Full thunderstorm. A

Walk, young, for the time being,
Until the evening dawn!
Ay-leli, for now,

This work has entered the public domain. The work was written by an author who died more than seventy years ago, and was published during his lifetime or posthumously, but more than seventy years have also passed since publication. It may be freely used by anyone without anyone's consent or permission and without payment of royalties.

The play “The Thunderstorm” by the famous Russian writer of the 19th century Alexander Ostrovsky was written in 1859 on the wave of social upsurge on the eve of social reforms. She became one of best works the author, opening the eyes of the whole world to the customs and moral values ​​of the merchant class of that time. It was first published in the journal “Library for Reading” in 1860 and, due to the novelty of its subject matter (descriptions of the struggle of new progressive ideas and aspirations with old, conservative foundations), immediately after publication it caused a wide public response. It became a topic for writing large quantity critical articles of that time (“A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom” by Dobrolyubov, “Motives of Russian Drama” by Pisarev, critic Apollon Grigoriev).

History of writing

Inspired by the beauty of the Volga region and its endless expanses during a trip with his family to Kostroma in 1848, Ostrovsky began writing the play in July 1859, three months later he finished it and sent it to the St. Petersburg censor.

Having worked for several years in the office of the Moscow Conscientious Court, he knew well what the merchants were like in Zamoskvorechye (historical district of the capital, on the right bank of the Moscow River), having more than once encountered in his service what was going on behind the scenes. high fences merchant chorus, namely with cruelty, tyranny, ignorance and various superstitions, illegal transactions and scams, tears and suffering of others. The basis for the plot of the play was tragic fate daughters-in-law in the wealthy merchant family of the Klykovs, which happened in reality: a young woman rushed into the Volga and drowned, unable to withstand oppression from her domineering mother-in-law, tired of her husband’s spinelessness and secret passion for a postal employee. Many believed that it was the stories from the life of the Kostroma merchants that became the prototype for the plot of the play written by Ostrovsky.

In November 1859, the play was performed on the stage of the Maly Academic Theater in Moscow, and in December of the same year at the Alexandrinsky Drama Theater in St. Petersburg.

Analysis of the work

Story line

At the center of the events described in the play is the wealthy merchant family of the Kabanovs, living in the fictional Volga city of Kalinov, a kind of peculiar and closed little world, symbolizing the general structure of the entire patriarchal Russian state. The Kabanov family consists of a powerful and cruel tyrant woman, and essentially the head of the family, a wealthy merchant and widow Marfa Ignatievna, her son, Tikhon Ivanovich, weak-willed and spineless against the backdrop of the difficult disposition of his mother, daughter Varvara, who learned by deception and cunning to resist her mother’s despotism , as well as Katerina’s daughter-in-law. A young woman, who grew up in a family where she was loved and pitied, suffers in the house of her unloved husband from his lack of will and the claims of her mother-in-law, having essentially lost her will and becoming a victim of Kabanikha’s cruelty and tyranny, left to the mercy of fate by her rag husband.

Out of hopelessness and despair, Katerina seeks consolation in her love for Boris Dikiy, who also loves her, but is afraid to disobey his uncle, the rich merchant Savel Prokofich Dikiy, because the financial situation of him and his sister depends on him. He secretly meets with Katerina, but at the last moment he betrays her and runs away, then, at the direction of his uncle, he leaves for Siberia.

Katerina, having been brought up in obedience and submission to her husband, tormented by her own sin, confesses everything to her husband in the presence of his mother. She makes her daughter-in-law’s life completely unbearable, and Katerina, suffering from unhappy love, reproaches of conscience and cruel persecution of the tyrant and despot Kabanikha, decides to end her torment, the only way in which she sees salvation is suicide. She throws herself off a cliff into the Volga and dies tragically.

Main characters

All the characters in the play are divided into two opposing camps, some (Kabanikha, her son and daughter, the merchant Dikoy and his nephew Boris, the maids Feklusha and Glasha) are representatives of the old, patriarchal way of life, others (Katerina, self-taught mechanic Kuligin) are representatives of the new, progressive.

