let us only note that Famusov, having stopped the hour-long music, does not put the hands back in place. Almost the entire action of the comedy takes place in the living room of Famusov's house - this is how one of the conditions characteristic of a classic play is observed - the unity of place: Moscow, Famusov's house, the living room. But as for the unity of time, then... Or rather, outwardly it is completely observed: Lizanka wakes up at dawn - this is the beginning of Act I. Even at the beginning of Act IV (Appearance 4), Chatsky, refusing to go with Repetilov, will say: “Where am I going to ride? For what? in the dead of night? - in other words, the action of the last act, and this is the arrival of Repetilov, takes place at night, “in the dead of night,” Chatsky’s conversations with him, and then others, Zagoretsky, the princesses, the departure of the guests, Lisa’s meeting with Molchalin, Sophia’s rebuke to Molchalin (“But so that the dawn didn’t find you in the house here”), the last big monologue of Famusov, then Chatsky - thus, the night ended, and the words “Carriage for me, carriage” were clearly spoken again at dawn.
So, a day - this corresponds to the position of the unity of time... in a play where a clock with translated hands is brought onto the stage for everyone to see...
Time is so conventional in Griboyedov’s comedy, it either contracts or moves apart, the characters treat it somewhat familiarly: if they want, they “observe”, if they don’t want, they don’t pay attention to it.
“Don’t watch - your power...” says Lisa wittily in response to Sophia’s words, which have become an aphorism, “happy people don’t watch the clock.”
With Lizin, “seventh, eighth, ninth,” one might say, rhymes what Famusov says at the beginning of Act II: “On Thursday, one to one, Or maybe on Friday, and maybe on Saturday, I owe the widow , at the doctor’s, baptize.” This widow who has not yet given birth fits perfectly into the strange situation we noticed - the heroes manage their time as they want: no one will tell us how much time has passed since the death of the doctor, her husband - this seems to be none of our business - but with Famusov, how he you will notice that there is some kind of calculation...

When does the comedy take place? The war with Napoleon is over, but the heroes still remember it. The King of Prussia had already visited Moscow (and Friedrich Wilhelm visited Moscow in 1816), three professors of the Pedagogical Institute were accused of “calling for an attack on legitimate power,” and their expulsion from the educational institution occurred in 1821, and the comedy was completed in 1824. So, we have approximately determined the time of action of the comedy. How old is the main character? Almost the same age as Sophia - the “childhood friendship” by which they are connected implies a not very big difference in age - 3-4 years. Let us remember Natasha Rostova, who was 13 years old in the summer of 1805, and how she counted on her fingers how long it would take for Boris, already a young man, to propose to her... Now Sophia is 17 years old. We know this from Chatsky: “At seventeen you blossomed charmingly, inimitably...”. When they broke up, she was 14, a little older than Natasha, when she asked Boris to kiss the doll; It was by that time that Chatsky managed to move away from Famusov (“he seemed bored with us”) and cut down his visits (“And he rarely visited our house”), and again, as the offended Sophia, who did not believe in the sincerity of his love, would say, “pretend to be in love”, and also make friends (“I’m especially happy with friends”). How old could this particularly happy, eloquent, witty young man really be? When he managed to establish contact with the ministers and then leave the service; experience a passion for the uniform, and then “towards it... to renounce tenderness...”. What time is he talking about:

But who wouldn’t follow everyone then?
When from the guard, others from the court
We came here for a while -
The women shouted: hurray!
And they threw caps into the air!

Pushkin quotes these lines from Griboedov when he talks about the victory over Napoleon (“Blizzard”)... And one more thing: Chatsky “didn’t write two words for three years,” “went away for three years,” but how did he manage “last year , at the end” to see Platon Mikhailovich in the regiment?
No, in Griboyedov’s comedy time is not “calculated according to the calendar”, as in Pushkin’s novel... The number “three”, so often found here, is most likely of an absolutely abstract nature, a kind of fabulous, almost conventional “three” - “thirty years and three years”, “far distant lands, in the thirtieth kingdom”, three sons, three daughters, three conditions - you will go to the right, you will go to the left... So Griboyedov’s heroes seem to use it without introducing a specific meaning:

Dinner:
Eat for three hours, but in three days it won’t cook!

