Portrait characteristics of lopakhin from the cherry orchard. Characteristics of Lopakhin from "The Cherry Orchard

Each character in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is both tragic and comical at the same time. The heroes begin to resemble each other all the more, the less they wish. For people, the desire to be unique is natural, and it is not known whether this is good or bad. Chekhov shows life as a constant transition from comedy to tragedy and back. Mixing genres leads to mixing moods. There are no guilty ones, the source of disappointment is life itself. And, as Chekhov said, if there are no guilty ones, then everyone is guilty. He urged not to absolutize any single truth, and the problems of the "Cherry Orchard" are universal.

It is interesting to note that the line of Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin ends in the play before anyone else. More than anything else, Chekhov's heroes love endless conversations about nothing - all illusions. Ranevskaya at first very confidently says that she will never return to her lover in Paris, but ...

People are confused. A common feature: all heroes dream, and using a conditional mood. However, they oppose themselves to each other. The characters are convinced of the opposite of their rights and truths, while Chekhov emphasizes their similarities: “Nobody knows real truth". He found a special genre form... There is no unambiguous reading, it is a mixture of the dramatic and the comic.

In some modern categories - a typical "new Russian". The only active character. Unfortunately, almost all of his energy is directed towards money. Chekhov considered the role of Lopakhin central in the play and wanted Stanislavsky to play it, but he preferred the role of Gaev. The author was not happy with the production, believing that the performance had failed. In his opinion, Lopakhin is far from an impudent nouveau riche (to the question of “new Russians”), but belongs to the type of merchant-entrepreneurs (like, for example, Mamontov). These people understood and appreciated art, were real patrons of art, invested a lot of money in museums.

Lopakhin is a man with the soul of an artist. It is he who speaks the most tender words about Ranevskaya's estate. The hero wants to rebuild the cherry orchard, and not destroy it without leaving a trace, and this plan is the only real one out of all those stated. Lopakhin is well aware that the time of the cherry orchard is irrevocably gone, the estate has ceased to be a reality, turning into a ghost from the past. The line of behavior of the characters in Chekhov is a dotted line, the most important thing is the director and actors. The relationship between Lopakhin and Vary - dark side plays. Lopakhin is controlled by a secret feeling for Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. In theory, Lopakhin's marriage to Vara would be a profitable enterprise for him: he is a merchant, she is a noble's daughter. But Lopakhin is a born artist, and Varya's horizons are very limited (she dreams of a monastery). For her, marriage is not so much a feeling as a way to arrange her life. Or - to a monastery, or - marriage, or - to a housekeeper. It does not occur to Varya that Lopakhin may not go to her. He doesn't love her, they have nothing to talk about. Ranevskaya is another matter ... Ermolai Alekseevich clearly pays much more attention to the experiences of the former mistress than he could, based on the practicality of his nature.

Evil appears in Lopakhin precisely after a conversation with Lyubov Andreevna, when she advises him to marry Vara. Two cross-cutting themes of the play are the doomed cherry orchard and Lopakhin's undivided, unnoticed love for Ranevskaya. His last words are a wish for an early end to his unhappy awkward life. It is he who understands the global absurdity of existence, he and only he sees the impossibility of living in harmony with himself.

Chekhov very clearly raises the question: who is the future of Russia? For Lopakhin or for Yasha? It turned out - rather for Yasha. Russia - Lopakhin, Russia - Yasha ... Opposition - revolution. That is why in the finale of the play Lopakhin is very unconvincing.

The good intentions of the heroes are absolutely at odds with their deeds. Lopakhin admires the garden, but cuts it down ...

There is a feeling of complete misunderstanding between people. Chekhov believes that any tragedy and any misfortune can serve as a reason for laughter, for true grief is not afraid of ridicule. The equalization of things characteristic of the absurd: the cucumber and the tragedy of Charlotte, the funny Epikhodov - and serious book Buckle. The insignificance of a person is emphasized. The only thing that will remind of him after the death of Pischik is his horse.

Logically, Lopakhin should have triumphed in the finale, having acquired the notorious estate of Ranevskaya. But no ... He does not look like an absolute winner in this situation. The victory went to him too dearly, and this is not about money. That lively, hot feeling that moves him through life, as a person who is more subtle than others who feel it, turned out to be trampled on at some point. Obviously, this happened when the idea of ​​the impossibility of developing any relations with the previous owner of the estate became completely undeniable. Alas, it is difficult to build something new without violating the integrity of the former ...