A young woman, Katerina, the wife of Tikhon Kabanov, is the central character of the play. She was brought up in strict patriarchal rules, in accordance with the laws of the ancient Russian Domostroy: a wife must submit to her husband in everything, respect him, and fulfill all his demands. At first, Katerina tried with all her might to love her husband, to become a submissive and good wife for him, but due to his complete spinelessness and weakness of character, she can only feel pity for him.

Outwardly, she looks weak and silent, but in the depths of her soul there is enough willpower and perseverance to resist the tyranny of her mother-in-law, who is afraid that her daughter-in-law might change her son Tikhon and he will stop submitting to his mother’s will. Katerina is cramped and stuffy in the dark kingdom of life in Kalinov, she literally suffocates there and in her dreams she flies like a bird away from this terrible place for her.

Boris

Having fallen in love with a newcomer young man Boris, the nephew of a wealthy merchant and businessman, she creates in her head the image of an ideal lover and a real man, which is not at all true, breaks her heart and leads to a tragic ending.

In the play, the character of Katerina opposes not a specific person, her mother-in-law, but the entire patriarchal structure that existed at that time.

Kabanikha

Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova (Kabanikha), like the tyrant merchant Dikoy, who tortures and insults his relatives, does not pay wages and deceives his workers, are prominent representatives old, bourgeois way of life. They are distinguished by stupidity and ignorance, unjustified cruelty, rudeness and rudeness, complete rejection of any progressive changes in the ossified patriarchal way of life.

Tikhon

(Tikhon, in the illustration near Kabanikha - Marfa Ignatievna)

Tikhon Kabanov is characterized throughout the play as a quiet and weak-willed person under full influence oppressive mother. Distinguished by his gentle character, he makes no attempts to protect his wife from her mother’s attacks.

At the end of the play, he finally breaks down and the author shows his rebellion against tyranny and despotism; it is his phrase at the end of the play that leads readers to a certain conclusion about the depth and tragedy of the current situation.

Features of compositional construction

(Fragment from a dramatic production)

The work begins with a description of the city on the Volga Kalinov, the image of which is a collective image of all Russian cities of that time. The landscape of the Volga expanses depicted in the play contrasts with the musty, dull and gloomy atmosphere of life in this city, which is emphasized by the dead isolation of the life of its inhabitants, their underdevelopment, dullness and wild lack of education. The author described the general state of city life as if before a thunderstorm, when the old, dilapidated way of life will be shaken, and new and progressive trends, like a gust of furious thunderstorm wind, will sweep away the outdated rules and prejudices that prevent people from living normally. The period of life of the residents of the city of Kalinov described in the play is precisely in a state when outwardly everything looks calm, but this is only the calm before the coming storm.

The genre of the play can be interpreted as a social drama, as well as a tragedy. The first is characterized by the use of a thorough description living conditions, maximum transfer of its “density”, as well as alignment of characters. Readers' attention should be distributed among all participants in the production. The interpretation of the play as a tragedy presupposes its deeper meaning and thoroughness. If you see Katerina’s death as a consequence of her conflict with her mother-in-law, then she looks like a victim of a family conflict, and the entire unfolding action in the play seems petty and insignificant for a real tragedy. But if we consider the death of the main character as a conflict of a new, progressive time with a fading, old era, then her act is best interpreted in the heroic key characteristic of a tragic narrative.

The talented playwright Alexander Ostrovsky, from a social and everyday drama about the life of the merchant class, gradually creates a real tragedy, in which, with the help of a love-domestic conflict, he showed the onset of an epochal turning point taking place in the consciousness of the people. Simple people They become aware of their awakening sense of self-worth, begin to have a new attitude towards the world around them, want to decide their own destinies and fearlessly express their will. This nascent desire comes into irreconcilable contradiction with the real patriarchal way of life. Katerina's fate acquires a social historical meaning, expressing the state of the people's consciousness at the turning point between two eras.

