The plot is a miserly knight. Analysis of “The Miserly Knight” Pushkin
Young Albert wants to come to the tournament, so he tells his servant Ivan to show him his helmet. Unfortunately, the helmet is broken after the previous battle with Delorge. Ivan tries to support the owner, telling him that Albert got even with the knight for damaging the helmet with a powerful blow that carried the enemy out of the saddle. The servant encourages the owner that after the blow, Delorge lay for a day as if dead. Albert, in turn, says that the reason for his courage, heroism and excellent blow was the rage that gripped him due to a broken helmet. And all heroism is just stinginess.
Albert argues that his father is stingy and does not want to give money to his son. The young knight cannot allow you the velvet dresses he needs to sit at the ducal table. He alone has to be in society in armor, and this fact greatly upsets the hero.
Apart from dresses and a helmet, Albert has no money for a horse. His last hope- Jewish moneylender Solomon. However, according to Ivan, he does not want to lend money. After some time, Solomon himself arrives.
The young knight tries to get money out of the Jew, but he stands his ground and refuses to lend without any collateral. Even an honest knight's word does not work on Solomon; he says that the baron may outlive his son. Realizing that the young man is in despair because of his relationship with his father and lack of money, the moneylender offers him the services of his acquaintance, who can create a tasteless and odorless poison. Albert is horrified by Solomon's plan and wants to hang him for such an idea. The moneylender is trying to pay off the knight with money that “stinks” of poison, so Albert cannot take it. After the Jew leaves, the knight realizes that the only chance to get money from his father is to ask the Duke to talk to the Baron so that the latter begins to provide for his own son.
At the same time, Baron Philip goes down to the basement to put his acquired savings into his chests. He imagines that if every drop of blood and sweat that was shed for these riches were suddenly revealed on earth, a terrible sweat would immediately begin. The Baron understands that after his death, the heir will begin to burn through this gold, and this makes him angry and indignant. For some boy to so easily throw away everything that the baron had collected bit by bit.
Albert asks to talk to his father so that he can share his gold. The Duke agrees and asks the knight to take refuge in the next room.
The Baron arrives and, in response to the Duke’s request to send Albert to the court under custody, he refuses. He says that his son is vicious because he wanted to kill him. Hearing this, the Duke claims that the Baron's son will be brought to justice. Philip claims that his son wants to rob him. Albert, unable to bear what he heard, bursts into the room and claims that his father is lying.
The Baron throws a gauntlet to Albert with a challenge, which the young knight accepts. The Duke cannot accept this and takes the glove from Albert, and drives him away. The next moment the baron dies, and his last words only about the keys to the chests.
The whole tragedy is caused by the conflict of interests of father and son: the first wants to keep all the wealth that he collected long years, and the second is to spend his father’s savings and enjoy the delights of a luxurious life.
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Like a young rake waiting for a date
With some wicked libertine
Or a fool, deceived by him, so am I
I've been waiting all day for minutes to get off.
To my secret basement, to my faithful chests.
Happy day! I can today
To the sixth chest (to the chest still incomplete)
Pour in a handful of accumulated gold.
Not much, it seems, but little by little
Treasures are growing. I read somewhere
That the king would once give his soldiers
He ordered the earth to be demolished, handful by handful, into a pile,
And the proud hill rose - and the king
I could look around with joy from above
And the valley covered with white tents,
And the sea where the ships fled.
So I, bringing the poor handful by handful
I’m used to my tribute here in the basement,
He lifted up my hill - and from its height
I can look at everything that is under my control.
What is beyond my control? like some kind of demon
From now on I can rule the world;
As soon as I want, palaces will be erected;
To my magnificent gardens
The nymphs will come running in a playful crowd;
And the muses will bring me their tribute,
And the free genius will become my slave,
And virtue and sleepless labor
They will humbly await my reward.
I will whistle, and obediently, timidly
Bloody villainy will creep in,
And he will lick my hand and my eyes
Look, there is a sign of my reading in them.
Everything obeys me, but I obey nothing;
I am above all desires; I am calm;
I know my strength: I have enough
This consciousness...
(Looks at his gold.)
It doesn't seem like much
And how many human worries,
Deceptions, tears, prayers and curses
It is a heavy representative!
There is an old doubloon here... here it is. Today
The widow gave it to me, but first
Half a day in front of the window with three children
She was on her knees howling.
It rained, and stopped, and then started again,
The pretender did not move; I could
Drive her away, but something whispered to me,
What husband's debt she brought me
And he won’t want to be in jail tomorrow.
And this one? This one was brought to me by Thibault -
Where could he, the sloth, the rogue, get it?
He stole it, of course; or maybe,
There on high road, at night, in the grove...
Yes! if all the tears, blood and sweat,
Spilled for everything that is stored here,
Suddenly everyone emerged from the bowels of the earth,
It would be a flood again - I would choke
In my cellars of the faithful. But it's time.
(Wants to unlock the chest.)
Every time I want a chest
My unlock, I fall into heat and trembling.
Not fear (oh no! who should I be afraid of?
I have my sword with me: it is responsible for gold
Honest damask steel), but my heart is tight
Some unknown feeling...
Doctors assure us: there are people
Those who find pleasure in killing.