Lopakhin is a man who made himself: the son of a serf, became a merchant, rich, influential person... An entrepreneurial person who knows how to make money and save a penny, he is already offering help to Ranevskaya, the owner of the estate where his father had recently worked.

"Predator" - this is what Petya Trofimov calls him. But let's take a closer look at it. Lopakhin is looking forward to the return of Ranevskaya, his first words in the play: "The train has come, thank God!" On the first pages of Chekhov
twice introduces a remark referring to this hero: he listens. "

Lopakhin came on purpose to meet Ranevskaya. Doesn't listen to Dunyasha, thinks about his own. About her - this is about the arrival of the owner of the estate, about what she has become: “Does she recognize me? We haven't seen each other for five years. Dunyasha reports that Epikhodov proposed to her. Lopakhin reacts indifferently: "Ah!", And then interrupts: "Here, it seems, they are going ..."

It is interesting to note the following passage:

“Lopakhin (listens). Here, he repents, they are going ...
Dunya sha, They're coming! What is it with me, all went cold.
L about groin and n. They are going, in fact. Let's go meet. Does she recognize me? We haven't seen each other for five years.
Dunyasha (in excitement). I'm going to fall ... Oh, I'm going to fall! "

"Does she recognize me?" - reflects Lopakhin. And after a while Ranevskaya says: "I recognized Dunyasha too." Perhaps Dunyasha's words are more intended to convey what is happening now inside Lopakhin?

Outwardly, he is calm. Yes, clearly waiting for Ranevskaya, but calm. And inside? Perhaps Dunyasha is a kind of Lopakhin's double? He inspires Dunyasha: “You are very gentle, Dunyasha. And you dress like a lady, and your hair too. You can not do it this way. You have to remember yourself. " And almost the same about myself: "In a white vest, yellow shoes ... and if you think and figure it out, then a man is a man ..."

Lopakhin recalls Ranevskaya with great tenderness: “She is a good person. An easy, simple person. " Then, already in conversation, he says very warm, touching words to her: “I have to go to Kharkov now, at five o'clock. Such a shame! I wanted to look at you, talk ... You are all the same gorgeous. "

“Your brother, here is Leonid Andreevich, says about me that I am a boor, I am a fist, but this is absolutely all the same to me. Let him speak. I only wish that you still believed me, that your amazing touching eyes looked at me as before. Merciful God! My father was a serf with your grandfather and father, but you, in fact, you did once so much for me that I forgot everything and love you as my own, more than my own. "

Everyone is waiting for him to offer Varya, but he does not. For two years (!) Everyone has been talking about it, but he is either silent or joking. Varya: "he has a lot to do, he is not up to me ... and does not pay attention ... Everyone talks about our wedding, everyone congratulates, but in fact there is nothing, everything is like a dream ..."

When Lopakhin is told that he needs to get married, he answers calmly, but indifferently: “Yes ... What then? I do not mind ... She good girl". But does not Lopakhin's words, addressed to Ranevskaya, contain the answer to the question of why he still does not make an offer to Varya? Isn't this a confession?

It seems that he loves Ranevskaya, has loved for a long time ... But! Firstly, Ranevskaya does not hear him: I cannot sit still, I am not able to ... (Jumps up and walks in great excitement.) I will not survive this joy ... ”Ranevskaya is busy with her feelings. (In all fairness, it must be said that in general all the characters in Chekhov's play are exclusively occupied with themselves.)

She cannot (or does not want?) To understand Lopakhin's feelings. It is no coincidence that in the second and fourth acts, she will advise Lopakhin to propose to Vara. Although it is generally not clear why everyone decided that Lopakhin was in love with Varya.

He openly mocks her:
Lopakhin (looks through the door and hums). Me-ee ... (Leaves).
Secondly, Lopakhin's confession was probably belated. (Although before, how could he confess to her?) It is no coincidence that he slept even today and did not meet the train.

“I’m good at what a fool I’ve played! I came here on purpose to meet you at the station, and suddenly overslept ... I fell asleep while sitting. Annoyance ... ”The moment that, perhaps, once was in Lopakhin's life, which happens in every person's life, has been missed.