Alexander Ostrovsky, who noticed in time the doom of the decaying patriarchal foundations, wrote the play “The Thunderstorm” and opened the eyes of the entire Russian public to what was happening. He depicted the destruction of a familiar, outdated way of life, with the help of the ambiguous and figurative concept of a thunderstorm, which, gradually growing, will sweep away everything from its path and open the way to a new, better life.

The events take place in the first half of the 19th century, in the fictional Volga region town of Kalinov. The first action takes place in a public garden on the high bank of the Volga. Local self-taught mechanic Kuligin talks with young people - Kudryash, the clerk of the rich merchant Dikiy, and the tradesman Shapkin - about the rude antics and tyranny of Dikiy. Then Boris, Dikiy’s nephew, appears, who, in response to Kuligin’s questions, says that his parents lived in Moscow, educated him at the Commercial Academy and both died during the epidemic. He came to Dikoy, leaving his sister with his mother’s relatives, in order to receive part of his grandmother’s inheritance, which Dikoy must give to him according to the will, if Boris is respectful to him. Everyone assures him: under such conditions, Dikoy will never give him the money. Boris complains to Kuligin that he can’t get used to life in Dikiy’s house, Kuligin talks about Kalinov and ends his speech with the words: “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel!”

The Kalinovites disperse. Together with another woman, the wanderer Feklusha appears, praising the city for its “blah-a-lepie”, and the Kabanovs’ house for its special generosity to wanderers. "Kabanovs?" - Boris asks: “A prude, sir, he gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family,” explains Kuligin. Kabanova comes out, accompanied by her daughter Varvara and son Tikhon and his wife Katerina. She grumbles at them, but finally leaves, allowing the children to walk along the boulevard. Varvara lets Tikhon go out for a drink in secret from his mother and, left alone with Katerina, talks with her about domestic relationships and about Tikhon. Katerina talks about her happy childhood in her parents’ home, about her fervent prayers, about what she experiences in the temple, imagining angels in sunbeam, falling from the dome, dreams of spreading her arms and flying and finally admits that “something strange” is happening to her. Varvara guesses that Katerina has fallen in love with someone and promises to arrange a date after Tikhon leaves. This proposal horrifies Katerina. A crazy lady appears, threatening that “beauty leads into the deep end,” and prophesies hellish torment. Katerina is terribly frightened, and then “ storm comes in,” she hurries Varvara home to the icons to pray.

Second action taking place in the house Kabanovs, begins with a conversation between Feklushi and the maid Glasha. The wanderer asks about the Kabanovs' household affairs and conveys fabulous stories about distant countries, where people with dog heads "for infidelity", etc. Katerina and Varvara appear, preparing Tikhon for the trip, continue the conversation about Katerina's hobby, Varvara calls the name of Boris, conveys He bows to him and persuades Katerina to sleep with her in the gazebo in the garden after Tikhon’s departure. Kabanikha and Tikhon come out, the mother tells her son to strictly tell his wife how to live without him, Katerina is humiliated by these formal orders. But, left alone with her husband, she begs him to take her on a trip, after his refusal she tries to give him terrible oaths of fidelity, but Tikhon does not want to listen to them: “You never know what comes to mind...” The returning Kabanikha orders Katerina to bow at my husband's feet. Tikhon leaves. Varvara, leaving for a walk, tells Katerina that they will spend the night in the garden and gives her the key to the gate. Katerina doesn’t want to take it, then, after hesitating, she puts it in her pocket.

