Essay on the topic: Mtsyri as a romantic hero. "Mtsyri" - the romantic hero of the poem Romantic features of the mtsyri
The work "Mtsyri" is one of the artistic heights of the entire creative heritage of M. Yu. Lermontov. This poem is the fruit of a long and active work. Passionate fascination with the Caucasus, as well as the desire to describe situations in which the courageous character of the protagonist could most fully reveal itself, all this led the great Russian poet to write the work "Mtsyri". Can you call her protagonist romantic? And if so, why?
General characteristics of the romantic hero
In order to answer these questions and describe Mtsyri as a romantic hero, let us consider the main criteria by which a literary character can be classified in this category. Romanticism is known to be a literary movement that emerged at the beginning of the 19th century. This trend assumes the presence of an exceptional hero in certain circumstances. The romantic character is characterized by loneliness, disillusionment with generally accepted ideals, tragedy, and also rebellion. This hero enters into open confrontation with the circumstances in which he finds himself, with the people around him. He strives for a certain ideal, but acutely feels the duality of being. The romantic hero protests against the generally accepted rules.
The main idea that the poet develops in the work is courage and protest, which in itself presupposes the presence of such a character as a romantic hero. "Mtsyri" does not contain a love motive. It is reflected only in a short episode where the main character meets a Georgian woman at a mountain stream. However, the main character, having managed to overcome the call of a young heart, makes a choice in favor of freedom. For the sake of this ideal, he renounces personal happiness, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic.
The main values of the character
In one fiery passion, he merges both the desire for freedom and love for the homeland. For Mtsyri, the monastery, within the walls of which he spent so much time, turns out to be like a prison. The cells seem to be stuffy. Guardian monks seem cowardly and pitiful, and he himself sees himself as a prisoner and a slave. Here the reader observes a motive of protest against the established rules, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. He has an irresistible desire to find out “for the will or the prison, we were born into this world,” the emergence of which was provoked by a passionate impulse to become free.
Will for the protagonist is real bliss. It is because of his sincere love for his homeland that Mtsyri is ready to fight for it. The work does not fully reveal the motives of the hero. However, they are palpable in indirect hints. The protagonist remembers his father and his acquaintances as valiant warriors. It is not just that he dreams of battles in which he wins. Despite the fact that on his life path Mtsyri never set foot on the battlefield, in his spirit he is a warrior.
Pride and courage
The main character did not show his tears to anyone. He cries only during the escape, but only because no one sees it. The will of the protagonist is tempered during his stay in the monastery. It is no coincidence that a thunderous night was chosen for the escape - this detail also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. What struck fear in the hearts of the monks became attractive to him. Mtsyri's soul was filled with a feeling of brotherhood with a thunderstorm. The courage of the protagonist manifested itself to the greatest extent in his fight with the leopard. But death did not frighten him, because he knew that a return to his old way of life would be a continuation of his previous sufferings. The tragic finale of the work suggests that death did not weaken the spirit of the protagonist and his love of freedom. The old monk's words do not provoke him to repentance.
The nature and description of the character of Mtsyri
Lermontov introduced a description of the Caucasian landscape into the poem in order to more fully reveal the image of the protagonist. He despises his surroundings, feels a kinship only with nature, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. Grade 8 is the time when schoolchildren usually go through this work in literature. At this age, the poem will be very interesting for students, because in it they will get acquainted with one of the most freedom-loving romantic characters in all Russian literature.
Imprisoned within the walls of a monastery, the protagonist compares himself to a leaf that has grown between damp slabs. And having escaped free, he can, together with the wildflowers, raise his head at sunrise. Mtsyri is like a fairytale hero - he learns the mysteries of the chirping of birds, he understands the dispute between the flow of water and stone, the heavy thought of separated rocks, eager to meet again.
