Molchalin: character description. Speech characteristics of Molchalin (“Woe from Wit”)

"Woe from Wit" - immortal comedy A. S. Griboedova. In it, he truthfully and mercilessly portrayed the “picture of morals” of his contemporary aristocratic society. According to the author, in his work there are “25 fools for one sane person.” And one of them in the play is Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin. Our article will be devoted to the characteristics of this character.

The place of the hero in comedy

Molchalin in "Woe from Wit" - typical representative The role that the author assigns to him in the comedy is of extreme importance. He, along with the main character, is a participant in both the love and socio-ideological confrontation of the characters. Alexey Stepanovich is not only a worthy successor to Famusov in business, but also a successful rival of Chatsky in love. It was him who, for an unknown reason, chose Sofia. The personal relationships of the characters in "Woe from Wit" have important, however, more interesting to study is Molchalin’s attitude towards service. After all, it is in this activity that the character of Alexei Stepanovich manifests itself most clearly.

General characteristics of the hero

Alexey Stepanovich holds a small position. He is Famusov's secretary too. Molchalin cannot boast of a noble origin, but he strives with all his might to become a “people person.” To do this, he chose an unmistakable tactic: “to please everyone... without exception.” Alexey Stepanovich does not distinguish between the master and his servant. He is impeccably courteous and polite with everyone. In relation to superior persons, Mochalin's devotion has no boundaries. He curries favor with Famusov and strives to serve Khlestova. Alexey Stepanovich is a mediocrity, an unscrupulous hypocrite and a sycophant. But none of the Famus guards notices this. The image of Molchalin is a portrait of a man who, with the help of simple techniques and tricks, makes his way into high society.

Molchalin and Chatsky

If most of representatives of the Famusov guard (Famusov, Khlestova) are people of the older generation, then Molchalin is almost the same age as Chatsky. However, these representatives of one generation are, in fact, absolutely different people. Their behavior in society moral ideals opposite. This is evidenced by Molchalin’s attitude towards service. By the hero’s own admission, he has only two talents - “moderation and accuracy.” He does not hide his own mediocrity; on the contrary, he is proud of it.

The behavior and worldview of Alexey Stepanovich is strictly regulated by his position. Since it is still very small, he has to be helpful and modest. Molchalin cannot do without influential patrons and is entirely dependent on them. Chatsky's independence seems obvious stupidity to Alexei Stepanovich.

Molchalin and Famusov

Unencumbered by special abilities, Alexey Stepanovich fits very organically into the conservative Famus society. Despite the huge difference in social status and age, he has a lot in common with the famous Moscow “ace”. Molchalin’s attitude towards service is absolutely “Famusovsky”. He admits that he dreams of “winning awards and having fun.” He already has “three awards” in his arsenal, and each of them is a small step on the way to brilliant career. Like Famusov, Alexey Stepanovich sacredly honors public opinion. Some quotes from Molchalin: “Ah! Evil tongues scarier than a pistol" and "At my age one should not dare/have one's own judgment" echo Famus's final phrase: "Ah! My God! what will he say “/Princess Marya Alekseevna!”

Molchalin in love

Alexey Stepanovich skillfully pretends to be in love with the main character of the play. And here his desire to “please all people without exception” is manifested. Smart and selfless, Sophia does not notice the deception at all. She praises his shyness, respectfulness and timidity. Even the absence in him of “this mind... which is quick, brilliant...” seems to her to be a positive quality. Describing her lover to Chatsky, the girl does not notice how, according to I. A. Goncharov, “the portrait comes out vulgar.” Sofia has her own grief from her mind. Molchalin becomes the hero of a love story for her, in which she plays the role of a kind patroness.

However, Alexei Stepanovich has completely different inclinations. He likes the lively and cheerful Lisa much more. Moreover, he is not so stupid and believes that Sofia “Loved Chatsky once / She will stop loving me as much as he did.” But he is ready to give Lisa an intricately designed toilet and believes that this is enough to win love. Molchalin’s sober cynicism seems especially disgusting against the backdrop of the sincere feelings that he experiences.