The next action takes place on a bench at the gate of the Kabanovsky house. Feklusha And Kabanikha talking about " the last times", Feklusha says that "for our sins" "the time for humiliation has begun to come," talks about railway(“they began to harness the fiery serpent”), about the bustle of Moscow life as a devilish obsession. Both are expecting even worse times. Dikoy appears with complaints about his family, Kabanikha reproaches him for his disorderly behavior, he tries to be rude to her, but she quickly stops this and takes him into the house for a drink and a snack. While Dikoy is treating himself, Boris, sent by Dikoy’s family, comes to find out where the head of the family is. Having completed the assignment, he exclaims with longing about Katerina: “If only to take a look at her with one eye!” The returned Varvara tells him to come at night to the gate in the ravine behind the Kabanovsky garden.

The second scene represents a night of youth, Varvara comes out on a date with Kudryash and tells Boris to wait - “you’ll wait for something.” There is a meeting between Katerina and Boris. After hesitation and thoughts of sin, Katerina is unable to resist awakened love. “Why feel sorry for me - no one is to blame - she went for it herself. Don’t feel sorry, ruin me! Let everyone know, let everyone see what I do (hugs Boris). If I wasn’t afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment ?".

The entire fourth action, taking place on the streets of Kalinov - in the gallery of a dilapidated building with the remains of a fresco representing fiery Gehenna, and on the boulevard - takes place against the backdrop of a gathering and finally breaking thunderstorm. It begins to rain, and Dikoy and Kuligin enter the gallery, who begins to persuade Dikoy to give money to install a sundial on the boulevard. In response, Dikoy scolds him in every possible way and even threatens to declare him a robber. Having endured the abuse, Kuligin begins to ask for money for a lightning rod. At this point, Dikoy confidently declares that it is a sin to defend against a thunderstorm sent as punishment “with poles and some kind of furrows, God forgive me.” The stage empties, then Varvara and Boris meet in the gallery. She reports on Tikhon's return, Katerina's tears, Kabanikha's suspicions and expresses fear that Katerina will confess to her husband of treason. Boris begs to dissuade Katerina from confessing and disappears. The rest of the Kabanovs enter. Katerina waits with horror that she, who has not repented of her sin, will be killed by lightning, a crazy lady appears, threatening with hellish flames. Katerina can no longer hold on and publicly confesses to her husband and mother-in-law that she was “walking” with Boris. Kabanikha gloatingly declares: “What, son! Where will the will lead; [...] So I’ve waited!”

The last action is again on the high bank of the Volga. Tikhon complains to Kuligin about his family grief, about what his mother says about Katerina: “She needs to be buried alive in the ground so that she can be executed!” “And I love her, I’m sorry to lay a finger on her.” Kuligin advises to forgive Katerina, but Tikhon explains that under Kabanikha this is impossible. Not without pity, he also speaks about Boris, whom his uncle sends to Kyakhta. The maid Glasha enters and reports that Katerina has disappeared from the house. Tikhon is afraid that “out of melancholy she might kill herself!”, and together with Glasha and Kuligin he leaves to look for his wife.

Katerina appears, she complains about her desperate situation in the house, and most importantly, about her terrible longing for Boris. Her monologue ends with a passionate spell: “My joy! My life, my soul, I love you! Respond!” Boris enters. She asks him to take her with him to Siberia, but understands that Boris’s refusal is due to the truly complete impossibility of leaving with her. She blesses him on his journey, complains about the oppressive life in the house, about her disgust for her husband. Having said goodbye to Boris forever, Katerina begins to dream alone about death, about a grave with flowers and birds that “will fly to the tree, sing, and have children.” "Live again?" - she exclaims with horror. Approaching the cliff, she says goodbye to the departed Boris: “My friend! My joy! Farewell!” and leaves.

The stage is filled with alarmed people, including Tikhon and his mother in the crowd. A cry is heard behind the stage: “The woman threw herself into the water!” Tikhon tries to run to her, but his mother does not let him in, saying: “I’ll curse you if you go!” Tikhon falls to his knees. After some time, Kuligin brings in Katerina’s body. “Here is your Katerina. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; but her soul is now not yours; it is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!”