The motive for missed opportunities arises constantly in the play. Let us again pay attention to the words of Lopakhin: I have to go to Kharkov now, at five o'clock. Such a shame! I wanted to look at you, talk ... You are all the same gorgeous. "

Let's just highlight something else in them: “I have to go to Kharkov now, at five o'clock. Such a shame! I wanted to look at you, talk ... ”And one more thing: I would like to tell you something pleasant and funny. (Glancing at his watch.) Now I'm leaving, there is no time to talk ... "

Lopakhin was waiting for Ranevskaya so much! I was thinking about what she has become, but now he has no time to talk to her. That's the way it is all my life: there is no time. And then it turns out that it's too late.

Thirdly, we repeat again that Lopakhin's father was a serf with Ranevskaya's father and grandfather.

Then he traded in a shop in the village. And the differences in upbringing, education, lifestyle of Ranevskaya and Lopakhin cannot be removed by anything, even if you put on a white vest and yellow shoes. With a pig's snout in a kalashny row ... Just now, he is rich, there is a lot of money, and if you think about it and figure it out, then a man is a man ... (Turns over the pages of the book.) I read this book and did not understand anything. I read and fell asleep. "

“My dad was a man, an idiot, he didn't understand anything, he didn't teach me, he just beat me drunk, and that's it with a stick. In fact, I am the same fool and idiot. I haven’t learned anything, my handwriting is nasty, I write in such a way that people are ashamed of them, like a pig. ”

Let's pay attention to the state of Lopakhin in the third action after the purchase cherry orchard.

“I bought it! .. (Laughs.) The Cherry Orchard now mine! My! (Laughs.) My God, Lord, my cherry orchard! Tell me that I am drunk, out of my mind, that all this seems to me ... (Stamps his feet.) I am asleep, it only seems to me, it only seems ... It is a figment of your imagination, covered in the darkness of the unknown. "

Lopakhin's joy, laughter gave way to tears! He bought a cherry orchard, he will cut it down as he wanted, hand over the land to summer residents (maybe). But this victory is illusory ("I am dreaming, it only seems to me").

Ranevskaya remained unattainable. Not everything is as Lopakhin wishes. You can't pay for everything in life. "Just a lot of money, but as a man was a man, he remained."

He says with irony (!) That there is a new owner of the cherry orchard. And in general it becomes like Epikhodov: "I accidentally pushed the table, almost knocked over the candelabra." (Epikhodov in the first act: I will go. (Bumps into a chair that falls)

The blow that was intended for Epikhodov falls on Lopakhin. Why am I comparing Lopakhin and Epikhodov? It's just that everyone calls Epikhodov “twenty-two misfortunes”, they see that he is an unhappy person, they sympathize with him.

And it is customary to perceive Lopakhin as a strong man, who has achieved a lot with his work, with his mind, as a predator who will take and redeem a cherry orchard. (Petya Trofimov about him: "That's how, in terms of metabolism, you need a predatory animal that eats everything that comes its way, so you are needed.")

Meanwhile, Lopakhin is an endlessly lonely man, long and unrequitedly in love with a woman who does not notice this love and will never reciprocate.

Dunyasha, on the other hand, is a double of Ranevskaya herself, who in the same way stops her choice on an unworthy person, Lopakhin invites Ranevskaya to rent the estate for dachas, but his words, taken separately, look like Ranevskaya's proposal and the agonizing expectation of an answer.

"L o p and kh and n. Do you agree to give the land for summer cottages or not? Answer one word: yes or no? Just one word! "
Ranevskaya does not react.
"L o p and kh and n. Just one word! (Pleadingly.) Give me an answer! There is no other choice, I swear to you. No and no".

Offering Ranevskaya to rent the garden of sacrifice, Lopakhin says: "and then your cherry orchard will become happy, rich, luxurious."

Why did Lopakhin need a cherry orchard? Why is he trying to knock him out as soon as possible? I didn't have time to buy - the axes are knocking!

This garden stood between him and Ranevskaya. For Lopakhin, the cherry orchard is a symbol of his serf past, this is the cruelty of his father (“I remember when I was a boy, my deceased father ... hit me in the face with his fist, the blood began to flow from my nose ... We then came to the yard for some reason, and he I was drunk "), this is illiteracy and inability to understand what is written in books ...