The further fate of Molchalin

Loss of love main character does not mean complete defeat for Alexei Stepanovich. Despite the fact that he made a serious mistake, he managed to avoid Famusov's wrath. The “noble” father of the family splashed out all his indignation on the humiliated and insulted Sofia and the innocent Chatsky. The main character is thrown out of the door, accused of imaginary debauchery. They threaten to send Sofia to the village for misbehavior. Only Alexey Stepanovich leaves unnoticed. The comedy "Woe from Wit" does not give a definite answer regarding the fate of this hero. Molchalin will probably be able to pretend to be a victim of the current circumstances. It is impossible to stop his career. Chatsky was absolutely right when he predicted that Alexey Stepanovich would “reach the well-known levels.” Final scene The comedy once again confirmed the sad truth that A. S. Griboyedov is trying to convey to his readers: “Silent people are blissful in the world,” while sincere and intelligent Chatskys become outcasts in society.

Images of famous writers

The image of a “wordless” man, gradually making his way along career ladder, left no one indifferent. Belinsky in the mid-19th century wrote that Molchalin is a man who “does evil without benefit” according to a single “command of the soul.” N.V. Gogol found that the “face” of Alexei Stepanovich was “aptly captured.” This is an image of a low and silent personality, quietly making its way into people. Saltykov-Shchedrin's attitude towards service inspired the creation of a series of essays entitled "Among the Moderate and Accurate." I. A. Goncharov, in his sketch “A Million Torments,” noted that in his time (1871) Molchalin’s sycophancy became archaic and “hidden... in the darkness.” However, comparisons of various people with the wordless and helpful character in “Woe from Wit” are still actively used in journalism.

Conclusion

Quotes from Molchalin - a reflection of him life position. The desire to be useful and gain confidence in to the right person, which: “Feeds and waters”, and maybe “and gives rank...” is relevant at all times. Alexey Stepanovich is a typical opportunist, unencumbered by creativity and creativity, but abundantly endowed with practical acumen and worldly intelligence. It is absolutely impossible to fight him. In any situation, this person will be able to stay afloat. How long will silent mediocrity be valued in the service, and how long will a bright, lively and independent mind be subjected to unfair persecution? This question is posed by A.S. Griboyedov in satirical comedy"Woe from Wit." Silent people occupy leading positions, penetrate into all spheres of life, infiltrate any society and, by their very existence, hinder its development. However, the answer to this question has not been found to this day. Perhaps over time this state of affairs will change.

Woe from Wit is a famous comedy by A. S. Griboyedov, which features nobles living in the early 19th century. During this period, the ideas of Decembrism and conservative views began to provoke disagreements. The basis of the theme is the confrontation between modern times and a bygone century; ideals were replaced by new ones, which had a deplorable effect on people. At the same time, most of the representatives of comedy belong to the supporters of the bygone century; this category includes both individuals with weight in society and those who try to serve. And Molchanov is one of those who serve not of their own free will.

Characteristics of the hero

Molchalin Alexey Stepanovich is a man, he is young and works as Famusov’s secretary. Among his main traits are stupidity, meanness combined with cunning, his goal is to gain advantages for himself. To do this, he adapts to the opinions of others and meets not with the woman he loves, but with Sofia Famusova.

Among positive qualities can be distinguished:

• modesty. As can be seen from his reaction to drunken behavior, humiliation and affectation, the hero can withstand any quirks;
• tact. Alexey hides his emotions and does not show inappropriate actions towards the owner’s daughter;
• ability to remain silent;
• politeness. Knows how to correctly formulate phrases, position himself correctly;
• ability to make friends;
• calm perception. Even in the most unpleasant situations does not show emotions.

There are also negative qualities:

• shyness is just a mask, in fact the hero is two-faced, he behaves depending on his environment;
• pleases and ingratiates for profit. Novels are also built for the purpose of profit; even the smart enough Sofia is ready to be with him, but Molchalin is only pretending;
• He doesn’t have his own opinion, he’s silent more.

