Woe from the mind. Comedy in verse (1822 - 1825, published 1833)

Early in the morning the servant Liza knocks on the young lady's bedroom. Sophia does not immediately respond: she talked all night with her lover, her father's secretary, Molchalin, who lives in the same house.

Sophia's father, Pavel Afanasevich Famusov, who quietly appeared, flirts with Liza, who barely manages to fight off the master. Frightened that they might hear him, Famusov disappears.

Leaving Sophia, Molchalin runs into Famusov at the door, who is interested in what the secretary is doing here at such an early hour? Famusov, who cites his own "monastic behavior" as an example, is somehow reassured.

Left alone with Lisa, Sofya dreamily recalls the night that passed so quickly, when she and Molchalin "were forgotten by the music, and time went by so smoothly," and the maid could barely contain her laughter.

Lisa reminds her mistress of her former inclination of the heart, Alexander Andreevich Chatsky, who has been wandering in foreign lands for three years now. Sophia says that her relationship with Chatsky did not go beyond childhood friendship. She compares Chatsky with Molchalin and finds in the latter virtues (sensitivity, timidity, altruism) that Chatsky does not have.

Suddenly Chatsky himself appears. He bombards Sophia with questions: what's new in Moscow? How are their mutual acquaintances doing?, who seem funny and absurd to Chatsky. Without any ulterior motive, he speaks unflatteringly about Molchalin, who has probably made a career (“after all, nowadays they love the dumb”).

Sophia is hurt so much that she whispers to herself: "Not a man, a snake!"

Famusov enters, also not too happy about Chatsky's visit, and asks where Chatsky disappeared and what he was doing. Chatsky promises to tell you about everything in the evening, since he still did not have time to call home.

In the afternoon, Chatsky reappears at Famusov's house and asks Pavel Afanasyevich about his daughter. Famusov is worried, is Chatsky aiming for suitors? And how would Famusov react to this? - in turn inquires the young man. Famusov evades a direct answer, advising the guest to first put things in order and achieve success in the service.

“I would be glad to serve, it’s sickening to serve,” says Chatsky. Famusov reproaches him with excessive "pride" and cites his late uncle as an example, who achieved rank and wealth by servilely serving the empress.

Chatsky is not satisfied with this sample. He finds that the "age of humility and fear" is a thing of the past, and Famusov is outraged by these "free-thinking speeches", and he does not want to listen to such attacks on the "golden age".

The servant reports on the arrival of a new guest, Colonel Skalozub, whom Famusov is courting in every possible way, considering him a profitable groom. Skalozub innocently brags about his service successes, which were by no means achieved by military exploits.

Famusov pronounces a lengthy panegyric to the Moscow nobility with its hospitality, conservative old nobles, power-hungry matrons and girls who know how to present themselves. He recommends Chatsky Skalozub, and Famusov's praise for Chatsky sounds almost like an insult. Unable to stand it, Chatsky breaks out into a monologue in which he falls upon those flatterers and serf-owners who delight the owner of the house, denouncing their "weakness, poverty of reason."

Skalozub, who understood little of Chatsky's speeches, agrees with him in assessing the pompous guardsmen. The army, according to the brave campaigner, is no worse than the "guards".

Sofya runs in and rushes to the window with a cry: "Oh, my God, he fell, he killed himself!" It turns out that it was Molchalin who "cracked" from the horse (Skalozub's expression).

Chatsky wonders: why is Sophia so frightened? Soon Molchalin comes and reassures those present - nothing terrible has happened.

Sophia tries to justify her incautious impulse, but only strengthens the suspicions that have arisen in Chatsky.

Left alone with Molchalin, Sophia worries about his health, and he is concerned about her intemperance ("Evil tongues are worse than a gun").

After a conversation with Sophia, Chatsky comes to the conclusion that she cannot love such an insignificant person, but nevertheless she struggles with the riddle: who is her lover?

Chatsky starts a conversation with Molchalin and becomes even more strengthened in his opinion: it is impossible to love someone whose virtues boil down to "moderation and accuracy", someone who does not dare to have his own opinion and bows before nobility and power.

Guests continue to come to Famusov for the evening. The first to arrive are the Gorichevs, old acquaintances of Chatsky, with whom he talks in a friendly way, warmly recalling the past.

Other persons also appear (the princess with six daughters, Prince Tugoukhovsky, etc.) and carry on the most empty conversations. The Countess-granddaughter tries to prick Chatsky, but he easily and witty parries her attack.

Gorich introduces Zagoretsky to Chatsky, characterizing the latter as a "swindler" and "rogue", straight in the face, but he pretends not to be hurt at all.

Khlestova arrives, a powerful old woman who does not tolerate any objections. Chatsky, Skalozub and Molchalin pass in front of her. Khlestova expresses her favor only to Famusov’s secretary, as he praises her dog. Addressing Sophia, Chatsky is ironic about this. Sophia is infuriated by Chatsky’s sarcastic speech, and she decides to take revenge for Molchalin. Moving from one group of guests to another, she gradually hints that Chatsky seems to be out of his mind.

This rumor immediately spreads throughout the living room, and Zagoretsky adds new details: “They grabbed him, took him to the yellow house, and put him on a chain.” The final verdict is pronounced by the countess-grandmother, deaf and almost out of her mind: Chatsky is an infidel and a Voltairian. In the general chorus of indignant voices, all other freethinkers - professors, chemists, fabulists - also get their share...

