The characterization of Molchalin in many ways helps to reveal the image of the "past century". The character seeks to please all those in the highest circles. We invite you to familiarize yourself with brief description image of Molchalin according to the plan with quotes.
Position in society
Alexei Stepanovich Molchalin - Famusov's secretary. The hero works at Pavel Afanasyevich's house, having arrived to him from Tver. At the same time, Molchalin is listed in the Archives, where he got thanks to Famusov, who appreciates the helpfulness of the character. Despite the fact that Famusov is promoting Molchalin up the career ladder, he does not want Alexei Stepanovich to become the fiancé of his daughter Sophia, because Molchalin is not a rich and "rootless" person.
Ability to serve
The most striking feature of Molchalin is his desire to serve all people who occupy a high position in society. He understands that only flattery and pretense can help him move up the social ladder. Thanks to his main quality, Molchalin manages to receive ranks, as a result of which he achieved the status of a nobleman.
In the work, Chatsky correctly notes that Molchalin "will reach the known levels, because now they love the dumb." The protagonist, having seen the real essence of Molchalin, I am sure of the following: "The Molchalins are blissful in the world."
An analysis of this phrase suggests that Molchalin (“Woe from Wit”) is a generalized image that personifies the society of A. S. Griboedov’s time. Chatsky, talking about Molchalin, says this: "A husband-boy, a husband-servant, from the wife's pages - the high ideal of all Moscow men." It is Molchalin who becomes Sophia's ideal.
The main principle by which Molchalin lives is in his phrase "In my years, one should not dare to have one's own judgment." The hero understands that he must please people and humiliate himself in front of them in order to be noticed. The desire to "serve" Molchalin became the reason for the desire to get a high rank and a good position in society.
The hero is addicted public opinion. Molchalin is silent, speaks only to compliment or praise a person from higher circles. AS Griboyedov does not accidentally resort to the reception of speaking surnames. The character, confident that "evil tongues are worse than a gun," seeks to reveal his essence as little as possible, because then others will be able to understand his true intentions, and he wants to get the ranks as soon as possible. For this, as Chatsky notes, Molchalin is ready to “pat the pug in time” and “rub the card at the right time.” The protagonist evaluates this quality of Molchalin as stupidity and frivolity.
For the sake of his own career advancement, Molchalin, who, according to Chatsky, "was lured by honors and nobility," builds a love relationship with Famusov's daughter Sophia. The hero does not have a real feeling of love for her. He only thinks that a possible marriage with the daughter of a famous person in society will help him realize his plans. And if Molchalin behaves with Sophia the way she should behave in her ideas a real man, then with the maid Lisa, as she herself notes, Molchalin is a rake. With Liza, the hero is persistent and bold. This shows the duplicity of the character, his ability to appearance polite and humble person hide passionate feelings and cheeky behavior. The maid evaluates Molchalin negatively, comparing him with stone and ice.
Positive features
It should be noted that in the comedy "Woe from Wit" the characters are not strictly divided into negative and positive. All characters are double rated. The positive traits of the hero are his shyness and modesty. Molchalin does not speak badly about someone, he does not show his disdain for the people around him, as other representatives of the "past century" do. Molchalin independently achieves his own goals, despite the fact that these paths are impudent and dishonorable. The hero is distinguished by his politeness and patience. Molchalin is difficult to lead to a scandal or any kind of conflict. This calmness caused Sophia's sympathy for the hero. She characterizes the hero as follows: "yielding, modest, quiet." Sofya calls Molchalin "an enemy of insolence." She is attracted by the fact that Molchalin has become a true friend of the entire Famusov house. Sofya is sincerely in love with Alexei Stepanovich, not noticing his negative traits. The text of the work shows that only when Sophia saw Molchalin's attraction to Lisa, she realized that he was a real scoundrel.
Among the heroes of "Woe from Wit" (see summary, analysis and full text), Famusov stands on the top rungs of the service and social ladder. Molchalin, being on the lower steps of the same ladder, tries to climb it, following the principles and rules of life of his boss. The servility and obsequiousness common in Famus society were instilled in him from childhood:
"My father bequeathed to me,
Molchalin says,
First, to please all people without exception;
The owner, where he happens to 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 little dog; and although Khlestova treats him very condescendingly (“Molchalin, here is your closet!”), however, she allows him to lead arm in arm, plays cards with him, calls “my friend”, “dear”, and probably will not refuse him in protection when he needs it. Molchalin is sure that he is on the right track and advises Chatsky to go "to Tatyana Yuryevna", since, according to him, "we often find patronage there, where we do not aim."
Woe from the mind. Performance by the Maly Theatre, 1977
Molchalin himself recognizes two “talents” in himself: “moderation” and “accuracy”, and there is no doubt that with such properties “he will reach known degrees,” as Chatsky notes, adding: “because now they love the dumb.” Molchalin is indeed wordless, since he not only does not express, but does not even have his own opinion, it is not for nothing that Griboyedov called him “Molchalin”:
"In my summers one should not dare
Have your own opinion,
he says. Why take the risk of “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”? 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 meanly crawls on his knees in front of Sophia, begging for her forgiveness, and immediately after that he hurries to hide from Famusov's wrath, like a real coward. The miserable type of Molchalin is depicted by Griboyedov with merciless realism.
The epithets that are awarded to Alexei Molchalin are a flatterer, a toady and a heartless rogue. The anti-hero of the comedy "Woe from Wit" appears to readers as a truly grotesque figure, the description of which is full of sarcastic clichés. And according to the law of the genre, an unpleasant type who stole the heart of a naive girl will be exposed. Alas, such a plot is most often possible only in plays.