Romantic character of Mtsyri
Why is Mtsyri a romantic hero, what exactly are the features that make him belong to this category? First, he rebelled against the established system - the monastery in which he happened to live. Secondly, Mtsyri has a distinct personality. The reader has the opportunity to observe the exceptional hero in the most extraordinary circumstances. There is a conflict between him and society - this is also a feature of the romantic hero. Mtsyri is disappointed in the conditions in which he lived, with all his soul he strives for the ideal. And Georgia is becoming such a perfect world for him. The hot blood of a representative of the mountain people is very suitable for creating the image of a romantic hero.
The hero of the poem and freedom
Mtsyri spends three days at large, but trials come across on his way. He has to endure thirst and hunger, a feeling of fear and outbursts of love. And the most important event at this time is the fight with the wild leopard. The strong spirit of the romantic hero in the poem "Mtsyri" allows him to overcome the weakness of his body, to defeat the beast. The difficulties that befell Mtsyri symbolize the obstacles that each person faces on the path of life. The main character experiences many feelings. This is the feeling of unity with nature, with its colors and sounds, and the tenderness of love's sadness.
Acquaintance with the character of the main character in the course of the work
Mtsyri is the romantic hero of Lermontov, yearning for happiness and freedom, striving to be with those people whom he can call relatives in spirit. The great Russian poet describes the rebellious soul of a man endowed with a powerful temperament. The reader is faced with a hero who is doomed to a slavish existence within the walls of the monastery, absolutely alien to his passionate nature. At the beginning of the work, the poet only makes hints at the character traits of the young man. He lifts the curtain a little, over and over again introducing the reader to the qualities of the protagonist. Describing a child's illness, the poet only emphasizes his ability to cope with difficulties, pride, distrust and a strong spirit inherited from his great-grandfathers. The character of the protagonist is revealed to the fullest extent during the confession.
Mtsyri's agitated monologue introduces the listener to the world of his secret aspirations, gives an explanation of the reasons for his escape. After all, the prisoner was obsessed with the desire to find freedom, to know life. He wanted to live in a world where people are free like birds. The boy wanted to learn about real life, to regain his lost homeland. He was attracted by the world, which was completely inaccessible within the monastery walls.
Lust for a life that is stronger than circumstances
All this allows the hero to understand that life is beautiful and unique in all its diversity. At first glance, it may seem that Mtsyri remained defeated, failed in his struggle with the circumstances and the difficulties that life presented to him. However, the protagonist proved to be strong enough to challenge these obstacles. And this means a spiritual victory for him. For Lermontov's compatriots, who spent their lives in passive contemplation, Mtsyri became the ideal of a desperate struggle for high spiritual values.
Romanticism and realism in the work
Mtsyri is the romantic hero of Lermontov's poem, who is full of the most fiery passions. Despite this, the great Russian poet introduces some features of realism into his work. On the one hand, Lermontov creates a deeply psychological poem-confession, in which the main character reveals his soul. In this respect, the work continues the traditions of romanticism. On the other hand, the introduction is characterized by the precise and mean speech characteristic of realism (“Once a Russian general ...”). And this romantic poem is evidence of the growth of realistic motives in the poet's work.
So, we answered the question of whether Mtsyri can be called a romantic hero. As for the poem itself, it belongs to the genre of romanticism, but it also contains elements of realism. The image of Mtsyri is deeply tragic. After all, the one who dares to confront reality is most often defeated. Alone, it is impossible to change the surrounding reality. The way out for such a hero is death. This is the only way he gets rid of the conflict.
Mtsyri as a romantic hero
mtsyri lermontov freedom work
The protagonist of the poem M.Yu. Lermontov "Mtsyri" is a young novice. He lives in a tragic and alien world for him - the world of stuffy cells and painful prayers. The monastery in the understanding of the hero is a gloomy prison, a symbol of bondage, sadness and loneliness. Mtsyri does not consider this life and dreams of returning to his native land. The young man decides to escape from his "captivity" and goes in search of a new real life. Behind the walls of the monastery Mtsyri reveals a lot of new things. He admires the beauty and harmony of the Caucasian nature. Everything around him delights. He enjoys every moment of a dream come true. The boy sees only beauty in everything. Throughout his life, he did not experience such feelings. Everything seems to him unusual, wonderful, full of colors and positive emotions. But fate is laughing at the poor boy. After three days of wandering, Mtsyri returns to the monastery again. The young man breaks down and dies. Before his death, he shares with the elder the impressions, experiences and feelings received from the colorful and vivid journey. It is these three days that he considers the life of a real free person. M.Yu. Lermontov wants to show the unconditional value of freedom and free life. He devotes only one chapter to the story of the whole life of the poor young man, and almost the entire poem to three days, and we understand how important these three days are for Mtsyri.
