But Famusov’s “rootless” secretary, Molchalin, is accepted as one of his own in this world. In his person, Griboyedov created an exceptionally expressive generalized image of a scoundrel and a cynic, a “low-worshipper and a businessman,” still a petty scoundrel who, however, will be able to reach “known degrees.”
Creating the character of Molchalin, Griboyedov showed the corrupting influence of serfdom-bureaucratic morality on the development and behavior of a person dependent on the “Famus” society. Molchalin became a common noun for vulgarity and lackeyness. Characteristics Molchalina: desire for a career, ability to curry favor, hypocrisy, reticence, fear of expressing one’s opinions. He is sincerely perplexed how in small ranks “you can dare to have your own opinion.” When he commits a vile act, he does not even understand that it is vile. Molchalin became a symbol of slavish silence. Using the example of Molchalin, one can trace the desire of Famus society for personal gain. He is the embodiment of servility, hypocrisy, and meanness. He lives according to the principles of his father, who bequeathed to him:
First, please all people without exception -
The owner, where he will live,
The boss with whom I will serve,
To his servant who cleans dresses,
Doorman, janitor, to avoid evil,
To the janitor's dog, so that it is affectionate.
He flatters and pleases everyone opportunity to everyone who might ever be useful to him. The “servant” instinct tells Molchalin exactly what line of behavior to choose with this or that person. With Famusov he is extremely careful, when communicating with the old woman Khlestova, he takes the initiative: he makes a party for her and strokes her pug. Only for the sake of profit, Molchalin pretends to be in love with Sophia, because she is the daughter of his boss, and her location can be very useful.
He appears before the viewer at the very beginning of the play, when Famusov finds them in the living room. For fear of being caught love relationships with Sophia he does not dare to open his mouth. Sophia alone speaks and invents various fables to divert her father’s attention from Molchalin. And the one who “filled his mouth with water” can only say:
With papers, sir.
I only carried them for the report,
What cannot be used without certificates, without others,
There are contradictions, and many things are not useful.
But his tone and behavior changes dramatically as soon as he is left alone with the maid Lisa. Here he blossoms at the moment, jumps in front of her, tries to hug her, seduces her with gifts, confesses his love and, most importantly, with her he is as he really is, because Lisa seems to him his equal, his own person. With her he is frank in his thoughts and meanness, in front of her he reveals his “game”, because he perceives it as his own. Therefore, when asked by Liza whether he loves the young lady, he honestly answers that “by virtue of his position”...
Meanwhile, Chatsky is trying to understand what brought Sophia to Molchalin, “what kind of sorcery this helpful man, who is “always on tiptoe and not rich in words,” was able to get into her heart.” Chatsky’s noble mind cannot come to terms with Sophia’s affection for Molchalin. He cannot understand how one can love a nonentity, and in the approaching twilight before the ball, he questions Sophia and tries to rediscover Molchalin. He feels the gap between his feelings and concepts and their rapprochement taking place before his eyes. He feels on the verge of disaster:
But is he worth you? Here's one question for you.
To make me more indifferent to the loss...
Let me make sure: then
I can guard against madness;
Don't think about love...
Wanting to bring Chatsky to reason, Sophia lists Molchalin’s virtues that will make Chatsky say: “He’s being naughty, she doesn’t love him.” And in fact, how can Chatsky count among his virtues the fact that Molchalin will “disarm” Famusov with silence, “he won’t set foot outside the threshold of the old people... he’ll sit with them all day, he’ll be happy, he’ll play.” And at the end of the conversation, Sophia’s love for Molchalin remains a “mystery” for Chatsky.
And in the evening, under the pressure of Chatsky’s questions, Molchalin began to talk, became so conversational that he discovered his principles of life, among which in the first place are “moderation and accuracy,” and further: “after all, one must depend on others”:
Tatyana Yurievna!!!
Famous, at the same time
Officials and officials -
All her friends and all her relatives;
... often there
We find protection where we do not seek it.
Well, really, why would you serve with us in Moscow?
And take awards and have fun?
Here is Foma Fomich himself, is he familiar to you?