When I put the key in the lock, the same
I feel what I should feel
They are stabbing the victim with a knife: nice
And scary together.
(Unlocks the chest.)
This is my bliss!
(Pours in money.)
Go, you've got plenty of time to scour the world,
Serving the passions and needs of man.
Fall asleep here in the sleep of strength and peace,
How the gods sleep in the deep skies...
I want to throw myself a feast today:
I will light a candle in front of each chest,
And I’ll unlock them all, and I’ll stand there myself
Among them, look at the shining piles.
(Lights candles and unlocks the chests one by one.)
I reign!.. What a magical shine!
Obedient to me, my power is strong;
In her is happiness, in her is my honor and glory!
I reign... but who will follow me
Will he take power over her? My heir!
Madman, young spendthrift,
Libertine riotous interlocutor!
As soon as I die, he, he! will come down here
Under these peaceful, silent arches
With a crowd of caresses, greedy courtiers.
Having stolen the keys from my corpse,
He will open the chests with laughter.
And my treasures will flow
In satin ripped pockets.
He will break the sacred vessels,
He will give the dirt the royal oil to drink -
He will waste... And by what right?
Did I get all this for nothing?
Or jokingly, like a player who
Rattling bones and raking piles?
Who knows how many bitter abstinences,
Bridled passions, heavy thoughts,
Daytime worries, sleepless nights for me
Was it all worth it? Or the son will say,
That my heart is overgrown with moss,
That I didn't know the desires that made me
And conscience never gnawed, conscience,
A clawed beast, scraping the heart, conscience,
Uninvited guest, annoying interlocutor,
The lender is rude, this witch,
From which the month and the graves fade
They get embarrassed and send out the dead?..
No, first suffer for yourself wealth,
And then we'll see if he becomes unhappy
To squander what you have acquired with blood.
Oh, if only I could from unworthy glances
I hide the basement! oh, if only from the grave
I could come as a sentry shadow
Sit on the chest and away from the living
Keep my treasures as they are now!..
SCENE I
In the tower.
Albert and Ivan
Albert
By all means in the tournament
I will appear. Show me the helmet, Ivan.
Ivan hands him a helmet.
Punched through, damaged. Impossible
Put it on. I need to get a new one.
What a blow! damned Count Delorge!
And you repaid him handsomely:
How you knocked him out of the stirrups,
He lay dead for a day - and it’s unlikely
I recovered.
And yet he is not at a loss;
His breastplate is intact Venetian,
And his own chest: it doesn’t cost him a penny;
No one else will buy it for themselves.
Why didn’t I take off his helmet right there?
I would take it off if I weren’t ashamed
I'll give you the Duke too. Damn Count!
He'd rather punch my head in.
And I need a dress. Last time
All the knights sat here in the atlas
Yes to velvet; I was alone in armor
At the ducal table. I made an excuse
I got to the tournament by accident.
What can I say today? O poverty, poverty!
How she humbles our hearts!
When Delorge with his heavy spear
He pierced my helmet and galloped past,
And with my head open I spurred
My Emir, rushed like a whirlwind
And he threw the count twenty steps away,
Like a little page; like all the ladies
They rose from their seats when Clotilde herself
Covering her face, she involuntarily screamed,
And the heralds praised my blow, -
Then no one thought about the reason
And my courage and wondrous strength!
I was furious about the damaged helmet,
What was the fault of heroism? - stinginess.
Yes! It's not hard to get infected here
Under one roof with my father.
What about my poor Emir?
He keeps limping.
You can't drive it yet.
Well, there’s nothing to do: I’ll buy Bay.
Inexpensive and they ask for it.
Inexpensive, but we don’t have money.
What does the idle Solomon say?
He says he can't take it anymore
To lend you money without collateral.
Mortgage! where can I get a mortgage, devil!
I told you.
What is he?
He groans and squeezes.
Yes, you should have told him that my father
Rich himself, like a Jew, whether it’s early or late
I inherit everything.
I told.
Well?
He squeezes and groans.
What a grief!
He himself wanted to come.
Well, thank God.
I won't release him without a ransom.
They knock on the door.
Who's there?
The Jew enters.
Jew
Your servant is low.
Ah, buddy!
Damned Jew, venerable Solomon,
Come here, I hear you,
You don't believe in debt.
Ah, dear knight,
I swear to you: I would be glad... I really can’t.
Where can I get money? I'm completely ruined
Helping the knights all the time.
Nobody pays. I wanted to ask you
Can't you give me at least some of it...
Robber!
Yes, if only I had money,
Would I bother with you? Full,
Don't be stubborn, my dear Solomon;
Give me some chervonets. Give me a hundred
Until they searched you.
A hundred!
If only I had a hundred ducats!
Listen:
Aren't you ashamed of your friends?
Don't help out?
I swear...
Full, full.
Are you asking for a deposit? what nonsense!
What will I give you as a pledge? pig skin?
Whenever I could pawn something, long ago
I would have sold it. Ile of a knight's word
Isn't it enough for you, dog?
Your word,
As long as you are alive means a lot, a lot.
All the chests of the Flemish rich
Like a talisman it will unlock it for you.