They are too different. Maybe that's why Lopakhin is so eager to cut down this garden? To become closer to Ranevskaya, to destroy these class differences between her and herself?

Is it possible to get rid of the past forever? Can you forget who you are and where you are from? Probably not. But axes knock on cherry trees, for the past. From grief, from Lopakhin's suffering. (Even if he does not chop it himself, it seems that he does it himself.) There is no love! Not at home! Life has passed, as if it did not live at all!

At the end of the play, Lopakhin leaves with everyone, and does not remain to enjoy the "victory". And will he not shoot himself, as Epikhodov spoke about this quite recently?

Instead of a conclusion.

Why is the auction in the play scheduled for August 22nd?

In the “Encyclopedia of Symbols” we read about the symbolism of the number two: “The day is divided into two parts: day and night. Time is for the past and the future, between which there is an almost elusive moment of the present ”.

It is this “elusive moment of the present” that is our life. And it is this moment that we often do not notice. We suffer about the past, we look into the future. And life goes on.

This very moment, it seems to me, was depicted by A.P. Chekhov. The moment when you can see and hear a person who truly loves you; the moment when you can remember true values life; when can I get
peace, get rid of loneliness; the moment when you can still create your own paradise. But he was not noticed by the heroes of the play.
Life rolled on.
Paradise is lost.
Forever and ever.

The purpose of the lesson. To give an idea of ​​the complexity and contradictions of the "new owner", of the morality that disfigures Lopakhin's soul.

Epigraph of the lesson. Lopakhin's role is central. If it fails, then the whole play will fail. / A.P. Chekhov /.

Lesson form. Lesson - discussion.

During the classes.

introduction teachers to the topic of the lesson.

2.Conversation (discussion) on issues with students

V. What do we know about Yermola Lopakhin? Why, creating his portrait, Chekhov pays special attention to the details of clothing (white vest, yellow shoes), gait (walks, waving his arms, striding widely, thinks while walking, walks along one line)? What do these details say?

V. What features of Lopakhin reveal in his affection for Ranevskaya? Why don't the former owners accept the Lopakhin project to save the cherry orchard?

Lopakhin's affection for Ranevskaya is not a relic of servile affection for a former mistress, but a deep, sincere feeling that grew out of gratitude, out of respect for kindness and beauty. For the sake of Lyubov Andreevna, Lopakhin endures Gaev's lordly neglect. For her sake, he is ready to sacrifice his interests: dreaming of taking possession of the estate, he nevertheless offers a completely real project to preserve it in the property of Ranevskaya and Gaev. The owners do not accept the project, and this makes them impractical. But in this case, it has its cute side: it is really unpleasant for them, it is disgusting to think that in the place of the cherry orchard there will be summer cottages... When Ranevskaya says:"Cut it out? My dear, forgive me, you do not understand anything ", - she's right in her own way.

Yes, Lopakhin does not understand that it is blasphemy to cut such beauty, the most beautiful thing in the whole province. And when Gaev, in response to Lopakhin's speech that the summer resident would take care of the farm and make a gardenhappy, rich, luxurious , says indignantly:"What nonsense!" - he is also right in his own way.

It is no coincidence that Chekhov puts the words in Lopakhin's mouth:"And we can say that the summer resident in twenty years will multiply to extraordinary." .

V. Can you say that about the people who decorate the earth? Why?

V. Why does Petya Trofimov say that he loves Lopakhin, believes that he has thin, tender, soul and at the same time sees in him beast of prey ? How to understand this?

Two people live and fight among themselves in Lopakhino -thin, delicate soul and beast of prey ... By nature, this is, apparently, an outstanding nature - an intelligent, strong-willed person and at the same time responsive to someone else's grief, capable of generosity and disinterestedness. Although his father raised him with a stick, he did not knock out good inclinations. It is possible that Ranevskaya, with her responsiveness and kindness, helped their development."You ... once did so much for me." - says Lopakhin to her.

Who will win - man or beast? Most likely - a beast!