Lermontov was in love with the Caucasus from early childhood. The majesty of the mountains, crystal clarity and at the same time the dangerous power of rivers, bright unusual greenery and people, freedom-loving and proud, shook the imagination of a big-eyed and impressionable child. Perhaps that is why, even in his youth, Lermontov was so attracted by the image of a rebel, on the verge of death uttering an angry protest speech (the poem "Confession", 1830, the action takes place in Spain) in front of the senior monk. Or maybe it was a premonition of his own death and a subconscious protest against the monastic prohibition to rejoice at everything that is given by God in this life. This keen desire to experience ordinary human, earthly happiness is also heard in the dying confession of young Mtsyri, the hero of one of the most remarkable Lermontov's poems about the Caucasus (1839 - the poet himself had very little time).
Before "Mtsyri" the poem "The Fugitive" was written. In it, Lermontov develops the theme of punishment for cowardice and betrayal. Short plot: a traitor to duty, forgetting about his homeland, Garun fled from the battlefield, not taking revenge on his enemies for the death of his father and brothers. But neither friend, nor beloved, nor mother will accept the fugitive, even everyone will turn away from his corpse, and no one will take him to the cemetery. The poem called for heroism, for the struggle for the freedom of the fatherland.
In the poem "Mtsyri" Lermontov develops the idea of courage and protest inherent in the "Confession" and the poem "The Fugitive". In "Mtsyri" the poet almost completely ruled out the love motive, which played such a significant role.
in "Confession" (the love of a monk hero to a nun). This motive was reflected only in a brief meeting of Mtsyri with a Georgian woman at a mountain stream. The hero, conquering the involuntary impulse of a young heart, renounces personal happiness in the name of the ideal of freedom. The patriotic idea is combined in the poem with the theme of freedom, as in the work of the Decembrist poets. Lermontov does not share these concepts: love for the motherland and the thirst for will merge into one, but "fiery passion".
Tell us about the characteristic features of a romantic hero (using the example of the hero of the poem Mtsyri).
Answer
In my opinion, the boy from Lermontov's poem "Mtsyri" is a very romantic character. When he told the priest his story of escape, he told, showing his pain, he told how he longed to return to his homeland with such sincerity, he gave away everything that had accumulated in his soul during the trip.
The author interprets the image of the protagonist of a romantic poem in an unusual way. Mtsyri is devoid of external signs of exclusivity; this is a weak youth. The halo of enigma and mystery, titanic individualistic traits characteristic of a romantic hero, is absent in him. The very confession of the hero helps him to convey the slightest emotional movement as accurately as possible. He not only talks about his actions and deeds, but also motivates them. Mtsyri wants to be understood, heard. Talking about his motives, intentions, desires, successes and failures, he is equally honest and sincere in front of himself. Mtsyri is confessed not in order to relieve the soul or remove the sin for his escape, but in order to relive the three blissful days of life in freedom:
You wanna know what i did
In the wild? Lived - and my life
Without these three blissful days
It would be sadder and darker
Your impotent old age.
But romantic poems are characterized by the presence of an exceptional, contradictory personality, whose attitude to the surrounding world is ambiguous. The exclusivity and strength of Mtsyri are expressed in the goals that he sets for himself:
Long ago I thought
Take a look at the distant fields
Find out if the land is beautiful
Find out for the will or the prison
We will be born into this world.
From childhood, being captured. Mtsyri could not come to terms with bondage, life among strangers. He yearns for his native aul, for communication with people close to him in customs, in spirit, strives to get to his homeland, where, in his opinion, “people are free like eagles” and where happiness and will await him:
I lived a little, and lived in captivity.