History of creation
Molchalin is a colorful and vibrant character, with the help of which he denounced a typical secular society from the time of serfdom. The writer created the first drafts of the comedy Woe from Wit back in 1820.
The results of the work, which lasted for four years, did not satisfy the author. In 1824, Griboedov, during the editing of the resulting work, partially rewrites the character of Molchalin. The writer adds final scenes to the comedy, thereby exposing the secretary to the rest of the characters.
The first attempts to publish Woe from Wit took place in December of the same year. Alas, censorship softened the replicas of the heroes, smoothing over the acute social issues that Griboyedov raised. For example, Molchalin's phrase "After all, one must depend on others" was replaced with "After all, one must keep others in mind."
The comedy, not burdened by the censor's corrections, was released to the press only in 1831, while the play was specially translated into German. The Russian-language version of the poetic work appeared in Moscow in 1833.
Critical remarks about the play mainly touched upon the confrontation and Molchalin. Despite numerous censures from the secretary, life values of the hero are understandable and correspond to the spirit of the times. This is subtly noted:
“Chatsky says about Molchalin that he used to be so stupid that he is the most miserable creature. Molchalin made it his rule: moderation and accuracy. Let's ask: what is stupid and funny here?
"Woe from Wit"
The plot of Alexander Griboyedov's comedy develops on the territory of the landowner's estate. The economy of an elderly person has long been established, a secretary, whose full name is Alexei Stepanovich Molchalin, helps the man in working moments.
The man lives in the house of the employer, so he easily strikes up a relationship with Sofia Famusova. Young people spend a lot of time alone, talking on personal topics. Molchalin's biography undergoes drastic changes when Chatsky returns to his homeland.
Men from the first minutes disliked each other. Chatsky intends to understand the reasons for the strange behavior of his beloved. Molchalin is scared that the secret romance will be revealed. The secretary does not want to lose a profitable position, but the opportunity to become the son-in-law of a wealthy aristocrat is too tempting.
The girl herself has long lost interest in Chatsky and can hardly restrain herself so as not to reveal her secret. When Molchalin falls from a horse, the younger Famusova cannot cope with her emotions. People around begin to suspect that there is a secret connection between the characters.
Having ridiculed the views of the secretary on life, Chatsky incurs the wrath of the girl. Human relationships are surrounded by gossip, intrigue and class prejudice. Molchalin's well-fed life ends at the moment when, succumbing to feelings, the secretary opens his hands and confesses his insidious plans to the maid Lisa.
Sophia herself and an angry Chatsky hear an intimate conversation and unpleasant statements. In this moment social problems Russian officials and love drama are mixed together. Molchalin is expelled from a rich house, and his rival bitterly concludes:
"The silent ones are blissful in the world!"
Image and character
The debate about whether Molchalin is pathetic or terrible does not subside among connoisseurs of classical literature. The quotation of the character will put everything in its place, because Griboyedov expressed his attitude towards the character through the remarks of Molchalin himself and the people around him.
The comedy hero grew up in Tver and moved to Moscow already in adulthood. The young man is poor, grew up in a bourgeois family. His father also worked in the service, so Molchalin from childhood was used to kowtow to the powers that be:
“My father bequeathed to me: firstly, to please all people without exception - the owner, where I happen to live, the boss with whom I will serve.”
The secretary follows the precepts of his father, so he settles in Famusov's house with ease and comfort. Officially, the young man is listed in the "archives", but in fact, he performs the duties of a personal assistant to the landowner. During the service, the man managed to receive three awards, which Molchalin is boastfully proud of.
Illustration for the comedy "Woe from Wit" Partially, the characteristic of the secretary is revealed through the appearance of the character. An attractive young man has a slim figure. A man dresses neatly and watches his own manners:
“Helpful, modest, there is a blush in his face ...”
The costume is for Alexei Stepanovich a kind of way to achieve his own goals in life. A modest frock coat, a colored vest and light-coloured pantaloons help Molchalin to move up the career ladder. After all, the status of a creeping servant allows you to achieve a promotion faster. Yes and quiet young man it is easier to achieve the favor of the boss's daughter.
The image of a modest and reserved person is exploited by Griboedov even through the name of the hero. This is how Chatsky thinks about the unpleasant hero:
“Have you not yet broken the silence of the press?<...>But by the way, he will reach certain degrees, because now they love the dumb.
New aspects of Molchalin's character are revealed in the context of the secretary's relationship with women. Ambition forces a man to look after Sophia, while Alexei is interested in the maid Liza. The hero is not embarrassed that such actions are a sign of hypocrisy and duplicity. Indeed, in the struggle between the aristocracy and bureaucracy, any methods are good.
Misbehavior has consequences for a fluid and quirky person. Aleksey Stepanovich was caught red-handed, and various subterfuges will not save the bureaucrat. However, even after excommunication from a rich house, Molchalin will easily arrange his own life, because, as he wrote:
"Molchalin is devilishly smart when it comes to his personal gain."
Screen adaptations
In 2000, a video version of "Woe from Wit" was released, directed by. The play was included in the 5 most expensive stage projects in Moscow. The image of Molchalin was embodied by the actor.
Quotes
“Often there we find patronage, where we don’t aim.”
"This frankness would not harm us."
"What would you not do to please the daughter of such a man."
“Ah, evil tongues are worse than a gun!”
"I dare not pronounce my judgment."