Rushing to Katerina, Tikhon accuses his mother: “Mama, you ruined her!” and, not paying attention to Kabanikha’s menacing shouts, falls on his wife’s corpse. “Good for you, Katya! Why did I stay in the world and suffer!” - with these words from Tikhon the play ends.

The play takes place in the Volga town of Kalinov, where, according to one of the residents, local self-taught Kuligin, “cruel morals” reign. Kuligin discusses this with Vanka Kudryash, a young clerk, a merry fellow and a jokester.

They witness a scene in which the famous merchant Savel Prokofich Dikoy, famous in the city, scolds his nephew Boris. He came with his sister to his uncle to receive his share of the inheritance left by his grandmother. But there is a condition that Boris will never fulfill: he must be respectful to his uncle. All residents of the city understand that Boris will not see an inheritance, because Dikoy, due to his capricious and capricious character, openly declares that he has his own children and it is inappropriate to give money to strangers. Boris continues to endure humiliation only for the sake of his sister.

The wanderer Feklusha appears, who, on the contrary, praises Kalinov, his merchants, especially the Kabanov family. Kuligin explains to Boris that Kabanikha is a respectable merchant’s wife, but “she’s completely eaten up her family.” At this time, Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova herself, her son Tikhon, daughter Varvara and daughter-in-law Katerina come out onto the square. Kabanikha scolds her son for not being too respectful to her; it also goes to the daughter-in-law, who tries to join the conversation. After she leaves, Tikhon goes to the tavern, and Katerina and Varvara are left alone and have a heart-to-heart talk.

Katerina talks about her childhood, her parents’ house, where she lived “like a bird in the wild.” The young woman complains that she has “withered completely” in the Kabanovs’ house, and involuntarily admits that she likes Dikiy’s nephew Boris. Varvara, who has long been hiding her love affairs with Kudryash from her mother, is ready to arrange a love date with Boris for Katerina when Tikhon leaves for a couple of weeks. But then a crazy lady appears and threatens Katerina that she will burn in hell because of her beauty. The girl becomes scared from her words and from the beginning thunderstorm, and she calls Varvara home to pray in front of the icons.

Act 2

In the Kabanovs' house. The wanderer Feklusha and the maid Glasha talk about sin. Varvara hints that Katerina is attractive to Boris, which makes her scared and swears that she loves only Tikhon. If she gets tired of life in Kabanikha’s house, she will throw herself out the window or drown herself in the river, she was “born hot.” She recalls an incident when, as a child, being offended by her family, she rushed to the river, got into a boat, and pushed it away from the shore. Only the next morning they found a boat with Katerina ten miles from that place.

Kabanova arrives with her son, who is going to long journey. The mother demands that he give instructions to his wife on how to behave while her husband is away. This offends Katerina, and, left alone with him, she begs to take her with him. But Tikhon declares that he has been completely bullied and is wondering how to get out of the house. Katerina throws herself on her knees and asks her to take the most terrible oath of allegiance, but Tikhon only waves him off.

On the porch, Kabanikha again seeks to show her influence on her son: she demands that he force his wife not to hang herself, but to say goodbye “in order,” as has been the custom for centuries. Left alone, Katerina regrets that “God did not give children.” She decides that it will be right to wait for Tikhon’s return, but Varvara gives her the key to the back gate so that she can meet Boris in the evening. Katerina struggles with temptation for a long time, but still puts the key in her pocket to go on a date.

Act 3

Scene 1

Feklusha and Kabanikha talk about how life has become hectic, although in other cities where sodom reigns, where people are in a hurry in vain. In Kalinov, the people are all pious, so there is no need for them to rush. Feklusha tells strange stories about Moscow, where they began to harness “ fire snake", about other lands where there are "people with dog heads" and various other fables.

A tipsy Dikoy appears and, out of habit, begins to quarrel with Kabanova, but she quickly pacifies him, and he admits that only she alone can “talk” him. Kabanikha caustically remarks that all his life he has been fighting only with women, and this is a simple matter. He is angry because everyone is asking him for money in the morning.