Such two lives in one,
But only full of anxiety
I would trade if I could.
I only knew the power of thought,
One - but fiery passion ...
Mtsyri runs not from his own environment to someone else's in the hope of finding will and tranquility, but breaks with the alien world of the monastery - a symbol of an unfree life in order to reach the edge of the fathers. Homeland for Mtsyri is a symbol of absolute freedom, he is ready to give everything in a few minutes of his life at home. Returning to his homeland is one of his goals, along with the knowledge of the world.
Throwing a challenge to fate itself, Mtsyri leaves the monastery on a terrible night when a storm broke out, but this does not frighten him. He, as it were, identifies himself with nature:
"Oh, as a brother, I would be glad to embrace the storm."
During the "three blissful days" spent by Mtsyri in freedom, all the wealth of his nature was revealed: love of freedom, thirst for life and struggle, perseverance in achieving the set goal, unbending willpower, courage, contempt for danger, love for nature, understanding of its beauty and relics:
... Oh, I'm like a brother
Would be glad to hug with the storm!
With the eyes of the clouds I followed
I used the lightning hand to catch ...
Exceptional traits The personality of the hero of romantic poems helps to reveal the presence of a love story in these poems. But Lermontov excludes this motive from the poem, since love could become an obstacle for the hero on the way to achieving his goal. Having met a young Georgian woman by the stream, Mtsyri is fascinated by her singing. He could follow her and connect with people. Finding himself in a situation that is very important for the romantic hero - in a situation of choice, Mtsyri does not change his goal: he wants to go to his homeland and, perhaps, find his father and mother. Having abandoned love, the hero preferred freedom to her.
And one more test had to pass Mtsyri - a fight with a leopard. He emerges victorious in this battle, but he is no longer destined to go to his homeland. He dies in a foreign country, with strangers. Mtsyri was defeated in a dispute with fate, but the three days he lived in freedom personify his life, if it had been in his homeland. The hero of Lermontov's poem finds the strength to admit defeat and die, not cursing anyone and realizing that the reason for the failure lies in himself. Mtsyri dies, making peace with the people around him, but freedom remained above all for him.
At the turn of the 18-19th centuries, a romantic tradition developed in Russia, which replaced classicism. If the previous literary movement focused on the development of society and sought to describe the ideal world order, then for romanticism something completely different becomes important. In the works of romantics, a person, his inner world, aspirations and feelings come out on top. Romantic writers strongly believe that everyone is exceptional and of primary value, so they shift their focus to portraying feelings and experiences. This is how a romantic hero appears, for whose image quite clear literary canons are soon formed.
The first rule of romanticism as a literary movement is the portrayal of an unusual hero in unusual conditions. As a rule, romantic writers choose an atypical setting for their works: a forest, mountains, a desert, or some ancient castle. An unusual hero is placed in a mysterious place, possessing all the best human qualities: he is handsome, proud and noble. He is better than the people around him and with all this causes their dislike. Hence follows the second condition: the opposition of the hero and society, the hero and the surrounding reality. The romantic hero is always in opposition, because he perfectly sees the imperfection of the world and, due to his moral purity, does not want to put up with it. This is where the romantic conflict is built. Another prerequisite for the literature of romanticism is a detailed description of the hero's thoughts. For this, the form of a diary, a lyrical monologue or a confession is chosen.
The heroes of the works of M. Lermontov can serve as a classic example of a romantic hero in the works of Russian writers. These are Pechorin and Arbenin, Demon and Mtsyri ... Let's consider Mtsyri as a romantic hero.
Mtsyri as a romantic hero
In his works, Lermontov took into account the creative experience of Byron, who was his idol for many years, which is why we can speak of Lermontov's heroes as Byronic heroes. The Byronic Hero is the highest quality romantic hero, a rebel hero with a fiery nature. No circumstances can break him. These qualities especially attracted Lermontov, and it is these qualities that he writes out in his characters with special care. Such is the romantic hero Mtsyri, who can be called the ideal of the romantic hero.
