Image of Chatsky ("Woe from Wit"). Characteristics of Chatsky

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Comedy "Woe from Wit" - the famous work of A. S. Griboyedov. Having composed it, the author instantly stood on a par with the leading poets of his time. The appearance of this play caused a lively response in literary circles. Many were in a hurry to express their opinion about the merits and demerits of the work. Particularly heated debate was caused by the image of Chatsky, the main character of the comedy. This article will be devoted to the description of this character.

Prototypes of Chatsky

Contemporaries of AS Griboedov found that the image of Chatsky reminds them of P. Ya. Chaadaev. This was pointed out by Pushkin in his letter to P. A. Vyazemsky in 1823. Some researchers see an indirect confirmation of this version in the fact that the original protagonist of the comedy bore the surname Chadsky. However, many refute this opinion. According to another theory, the image of Chatsky is a reflection of the biography and character of V. K. Kuchelbecker. Disgraceful, unfortunate,a person who has just returned from abroad could well become the prototype of the main character of "Woe from Wit".

About the similarity of the author with Chatsky

It is quite obvious that the protagonist of the play in his monologues expressed the thoughts and views that Griboedov himself adhered to. "Woe from Wit" is a comedy that has become the author's personal manifesto against the moral and social vices of Russian aristocratic society. Yes, and many of Chatsky's character traits seem to be written off from the author himself. According to contemporaries, Alexander Sergeevich was impetuous and hot, sometimes independent and sharp. Chatsky's views on imitating foreigners, the inhumanity of serfdom, and bureaucracy are the true thoughts of Griboyedov. He repeatedly expressed them in society. The writer was even once really called crazy when at a social event he warmly and impartially spoke about the servile attitude of Russians towards everything foreign.

Author's characterization of the hero

In response to the critical remarks of his co-author and longtime friend P. A. Katenin that the character of the protagonist is "confused", that is, very inconsistent, Griboyedov writes: "In my comedy there are 25 fools per sane person". The image of Chatsky for the author is a portrait of an intelligent and educated young man who finds himself in a difficult situation. On the one hand, he is in "contradiction with society", since he is "a little higher than the others", he is aware of his superiority and does not try to hide it. On the other hand, AlexanderAndreevich cannot achieve the former location of his beloved girl, suspects the presence of an opponent, and even unexpectedly falls into the category of crazy people, which he learns about last. Griboyedov explains the excessive ardor of his hero by a strong disappointment in love. Therefore, in "Woe from Wit" the image of Chatsky turned out to be so inconsistent and inconsistent. He "spit in the eyes of everyone and was like that."

Chatsky in Pushkin's interpretation

The poet criticized the main character of the comedy. At the same time, Pushkin appreciated Griboyedov: he liked the comedy Woe from Wit. The characterization of Chatsky in the interpretation of the great poet is very impartial. He calls Alexander Andreevich an ordinary reasoning hero, a mouthpiece for the ideas of the only intelligent person in the play - Griboyedov himself. He believes that the main character is a "kind fellow" who picked up extraordinary thoughts and witticisms from another person and began to "throw pearls" in front of Repetilov and other representatives of the Famus Guard. According to Pushkin, such behavior is unforgivable. He believes that the contradictory and inconsistent nature of Chatsky is a reflection of his own stupidity, which puts the hero in a tragicomic position.

Character of Chatsky, according to Belinsky

A well-known critic in 1840, like Pushkin, denied the protagonist of the play a practical mind. He interpreted the image of Chatsky as an absolutely ridiculous, naive and dreamy figure and dubbed him "the new Don Quixote." Over time, Belinsky somewhat changed his pointvision. The characterization of the comedy "Woe from Wit" in his interpretation has become very positive. He called it a protest against "vile racial reality" and considered it "the most noble, humanistic work." The critic never saw the true complexity of Chatsky's image.

The image of Chatsky: interpretation in the 1860s

Publicists and critics of the 1860s began to attribute only socially significant and socio-political motives to Chatsky's behavior. For example, A. I. Herzen saw in the main character of the play a reflection of Griboyedov's "back thought". He considers the image of Chatsky a portrait of a Decembrist revolutionary. Critic A. A. Grigoriev sees in Alexander Andreevich a man struggling with the vices of contemporary society. For him, the characters of Woe from Wit are characters not of a "high" comedy, but of a "high" tragedy. In such interpretations, the appearance of Chatsky is extremely generalized and interpreted very one-sidedly.