Mochalin’s psychological mindset defines a whole category of people; they are ready to do anything for a promotion and forget about their opinion for the sake of this. Alexey gradually lost the ability to judge logically and simply agreed with the public, reaching the maximum in his flattery.

The image of the hero in the work

Alexey is not rich and is a nobleman from Tver, lives in the owner’s house and secretly has love relationship with his daughter. Molchalin cannot reach the status of a son-in-law, because he has no ranks and stars; society likes him because he is professionally helpful. He fully corresponds to the image of a young nobleman, since he tries to please everyone who can somehow influence his career. He himself believes that small ranks do not provide the opportunity to have one’s own judgment.

Role in society

In public true face Silent is hidden, but when communicating with Liza, he shows himself, because the bright contrast of a modest person and a quiet person with a rake is simply impossible not to notice. This person is dangerous because he is two-faced. He has no love or even respect for Sophia, he is afraid to open a relationship, but at the same time he builds real performance. He believes that evil tongues are worse than a pistol, but Sophia, on the contrary, does not worry about the opinions of others. Molchalin lives as his father advised him - he pleases everyone.

Alexey is proud of his success, the presence of important connections, and even gives advice to behave similarly to Chatsky, because he believes that his behavior is correct. Although the views of the hero and the conservative nobles are the same, he is harmful to society. Having deceived Famusov's daughter and being her lover more as a job than out of feelings, he ruins the girl's life. Molchalin has an exact correspondence to the ideals of the bygone century; he easily adapts to the situation and values ​​only wealth and titles.

What does Molchalin show?

The basis of the character's character is duplicity and cunning, such people can be blissful, and reach known degrees, since people like such silence. The relevance of the affected feature of the hero remains, his image has been preserved to this day, promotions, enrichment for many are much more important than such eternal concepts, like dignity, honesty or love of country. Molchalin clearly divides people by status and treats them accordingly.

In the comedy, Molchalin is not very important for the development of the storyline; he personifies the general spirit of the people of that time, showing their humiliation before the higher ranks. Also, the image allows you to show Chatsky more clearly, because he is opposite in character and stands out strong soul, pride and confidence.

In Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" several typical characters were created that are well recognizable regardless of the era. Molchalin belongs to such images, so now it would be appropriate to briefly consider the characteristics of Molchalin, paying attention to the features that Griboedov endowed this character with.

Biography of Molchalin from the comedy “Woe from Wit”

The play says very little about Molchalin’s life before Famusov’s appearance in the house. The reader learns that Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin is of humble origin, a poor young man.

Famusov took Molchalin as his secretary from Tver and was able to “get” him the rank of assessor, which was highly valued and equated to the army rank of major. Meanwhile, the hero is still listed in the Archives of the College of Foreign Affairs and manages to receive three awards. During Griboedov’s time, the “archive youths” were treated with some contempt, since young people who wanted to avoid military service in this way were enrolled there. This information already helps to create a characterization of Molchalin from the comedy “Woe from Wit.”

In the house of his patron, Molchalin lives on the first floor, where there are servants’ rooms and utility rooms. For the sake of his career, Molchalin starts an affair with Sophia, Famusov’s daughter, while simultaneously caring for the maid Lisa.

Molchalin and Sophia

What else is interesting about Molchalin’s characterization? He admits that he is not interested in Sophia. No matter how hard Molchalin tries to awaken his feelings for her, nothing works, the hero still remains cold: “As soon as I meet, I’ll leave the sheet.” He is chasing the boss's daughter, hoping to benefit. Knowing Sophia’s inconstancy (“they loved Chatsky once, they will stop loving me like him”), he is not worried, he is more worried about Famusov’s reaction to their relationship.

Literary scholars have repeatedly asked the question: what attracted Sophia to Molchalin, why did she choose him over the intelligent and noble Chatsky? Probably the answer is in the words of the heroine herself. Talking about Molchalin, she highlights his qualities such as helpfulness, attentiveness, shyness; he is ready to predict Sophia’s every desire and shows her his tender feelings.