But if you pass it on
To me, a poor Jew, and yet
You will die (God forbid), then
In my hands it will be like
The key to a box thrown into the sea.
Will my father outlive me?
Who knows? our days are not numbered by us;
The young man blossomed in the evening, but today he died,
And here are his four old men
They are carried on hunched shoulders to the grave.
Baron is healthy. God willing - ten, twenty years
He will live twenty-five and thirty.
You're lying, Jew: yes, in thirty years
I'll be fifty, then I'll get money
What will it be useful to me?
Money? - money
Always, at any age, suitable for us;
But the young man is looking for nimble servants in them
And without regret he sends here and there.
The old man sees them as reliable friends
And he protects them like the apple of his eye.
ABOUT! my father has no servants and no friends
He sees them as masters; and he serves them himself.
And how does it serve? like an Algerian slave,
Like a chained dog. In an unheated kennel
Lives, drinks water, eats dry crusts,
He doesn't sleep all night, he keeps running and barking.
And the gold is calm in the chests
Lies to himself. Shut up! some day
It will serve me, it will forget to lie down.
Yes, at the baron's funeral
It will spill more money, rather than tears.
May God send you an inheritance soon.
Jew
Or maybe...
Jew
So, I thought that the remedy
There is such a thing...
What remedy?
So -
I have an old friend I know
Jew, poor pharmacist...
Moneylender
The same as you, or more honest?
No, knight, Tobiy is conducting a different trade -
It makes drops... really, it’s wonderful,
How do they work?
What do I need in them?
Add three drops to a glass of water...
Neither taste nor color is noticeable in them;
And a man without pain in his stomach,
Without nausea, without pain he dies.
Your old man is selling poison.
Yes -
And poison.
Well? borrow money instead
You will offer me two hundred bottles of poison,
One chervonets per bottle. Is that so, or what?
You want to laugh at me -
No; I wanted... maybe you... I thought
It's time for the baron to die.
How! poison your father! and you dared your son...
Ivan! hold it. And you dared me!..
You know, Jewish soul,
Dog, snake! that I want you now
I'll hang it on the gate.
Guilty!
Sorry: I was joking.
Ivan, rope.
I... I was joking. I brought you money.
There you go, dog!
The Jew leaves.
This is what it brings me to
Father's own stinginess! The Jew dared me
What can I offer! Give me a glass of wine
I'm trembling all over... Ivan, but money
I need. Run after the damned Jew,
Take his ducats. Yes here
Bring me an inkwell. I'm a cheat
I'll give you a receipt. Don't enter it here
Judas of this... Or no, wait,
His ducats will smell of poison,
Like the silver pieces of his ancestor...
I asked for wine.
We have wine -
Not a bit.
And what he sent me
A gift from Spain Remon?
Last night I finished the last bottle
To the sick blacksmith.
Yes, I remember, I know...
So give me some water. Damn life!
No, it’s decided - I’ll go look for council
From the Duke: let them force father
Hold me like a son, not like a mouse,
Born underground.
SCENE II
Baron
Like a young rake waiting for a date
With some wicked libertine
Or a fool, deceived by him, so am I
I've been waiting all day for minutes to get off.
To my secret basement, to my faithful chests.
Happy day! I can today
To the sixth chest (to the chest still incomplete)
Pour in a handful of accumulated gold.
Not much, it seems, but little by little
Treasures are growing. I read somewhere
That the king would once give his soldiers
He ordered the earth to be demolished, handful by handful, into a pile,
And the proud hill rose - and the king
I could look around with joy from above
And the valley covered with white tents,
And the sea where the ships fled.
So I, bringing the poor handful by handful
I’m used to my tribute here in the basement,
He lifted up my hill - and from its height
I can look at everything that is under my control.
What is beyond my control? like some kind of demon
From now on I can rule the world;
As soon as I want, palaces will be erected;
To my magnificent gardens
The nymphs will come running in a playful crowd;
And the muses will bring me their tribute,
And the free genius will become my slave,
And virtue and sleepless labor
They will humbly await my reward.
I will whistle, and obediently, timidly
Bloody villainy will creep in,
And he will lick my hand and my eyes
Look, there is a sign of my reading in them.
Everything obeys me, but I obey nothing;
I am above all desires; I am calm;
I know my strength: I have enough
This consciousness...
(Looks at his gold.)
It doesn't seem like much
And how many human worries,
Deceptions, tears, prayers and curses
It is a heavy representative!
There is an old doubloon here... here it is. Today
The widow gave it to me, but first
Half a day in front of the window with three children
She was on her knees howling.
It rained, and stopped, and started again,
The pretender did not move; I could
Drive her away, but something whispered to me,
What husband's debt she brought me
And he won’t want to be in jail tomorrow.
And this one? This one was brought to me by Thibault -
Where could he, the sloth, the rogue, get it?
He stole it, of course; or maybe,
There on the high road, at night, in the grove...
Yes! if all the tears, blood and sweat,
Spilled for everything that is stored here,
Suddenly everyone emerged from the bowels of the earth,
It would be a flood again - I would choke
In my cellars of the faithful. But it's time.
(Wants to unlock the chest.)
Every time I want a chest
My unlock, I fall into heat and trembling.