Three ministers had a department head.
Moved here...
... its syllable is used as a model here!
I don’t dare pronounce my judgment.
At my age I shouldn't dare
Have your own judgment.
After all, you have to depend on others.
Chatsky is surprised: “Why is it necessary?” To which Molchalin can only answer: “We are small in rank.” In this conversation, Molchalin takes Chatsky’s sad irony as the annoyance of a loser and begins to open up “paths of salvation” to him. Chatsky is irritated by this condescending tone of his, he becomes harsh and contrasts Molchalin’s humility, the most convenient form of advancement to “honor and nobility” in aristocratic Moscow, with his program of independence, freedom and sincerity: “Why are other people’s opinions only sacred?”, “I am stupid.” not a reader,” “When in business, I hide from fun, when I’m fooling around, I’m fooling around.” After this conversation, it becomes clear to Chatsky who is standing in front of him, and he exclaims with a grin:
With such feelings, with such a soul
We love you!.. The liar laughed at me!
In fact, he opposes Molchalin, relying on that sense of his own human dignity, which in commoners was then developed immeasurably less than in those who had six hundred years of nobility behind them. Molchalin is entirely focused on covering up his rootlessness with a career as quickly as possible, and forgetting about this rootlessness himself. And it is not for his rootlessness that Chatsky completely despises him. The human norm, as it was revealed to the Enlightenment consciousness, actually turned out to be realized in much to a greater extent in Chatsky than in Molchalin.
In the third act, at a reception in Famusov's living room, Chatsky tries to last time open Sophia's eyes to the image of Molchalin. Now, after talking with him, he knows how much different true face Molchalina from the hero of Sophia's dreams. And Chatsky tries to tell her about this:
Molchalin! - Who else will settle everything so peacefully!
There he will pet the pug in time!
It's time to rub the card in!
Zagoretsky will not die in it!
But no words can open the dreamer’s eyes, because she is a child of the society where she lives. And only in the fourth act does Sophia understand, having gone through shame, how wrong she was in Molchalin. In the “scene on the stairs” Sophia and Chatsky give a moral assessment of this character. “Don’t be mean, stand up,” he hears from Sophia. "Scoundrel!" - exclaims Chatsky, who, like her, became a witness to the secretary’s confession to the maid Lisa. At the time when the comedy was created, the word “meanness” still retained the connotation of its original meaning. For a long time in Rus', people who were near the master were called “vile” (serfs were also included in the “vile” class). In the 19th century, the word “scoundrel” was already offensive and meant a person’s dishonesty and his willingness to endure humiliation. All shades of this word suit Molchalin. He is dishonest, capable of humiliating himself, but most importantly, he is always near someone.
After the scene in the entryway, Molchalin cannot remain the same Molchalin. The mask is pulled off, he is recognized, and like a caught thief, he has to hide in a corner.
The playwright allows some grotesqueness in the depiction of individual characters in order to highlight the prevailing character traits, but this does not make the images simplified or straightforward, but gives them greater artistry. All of them are inextricably linked with social environment and generated by it. Therefore, no matter how low and insignificant Molchalin is, he evokes not only disgust, but also sympathy: the hero inherited his father’s philosophy of life and purposefully follows it. Molchalin moves among the Moscow nobility, hears Famusov’s rantings, calling for groveling before strongmen of the world this. This strengthens his belief in the correctness of the inherited system of life values.
Griboedov, in his comedy “Woe from Wit”, created many characteristic characters. These images remain relevant today. One of these heroes is Molchalin. He is the brightest representative of people who live in our time. Let's take a closer look at his character.
Molchalin is a poor young man originally from Tver, whom Famusov took into his service and gave the rank of collegiate assessor.
We can assume that Molchalin is a rootless man, probably from a family of philistines. Famusov says this about him: “He warmed up Bezrodny and brought him into my family.”