Chatsky, wandering lost in a crowd of people who are alien to him in spirit, runs into Sophia and indignantly falls upon the Moscow nobility, who bows to insignificance only because they had the good fortune to be born in France. Chatsky himself is convinced that the "intelligent" and "vigorous" Russian people and their customs are in many ways higher and better than foreign ones, but no one wants to listen to him. Everyone waltzes with the greatest zeal.

The guests are already beginning to disperse when another old acquaintance of Chatsky, Repetilov, rushes in. He rushes to Chatsky with open arms, right off the bat begins to repent of various sins and invites Chatsky to visit the "secret union" consisting of "decisive people" who fearlessly talk about "important mothers." However, Chatsky, who knows the value of Repetilov, briefly characterizes the activities of Repetilov and his friends: "You only make noise!"

Repetilov switches to Skalozub, telling him the sad story of his marriage, but even here he does not find mutual understanding. With only one Zagoretsky, Repetilov manages to enter into a conversation, and even then Chatsky's madness becomes the subject of their discussion. Repetilov does not believe the rumor at first, but the others persistently convince him that Chatsky is a real madman.

Chatsky, who lingered in the porter's room, hears all this and is indignant at the slanderers. Only one thing worries him - does Sophia know about his "madness"? It never crossed his mind that she was the one who started the rumor.

Lisa appears in the lobby, followed by a sleepy Molchalin. The maid reminds Molchalin that the young lady is waiting for him. Molchalin admits to her that he is courting Sophia in order not to lose her affection and thereby strengthen his position, but he really likes only Liza.

This is heard by Sophia, who has quietly approached, and Chatsky, who is hiding behind a column. Angry Sophia steps forward: "A terrible person! I am ashamed of myself, I am ashamed of the walls." Molchalin tries to deny what was said, but Sofya is deaf to his words and demands that he leave the house of his benefactor today.

Chatsky also gives vent to feelings and denounces Sophia's deceit. A crowd of servants, led by Famusov, runs to the noise. He threatens to send his daughter to her aunt, in the Saratov wilderness, and to assign Lisa to the poultry house.

Chatsky laughs bitterly at his own blindness, and at Sophia, and at all of Famusov’s like-minded people, in whose company it is truly difficult to maintain sanity. Exclaiming: “I’ll go search around the world, // Where there is a corner for the offended feeling!” - he leaves forever the house that was once so dear to him.

Famusov himself is most concerned about “what // Princess Marya Aleksevna will say!”

Author of the retelling: V. P. Meshcheryakov

<< Back: Ivan Ivanovich Lazhechnikov 1792-1869 (Ice House. Novel (1835). Basurman. Novel (1838))

>> Forward: Alexander Alexandrovich Bestuzhev (Marlinsky) 1793-1837 (Roman and Olga. An old story (1823). Test. A story (1830). Armor. The story of a partisan officer (1832). Ammalat-bek. A Caucasian tale. A story (1831). The frigate "Nadezhda". A story (1832))

We recommend interesting articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets:

▪ General theory of statistics. Lecture summary

▪ Pedagogy. Crib

▪ Economic law. Crib

See other articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

Random news from the Archive car roof battery 26.10.2013 Volvo engineers have developed doors and a condenser roof that will replace the car's conventional electrical systems. The new technology will reduce the car's weight by 15% and add 130 kilometers to it. Today, every major automaker offers hybrid cars to customers, and some offer all-electric cars. All these cars are built around lithium-ion batteries, usually in the form of a massive block placed at the bottom of the car. The extra weight of the battery reduces the fuel efficiency of hybrids and electric vehicles, and sometimes worsens their handling. Volvo offers a completely new concept: the placement of batteries in the hood, doors and roof of the car. A prototype S80 equipped with a battery roof is currently being tested. With conventional lithium-ion batteries, it is impossible to achieve the safety of a car of this design - a strong blow to the doors, hood and roof is very likely in the event of an accident and can lead to a fire in the car, chemical burns to passengers. However, there is no mention of lithium-ion batteries in the Volvo concept, instead it is planned to use innovative supercapacitors based on a combination of carbon fibers and polymer resin. Layers of these materials form an energy store that can be shaped to match the contours of the car body. Moreover, supercapacitors are not only safer than Li-ion, but also have an increased strength characteristic of carbon composites. Thus, the supercapacitor not only stores energy, but also serves as a power frame of the body, increasing the safety of passengers. The battery body concept is very flexible: it can be used in both all-electric vehicles and hybrids. In the first, the batteries will be charged from the network, providing a range of up to 130 km. Such a car should be cheaper than current lithium-ion electric vehicles. In a hybrid car, the supercapacitors will be charged from the grid or during braking, and will replace the usual components of the car's 12-volt electrical system. The hybrid will be able to use "free" braking energy for subsequent acceleration of the car, which will save fuel.

Other interesting news:

▪ The main reason for being overweight

▪ Bananas under threat

▪ MAX6078A/MAX6078B High Accuracy Reference for Battery Operated Devices

▪ HDD 4 TB from Hitachi

▪ electrical web

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Spy stuff. Article selection

▪ fire article. Causes of fires. Fire safety measures. Basics of safe life

▪ article How do calories affect our weight? Detailed answer

▪ article Laborer. Standard instruction on labor protection

▪ article Scheme of power supply of high-voltage fluorescent lamps from a rechargeable battery. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Characteristics of asynchronous motors with combined windings. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages ​​of this page

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bengali	Hindi	Portuguese
Chinese	Italian	Spanish
English	Japanese	Turkish
French	Korean	Ukrainian
German	Malay	Vietnamese

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews

www.diagram.com.ua
2000-2024