Not fear (oh no! who should I be afraid of?
I have my sword with me: it is responsible for gold
Honest damask steel), but my heart is tight
Some unknown feeling...
Doctors assure us: there are people
Those who find pleasure in killing.
When I put the key in the lock, the same
I feel what I should feel
They are stabbing the victim with a knife: nice
And scary together.
(Unlocks the chest.)
This is my bliss!
(Pours in money.)
Go, you've got plenty of time to scour the world,
Serving the passions and needs of man.
Fall asleep here in the sleep of strength and peace,
How the gods sleep in the deep skies...
I want to throw myself a feast today:
I will light a candle in front of each chest,
And I’ll unlock them all, and I’ll stand there myself
Among them, look at the shining piles.
(Lights candles and unlocks the chests one by one.)
I reign!.. What a magical shine!
Obedient to me, my power is strong;
In her is happiness, in her is my honor and glory!
I reign... but who will follow me
Will he take power over her? My heir!
Madman, young spendthrift,
Libertine riotous interlocutor!
As soon as I die, he, he! will come here
Under these peaceful, silent arches
With a crowd of caresses, greedy courtiers.
Having stolen the keys from my corpse,
He will open the chests with laughter.
And my treasures will flow
In satin ripped pockets.
He will break the sacred vessels,
He will give the dirt the royal oil to drink -
He will waste... And by what right?
Did I get all this for nothing?
Or jokingly, like a player who
Rattling bones and raking piles?
Who knows how many bitter abstinences,
Bridled passions, heavy thoughts,
Daytime worries, sleepless nights for me
Was it all worth it? Or the son will say,
That my heart is overgrown with moss,
That I didn't know the desires that made me
And conscience never gnawed, conscience,
A clawed beast, scraping the heart, conscience,
Uninvited guest, annoying interlocutor,
The lender is rude, this witch,
From which the month and the graves fade
They get embarrassed and send out the dead?..
No, first suffer for yourself wealth,
And then we'll see if he becomes unhappy
To squander what you acquired with blood.
Oh, if only I could from unworthy glances
I hide the basement! oh, if only from the grave
I could come as a sentry shadow
Sit on the chest and away from the living
Keep my treasures as they are now!..
SCENE III
In a palace.
Albert, Duke
Albert
Believe me, sir, I endured for a long time
The shame of bitter poverty. If not for extremes,
You wouldn't have heard my complaint.
I believe, I believe: noble knight,
Someone like you won't blame his father
Without extremes. There are few such depraved...
Rest assured: your father
I will advise you in private, without noise.
I am waiting for him. We haven't seen each other for a long time.
He was my grandfather's friend. I remember,
When I was still a child, he
He put me on his horse
And covered with his heavy helmet,
Like a bell.
(Looking out the window.)
Who is this?
Isn't it him?
Yes, he is, sir.
Come on
To that room. I'll call you.
Albert leaves; The Baron enters.
Baron,
I am glad to see you cheerful and healthy.
I am happy, sir, that I was able
Appear according to your orders.
We parted a long time ago, Baron.
You remember me?
Me, sir?
I can see you now. Oh you were
The child is playful. I'm the late Duke
Said: Philip (he called me
Always Philip), what do you say? A?
In twenty years, really, you and me,
We'll be stupid in front of this guy...
In front of you, that is...
We are now acquaintances
Let's resume. You forgot my yard.
Old, sir, I am today: at court
What should I do? You are young; love you
Tournaments, holidays. And I'm on them
I'm no good anymore. God will give war, so will I
Ready, groaning, to mount the horse again;
The old sword will still have enough strength
Bare my trembling hand for you.
Baron, we know your zeal;
You were my grandfather's friend; my father
I respected you. And I always thought
You are a faithful, brave knight - but we will sit down.
Baron, do you have children?
One son.
Why don’t I see him with me?
You're bored with the yard, but it's decent for him
It is his age to be with us.
My son does not like noisy, social life;
He is of a wild and gloomy disposition -
He always wanders through the forests around the castle,
Like a young deer.
Not good
He should be shy. We'll teach you right away
It is for fun, for balls and tournaments.
Send it to me; assign it to your son
Decent content...
You frown, you are tired from the road,
May be?
Sir, I am not tired;
But you confused me. In front of you
I wouldn't like to admit it, but I
You are forced to talk about your son
What I would like to hide from you.
He, sir, unfortunately, is unworthy
No favors, no your attention.
He spends his youth in a riot,
In low vices...
This is because
Baron, that he is alone. Solitude
And idleness destroys young people.
Send him to us: he will forget
Habits born in the wilderness.
Forgive me, but, really, sir,
I can't agree to this...
But why?
Fire the old man...
I demand: tell me the reason
Your refusal.
I'm on my son
Angry.
For what?
For an evil crime.
Tell me, what does it consist of?
Excuse me, Duke...
It is very strange,
Or are you ashamed of him?
Yes... it's a shame...
But what did he do?
He... he me
I wanted to kill.
Kill! so I'll judge
I will betray him as a black villain.
I won’t prove it, even though I know
That he really longs for my death,
At least I know that he attempted
Me...
Baron
Rob.
Albert rushes into the room.