I believe that Molchalin can be described as a cowardly and low person. The most noticeable trait of his character is his silence - which is immediately evident from his last name. (“He is silent when he is scolded,” “Not a free word, and so the whole night passes.”) He never expresses his own opinion; in communication he prefers short, choppy phrases. “At my age I shouldn’t dare to have my own opinion,” says Molchalin. He seems to be afraid of not pleasing his interlocutor with his remarks.
Molchalin lives by the principle bequeathed to him by his father: “to please all people without exception.” His helpfulness goes beyond the boundaries allowed by morality. We see a sharp contrast to this method of communication in Molchalin’s dialogue with Liza. He accepts her as “his own”, so he is not afraid to openly express his opinion, to say what he thinks. He tells her about his frivolous intentions in his relationship with Sophia, claims that he loves her only “by position.” He admits that he is using Sophia for his own benefit. This describes him as a vicious, cowardly person who, trying to get out among people, makes his way through silent lies and helpfulness. We learn about most of Molchalin’s qualities from the remarks of other heroes. At first, Sophia describes him as an excellent spiritual organization of a person: “Molchalin is ready to forget himself for others,” “The enemy of insolence, always shyly, timidly...”. Her words clearly show how much she loves him. Chatsky, on the contrary, treats Molchalin with the deepest contempt. He openly doubts his abilities and does not believe that he can achieve anything. Chatsky considers Molchalin a fool, a “most pitiful creature”, incapable of any conscious action. But afterwards Chatsky realizes that this is just Molchalin’s mask, that in fact he is a cunning and unprincipled person who knows how to achieve his goals. Chatsky says that Molchalin “will reach the famous levels, because nowadays they love the dumb.” Molchalin also treats other heroes of the comedy differently. With people above him in rank he is helpful, he does not dare to say extra words. With Chatsky, he allows himself not only to express his opinion, but also to give him advice. After all, Chatsky is not only the same age as Molchalin, but also has no ranks. Therefore, Molchalin sees no reason for his usual helpfulness in the presence of Chatsky. The attitude of other heroes towards Molchalin and his attitude towards them characterizes him as an immoral person who sees in others only ranks and titles, not taking into account the soul of a person.
Thus, Griboyedov created a negative, but interesting to study, image in his comedy. Such silent liars exist in modern society. And it is the duty of every person to eradicate in himself all those qualities that are in him, to develop in himself all that is good, bright, and not base and false. Everyone should try not to be Silent.
Updated: 2017-02-08
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In Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" the main opposing array of events occurs in the images of Chatsky and Famusov. Rest acting characters help reveal the true state of affairs and the depth of the conflict.
Origin and occupation
One of these characters, with the help of which the tragedy of what is happening is enhanced, is the image of Alexei Stepanovich Molchalin.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with Famusov’s characteristics
Molchalin does not belong to the aristocracy - he is a man of ignoble origin, but thanks to his service, he has access to high society.
Alexey Stepanovich has not yet managed to rise to significant heights - he currently only holds the position of Famusov’s secretary, but he holds out hope for a quick promotion career ladder, which arouses Famusov’s special love.
Pavel Afanasyevich allocated a room in his house for Molchalin, although it is difficult to call it a full-fledged room: it is most likely a small closet, but Molchalin, deprived of fate, is quite happy with this.
Alexey Stepanovich has been working as Famusov’s personal secretary for three years now, however, he is registered in a completely different position - based on official data, Molchalin works in the archives department, but in practice this is a fictitious thing, he is just listed there. However, not without benefit for himself - during such service he received three awards.
Of course, this was Famusov’s exceptional work. This situation is also beneficial to Famusov and allowed him to get out of a difficult situation - he provided himself with a good secretary and, moreover, he had to pay out of his own pocket.
The text mentions Molchalin's rootlessness, but there is no exact explanation. Based on this, several assumptions can be made regarding the essence of such a statement. The first is that Molchalin is a man of simple origin, the second is that he is an orphan, that is, a person without a family.
Symbolism of the surname
The image of Molchalin carries symbolic features. This is primarily due to his last name. It is based on the verb “to remain silent.” And indeed this word is accurate display essence of Molchalin. He is Famusov's silent and faceless servant. Even his step is devoid of any sounds. It seems that he wants to be as unnoticed and quiet as possible.