Goncharov's appearance of Chatsky

Ivan Alexandrovich in his critical study "A Million of Torments" presented the most insightful and accurate analysis of the play "Woe from Wit". The characterization of Chatsky, according to Goncharov, should be done taking into account his state of mind. Unhappy love for Sophia makes the protagonist of the comedy bilious and almost inadequate, makes him pronounce long monologues in front of people who are indifferent to his fiery speeches. Thus, without taking into account the love affair, it is impossible to understand the comic and at the same timethe tragic nature of the image of Chatsky.

Problematics of the play

The heroes of "Woe from Wit" face Griboyedov in two plot-forming conflicts: love (Chatsky and Sofia) and socio-ideological (famus society and the main character). Of course, it is the social problems of the work that come to the fore, but the love line in the play is very important. After all, Chatsky was in a hurry to Moscow solely to meet with Sofia. Therefore, both conflicts - socio-ideological and love - reinforce and complement each other. They develop in parallel and are equally necessary for understanding the worldview, character, psychology and relationships of comedy characters.

The main character. Love conflict

In the system of characters in the play, Chatsky is in the main place. It ties two storylines together. For Alexander Andreevich, it is the love conflict that is of primary importance. He perfectly understands the society of which people he got into, and is not at all going to engage in educational activities. The reason for his stormy eloquence is not political, but psychological. The "impatience of the heart" of the young man is felt throughout the play.

At first, Chatsky's "talkativeness" was caused by the joy of meeting Sophia. When the hero realizes that the girl has no trace of her former feelings for him, he begins to do inconsistent and daring acts. He stays in Famusov's house with the sole purpose of finding out who became Sofia's new lover. At the same time, he has absolutelyobviously "the mind is not in harmony with the heart."

After Chatsky learns about the relationship between Molchalin and Sofia, he goes to the other extreme. Instead of loving feelings, he is overcome by anger and rage. He accuses the girl of "luring him with hope", proudly tells her about the breakup of relations, swears that he "sobered up … completely", but at the same time he is going to pour out "all the bile and all the annoyance" on the world.

The main character. Socio-political conflict

Love experiences increase the ideological confrontation between Alexander Andreevich and the Famus society. At first, Chatsky refers to the Moscow aristocracy with ironic calmness: "… I'm an eccentric to another miracle / Once I laugh, then I'll forget …" However, as he becomes convinced of Sophia's indifference, his speech becomes more and more impudent and unrestrained. Everything in Moscow begins to irritate him. Chatsky in his monologues touches on many topical issues of his contemporary era: questions about national identity, serfdom, education and enlightenment, real service, and so on. He talks about serious things, but at the same time, from excitement, he falls, according to I. A. Goncharov, into "exaggeration, into almost drunkenness of speech."

Worldview of the main character

The image of Chatsky is a portrait of a person with an established system of life values, worldview and morality. He considers the main criterion for evaluating a person to be the desire for knowledge, for beautiful and lofty matters. Alexander Andreevich is not against working forthe good of the state. But he constantly emphasizes the difference between "serve" and "serve", which he attaches fundamental importance to. Chatsky is not afraid of public opinion, does not recognize authorities, preserves his independence, which causes fear among Moscow aristocrats. They are ready to recognize in Alexander Andreevich a dangerous rebel who encroaches on the most sacred values. From the point of view of the Famus society, Chatsky's behavior is atypical, and therefore reprehensible. He "is familiar with the ministers", but does not use his connections in any way. To Famusov's offer to live "like everyone else" he replies with a contemptuous refusal.

To a large extent he agrees with his hero Griboedov. The image of Chatsky is a type of an enlightened person who freely expresses his opinion. But in his statements there are no radical and revolutionary ideas. It's just that in a conservative Famus society, any deviation from the usual norm seems outrageous and dangerous. Not without reason, in the end, Alexander Andreevich was recognized as a madman. The heroes of "Woe from Wit" could only explain to themselves the independent nature of Chatsky's judgments.

Conclusion

In modern life, the play "Woe from Wit" remains more relevant than ever. The image of Chatsky in comedy is the central figure that helps the author to express his thoughts and views to the whole world. By the will of Alexander Sergeevich, the protagonist of the work is placed in tragicomic conditions. His impetuous accusatory speeches are caused by disappointment in love. However, the problemswhich rise in his monologues are eternal themes. It is thanks to them that comedy entered the list of the most famous works of world literature.