Albert
Baron, you're lying.
(to son)
How dare you?..
Are you here! you, you dared me!..
You could say such a word to your father!..
I lie! and before our sovereign!..
Me, me... or am I not a knight?
You are a liar.
And the thunder hasn’t struck yet, oh my God!
So raise the sword and judge us!
(Throws down the glove, the son hastily picks it up.)
Albert
Thank you. This is my father's first gift.
What did I see? what was in front of me?
The son accepted the old father's challenge!
On what days did I put it on
Chain of Dukes! Be silent, you madman,
And you, tiger cub! complete.
(To my son.)
Give it up;
Give me this glove
(takes it away).
Albert
(a parte [to the side (lat.)]
It's a pity.
So he dug his claws into it! - monster!
Come on: don't you dare look into my eyes
Appear as long as I myself
I won't call you.
(Albert leaves.)
You, unfortunate old man,
Aren't you ashamed...
Sorry, sir....
I can't stand... my knees
They are weakening... it's stuffy!.. it's stuffy!.. Where are the keys?
Keys, my keys!...
He died. God!
Terrible age, terrible hearts!
History of creation
“The Miserly Knight” was conceived in 1826, and completed in the Boldin autumn of 1830. Published in 1836 in the magazine “Sovremennik”. Pushkin gave the play the subtitle “From Chenston’s tragicomedy.” But the writer is from the 18th century. Shenston (in the tradition of the 19th century his name was written Chenston) there was no such play. Perhaps Pushkin referred to a foreign author so that his contemporaries would not suspect that the poet was describing his relationship with his father, known for his stinginess.
Theme and plot
Pushkin's play " Stingy Knight" - the first work in a cycle of dramatic sketches, short plays, which were later called "Little Tragedies". Pushkin intended in each play to reveal some side of the human soul, an all-consuming passion (the stinginess in “The Stingy Knight”). Spiritual qualities and psychology are shown in sharp and unusual plots.
Heroes and images
The Baron is rich, but stingy. He has six chests full of gold, from which he does not take a penny. Money is not servants or friends for him, as for the moneylender Solomon, but masters. The Baron does not want to admit to himself that money has enslaved him. He believes that thanks to the money sleeping peacefully in his chests, everything is within his control: love, inspiration, genius, virtue, work, even villainy. The Baron is ready to kill anyone who encroaches on his wealth, even his own son, whom he challenges to a duel. The duke prevents the duel, but the baron is killed by the very possibility of losing money. The Baron's passion consumes him.
Solomon has a different attitude towards money: it is a way to achieve a goal, to survive. But, like the baron, he does not disdain anything for the sake of enrichment, suggesting that Albert poison his own father.
Albert is a worthy young knight, strong and brave, winning tournaments and enjoying the favor of the ladies. He is completely dependent on his father. The young man has nothing to buy a helmet and armor, a dress for a feast and a horse for a tournament, only out of despair he decides to complain to the duke.
Albert has excellent spiritual qualities, he is kind, he gives the last bottle of wine to the sick blacksmith. But he is broken by circumstances and dreams of the time when the gold will be inherited by him. When the moneylender Solomon offers to set Albert up with a pharmacist who sells poison to poison his father, the knight expels him in disgrace. And soon Albert already accepts the baron’s challenge to a duel; he is ready to fight to the death with his own father, who insulted his honor. The Duke calls Albert a monster for this act.
The Duke in the tragedy is a representative of the authorities who voluntarily took on this burden. The Duke calls his age and the hearts of people terrible. Through the lips of the Duke, Pushkin also speaks about his time.
Issues
In every little tragedy, Pushkin gazes intently at some vice. In The Miserly Knight, this destructive passion is avarice: the change in the personality of a once worthy member of society under the influence of vice; the hero's submission to vice; vice as a cause of loss of dignity.
Conflict
The main conflict is external: between a stingy knight and his son, who claims his share. The Baron believes that wealth must be suffered so as not to be squandered. The Baron's goal is to preserve and increase, Albert's goal is to use and enjoy. The conflict is caused by a clash of these interests. It is aggravated by the participation of the Duke, to whom the Baron is forced to slander his son. The strength of the conflict is such that only the death of one of the parties can resolve it. Passion destroys the stingy knight; the reader can only guess about the fate of his wealth.
Composition
There are three scenes in the tragedy. From the first, the reader learns about Albert’s difficult financial situation, associated with his father’s stinginess. The second scene is a monologue of a stingy knight, from which it is clear that passion has completely taken possession of him. In the third scene, the just duke intervenes in the conflict and unwittingly becomes the cause of the death of the hero obsessed with passion. The climax (the death of the baron) is adjacent to the denouement - the Duke’s conclusion: “A terrible age, terrible hearts!”
Genre
"The Miserly Knight" is a tragedy, that is, a dramatic work in which the main character dies. Small size Pushkin achieved his tragedies by excluding everything unimportant. Pushkin's goal is to show the psychology of a person obsessed with the passion of stinginess. All “Little Tragedies” complement each other, creating a three-dimensional portrait of humanity in all its diversity of vices.