From time to time, Alexey Stepanovich moves on tiptoe so as not to disturb his household. This behavior of his is one of the ways to achieve his life goal.
Purpose of life
While most aristocrats are devoid of purpose in life and lazily live their lives without filling it with any meaning, Molchalin’s life has a pronounced character. His goal is to succeed and achieve significant achievements in life. Achievements in the eyes of Molchalin are in no way connected with improving the lives of ordinary, ignoble people or promoting the development of morality of the aristocracy. Highest goal Alexey Stepanovich - to become a full-fledged representative high society.
Molchalin is ready to die for the next promotion, so he serves Famusov with all his might - it is Pavel Afanasyevich who can help him achieve this goal. And Molchalin had already overcome the first step on this steep ladder - thanks to his ability to suck up and please the Famusovs, he was given the rank of collegiate assessor. Thus, Alexey Stepanovich turned from a commoner into a poor nobleman. Molchalin found a special charm in the fact that his rank tended to be inherited.
Molchalin and Sofya Famusova
You can further improve your position in society through a profitable marriage. For this, girls needed to have a charming figure and an equally charming face. In the case of the male half of society, it was enough to have a helpful character. It is the ability to serve well that becomes the criterion for favor. Despite his low origins and financial insolvency, in the eyes of Famusov, Alexei Stepanovich looks like a more attractive son-in-law than the noble aristocrat Chatsky. The fact is that Pavel Afanasyevich believes that such wealth and diligence, which Molchalin possesses, will be able to compensate for his origin and achieve advantageous position in society. To achieve a final advantage over other young people, Molchalin can only accumulate significant capital or start attacking Famusov from another front - if Sonya falls in love with Alexei Stepanovich, then she will be able to convince her father to make a decision in his favor.
Alexey Stepanovich accelerates this process by beginning to show interest in Famusov’s daughter, Sophia.
Relationships between young people are in the best traditions platonic love– Molchalin does not allow anything unnecessary towards the girl.
Thus, he demonstrates his respectful attitude towards Sophia and the seriousness of his intentions. In addition, such behavior contributes to achieving his goal with marriage - Molchalin does not need to possess Sonya, he needs to become her husband, so debauchery is an unacceptable thing for him.
We propose to compare the monologues of Chatsky and Famusov in A. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”.
In communicating with Sophia, Alexey Stepanovich adheres to the same principle as with her father - he pleases her all the time. Naturally, Molchalin’s behavior differs sharply from the behavior of other aristocrats towards her. Young people noble birth they are not ready to grovel before Sonya the way Molchalin does, which is why they do not arouse such interest in her.
To some extent, Famusova’s attachment to Molchalin was caused by the lack of proper candidates - after Chatsky’s departure, the girl chooses the least evil from the remaining ones. At the time of the emergence of attachment and the beginning of communication, Sonya did not experience enthusiasm and love attraction for Molchalin, her act could be regarded as revenge on Chatsky, but as a result, such an act did not bring the desired effect, Sonya eventually got used to Molchalin’s oddities and began to perceive them as ordinary things . In Molchalin, Sonya has found a wonderful “living toy”; he not only treats her with adoration (which, as it turned out, was feigned), but is also ready to fulfill any of her desires.
Chatsky and Molchalin
The conflict between Chatsky and Molchalin was a priori predetermined - an honest and noble aristocrat cannot understand and accept the position of Famusov and his society, Alexey Stepanovich, who is not only dependent on Famusov, but also strives to become like them, could become an excellent opponent to Chatsky , if he had more persistence and individuality, however, since Alexey Stepanovich is used to being a silent observer and never revealing his attitude to certain situations, there is no heated discussion between the characters.
In addition, the insightful Chatsky notices Alexei Stepanovich’s strange attitude towards Sonya Famusova. Over time, he discovers Molchalin's true attitude towards the girl and his ghostly love. Chatsky is amazed by Molchalin’s double standards - on the one hand, he is ready to flatter immensely, but, on the other hand, he immediately does not neglect to publicly announce his disdain and even disgust for those whom he idolized just a couple of minutes ago.