Refusing calendar accuracy, Griboedov creates a different category of time - yes, these are the details that give rise to a feeling of historical authenticity, but these are the ones that expand the time space, taking the situation played out in the comedy beyond the limits of the given historical context, indicating its timelessness.
Geographic space is also not so simple. The unity of the place is respected, but there is so much outside the Famus house! Firstly, this house itself is located in Moscow, with its “huge distances”, with its Kuznetsky Bridge, Pokrovka, from where “I drove for an hour” to Khlestova’s Famusovs, the English Club, and most importantly, with “its own laws” , which we will discuss below.
But even outside Moscow there are geographical points, such as: Saratov - in comparison with Moscow it is a “wilderness” and a “village”, there is St. Petersburg with its “Pedagogical” Institute; in St. Petersburg, as we learn from Chatsky’s conversation with Molchalin (Act III, Scene 3), a certain story happened with Chatsky (“Tatyana Yuryevna told something, Returning from St. Petersburg, With the ministers about your relationship, Then a break”). It was probably from the northern capital that he drove to Sofya (“forty-five hours, without squinting his eyes in a moment, more than seven hundred versts flew by - the wind, the storm; And he was completely confused, and fell so many times...”). But there are also foreign lands, from there, from the “eternal French”, who are not only here on Kuznetsky Most, but also in France, in Paris, in Bordeaux - from there “fashions come to us, and authors, and muses.” It must be said that both Famusov and his antagonist Chatsky are dissatisfied with this; Well, “strange convergences happen.” However, it is there, to foreign lands, that the main character of the comedy, who

I wanted to travel around the world
And he didn’t travel a hundredth part.

It is interesting that this image is “the whole world”; it’s just that “light” in the meaning of “the whole world” is often found in comedy:

How wonderful the light has been created! (Famusov, II, 1.)

Blessed is he who believes, he is warm in the world! (Chatsky, I, 7.)

Searched the light; don't you want to get married? (Famusov, II, 2.)

And sure enough, the world began to grow stupid... (Chatsky, II, 2.)

No, the world is not like that these days. (Chatsky, ibid.)

Here they are scouring the world, throwing their hats... (Famusov, II, 2.)

I can guard against madness;
I’m going further away - to catch a cold, get cold,
Don't think about love, but I will be able to
Getting lost in the world...

(Chatsky, III, 1.)

And finally, at the end of the comedy, in the 14th scene, Chatsky’s monologue ends with the words:

I'll go search around the world,
Where is there a corner for an offended feeling!..
Carriage for me, carriage!

So, from the living room in Famusov’s house, from the clock, where throughout the comedy the hands indicate inaccurate time, the scale of both temporal and geographical space expands to the whole world and - who knows? - until eternity...
It is important for us to remember this in order to assess the true scale of the conflict, the beginning of which occurs, as it should be, in Act I.

History of the comedy

The comedy “Woe from Wit” is the main and most valuable result of the work of A.S. Griboedova. When studying the comedy “Woe from Wit”, analysis should be made, first of all, of the conditions in which the play was written. It touches on the issue of the brewing confrontation between the progressive and conservative nobility. Griboyedov ridicules the mores of secular society of the early 19th century. In this regard, the creation of such a work was a rather bold step in that period of development of Russian history.

There is a known case when Griboyedov, returning from abroad, found himself at one of the aristocratic receptions in St. Petersburg. There he was outraged by the obsequious attitude of society towards one foreign guest. Griboedov's progressive views prompted him to express his sharply negative opinion on this matter. The guests considered the young man crazy, and news of this quickly spread throughout society. It was this incident that prompted the writer to create a comedy.

Themes and issues of the play

It is advisable to begin the analysis of the comedy “Woe from Wit” by referring to its title. It reflects the idea of ​​the play. The main character of the comedy, Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, who is rejected by society only because he is smarter than the people around him, experiences grief from his sanity. This also leads to another problem: if society rejects a person of extraordinary intelligence, then how does this characterize society itself? Chatsky feels uncomfortable among people who consider him crazy. This gives rise to numerous verbal clashes between the protagonist and representatives of the society he hates. In these conversations, each party considers itself smarter than the other. Only the intelligence of the conservative nobility lies in the ability to adapt to existing circumstances in order to obtain maximum material gain. Anyone who does not pursue rank and money is considered a madman.

Accepting Chatsky's views for the conservative nobility means beginning to change their lives in accordance with the demands of the time. Nobody finds this comfortable. It’s easier to declare Chatsky crazy, because then you can simply ignore his accusatory speeches.

In Chatsky’s clash with representatives of aristocratic society, the author raises a number of philosophical, moral, national-cultural and everyday issues. Within the framework of these topics, the problems of serfdom, service to the state, education, and family life are discussed. All these problems are revealed in comedy through the prism of understanding the mind.

The conflict of a dramatic work and its originality

The uniqueness of the conflict in the play “Woe from Wit” lies in the fact that there are two of them: love and social. The social contradiction lies in the clash of interests and views of representatives of the “present century” represented by Chatsky and the “past century” represented by Famusov and his supporters. Both conflicts are closely related to each other.

