In Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm", Dikoy and Kabanikh are representatives of the "Dark Kingdom". One gets the impression that Kalinov is fenced off from the rest of the world by the highest fence and lives some kind of special, closed life. Ostrovsky focused on the most important, showing the wretchedness, the savagery of the customs of the Russian patriarchal life, because all this life only stands on the usual, outdated laws, which, obviously, are completely ridiculous. The "Dark Kingdom" tenaciously clings to its old, well-established. This is standing in one place. And such a standing is possible if it is supported by people who have power and authority.

A more complete, in my opinion, idea of ​​a person can be given by his speech, that is, the usual and specific expressions inherent only to this hero. We see how Wild, as if nothing had happened, just like that can offend a person. He does not put in anything not only those around him, but even his relatives and friends. His household live in constant fear of his wrath. Wild in every possible way mocks his nephew. It is enough to recall his words: “I told you once, I told you twice”; "Don't you dare meet me"; you will get everything! Is there enough space for you? Wherever you go, here you are. Pah you damned! Why are you standing like a pillar! Are you being told or not?" Wild frankly shows that he does not respect his nephew at all. He puts himself above everyone around him. And no one offers him the slightest resistance. He scolds everyone over whom he feels his power, but if someone scolds him himself, he will not be able to answer, then hold on, all at home! On them, the Wild will take all his anger.

Wild - a "significant person" in the city, a merchant. Here's how Shapkin says about him: For no reason will a person be cut off.

“The view is extraordinary! The beauty! The soul rejoices! ”- exclaims Kuligin, but against the background of this beautiful landscape, a bleak picture of life is drawn, which appears before us in The Thunderstorm. It is Kuligin who gives an accurate and clear description of the life, customs and customs that prevail in the city of Kalinov.

So, like Wild, Kabanikha is distinguished by selfish inclinations, she thinks only of herself. Residents of the city of Kalinov talk about Dikoy and Kabanikh very often, and this makes it possible to obtain rich material about them. In conversations with Kudryash, Shapkin calls Diky "a scolder", while Kudryash calls him a "shrill peasant". The boar calls Wild a "warrior". All this speaks of the grumpiness and nervousness of his character. Reviews about Kabanikh are also not very flattering. Kuligin calls her "a hypocrite" and says that she "clothes the poor, but completely ate her home." This characterizes the merchant from a bad side.

We are struck by their heartlessness in relation to people dependent on them, their unwillingness to part with money in settlements with workers. Let’s remember what Dikoy says: “I was talking about a fast, about a great one, and then it’s not easy and slip a little man, I came for money, I carried firewood ... I sinned: I scolded, so scolded ... I almost nailed it.” All relationships between people, in their opinion, are built on wealth.

The boar is richer than the Wild Boar, and therefore she is the only person in the city with whom the Wild Boar must be polite. “Well, don’t open your throat very much! Find me cheaper! And I love you!"

Another feature that unites them is religiosity. But they perceive God, not as someone who forgives, but as someone who can punish them.

Kabanikha, like no other, reflects the whole commitment of this city to old traditions. (She teaches Katerina, Tikhon how to live in general and how to behave in a particular case.) Kabanova tries to seem kind, sincere, and most importantly an unhappy woman, tries to justify her actions with her age: “Mother is old, stupid; well, you young people, smart, should not exact from us fools. But these statements are more like irony than sincere confession. Kabanova considers herself the center of attention, she cannot imagine what will happen to the whole world after her death. The boar is blindly devoted to her old traditions to the point of absurdity, forcing all households to dance to her tune. She makes Tikhon say goodbye to his wife in the old way, causing laughter and a feeling of regret among those around him.

On the one hand, it seems that the Wild is rougher, stronger and, therefore, scarier. But, looking closer, we see that Wild is only capable of screaming and rampaging. She managed to subdue everyone, keeps everything under control, she even tries to manage people's relationships, which leads Katerina to death. The boar is cunning and smart, unlike the Wild Boar, and this makes her more scary. In the speech of Kabanikhi, hypocrisy and duality of speech are very clearly manifested. She talks to people very boldly and rudely, but at the same time, while communicating with him, she wants to seem kind, sensitive, sincere, and most importantly, an unhappy woman.