Another quality that is important in Molchalin’s characterization is his hypocrisy and duplicity: pretending to love Sophia, he courts Lisa, seducing her with gifts and not hesitating to quite brazenly and obsessively express his feelings. In Famusov’s house, Molchalin wears the mask of a timid man in love until an accidental revelation occurs.

Characteristic qualities of Molchalin from the comedy “Woe from Wit”

Griboyedov uses telling surname. Molchalin is silent, quiet, he does not dare to have his own opinion, fearing not to please important people. His main goal is to gain the trust of those who can provide patronage through helpfulness and subservience to them. Chatsky notes bitterly: “The silent ones are blissful in the world.”

To understand the characterization of Molchalin in the comedy “Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov, it is necessary to remember what kind of covenant his father gives to Molchalin. The young man says that his father advised him to “please all people without exception”: the owner of the house where he lives, the boss, the boss’s servant, “the doorman, the janitor to avoid harm, the janitor’s dog to be affectionate.” The hero follows this principle. He tries to please Famusov, the “old men” at the balls. For this reason, he gives up dancing and fun, and spends the entire evening playing cards with elderly but noble gentlemen. With helpfulness and modesty, Molchalin achieved good attitude the influential Tatyana Yurievna and even the grumpy Khlestova.

Molchalin considers his main talents to be “moderation and accuracy.” Griboyedov in his comedy “Woe from Wit” shows: Molchalin is stupid, his mind is aimed only at searching for advantageous behavior, he is low, has no feeling self-esteem, capable of meanness and lies.

We hope that our article, which briefly presented the characterization of Molchalin from the comedy “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov, helped you get to know this character better. Also read on our literary blog

A.S. Griboyedov finished his legendary comedy in 1824. But, despite all efforts, it was not possible to publish it. The censor did not let it through, since the nature of the play is accusatory. It spread through the lists and was a great success among the young intelligentsia. Only in 1833 the play was published in an abridged form.

The author gave the reader a galaxy bright images Moscow nobility of the 19th century. Most of them are still relevant today. The person who “is blissful in the world” is especially tenacious. This character personifies veneration for rank, careerism, and hypocrisy.

General characteristics of the hero

Molchalin is a young man of unknown origin. He comes from Tver, his parents became impoverished. Thanks to his efficiency and cunning, he ends up in the capital. Famusov gives him the rank of collegiate assessor and makes him his secretary. This position at that time gave hereditary nobility, regardless of material well-being. But the employer himself calls him “rootless,” although he settles him in his house.

Alexey Stepanovich, like most heroes classical literature, has a telling surname. He is truly silent. The quality is inconsistent. Sophia, in love, considers it a virtue. They say the priest is angry, but Alexey does not argue, does not object, the hot-tempered master calms down. Chatsky considers this stupidity, lack of will, and self-respect. For Molchalin, this is just a cunning maneuver, opportunism. He doesn't mind.

The hero is young, the same age as Chatsky. But they are similar only in age.

Chatsky and Molchalin

These two social type are antagonists. People like Molchalin are ready to do anything to achieve high ranks, position in society. They don’t disdain anything. Lies, hypocrisy, ingratiation, sycophancy, humiliation, pretense - everything is used.

“Moderation and accuracy” are the only talents of Alexei Stepanovich. But he is clearly being modest, forgetting that adaptability, cunning, business acumen- also a kind of talent.

Molchalin does not recognize his right to his own opinion. While he is in a small rank, it is necessary to depend on others. Therefore, he actively mimics and adapts.

Chatsky is a different person. He openly expresses his opinion in any environment. He sees no point in an empty service. He is ready to serve the cause, but not the persons. It's sickening to serve him. Famusov calls him a proud man and a fool. It is strange for a successful official to hear such speeches.

Molchalin, for the sake of profit, is ready to pretend in everything. Even in love.