Love experiences force Chatsky to come to Famusov’s house, where he has not been for three years. He finds his beloved Sophia in a confused state, she receives him very coldly. Chatsky does not realize that he arrived at the wrong time. Sofya is busy experiencing a love story with Molchalin, her father’s secretary, who lives in their house. Endless thoughts about the reasons for the cooling of Sophia's feelings force Chatsky to ask questions to his beloved, her father, Molchalin. During the dialogues, it turns out that Chatsky has different views with each of his interlocutors. They argue about service, about ideals, about the morals of secular society, about education, about family. Chatsky’s views frighten representatives of the “past century” because they threaten the usual way of life of Famus society. Conservative nobles are not ready for change, so rumors about Chatsky’s madness, accidentally started by Sophia, instantly spread through society. The protagonist's beloved is the source of unpleasant gossip because he interferes with her personal happiness. And here again we see the interweaving of love and social conflicts.

System of comedy characters

In his depiction of characters, Griboyedov does not adhere to a clear division into positive and negative, which was mandatory for classicism. All heroes have both positive and negative traits. For example, Chatsky is smart, honest, brave, independent, but he is also quick-tempered and unceremonious. Famusov is the son of his age, but at the same time he is a wonderful father. Sophia, ruthless towards Chatsky, is smart, courageous and decisive.

But the use of “speaking” surnames in the play is a direct legacy of classicism. Griboedov tries to put the leading feature of his personality into the hero’s surname. For example, the surname Famusov is derived from the Latin fama, which means “rumor.” Consequently, Famusov is the person who is most concerned about public opinion. It is enough to remember his final remark to be convinced of this: “...What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say!” Chatsky was originally Chadsky. This surname hints that the hero is in the throes of his struggle with the mores of aristocratic society. The hero Repetilov is also interesting in this regard. His last name is related to the French word repeto - I repeat. This character is a caricature double of Chatsky. He does not have his own opinion, but only repeats the words of others, including the words of Chatsky.

It is important to pay attention to the placement of characters. The social conflict occurs mainly between Chatsky and Famusov. A love confrontation is being built between Chatsky, Sophia and Molchalin. These are the main characters. The figure of Chatsky unites love and social conflict.

The most difficult part in the comedy “Woe from Wit” is the image of Sophia. It is difficult to classify her as a person who adheres to the views of the “past century.” In her relationship with Molchalin, she despises the opinion of society. Sophia reads a lot and loves art. She is disgusted by the stupid Skalozub. But you can’t call her a supporter of Chatsky either, because in conversations with him she reproaches him for his causticity and mercilessness in his words. It was her word about Chatsky’s madness that became decisive in the fate of the main character.

Minor and episodic characters are also important in the play. For example, Lisa and Skalozub are directly involved in the development of a love conflict, complicating and deepening it. The episodic characters who appear as guests of Famusov (Tugoukhovskys, Khryumins, Zagoretsky) more fully reveal the morals of Famusov’s society.

Development of dramatic action

Analysis of the actions of “Woe from Wit” will reveal the compositional features of the work and the features of the development of dramatic action.

The exposition of the comedy can be considered all the phenomena of the first act before Chatsky’s arrival. Here the reader gets acquainted with the scene of action and learns not only about the love affair between Sophia and Molchalin, but also that Sophia previously had tender feelings for Chatsky, who had gone to travel around the world. The appearance of Chatsky in the seventh scene of the first act is the beginning. What follows is the parallel development of social and love conflicts. Chatsky's conflict with Famus society reaches its peak at the ball - this is the culmination of the action. The fourth act, 14th appearance of the comedy (Chatsky’s final monologue) represents the denouement of both social and love lines.

At the denouement, Chatsky is forced to retreat to Famus society because he is in the minority. But he can hardly be considered defeated. It’s just that Chatsky’s time has not yet come; a split among the nobility has only just begun.

The originality of the play

Research and analysis of the work “Woe from Wit” will reveal its striking originality. Traditionally, “Woe from Wit” is considered the first Russian realistic play. Despite this, it retained the features inherent in classicism: “speaking” surnames, unity of time (the events of the comedy take place within one day), unity of place (the action of the play takes place in Famusov’s house). However, Griboyedov refuses the unity of action: in the comedy two conflicts develop in parallel at once, which contradicts the traditions of classicism. In the image of the main character, the formula of romanticism is also clearly visible: an exceptional hero (Chatsky) in unusual circumstances.

Thus, the relevance of the play’s problems, its unconditional innovation, and the aphoristic language of the comedy are not only of great importance in the history of Russian literature and drama, but also contribute to the popularity of the comedy among modern readers.

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