We can say that Dikoy is completely illiterate. He says to Boris: “Fail you! I don't want to talk to the Jesuit with you." Dikoy uses in his speech "with the Jesuit" instead of "with the Jesuit". So he also accompanies his speech with spitting, which finally shows his lack of culture. In general, throughout the drama, we see him sprinkle his speech with abuse. “What are you doing here! What the hell is the water one here! ”, Which shows him as an extremely rude and ill-mannered person.

Wild is rude and straightforward in his aggressiveness, he does things that sometimes cause bewilderment and surprise among others. He is able to offend and beat a peasant without giving him money, and then, in front of everyone, stand in front of him in the dirt, asking for forgiveness. He is a brawler, and in his rampage he is able to throw thunder and lightning at his household, hiding from him in fear.

Therefore, we can conclude that Diky and Kabanikha cannot be considered typical representatives of the merchant class. These characters in Ostrovsky's drama are very similar and differ in egoistic inclinations, they think only of themselves. And even their own children, to some extent, seem to be a hindrance to them. Such an attitude cannot decorate people, which is why Dikoy and Kabanikha evoke persistent negative emotions in readers.

What are the characters of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm" Wild and Kabanikh? First of all, it should be said about their cruelty and heartlessness. Wild does not put in anything not only those around her, but even her relatives and friends. His household live in constant fear of his wrath. The Wild Boar behaves in the same way in every possible way mocks her nephew. Suffice it to recall his words: “Once I told you, I told you twice: “Don’t you dare come across me”; you get it all! Is there enough space for you? Wherever you go, here you are. Pah you damned! Why are you standing like a pillar! Are you being told or not?" Wild frankly shows that he does not respect his nephew at all. He puts himself above everyone around him. And no one offers him the slightest resistance. Is it any wonder that Dikoy is becoming more and more convinced of the impunity of his actions, and as a result feels himself a full-fledged master of life? Kudryash says: “This is such an institution in our merchant class.” He means that all the merchants of the city of Kalinov, and throughout Russia, behave in a similar way. Kabanova, or Kabanikha, as they call her in the city, is no different from Wild. Kabanova hides under the mask of piety. As Kuligin says about her: “A hypocrite, sir! She clothes the poor, but eats the household completely. How false and hypocritical the joy of the pilgrim Feklusha seems: “Bla-ale-pie, dear, blaalepie! Beauty is wondrous! What can I say! Live in the promised land! And the merchants are all pious people, adorned with many virtues! Generosity and alms by many! I'm so happy, so, mother, happy, neck-deep! For our failure to leave them, even more bounty will be multiplied, and especially to the Kabanovs' house. Can the merchant class be called a pious people? In no case, because in the work from the lips of Kuligin one can clearly hear the exposure of the existence of representatives of the merchant class. People are mired in swagger, anger, debauchery and drunkenness. And they consider it normal. The whole way of life in the city is such that it is simply impossible for an unusual person to be there. It is no coincidence that Boris says that his mother could not be with her relatives even for several days. She was of noble origin, so the merchant order did not suit her at all. Dikoy and Kabanikha, on the one hand, can be called typical representatives of the Russian merchant class. After all, the way of life was the same everywhere, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that everyone had similar qualities and characteristics. The behavior of the Wild and Boar surprises no one. Both Wild and Kabanova are at the head of their own family. That is why they dispose of others as they see fit. On the one hand, we can state the fact that all Russian merchants of the XIX century. mired in vulgarity, cruelty and stupidity. But I immediately recall the story of Boris, whose father "married a noble", that is, a woman of noble origin. But Boris's father was the brother of the merchant Diky. What does it say? This suggests that even people born and raised in the same family could differ significantly from each other. Boris's father grew up in the same conditions as the merchant Dikoy. Nevertheless, he led a completely different life than his own brother. This means that Wild, for all the similarity to other representatives of his class, still cannot be called typical. The same can be said about Kabanova. She is the mother of the family, but at the same time she treats her family so much that there can be no talk of any maternal love. She plagues with nit-picking and reproaches not only Katerina, who, in essence, is a stranger to her, but also her own son and daughter. Would a normal person behave like this? Probably not. Katerina's story about her childhood immediately comes to mind. The girl talks about her mother, who loved and cared for her very much. But Katerina's parents belonged to the same merchant class as Kabanova. Katerina's mother possessed sensitivity, kindness and sincerely loved her children. And Kabanikha is not capable of loving anyone. Therefore, we can conclude that Diky and Kabanikha cannot be considered typical representatives of the merchant class. These characters in Ostrovsky's drama are distinguished by selfish inclinations, they think only of themselves. And even their own children, to some extent, seem to be a hindrance to them. Such an attitude cannot decorate people, which is why Dikoy and Kabanikha evoke persistent negative emotions in readers. All the inhabitants of this city can be conditionally divided into two groups: despots and those who obey them. Two of the most influential people in the city can be safely attributed to despots: Diky and Kabanova, whom everyone in the city calls Kabanikha. The names of these people say a lot about their characters. After all, it is not without reason that no one (except Feklusha) calls Wild Savel Prokofievich, and Kabanikha - Marfa Ignatievna. Both Dikoy and Kabanikha feel like full-fledged owners in the city. Everyone obeys them: some willingly (“It’s better to endure”), while others do not, but all their protests are expressed only in words (“We don’t have enough guys for me to become, otherwise we would wean him to be naughty”). And that is why they do what they want, and no one dares to object to them. The main feature that unites these merchants is the love of money. All relationships between people, in their opinion, are built on wealth. also Tikhon. Already in the list of characters it is said about him that he is “her son”, that is, the son of Kabanikhi. He really is more like just a son of Kabanikha than a person. Tikhon has no willpower. The only desire of this man is to break out from under the care of his mother in order to take a walk for the whole year. Tikhon is also unable to help Katerina. Both Boris and Tikhon leave her alone with their inner feelings. If Kabanikha and Wild belong to the old way, Kuligin carries the ideas of enlightenment, then Katerina is at a crossroads. Raised and brought up in a patriarchal spirit, Katerina fully follows this lifestyle. Cheating here is considered unforgivable, and, having cheated on her husband, Katerina sees this as a sin before God. But her character is naturally proud, independent and free. Her dream to fly means breaking free from the power of her despotic mother-in-law and from the stuffy world of the Kabanovs' house. As a child, she once, offended by something, went to the Volga in the evening. The same protest is heard in her words addressed to Varya: “And if I get really sick of it here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I'll throw myself out the window, I'll throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, so I won’t, even if you cut me!” In Katerina's soul there is a struggle between the pangs of conscience and the desire for freedom. She does not know how to adapt to life, to be hypocritical and pretend, as Kabanikha does, she does not know how to look at the world as easily as Varya. The customs of the Kabanovs' house drive Katerina to suicide.