Style and artistic originality
All “Little Tragedies” are intended not so much for reading as for staging: how theatrical the stingy knight looks in a dark basement among gold flickering in the light of a candle! The dialogues of the tragedies are dynamic, and the monologue of the stingy knight is a poetic masterpiece. The reader can see how a bloody villain crawls into the basement and licks the hand of a stingy knight. The images of The Miserly Knight are impossible to forget.
In the tower.
Albert and Ivan
Albert
By all means in the tournament
I will appear. Show me the helmet, Ivan.
Ivan hands him a helmet.
Punched through, damaged. Impossible
Put it on. I need to get a new one.
What a blow! damned Count Delorge!
Ivan
And you repaid him handsomely:
How you knocked him out of the stirrups,
He lay dead for a day - and it’s unlikely
I recovered.
Albert
But still he is not at a loss;
His breastplate is intact Venetian,
And his own chest: it doesn’t cost him a penny;
No one else will buy it for themselves.
Why didn’t I take off his helmet right there?
I would take it off if I weren’t ashamed
I'll give you the Duke too. Damn Count!
He'd rather punch my head in.
And I need a dress. Last time
All the knights sat here in the atlas
Yes to velvet; I was alone in armor
At the ducal table. I made an excuse
I got to the tournament by accident.
What can I say today? O poverty, poverty!
How she humbles our hearts!
When Delorge with his heavy spear
He pierced my helmet and galloped past,
And with my head open I spurred
My Emir, rushed like a whirlwind
And he threw the count twenty steps away,
Like a little page; like all the ladies
They rose from their seats when Clotilde herself
Covering her face, she involuntarily screamed,
And the heralds praised my blow, -
Then no one thought about the reason
And my courage and wondrous strength!
I was furious about the damaged helmet,
What was the fault of heroism? - stinginess.
Yes! It's not hard to get infected here
Under one roof with my father.
What about my poor Emir?
Ivan
He keeps limping.
You can't drive it out yet.
Albert
Well, there’s nothing to do: I’ll buy Bay.
Inexpensive and they ask for it.
Ivan
Inexpensive, but we don’t have money.
Albert
What does the idle Solomon say?
Ivan
He says he can't take it anymore
To lend you money without collateral.
Albert
Mortgage! where can I get a mortgage, devil!
Ivan
I told you.
Albert
Ivan
He groans and squeezes.
Albert
Yes, you should have told him that my father
Rich himself, like a Jew, whether it’s early or late
I inherit everything.
Ivan
I told.
Albert
Ivan
He squeezes and groans.
Albert
What a grief!
Ivan
He himself wanted to come.
Albert
Well, thank God.
I won't release him without a ransom.
They knock on the door.
The Jew enters.
Your servant is low.
Albert
Ah, buddy!
Damned Jew, venerable Solomon,
Come here, I hear you,
You don't believe in debt.
Ah, dear knight,
I swear to you: I would be glad... I really can’t.
Where can I get money? I'm completely ruined
All the knights are diligently helping.
Nobody pays. I wanted to ask you
Can't you give me at least some of it...
Albert
Robber!
Yes, if only I had money,
Would I bother with you? Full,
Don't be stubborn, my dear Solomon;
Give me some chervonets. Give me a hundred
Until they searched you.
A hundred!
If only I had a hundred ducats!
Albert
Listen:
Aren't you ashamed of your friends?
Don't help out?
I swear…
Albert
Full, full.
Are you asking for a deposit? what nonsense!
What will I give you as a pledge? pig skin?
Whenever I could pawn something, long ago
I would have sold it. Ile of a knight's word
Isn't it enough for you, dog?
Your word,
As long as you are alive means a lot, a lot.
All the chests of the Flemish rich
Like a talisman it will unlock for you.
But if you pass it on
To me, a poor Jew, and yet
You will die (God forbid), then
In my hands it will be like
The key to a box thrown into the sea.
Albert
Will my father outlive me?
Who knows? our days are not numbered by us;
The young man blossomed in the evening, but today he died,
And here are his four old men
They are carried on hunched shoulders to the grave.
Baron is healthy. God willing - ten, twenty years
He will live twenty-five and thirty.
Albert
You're lying, Jew: yes, in thirty years
I'll be fifty, then I'll get money
What will it be useful to me?
Money? - money
Always, at any age, suitable for us;
But the young man is looking for nimble servants in them
And without regret he sends here and there.
The old man sees them as reliable friends
And he protects them like the apple of his eye.
Albert
ABOUT! my father has no servants and no friends
He sees them as masters; and he serves them himself.
And how does it serve? like an Algerian slave,
Like a chained dog. In an unheated kennel
Lives, drinks water, eats dry crusts,
He doesn't sleep all night, he keeps running and barking.
And the gold is calm in the chests
Lies to himself. Shut up! some day
It will serve me, it will forget to lie down.
Yes, at the baron's funeral
More money will be shed than tears.
May God send you an inheritance soon.
Or maybe...
Albert
So, I thought that the remedy
There is such a thing...
Albert
What remedy?
So -
I have an old friend I know
Jew, poor pharmacist...
Albert
Moneylender
The same as you, or more honest?
No, knight, Tobiy’s bargaining is different -
It makes drops... really, it’s wonderful,
How do they work?
Albert
What do I need in them?