Attempts to open the eyes of others to the fallacy of their opinions do not lead to anything good - it is more flattering for others to perceive their superiority than to realize that all the respect towards them was a farce.
Molchalin and Lisa
No matter how two-faced Molchalin may be, he still sometimes reveals his true feelings and intentions. This state of affairs is not exposed in discussions or small talk (since he tries in advance not to take part in them).
So, for example, Alexei Stepanovich develops a feeling of affection and love towards the maid in Famusov’s house, Lisa. The hero of the story is faced with a choice - to play his role as Sonya's lover to the end or to confess his feelings to Lisa.
Unfortunately, how dishonest man Molchalin is not limited to this state of affairs and takes care of two girls at once.
Thus, Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin - classic version a character playing a double game. This trend continues in the case of Molchalin in all types of activities. He is hypocritical towards Famusov and plays with Sonya’s feelings.
Alexei Stepanovich is characterized by resigned and silent servility. For the sake of moving up the social ladder, he is ready to do even the most immoral acts. The image of Molchalin has become a household name and is used in relation to the dishonest, hypocritical person.
Characteristics of Molchalin in the comedy “Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov, description of the character of the hero
The work “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboyedov belongs to the comedy genre, the events took place at the beginning of the 19th century, in it the author showed images of Moscow nobles. The main theme of the work can be identified as confrontation this century and the past, hard shift old ideals to new ones. On the side of the last century there was a significant number of people in comedy, one of them was a young nobleman who did not yet have any ranks of Molchalin. His task was to serve influential people.
Molchalin himself was a poor nobleman, born in Tver. In the comedy, he lived in Famusov’s house, who in turn took Molchalin as his secretary. Molchalin falls in love with Famusov's daughter and secretly meets with her. Famusov is an opponent of such relationships, because he believes that his daughter needs an influential husband with ranks. Although Molchalin does not meet these requirements, he has another quality that was appreciated by the inhabitants Famusovsky house. He tried his best to serve in every possible way, and this is what attracted attention. That is why he managed to get the position of secretary, where important business qualities, not honor.
In the work "Woe from Wit" the image of the protagonist can be called the standard behavior of a young nobleman surrounded by him. We see how he tries to serve, and if necessary, even humiliate himself in front of the influential guests of Famusov’s house, all this goes with the expectation that they can be useful in life and further service. Molchalin even took it for granted to praise the fur of Khlestova’s dog. To describe the hero, a quote is suitable that says that while “we are small in rank,” “we must depend on others.” He believes that while you are young, you don’t have to have your own opinion.
Famus society was famous for its boasting trait; at every opportunity it was common to praise new successes, and Molchalin was the same. He was frequent guest Princess Tatyana Yuryevna. Although in character and behavior Molchalin was the same as everyone else in society, although he agreed with everyone and supported ideas, this did not stop him from resorting to meanness. For example, his love for Sophia was only a fiction and he did it for his own benefit. In fact, he opens up sincerely when communicating with the maid Lisa, whom he liked. And then another character is revealed to the reader, you see that there is duplicity in him, which means such a person is dangerous.
There is not a drop of respect or warmth in his soul and heart for Sophia. He takes a great risk when he begins to secretly see Famusov’s daughter, because he was constantly in a state of fear that they would be noticed. This expresses cowardice. For Molchalin, an important role was played by the fact that he was worried about the opinions of others, and he was also afraid of what others would think of him. This meanness and deceit of his destroys him, because he begins to harm those with whom he has been surrounded for a long time. He remembered the words of his father, which said to please everyone without exception, which Molchalin followed. Based on this, we can draw a conclusion about the hero’s attitude to the description of the ideal last century, despite the fact that he is still young.
The author showed Molchalin as a worthy continuation and example of conservative nobles. Such a society is characterized by the fact that for them rank and money come first; these two categories allow them to evaluate others. As already mentioned, Molchalin was cunning and two-faced, these are the two main qualities that describe the hero.