“And they do not lock themselves from thieves, but so that people do not see,
how they eat their own household food, but they tyrannize their families.

As Dobrolyubov correctly noted, Ostrovsky in one of his plays depicts a truly "dark kingdom" - the world of tyranny, betrayal and stupidity. The action of the drama takes place in the city of Kalinov, which stands on the banks of the Volga. There is a certain symbolic parallelism in the location of the city: the rapid flow of the river is opposed to the atmosphere of stagnation, lack of rights and oppression. It seems that the city is isolated from the outside world. Residents learn the news thanks to the stories of wanderers. Moreover, these news are of very dubious, and sometimes completely absurd content. Kalinovtsy blindly believe the stories of crazy old people about unrighteous countries, lands that fell from heaven and rulers with dog heads. People are used to living in fear not only of the world, but also of the rulers of the "dark kingdom". This is their comfort zone, which no one intends to leave. If, in principle, everything is clear with the townsfolk, then what about the above-mentioned rulers? In "Thunderstorm" Dikoy and Boar represent the "dark kingdom". They are the masters and creators of this world. The tyranny of the Wild and Boar knows no bounds.

In the city, power does not belong to the mayor at all, but to the merchants, who, thanks to their connections and profits, were able to get the support of higher authorities. They mock the philistines and deceive the common people. In the text of the work, this image is embodied in Savl Prokofyevich Dik, a middle-aged merchant who keeps everyone in fear, lends at huge interest rates and deceives other merchants. In Kalinov, his cruelty is legendary. No one, except Curly, can respond to Wild in a proper way, and the merchant actively uses this. He asserts himself through humiliation and mockery, and the feeling of impunity only increases the degree of cruelty. “Already such a scolder as Savel Prokofich is with us, look for more! For no reason will a person be cut off ”- this is how the residents themselves say about Diky. It is interesting that Wild takes out his anger only on those whom he knows, or on the inhabitants of the city - weak-willed and downtrodden. This is evidenced by the episode of the quarrel between Diky and the hussar: the hussar scolded Savl Prokofievich so much that he did not say a word, but then all the household “hid in attics and basements” for two weeks.