Add three drops to a glass of water...
Neither taste nor color is noticeable in them;
And a man without pain in his stomach,
Without nausea, without pain he dies.
Albert
Your old man is selling poison.
Yes -
And poison.
Albert
Well? borrow money instead
You will offer me two hundred bottles of poison,
One chervonets per bottle. Is that so, or what?
You want to laugh at me -
No; I wanted... maybe you... I thought
It's time for the baron to die.
Albert
How! poison your father! and you dared your son...
Ivan! hold it. And you dared me!..
You know, Jewish soul,
Dog, snake! that I want you now
I'll hang it on the gate.
Guilty!
Sorry: I was joking.
Albert
Ivan, rope.
I... I was joking. I brought you money.
Albert
The Jew leaves.
This is what it brings me to
Father's own stinginess! The Jew dared me
What can I offer! Give me a glass of wine
I'm trembling all over... Ivan, but money
I need. Run after the damned Jew,
Take his ducats. Yes here
Bring me an inkwell. I'm a cheat
I'll give you a receipt. Don't enter it here
Judas of this... Or no, wait,
His ducats will smell of poison,
Like the silver pieces of his ancestor...
I asked for wine.
Ivan
We have wine -
Not a bit.
Albert
And what he sent me
A gift from Spain Remon?
Ivan
I finished the last bottle this evening
To the sick blacksmith.
Albert
Yes, I remember, I know...
So give me some water. Damn life!
No, it’s decided - I’ll go look for council
From the Duke: let them force father
Hold me like a son, not like a mouse,
Born underground.
Scene II
Basement.
Baron
Like a young rake waiting for a date
With some wicked libertine
Or a fool, deceived by him, so am I
I've been waiting all day for minutes to get off.
To my secret basement, to my faithful chests.
Happy day! I can today
To the sixth chest (to the chest still incomplete)
Pour in a handful of accumulated gold.
Not much, it seems, but little by little
Treasures are growing. I read somewhere
That the king would once give his soldiers
He ordered the earth to be demolished, handful by handful, into a pile,
And the proud hill rose - and the king
I could look around with joy from above
And the valley covered with white tents,
And the sea where the ships fled.
So I, bringing the poor handful by handful
I’m used to my tribute here in the basement,
He lifted up my hill - and from its height
I can look at everything that is under my control.
What is beyond my control? like some kind of demon
From now on I can rule the world;
As soon as I want, palaces will be erected;
To my magnificent gardens
The nymphs will come running in a playful crowd;
And the muses will bring me their tribute,
And the free genius will become my slave,
And virtue and sleepless labor
They will humbly await my reward.
I will whistle, and obediently, timidly
Bloody villainy will creep in,
And he will lick my hand and my eyes
Look, there is a sign of my reading in them.
Everything obeys me, but I obey nothing;
I am above all desires; I am calm;
I know my strength: I have enough
This consciousness...
(Looks at his gold.)
It doesn't seem like much
And how many human worries,
Deceptions, tears, prayers and curses
It is a heavy representative!
There is an old doubloon here... here he is. Today
The widow gave it to me, but first
Half a day in front of the window with three children
She was on her knees howling.
It rained, and stopped, and then started again,
The pretender did not move; I could
Drive her away, but something whispered to me,
What husband's debt she brought me
And he won’t want to be in jail tomorrow.
And this one? This one was brought to me by Thibault -
Where could he, the sloth, the rogue, get it?
He stole it, of course; or maybe,
There on the high road, at night, in the grove...
Yes! if all the tears, blood and sweat,
Spilled for everything that is stored here,
Suddenly everyone emerged from the bowels of the earth,
It would be a flood again - I would choke
In my cellars of the faithful. But it's time.
(Wants to unlock the chest.)
Every time I want a chest
My unlock, I fall into heat and trembling.
Not fear (oh no! who should I be afraid of?
I have my sword with me: it is responsible for gold
Honest damask steel), but my heart is tight
Some unknown feeling...
Doctors assure us: there are people
Those who find pleasure in killing.
When I put the key in the lock, the same
I feel what I should feel
They are stabbing the victim with a knife: nice
And scary together.
(Unlocks the chest.)
This is my bliss!
(Pours in money.)
Go, you've got plenty of time to scour the world,
Serving the passions and needs of man.
Fall asleep here in the sleep of strength and peace,
How the gods sleep in the deep skies...
I want to throw myself a feast today:
I will light a candle in front of each chest,
And I’ll unlock them all, and I’ll stand there myself
Among them, look at the shining piles.
(Lights candles and unlocks the chests one by one.)
I reign!.. What a magical shine!
Obedient to me, my power is strong;
In her is happiness, in her is my honor and glory!
I reign... but who will follow me
Will he take power over her? My heir!
Madman, young spendthrift,
Libertine riotous interlocutor!
As soon as I die, he, he! will come down here
Under these peaceful, silent arches
With a crowd of caresses, greedy courtiers.
Having stolen the keys from my corpse,
He will open the chests with laughter.
And my treasures will flow
In satin ripped pockets.
He will break the sacred vessels,
He will give the dirt the royal oil to drink -
He will waste... And by what right?
Did I get all this for nothing?
