Portrait characteristic of Pugachev

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

The peasant uprising of 1773-1774 was one of the most cruel, bloody and senseless in the history of Russia. Many writers repeatedly referred to these events, and Alexander Pushkin was no exception, who told in the story “The Captain's Daughter” about such an ambiguous historical figure as Emelyan Pugachev, the leader of the uprising. The author did not insist on the veracity of his story, he adhered to the rule of depicting a certain historical era in a fictional story.

Bloodthirsty killer or good-natured rebel?

Pugachev's characterization is ambiguous. Pushkin did not want to make a vile villain and murderer out of him, although historians represented him exactly like that, the writer created the image of a talented people's leader, endowed with intelligence, energy, and ingenuity. Emelyan himself understands that he is an impostor, associating himself with Grigory Otrepiev, but still, if he had not behaved like a real ruler and deliverer, the people would not have followed him. Pugachev was highly respected, people from all over flocked under his leadershipcountries.

Emelyan Pugachev's characterization may seem frightening to some, because he mercilessly killed those whom he considered the oppressors of ordinary peasants. Representatives of the authorities or landowners cannot be kind, so the hero kills Captain Mironov and his subordinates, although they are not bad. At the same time, Pugachev remembers kindness and knows how to be grateful. For the rest of his life he remembered the gift of a hare sheepskin coat and a glass of vodka brought by Grinev during a snowstorm. Three times Emelyan allows him to avoid execution, and even frees Peter's bride from the hands of Shvabrin.

Characteristics of Pugachev - a simple peasant with royal manners

Grinev, even at the first meeting with Pugachev, was struck by his composure. He was about 40 years old, broad-shouldered, thin, graying began to appear in his beard, his face was pleasant, but with a picaresque expression, his large lively eyes were striking. Pushkin portrayed Emelyan as a Cossack who communicates with his subordinates on an equal footing, in his speech he uses sayings, proverbs, allegories that are far from clear to everyone.

Pugachev's characterization shows that he was not averse to playing the wise ruler. Emelyan ordered to call himself the king-father, because the people always believed in a kind and just king. He understood that he was surrounded by thieves, ready at any moment to buy their lives for his head. The real Pugachev remained only with Grinev, but in public he showed acting talent, playing the king.

HistoryPushkin spoke about an intelligent, courageous, heroic man in the story "The Captain's Daughter". The characterization of Emelyan Pugachev allows us to compare him with the hero of the Cossack epics. Despite some sympathy for the rebel, Alexander Sergeyevich nevertheless repeatedly repeats that he does not want to see a merciless and senseless Russian rebellion. In his story, the writer did not want to show the villainy of Emelyan and his subordinates, but to tell about the history of the uprising and the personality of the leader himself. It should be noted that the characterization of Pugachev by Pushkin was a great success.