Boris approaches the Kabanovs' house in the hope of seeing Katerina at least from afar. He listens to Kuligin's arguments about the beauty of nature, which no one notices: the poor have no time, and the rich sit behind their high fences and harass their households. Kudryash and Varvara appear, kiss, and Varvara beckons Boris to the gate and secretly informs him about the place of the future meeting with Katerina.

Scene 2

Night. Kudryash and Boris meet behind the Kabanovs' garden. At first they quarreled over the place, but then Boris had to admit that he was secretly supposed to meet here married woman- Katerina Kabanova.

Both Kabanovs appear. Kudryash leaves with Varvara, and Boris is left alone with Katerina. At first she is timid, accuses him of wanting her destruction, of wanting to lead her into sin. But then he nevertheless confesses his feelings and declares that for the sake of his love he will not be afraid of either human condemnation or God's punishment. A couple of lovers return - Varvara and Kudryash, and Boris and Katerina negotiate their next meeting.

Act 4

Residents of the city walk under the arches of a dilapidated gallery, on the walls of which paintings of the Last Judgment are depicted. In the distance you can hear the rumble of an approaching thunderstorm. Kuligin is outraged that people are afraid of thunderstorms - this wonderful natural phenomenon. He convinces Dikiy to donate money to sundial in the center of the city and for the construction of a lightning rod, but the merchant is superstitious: he thinks that a thunderstorm is given as a punishment from God to all sinners, so he refuses the request, and calls the master an atheist.

Boris meets with Varvara, and she tells him that Tikhon has returned ahead of schedule, and Katerina “became not herself.” Varvara is afraid that she will fall at her husband’s feet and tell everything: she is afraid for herself and for Boris.

The Kabanov family appears. Katerina is frightened by the approaching thunderstorm, because she is devout and perceives it as God's punishment. Noticing Boris, she turns even paler. She hears the words of passers-by that the thunderstorm is returning for a reason, tells Tikhon that she should be killed by lightning, and asks to pray for her.

At this time, a crazy lady appears with footmen and, turning to Katerina, shouts that she should not hide, but pray that God would take away her beauty. At the end of her monologue, the crazy lady declares that it’s better to go into the pool with such beauty. Katerina almost faints. Varvara invites her to step aside and pray. But sitting down near the wall of the gallery, Katerina sees an image of fiery hell. She can’t stand it and publicly admits to Tikhon that she spent all ten nights walking with Boris Grigorievich. Afterwards, Katerina falls unconscious into her husband’s arms. In complete silence, Kabanikha gloatingly declares that she warned, “what the will leads to,” but Tikhon did not listen, so now he has waited.

Action 5

At dusk, Kuligin sits on a bench in a public garden on the banks of the Volga. Tikhon appears and declares that their whole family “has become upset.” He says that he went on a spree in Moscow, and his wife cheated on him at that time. It’s hard for him, even drinking at Dikiy’s doesn’t help. Kuligin says that his “mama is too cool,” and Katerina was a good wife. Tikhon agrees that Kabanikha is cool, because she advises burying Katerina alive in the ground, and he loves her, now he regrets her, but cannot forgive her. Therefore, he beat him a little, because “mama ordered”, and now he drinks every day with Dikiy. And Boris Dikoy is sent to Siberia for three years. Varvara ran away from home with Vanka Kudryash.

Glasha tells Tikhon that Katerina has disappeared somewhere, and Tikhon suggests that she might kill herself out of sadness. Following Glasha, Tikhon and Kuligin leave.
Katerina knows about Boris's departure and is looking for a meeting with him in the hope that he will take her with him to Siberia. But when they meet, Boris says that he cannot take her, because he is not going of his own free will. He is worried that they might be seen and is in a hurry to end the conversation, although he understands that Katerina is having a very hard time right now. Then Katerina asks along the way to give alms to all the beggars so that they pray for her. Boris feels that the woman is up to something evil, and even exclaims that death will be her salvation.