Or jokingly, like a player who
Rattling bones and raking piles?
Who knows how many bitter abstinences,
Bridled passions, heavy thoughts,
Daytime worries, sleepless nights for me
Was it all worth it? Or the son will say,
That my heart is overgrown with moss,
That I didn't know the desires that made me
And conscience never gnawed, conscience,
A clawed beast, scraping the heart, conscience,
Uninvited guest, annoying interlocutor,
The lender is rude, this witch,
From which the month and the graves fade
They get embarrassed and send out the dead?..
No, first suffer for yourself wealth,
And then we'll see if he becomes unhappy
To squander what you have acquired with blood.
Oh, if only I could from unworthy glances
I hide the basement! oh, if only from the grave
I could come as a sentry shadow
Sit on the chest and away from the living
Keep my treasures as they are now!..
In a palace.
Albert
Believe me, sir, I endured for a long time
The shame of bitter poverty. If not for extremes,
You wouldn't have heard my complaint.
Duke
I believe, I believe: noble knight,
Someone like you won't blame his father
Without extremes. There are few such depraved ones...
Rest assured: your father
I will advise you in private, without noise.
I am waiting for him. We haven't seen each other for a long time.
He was my grandfather's friend. I remember,
When I was still a child, he
He put me on his horse
And covered with his heavy helmet,
Like a bell.
(Looking out the window.)
Who is this?
Isn't it him?
Albert
Yes, he is, sir.
Duke
Come on
To that room. I'll call you.
Albert leaves; The Baron enters.
Baron,
I am glad to see you cheerful and healthy.
Baron
I am happy, sir, that I was able
Appear according to your orders.
Duke
We parted a long time ago, Baron.
You remember me?
Baron
Me, sir?
I can see you now. Oh you were
The child is playful. I'm the late Duke
Said: Philip (he called me
Always Philip), what do you say? A?
In twenty years, really, you and me,
We will be stupid in front of this guy...
In front of you, that is...
Duke
We are now acquaintances
Let's resume. You forgot my yard.
Baron
Old, sir, I am today: at court
What should I do? You are young; love you
Tournaments, holidays. And I'm on them
I'm no good anymore. God will give war, so will I
Ready, groaning, to mount the horse again;
The old sword will still have enough strength
Bare my trembling hand for you.
Duke
Baron, we know your zeal;
You were my grandfather's friend; my father
I respected you. And I always thought
You are a faithful, brave knight - but we will sit down.
Baron, do you have children?
Baron
One son.
Duke
Why don’t I see him with me?
You're bored with the yard, but it's decent for him
It is his age to be with us.
Baron
My son does not like noisy, social life;
He is of a wild and gloomy disposition -
He always wanders through the forests around the castle,
Like a young deer.
Duke
Not good
He should be shy. We'll teach you right away
It is for fun, for balls and tournaments.
Send it to me; assign it to your son
Decent content...
You frown, you are tired from the road,
May be?
Baron
Sir, I am not tired;
But you confused me. In front of you
I wouldn't like to admit it, but I
You are forced to talk about your son
What I would like to hide from you.
He, sir, unfortunately, is unworthy
No favors, no your attention.
He spends his youth in a riot,
In low vices...
Duke
This is because
Baron, that he is alone. Solitude
And idleness destroys young people.
Send him to us: he will forget
Habits born in the wilderness.
Baron
Forgive me, but, really, sir,
I cannot agree to this...
Duke
But why?
Baron
Fire the old man...
Duke
I demand: tell me the reason
Your refusal.
Baron
I'm on my son
Angry.
Duke
Baron
For an evil crime.
Duke
Tell me, what does it consist of?
Baron
Excuse me, Duke...
Duke
It is very strange,
Or are you ashamed of him?
Baron
Yes... it's a shame...
Duke
But what did he do?
Baron
He... he me
I wanted to kill.
Duke
Kill! so I'll judge
I will betray him as a black villain.
Baron
I won’t prove it, even though I know
That he really longs for my death,
At least I know that he attempted
Me…
Duke
Baron
Rob.
Albert rushes into the room.
Albert
Baron, you're lying.
Duke
(to son)
How dare you?..
Baron
Are you here! you, you dared me!..
You could say such a word to your father!..
I lie! and before our sovereign!..
Me, me... or am I not a knight?
Albert
Baron
And the thunder hasn’t struck yet, good God!
So raise the sword and judge us!
(Throws down the glove, the son hastily picks it up.)
Albert
Thank you. This is my father's first gift.
Duke
What did I see? what was in front of me?
The son accepted the old father's challenge!
On what days did I put it on
Chain of Dukes! Be silent, you madman,
And you, little tiger! complete.
(To my son.)
Give it up;
Give me this glove
(takes her away).
Albert
Duke
So he dug his claws into it! - monster!
Come on: don't you dare look into my eyes
Appear as long as I myself
I won't call you.
(Albert leaves.)
You, unfortunate old man,
Aren't you ashamed...
Baron
Sorry, sir...
I can't stand... my knees
They’re getting weaker... it’s stuffy!.. it’s stuffy!.. Where are the keys?
Keys, my keys!...
Duke
He died. God!
Terrible age, terrible hearts!