We learn about the life of Mtsyri, or rather about its key moments, from first hand, since Lermontov chose the form of confession for the poem. This is one of the most popular genres of romanticism, because confession allows you to open the depths of the human soul, making the story both emotional and sincere. The hero was placed in an unusual place: in a monastery in the Caucasus, and the Caucasus for a Russian at that time seemed to be a very exotic land, a center of liberty and free thought. The traits of the romantic hero "Mtsyri" can be traced in how little the reader is told about the hero's previous life - just a few scant phrases about his childhood. His life in the monastery is shrouded in mystery so characteristic of romantic works. Little Mtsyri was taken prisoner by a Russian general and brought to the monastery, where he grew up - that's what the reader knows. But Mtsyri himself is not an ordinary monk, he has a completely different character, by nature he is a rebel. He could not forget his homeland and abandon it, he longs for real life and is ready to pay any price for it.
Was it easy for Mtsyri to decide to escape from a peaceful existence in his cell? It is obvious that the monks who cured and educated Mtsyri did not wish him harm. But their world cannot become Mtsyri, since it was created for another life. And in the name of her, he is ready to take risks. In accordance with the romantic tradition, life in a monastery and life outside of it is contrasted here, with the former symbolizing the lack of freedom and constraint of the human person, while the latter is an ideal life. It is to her that Mtsyri, born for freedom, strives. His escape is a rebellion against traditions, it is significant that it takes place on a stormy stormy night, when monks are supposed to pray, fearing "the wrath of God." For Mtsyri, a thunderstorm causes delight, a desire to intermarry with the rebellious element: "I, like a brother ...". The sincerity of the hero wins in him the ostentatious monastic humility - Mtsyri is at large.
The tragedy of Mtsyri
The romantic hero is almost always doomed to defeat in the struggle against the world, since this struggle is unequal. His dreams, as a rule, do not come true, and life ends early. In this, the romantic hero of Lermontov's poem "Mtsyri" turns out to be an exception: he still managed to fulfill part of his dream and breathe the air of freedom. It is another matter that, as the epigraph to the poem tells us, he “tasted little honey,” and freedom was given to him for only three days - but the more vividly he will experience this time. Mtsyri is happy with his merger with nature. Here memories of his family, his native village and a happy childhood come back to him. Here his blood wakes up, the blood of warlike mountaineers, and he is capable of feats. During the battle with the leopard, Mtsyri appears before the reader as a brave warrior, fully aware of his strength and knowing how to use it. He is beautiful, like the wild nature around: he is a part of it and its child.
But Lermontov could not rightfully be called a great romantic poet if he turned his poem into a happy fairy tale. Mtsyri was defeated by circumstances, he was wounded and brought back to his cell. Freedom only beckoned him, but his main dream: to return to his homeland, to the distant free Caucasus, did not come true. And, if you think about it, it was not at all feasible, because no one was waiting for him there. The close Mtsyri have long been dead, the house has been destroyed, and he would have turned out to be exactly the same stranger in his home as in the monastery. This is where the true romantic tragedy is manifested: the hero is completely excluded from this world and is equally alien to everyone in it. Only beyond the bounds of his life, perhaps, happiness awaits him, but Mtsyri does not want to give up. He would willingly exchange “Paradise and Eternity” for a few minutes at home. He dies unbroken and his last gaze is turned to the Caucasus.
The image of Mtsyri is the image of a romantic hero with a deeply tragic history, which has rightfully been loved by many generations of readers. "... You see what a fiery soul, what a mighty spirit, what a gigantic nature this Mtsyri has!" - this is how the critic Belinsky spoke about him, and the words of the critic really fully characterize the hero. Years go by, literary trends change, the romantic tradition is long gone, but the image of Mtsyri still inspires heroic deeds and awakens love for the most valuable: life and homeland.
The given image of the romantic hero of the poem and a description of his features will be useful to pupils of grade 8 when searching for materials for an essay on the topic "Mtsyri as a romantic hero of Lermontov's poem"
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