V. Reread the scene explained by Varya and Lopakhin. Why didn't he give an explanation?

Many times - under the gentle but persistent influence of Ranevskaya - he readily agreed to propose to Varya, and each time he avoided some awkward joke:"Okhmelia, go to the monastery" or simply "Me-e-e".

What's the matter? Does not love? As timid as any groom? Perhaps, but rather the poor "bride" is right.“For two years now, everyone has been talking to me about him, but he is silent or joking. I understand. He is getting rich, busy with business, he has no time for me. "

But is this the main reason? After all, there is not a penny for Varya.

V. “We will set up summer cottages, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see a new life here,” - says Lopakhin. How can this life appear to him?

Lopakhin's ideals are vague. He is full of energy, he wants activity. “Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I think:“Lord, you gave us huge forests, vast fields, the deepest horizons, and, living here, we ourselves should really be giants ...”. But the activities of the acquirer are increasingly influencing his ideals. That's why new, happy life seems to him possible ondacha tithes , based on some entrepreneurial activity... But this, of course, is a chimera. Petya Trofimov says for sure that these dreams of Lopakhin come from habitwave your arms that is, to imagine that money can do anything.“And, too, to build summer cottages, to expect that individual owners will eventually emerge from summer residents, to count like this means waving.”

Chekhov warned that Lopakhin is not a kulak, and explained that Varya, a serious, religious girl, would not love a kulak, but Lopakhin's idea of ​​future happiness was formulated by that atmosphere of acquisitions, bargaining, which more and more tightens her.

V. Lopakhin more than once throughout the play expresses dissatisfaction with life, calls it stupid, awkward, unhappy. What caused this?

Lopakhin cannot help but feel sometimes the contradiction between the desire for good, happiness - and the life he leads: after all, to earnforty thousand clean , it is impossible to climb into millionaires without crushing anyone, without robbing, without pushing anyone out of the way. Lopakhin feels at times a painful split. This is especially clear in the scene of his courage after the purchase of the cherry orchard. How democratic pride is mixed and mutually contradictory herethe beaten, illiterate Yermolai, who ran barefoot in winter, a descendant of serfs, and the triumph of a businessman after a successful deal in which he bypassed a competitor, and the roar of a predatory beast, and pity for Lyubov Andreevna, and acute discontent with thisawkward, unhappy life ... And yet, Lopakhin's last phrase in this scene:"I can pay for everything!" - this is as significant as the sound of the ax, accompanying the last action and completing it.

V. Does he feel confident? How long does Lopakhin have to "reign" on Russian soil?

V. The last sound that ends the piece is the knocking of an ax. Why?

Persistent blows of the ax make you think that the old life is dying, the old life is leaving forever, and that the beauty bought by the capitalist predator is dying.

Chekhov seeks to "ennoble" Lopakhin. He wrote to Stanislavsky: “Lopakhin, it is true, is a merchant, but a decent person in every sense, he must behave quite decently, intelligently, not shallow, without tricks ", a putting the words into Trofimov's mouth:“After all, after all, I love you. You have thin, delicate fingers, like an artist. You have a thin tender soul " , I wanted to show a living face, not a poster image of a merchant.

3.Reflection: Who, from your point of view, is Lopakhin?

4. Homework.

Compare the heroes of the play (Anya and Petya) with the characters from the story "The Bride". How did Chekhov see the younger generation?

Introduction

"... if it (the role) fails, then the whole play will fail." So in one of the letters Chekhov spoke about the role of Lopakhin from the play "The Cherry Orchard". Oddly enough, the author places the focus not on Ranevskaya, the owner of the cherry orchard, but on Lopakhin. Merchant, enough limited person, himself honestly admitting that he is essentially a "fool and an idiot" - this is the characterization of Lopakhin from "The Cherry Orchard" that comes to mind in the first place. And yet it is his author who calls the "central" figure in the work! He was echoed by a number of critics who define this hero as a hero of the new time, a viable person " new formation", With a sober and clear view of things. In order to better understand this contradictory image, let's analyze Lopakhin.