Enlightenment and new technologies simply cannot penetrate Kalinov. Residents are distrustful of all innovations. So, in one of the last appearances, Kuligin tells Diky about the benefits of a lightning rod, but he does not want to listen. Wild is only rude to Kuligin and says that it is impossible to earn money in an honest way, which once again proves that he did not receive his wealth through daily efforts. A negative attitude towards change is a common feature of Wild and Kabanikh. Marfa Ignatievna stands up for the observance of old traditions. It is important for her how they enter the house, how they express feelings, how they go for a walk. At the same time, neither the internal content of such actions, nor other problems (for example, her son's alcoholism) bother her. Tikhon's words that the hugs of his wife are enough for him seem unconvincing to Marfa Ignatievna: Katerina must “howl” when she says goodbye to her husband and throw herself at his feet. By the way, the outward ritual and attribution is characteristic of Marfa Ignatievna's life position as a whole. In the same way, a woman treats religion, forgetting that in addition to weekly trips to church, faith must come from the heart. In addition, Christianity in the minds of these people was mixed with pagan superstitions, which can be seen in the scene with a thunderstorm.

Kabanikha believes that the whole world rests on those who observe the old laws: “something will happen when the old people die, I don’t know how the light will stand.” She convinces the merchant of this as well. From the dialogue between Wild and Boar you can see a certain hierarchy in their relationship. Savl Prokofievich recognizes the unspoken leadership of Kabanikha, her strength of character and intelligence. Dikoi understands that he is incapable of such manipulative tantrums that Marfa Ignatievna arranges for her family every day.

Comparative characteristics of the Wild and Boar from the play "Thunderstorm" is also quite interesting. Dikoy's despotism is directed more towards the outside world - towards the inhabitants of the city, only relatives suffer from the tyranny of Marfa Ignatievna, and in society a woman maintains the image of a respectable mother and housewife. Marfa Ignatievna, like Diky, is not at all embarrassed by gossip and talk, because both are sure that they are right. Neither one nor the other cares about the happiness of loved ones. Family relationships for each of these characters must be built on fear and oppression. This is especially clear in the behavior of Kabanova.

As can be seen from the examples above, there are similarities and differences between Kabanikh and Diky. But most of all they have in common a sense of permissiveness and an unshakable conviction that this is how everything should be.

