"Marriage": a summary. "Marriage", Gogol N. V

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

In literature assignments, the topic is often found: “Summary (“Marriage”, Gogol)”. The author filled the work with satire, characters, depicting the realism of the life of the nobility in the provinces. Now this play is rightfully considered a classic. This article will introduce the play "Marriage". Summary (Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol originally called the work “Grooms”) will slightly open the veil of what should be seen on the stage of the theater. You won't regret it.

How the play is divided into fragments

You won't waste your time by going to a play based on a play by such an author as Gogol N. V. ("Marriage"). A summary of the chapters will not be able to convey all the irony of what is happening.

The plays of that time are very difficult to break into pieces, because they have 2-3 actions and an infinite number of phenomena. There is no division in the format of the novel, so you will have to break everything into logical scenes yourself.

It's not easy to write a summary. "Marriage" (Gogol is a master of dialogues) has the most important component of the play - the unique conversations of the characters. But even without them, the author's irony is understandable.

The beginning of the story

The beauty of the play lies in its plot, this confirms the summary. "Marriage" (Gogol repeatedly wanted to put it on stage to no avail) was played for the first time on December 9, 1842 in St. Petersburg. The comedy drew mixed responses from critics.

The beginning of the play is the home of the bachelor Podkolesin.

Lazy, smoker, nobleman Ivan Kuzmich Podkolesin, lies on the couch all day (if he is not in the service, of course). The bachelor life, it seems, completely suits him, but something is missing! Performing the duties of an adviser, Podkolesin behaves like a colonel, despising people of low rank. To give his person even more importance, he decides to marry. Of course, not for love, but for the sake of talking about him and about a significant event.

Matchmaker, Fyokla Ivanovna, "ate the dog" on people like him. It is not so important for them who to marry and what dowry the bride will have. If only there was. Therefore, such issues are resolved quickly and for a “good price”. However, Ivan Kuzmich was lucky - just at the same time they were looking for a groom for Agafya Tikhonovna Kuperdyagina, and Fekla intends to bring them together.

Disservice

The very moment shecomes to talk with Podkolesin, and Ilya Fomich Kochkarev, Ivan Kuzmich's best friend, arrives with her. At one time, Thekla married him, and not very successfully. Having found out information about Agafya Tikhonovna from the matchmaker, Ilya Fomich kicks her out, declaring that he will woo a friend. Yes, the fact is that Kochkarev is an extremely stubborn fellow, he is used to, as they say, right off the bat - in the quarry. Therefore, he takes Podkolesin to Agafya Tikhonovna immediately.

Three more grooms arrive at the Kuperdyagins' house together with Podkolesin, but under the leadership of Fekla. They get to know each other, communicate - each understands why the other came. Finally, the bride herself appears. The suitors vied with each other to talk to her in the way it is supposed to be in Russian matchmaking - initially on extraneous topics. Only Ivan Kuzmich is silent, Kochkarev speaks for him.

Persistence

However, Agafya Tikhonovna understands their hints. Unable to stand it, she simply runs away to another room. The dumbfounded men are left alone with the matchmaker, who suggests that they wait until the evening. Everyone agrees.

One Kochkarev cannot calm down. He urges to go to the bride right now. Podkolesin insists that the lady should choose herself. But he agrees to marry immediately if all the other suitors fall away.

The power of cunning

In the evening, Agafya Tikhonovna tries to determine by lot who is more dear to her. She likes all suitors equally, and she simply cannot decide. Suddenly in the roomturns out to be Kochkarev, insisting on the need to choose Ivan Kuzmich.

He praises him, telling him what a wonderful person he is. He condemns all the other suitors: that fighter, that brawler. He offers to slam the door in front of their noses and just have a private talk with Podkolesin to make sure how right Ilya Fomich is.

Every evening the groom tends to come first to chat with the bride. In the end, they all gather at the Kuperdyagins' house ahead of schedule and almost at the same time. Once again, they are forced to communicate with each other, almost without hiding disgust. There is everything except the main character.

Here comes Agafya Tikhonovna. Suitors immediately pounce on her with conversations. She, frightened, uses the advice of Kochkarev, kicks everyone out and runs out of the room herself. Ilya Fomich immediately appears, blaming the bride. His trick is working. Future grooms are almost convinced that the bride is bad. They leave the Kuperdyagins, opening the way for Ivan Kuzmich.

Alone

The next scene (Scene XIV) is very important. And it is necessary to mention it, if we are already presenting a summary. “Marriage” (Gogol opened the characters in a new way with such a small dialogue) is a play filled with ridiculous scenes that surprisingly convey all the comedy and absurdity of the situation, the heaviness hanging in the air. Such a dialogue must be read, delving into every word.

Podkolyosin enters the stage. He doesn't know what to talk about, what to discuss.

They jump from topic to topic, from the weather to the workers. They just get lost thoughfeel affection for each other. This is especially noticeable in Agafya Tikhonovna, who, despite the modesty of her interlocutor, cannot but be amazed at his soul. And this is probably the best scene in the whole play.

Final part

So, it would seem that everything has settled down. The newlyweds timidly talk to each other, both like each other … But Kochkarev reappears. He (speaking in his ear) demands from Podkolesin to make an offer to Agafya Tikhonovna. But he refuses.

Then Ilya Fomich does it himself, referring to the timidity of Ivan Kuzmich. The bride answers “yes” and runs off to get dressed, because the wedding is already today!

However, Podkolesin does not dare to take such a desperate step. They quarrel with Kochkarev, then reconcile. On emotions, Ivan Kuzmich thanks Ilya Fomich, and he leaves to check if everything is in order with the bride. At the same time, he takes his friend's hat so that he does not leave. However, Podkolesin is not going to leave anyone. On the contrary, he is indescribably happy. With himself, he conducts a monologue about all the delights of marriage, walks around the room, arguing that now he will not be alone!

And at some point he realizes that he is far from liking all this. But where to go? Only run. And he escapes through the open window.

The bride enters the room, but does not find her future husband in it. A silent scene, after which all eyes turn to Kochkarev. He doesn't even know what to do. Everyone starts scolding him for what the world is worth.

This is how you can end the summary of the book "Marriage"(the author, N. V. Gogol, whose name is known to everyone today).

Conclusion

Gogol had amazing qualities.

Being a man prone to mysticism, dark, incomprehensible, he liked to instill fear in the reader, but at the same time remained an incredibly humorous person. The satire in the form of the play "Marriage" is a vivid example of this. Here Nikolai Vasilyevich managed to laugh at everything, from the bad institute of courtship of noblemen, from cowardice to excessive determination and self-confidence.

The author would probably be surprised how popular the play has become, and how often on theater posters you can read: "Marriage", Gogol. A very brief content, of course, does not allow you to enjoy many of its aspects to the fullest. For example, dialogues that in many ways resembled the future Ostrovsky.

It remains to be hoped that the summary of Gogol's play "The Marriage" will make it possible to at least feel the "flavor" of the author's gigantic irony, his ability to show everything from a funny side. And if it makes you want to read the play or see it staged, then believe me, you won't regret it. This work deserves its place on your bookshelf.