Relation to Sophia

Pretending to be in love, Alexey becomes the friend of the owner’s daughter’s heart. She, in turn, endowed him with the features of French heroes romance novels. She created the perfect image for herself.

Alexey Stepanych visits the young lady’s room at night. But he behaves indecisively, modestly, and does not allow liberties. As it turned out later, not because he was deeply in love and well-mannered, but out of indifference. But he shows ardor and discourtesy towards Lisa. Shyness with the young lady and vulgar behavior with the maid. This contrast speaks volumes.

He looks after Sophia only to curry favor: “to please the daughter of such a man.” He himself doesn’t really understand why. There is no love, he doesn’t count on a wedding. Molchalin is a coward, insanely afraid of Famusov’s anger, of what he finds out about the affair.

Molchalin and guests

Ball at the Famusovs' house - key scene works. The family is officially in mourning after the death of their uncle. Therefore, only “our own” people are convened. It is necessary to give points to maintain connections.

Molchalin is equally amiable with all representatives of the “past century”. He finds an approach to everyone. Sophia saw kindness in this ability to adapt. They say Alexey Stepanovich found friendship with everyone in the house. Chatsky also notices this: “Here he’ll pet a pug in time, there he’ll rub a card just right.” And, indeed, it comes to the point of absurdity. Molchalin strokes and praises Lady Khlestova’s Pomeranian. And then he plays cards with the old people all evening, adjusting, playing along. Knowing their cool character.

The young man does everything on time. He seems to anticipate a social storm. As soon as a scandal brews in the house, he disappears into his room a minute before the owner appears.

“He will reach known degrees...”

All this will certainly help the hero in achieving his goals. He will not be embarrassed by mistakes or falls. There is no shame or timidity in him. From childhood, Alexey was instilled with the law of the need to please even the master’s janitor and his dog. And sycophancy, the ability to “bend too far” is highly valued in the capital.

Among the heroes of “Woe from Wit” (see summary, analysis and full text), Famusov stands at the top steps of the official and social ladder. Molchalin, being on the lower steps of the same ladder, tries to climb it, following the principles and life rules of his boss. Adulation and servility, common in Famus society, were instilled in him from childhood:

“My father bequeathed to me

says Molchalin,

Firstly, to please all people without exception;
The owner, where he will live,
The boss with whom I will serve,
To his servant, who cleans the dress,
Doorman, janitor, to avoid evil,
To the janitor’s dog, to be more affectionate.”

We can say that Molchalin really fulfills his father’s wills! We see how he tries to please the noble old woman Khlestova, how he praises and caresses her dog; and although Khlestova treats him very condescendingly (“Molchalin, here’s your little closet!”), however, she allows him to lead her by the arm, plays cards with him, calls him “my friend,” “dear,” and probably won’t refuse he has protection when he needs it. Molchalin is confident that he is going the right way and advises Chatsky to go “to Tatyana Yuryevna,” since, according to him, “we often find patronage there where we don’t aim.”

Woe from the mind. Maly Theater performance, 1977

Molchalin himself recognizes two “talents” in himself: “moderation” and “accuracy,” and there is no doubt that with such properties “he will reach the known levels,” as Chatsky notes, adding: “after all, nowadays they love the dumb.” Molchalin is truly speechless, since he not only does not express, but does not even have own opinion,” No wonder Griboedov called him “Molchalin”:

"At my age one should not dare
Have your own opinion,”

he says. Why risk “having your own judgment” when it is so much easier and safer to think, speak and act as the elders do, as Princess Marya Alekseevna does, as “everyone” does? And can Molchalin have his own opinion? He is undoubtedly stupid, limited, although cunning. This is a small soul. We see the baseness and meanness of his behavior with Sophia. He pretends to love her because he thinks it can be beneficial for him, and at the same time flirts with Lisa; he sneakily crawls on his knees in front of Sophia, begging for her forgiveness, and immediately after that he rushes to hide from Famusov’s anger, like a real coward. The pathetic type of Molchalin is depicted by Griboyedov with merciless realism.