Artwork test

What are the characters of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm" Wild and Kabanikh? First of all, it should be said about their cruelty and heartlessness. Wild does not put in anything not only those around her, but even her relatives and friends. His household live in constant fear of his wrath. The Wild Boar behaves in the same way in every possible way mocks her nephew. Suffice it to recall his words: “Once I told you, I told you twice: “Don’t you dare come across me”; you get it all! Is there enough space for you? Wherever you go, here you are. Pah you damned! Why are you standing like a pillar! Are you being told or not?" Wild frankly shows that he does not respect his nephew at all. He puts himself above everyone around him. And no one offers him the slightest resistance. Is it any wonder that Dikoy is becoming more and more convinced of the impunity of his actions, and as a result feels himself a full-fledged master of life? Kudryash says: “This is such an institution in our merchant class.” He means that all the merchants of the city of Kalinov, and throughout Russia, behave in a similar way. Kabanova, or Kabanikha, as they call her in the city, is no different from Wild. Kabanova hides under the mask of piety. As Kuligin says about her: “A hypocrite, sir! She clothes the poor, but eats the household completely. How false and hypocritical the joy of the pilgrim Feklusha seems: “Bla-ale-pie, dear, blaalepie! Beauty is wondrous! What can I say! Live in the promised land! And the merchants are all pious people, adorned with many virtues! Generosity and alms by many! I'm so happy, so, mother, happy, neck-deep! For our failure to leave them, even more bounty will be multiplied, and especially to the Kabanovs' house. Can the merchant class be called a pious people? In no case, because in the work from the lips of Kuligin one can clearly hear the exposure of the existence of representatives of the merchant class. People are mired in swagger, anger, debauchery and drunkenness. And they consider it normal. The whole way of life in the city is such that it is simply impossible for an unusual person to be there. It is no coincidence that Boris says that his mother could not be with her relatives even for several days. She was of noble origin, so the merchant order did not suit her at all. Dikoy and Kabanikha, on the one hand, can be called typical representatives of the Russian merchant class. After all, the way of life was the same everywhere, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that everyone had similar qualities and characteristics. The behavior of the Wild and Boar surprises no one. Both Wild and Kabanova are at the head of their own family. That is why they dispose of others as they see fit. On the one hand, we can state the fact that all Russian merchants of the XIX century. mired in vulgarity, cruelty and stupidity. But I immediately recall the story of Boris, whose father "married a noble", that is, a woman of noble origin. But Boris's father was the brother of the merchant Diky. What does it say? This suggests that even people born and raised in the same family could differ significantly from each other. Boris's father grew up in the same conditions as the merchant Dikoy. Nevertheless, he led a completely different life than his own brother. This means that Wild, for all the similarity to other representatives of his class, still cannot be called typical. The same can be said about Kabanova. She is the mother of the family, but at the same time she treats her family so much that there can be no talk of any maternal love. She plagues with nit-picking and reproaches not only Katerina, who, in essence, is a stranger to her, but also her own son and daughter. Would a normal person behave like this? Probably not. Katerina's story about her childhood immediately comes to mind. The girl talks about her mother, who loved and cared for her very much. But Katerina's parents belonged to the same merchant class as Kabanova. Katerina's mother possessed sensitivity, kindness and sincerely loved her children. And Kabanikha is not capable of loving anyone. Therefore, we can conclude that Diky and Kabanikha cannot be considered typical representatives of the merchant class. These characters in Ostrovsky's drama are distinguished by selfish inclinations, they think only of themselves. And even their own children, to some extent, seem to be a hindrance to them. Such an attitude cannot decorate people, which is why Dikoy and Kabanikha evoke persistent negative emotions in readers. All the inhabitants of this city can be conditionally divided into two groups: despots and those who obey them. Two of the most influential people in the city can be safely attributed to despots: Diky and Kabanova, whom everyone in the city calls Kabanikha. The names of these people say a lot about their characters. After all, it is not without reason that no one (except Feklusha) calls Wild Savel Prokofievich, and Kabanikha - Marfa Ignatievna. Both Dikoy and Kabanikha feel like full-fledged owners in the city. Everyone obeys them: some willingly (“It’s better to endure”), while others do not, but all their protests are expressed only in words (“We don’t have enough guys for me to become, otherwise we would wean him to be naughty”). And that is why they do what they want, and no one dares to object to them. The main feature that unites these merchants is the love of money. All relationships between people, in their opinion, are built on wealth. also Tikhon. Already in the list of characters it is said about him that he is “her son”, that is, the son of Kabanikhi. He really is more like just a son of Kabanikha than a person. Tikhon has no willpower. The only desire of this man is to break out from under the care of his mother in order to take a walk for the whole year. Tikhon is also unable to help Katerina. Both Boris and Tikhon leave her alone with their inner feelings. If Kabanikha and Wild belong to the old way, Kuligin carries the ideas of enlightenment, then Katerina is at a crossroads. Raised and brought up in a patriarchal spirit, Katerina fully follows this lifestyle. Cheating here is considered unforgivable, and, having cheated on her husband, Katerina sees this as a sin before God. But her character is naturally proud, independent and free. Her dream to fly means breaking free from the power of her despotic mother-in-law and from the stuffy world of the Kabanovs' house. As a child, she once, offended by something, went to the Volga in the evening. The same protest is heard in her words addressed to Varya: “And if I get really sick of it here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I'll throw myself out the window, I'll throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, so I won’t, even if you cut me!” In Katerina's soul there is a struggle between the pangs of conscience and the desire for freedom. She does not know how to adapt to life, to be hypocritical and pretend, as Kabanikha does, she does not know how to look at the world as easily as Varya. The customs of the Kabanovs' house drive Katerina to suicide.