Griboyedov touched upon a problem in his comedy that is still relevant today. After all, many cases are known when there were the same people who did not see anything in their way and were ready to go through everything for the sake of their goals. This topic will be relevant as long as there are people among us with the same values as Molchalin and his society.
Essay on the topic Molchalin
The comedy "Woe from Wit", written by Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov in the period from 1822 to 1824, tells the story of secular society and life of those times. One of the central characters of the work is Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin, a man from common people seeking career growth.
Molchalin seems to be a decent young man, distinguished by his kindness and modesty. But in fact, all these qualities are just a mask that the hero uses to achieve his goals. His dream is a career, high rank and wealth. Respect among high society is the limit of his happiness. There are many in various ways to achieve these goals. But Molchalin chooses the fastest and most negative one. He takes steps towards his dream with the help of flattery, hypocrisy and duplicity. He does it so subtly and imperceptibly that many may envy.
The hero worked as a secretary for Famusov, a rich and respected man. He did all the work conscientiously, spoke kindly and carefully, which is why Famusov liked him. He treated his master's daughter, Sophia, even better and even dared to play a lover young man. Naturally, no high feelings He doesn’t feel that way towards the girl. On the contrary, he despises her and establishes relationships solely for his own benefit. Once, having offended a girl, he throws himself at her feet. The reason for this was far from repentance, but the fear of losing the trust of his master Famusov. Another person who was lucky enough to hear lies from Molchalin was Khlestova. He kindly played cards with her and complimented her dog. In fact, people are very pleased with such behavior towards them. Molchalin showed hypocrisy and helpfulness towards everyone living in the house: from servants to management. This was the hero's plan, which he strictly adhered to.
Thus, Molchalin in Griboedov’s comedy is negative character. The reader cannot see any positive traits hero, but sees only hypocrisy and the desire to achieve a dubious goal through dirty means. With the help of this character, the author reveals a serious problem that still exists today. People who do not strive for anything high, but for fame and money, are ready to go over their heads and put on a mask of sincerity. Usually, having achieved their goals, such people live unhappy and lonely.
Option 3
In his comedy "Woe from Wit" Griboyedov talks about the nobles of Moscow in the 19th century, it was then that society split into conservatives and those who were impressed by the ideas of the Decembrists. The main idea of the work is the contrast between the present century and the past century, the replacement of outdated ideals of the nobles with completely new ones.
Present in comedy huge amount supporters of old ideals. Admirers of the old principles are weighty and significant people in society, such as the landowner Famusov, Colonel Skalozub, and the younger generation, who are simply forced to serve the “old men,” also serve the old nobles. Molchalin is one of these young people who is forced to serve the old nobles with their orders.
Molchalin himself is a poor nobleman, born in Tver, he lives in the house of Famusov, who gave him the rank of assistant and hired him as a secretary. Molchalin is also the lover of Famusov’s daughter, but Famusov himself does not know about this. The father does not want to have a son-in-law like Molchalin, because in Moscow it is customary to have rich relatives. Famusov appreciates in people the desire to serve him, and this is how Molchalin, with the help of his helpfulness, receives such positions.
In this play, the image of Molchalin very accurately corresponds to the nature of the command of a young, fragile nobleman in an influential society. Molchalin tries to curry favor with the distinguished guests in Famusov’s house as much as possible, because they can be useful for his future career growth. The young nobleman has sunk to the point where he begins to praise the fur of Khlestova’s dog. He believes that lower-ranking nobles should thus earn respect from their elders.
He, like all the characters in this comedy, considers it his duty to brag and be proud of his successes in career advancement. Molchalin is excellent at establishing connections with the people he needs, who can help him in his career. Molchalin brings enormous damage to the society in which he is located. He also deceives Famusov’s daughter, because he is courting her only for the sake of service to her father. He is the kind of person who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and is capable of causing enormous damage to the society in which he is located.
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 dumb, since he not only does not express, but does not even have his own opinion - it is not for nothing that 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 hurries to hide from Famusov’s anger, like a real coward. The pathetic type of Molchalin is depicted by Griboyedov with merciless realism.