“Thunderstorm” Ostrovsky in brief
Events take place in the first half of the 19th century, in the fictional Kalinove town of Volga. The first action is in a public garden on the high bank of the Volga. A local self-taught mechanic, Kuligin, talks with young people – Kudryash, the clerk of the rich merchant Dikoy, and the philistine Shapkin – about the crude antics and tyranny of the Wild. Then Boris appears, nephew of Wild, who, in response to questions from Kuligin, tells that his parents lived in Moscow, gave him an education in the Commercial Academy, and both died during the epidemic. He came to Dikoy, leaving his sister with his maternal relatives to receive a part of the grandmother’s legacy, which Dikoy should give him according to the will, if Boris would be respectful to him. Everyone assures him: on such terms, Dikoi will never give him money. Boris complains to Kuligin that he can not get used to living in the house of the Wild,
Kalinovtsy diverge. Together with another woman appears
The second action taking place in the Kabanovs’ house begins with Feklusi’s conversation with the maid Glasha. The wanderer asks about the domestic affairs of the Kabanovs and broadcasts fabulous tales of distant countries where people with bushy heads “for infidelity”, etc. Appeared Katerina and Varvara, who collect Tikhon on the road, continue the conversation about Katerina’s passion, Varvara names Boris’s name, reports from him a bow and persuades Katerina to sleep with her in the gazebo in the garden after Tikhon’s departure. Kabanikh and Tikhon come out, the mother tells her son to severely punish his wife, how to live without him, Katerina is humiliated by these formal punishments. But, left alone with her husband, she begs him to take her on a trip, after his refusal tries to give him terrible oaths of loyalty, but Tikhon does not want to listen to them: “Does it matter what comes to your mind…” Return Kabaniha orders Catherine to bow to her husband’s feet. Tikhon leaves. Varvara, walking away, tells Katerina that they will sleep in the garden, and gives her the key to the gate. Katherine does not want to take it, then, hesitating, she hides in her pocket.
The next action takes place on the bench at the gates of the caban’s house. Feklush and Kabanikha talk about “the last times”, Feklusha says that “for our sins” “time has come to belittle,” talks about the railway, about the hectic Moscow life as a diabolical obsession. Both are waiting for even worse times. Appears Wild with complaints about his family, Kabaniha reproaches him for disorderly behavior, he tries to be rude to her, but she quickly suppresses it and takes him to the house to drink and have a snack. While Wild treats, comes the family sent by Wild Boris, to find out where the head of the family. Having completed the assignment, he exclaims with anguish about Katerina: “If only one eye to look at it!” Returning Varvara orders him to come to the gate at night in a ravine beyond the kabanovsky garden.
The second scene represents a night outing for the youth, Barbara goes out to see Curlyard and tells Boris to wait – “you’ll wait for something.” There is a meeting between Katerina and Boris. After hesitation, thoughts about the sin of Katerina can not resist the awakened love. “No one is to blame, no one is guilty, – for that matter, do not be sorry, ruin me, let everyone know, let everyone see what I’m doing.” If I’m not afraid for you, will I be afraid of a human trial? “
All the fourth action that takes place on the streets of Kalinova – on the gallery of a dilapidated building with the remains of a fresco representing the Gehenna fire, and on the boulevard – goes against the background of a gathering and finally thunderstorm. It begins to rain, and the gallery includes Dikoi and Kuligin, who is taken to persuade the Wild to give money to install a sundial on the boulevard. In response, the Wild one scolded him in every possible way and even threatened to declare him a robber. Struggling abuse, Kuligin begins to ask for money on the lightning rod. At this point Wild assures confidently that from a sent to the punishment of thunderstorms “with the sixth and rozhnami some, forgive God, defend” sin. The scene is empty, then the gallery meets Varvara and Boris. She reports on the return of Tikhon, the tears of Katerina, the suspicions of Kabaniha and expresses the fear that Katerina confesses her husband’s treason. Boris begs to dissuade Katerina from recognition and disappears. The remaining Kabanovs enter. Katerina awaits with horror that she, who does not repent of sin, will be killed by lightning, a crazy lady appears, threatening infernal flames, Katerina can no longer hold fast and publicly confesses to her husband and mother-in-law that she was “walking” with Boris. Kabanikha maliciously declares: “What, sonny, Where is the will-then leads, Here and waited!”
The last action is again on the high bank of the Volga. Tikhon complains to Kuligin on his family grief, to the fact that his mother speaks of Katerina: “She must be baptized alive in the ground, so that she will be executed!” “And I love her, I’m sorry to touch her with a finger.” Kuligin advises to forgive Katerina, but Tikhon explains that under Kabanikh this is impossible. Not without pity he says about Boris, whom his uncle sends to Kyakhta. Maid Glasha enters and informs that Katerina has disappeared from the house. Tikhon is afraid, as if “she did not put her hands on herself!”, And together with Glasha and Kuligin goes to look for his wife.
Catherine appears, she complains about her desperate situation in the house, and most importantly – the terrible longing for Boris. Her monologue ends with a passionate spell: “My joy! My life, my soul, I love you, respond!” Boris comes in. She asks him to take her with him to Siberia, but realizes that Boris’s refusal is caused by a really complete impossibility to leave with her. She blesses him on the road, complains of the oppressive life in the house, of disgust for her husband. Forever saying goodbye to Boris, Katerina begins alone to dream of death, a grave with flowers and birds that “will fly on a tree, sing, children will be led.” “Again to live?” she exclaims with horror. Approaching the precipice, she says goodbye to Boris, who has left: “My friend, my joy! Farewell!” and leaves.
The scene is filled with a troubled people, in the crowd and Tikhon with his mother. A scream is heard behind the stage: “A woman ran into the water!” Tikhon rushes to run to her, but his mother does not let him in with the words: “I’ll curse if you go!” Tikhon falls to his knees. After a while, Kuligin brings in Catherine’s body. “Here is your Katerina, do with her what you want, her body here, take him, and the soul is not yours now, she is now before the judge who is more merciful than you!”
Rushing to Katerina, Tikhon accuses his mother: “Mama, you killed her!” and, not paying attention to the formidable shout of Kabanikhi, falls on the corpse of his wife. “It’s good for you, Katya, but why should I live on earth and suffer?” – these words Tikhon ends the play.
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