Lopakhin's life path

The fate of Lopakhin and Yermolai Alekseevich was closely intertwined with the fate of the Ranevskaya family from the very beginning. His father was a serf with Ranevskaya's father, he traded "in the village in a shop." Once, - recalls Lopakhin in the first act - his father drank and broke his face. Then the young Ranevskaya took him to her place, washed him and consoled him: "Don't cry, little man, he will heal before the wedding." Lopakhin still remembers these words, and they echo in him in two ways. On the one hand, he is pleased with the caress of Ranevskaya, on the other, the word "little man" hurts his pride. It was his father who was a peasant, Lopakhin protests, and he himself "got into the world", became a merchant. He has a lot of money, "a white vest and yellow shoes" - and he achieved all this himself. His parents did not teach him anything, his father only beat him drunk. Remembering this, the hero admits that, in essence, he remained a peasant peasant: his handwriting is bad, but he does not understand anything in books - “he read a book and fell asleep.”

Lopakhin's energy and hard work deserves undoubted respect. From five o'clock he is already on his feet, working from morning till evening and cannot imagine his life without work. An interesting detail - because of his activities, he does not have enough time all the time, some business trips that he goes on are constantly mentioned. This hero in the play looks at his watch more often than others. In contrast to the strikingly impractical Ranevskaya family, he knows the count of both time and money.

At the same time, Lopakhin cannot be called a money-grubber or an unprincipled "merchant-grabber", like those merchants whose images Ostrovsky liked to draw so much. This can be evidenced by at least the ease with which he part with his money. In the course of the play, Lopakhin will repeatedly give or offer money on credit (recall the dialogue with Petya Trofimov and the eternal debtor Simeonov-Pishchik). And most importantly, Lopakhin is sincerely worried about the fate of Ranevskaya and her estate. Merchants from Ostrovsky's plays would never do what comes to Lopakhin's mind - he himself offers Ranevskaya a way out of the situation. But the profit that can be obtained by renting a cherry orchard for summer cottages is not at all small (Lopakhin himself calculates it).

And it would be much more profitable to wait for the trading day and quietly buy a profitable estate. But no, the hero is not like that, he will repeatedly invite Ranevskaya to think about his fate. Lopakhin does not want to buy a cherry orchard. “I teach you every day,” he says desperately to Ranevskaya shortly before the auction. And it is not his fault that in response he will hear the following: dachas are "so common", Ranevskaya will never agree to this. But he, Lopakhin, let him not go away, with him "still more fun" ...

Characteristics of Lopakhin through the eyes of other characters

So, we are faced with an extraordinary character in which business acumen and a practical mind are combined with a sincere affection for the Ranevsky family, and this affection, in turn, contradicts his desire to cash in on their estate. To get a more accurate idea of ​​the image of Lopakhin in the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov, let's look at how the other characters respond about him. The range of these responses will be wide - from "the enormous mind of man" (Simeonov-Pischik) to "a predatory beast that eats everything in its path" (Petya).

A vivid negative characteristic belongs to Ranevskaya's brother, Gaev: "boor, fist." Somewhat adorns Lopakhin in the eyes of Gayev is the fact that he is "Varin's fiance", and yet this does not prevent Gayev from considering the merchant a limited person. However, let's see from whose lips such a description of Lopakhin sounds in the play? Lopakhin himself repeats it, and he repeats without malice: "Let him speak." For him, in his own words, only one thing is important - that "amazing, touching eyes" of Ranevskaya looked at him "as before."

Ranevskaya herself refers to Lopakhin with warmth. For her, he is “good, interesting person". And yet, from each phrase of Ranevskaya it is clear that he and Lopakhin are people of different circles. Lopakhin sees in Ranevskaya something more than just an old acquaintance ...

Love test

Throughout the play, every now and then comes the conversation about the marriage of Lopakhin and Varya, it is spoken of as a matter that has already been decided. In response to direct offer Ranevskaya to take Varya as his wife, the hero replies: "I am not averse to ... She is a good girl." And yet the wedding never took place. But why?

Of course, this can be explained by the practicality of Lopakhin the merchant, who does not want to take a dowry for himself. In addition, Varya has certain rights to the cherry orchard, and has a heart for it. The clearing of the garden stands between them. Varya explains her love failure even easier: in her opinion, Lopakhin simply does not have time for feelings, he is a businessman, unable to love. On the other hand, Varya herself does not suit Lopakhin. Her world is limited by household chores, she is dry and "looks like a nun." Lopakhin, on the other hand, has repeatedly shown the breadth of his soul (recall his statement about the giants, who are so lacking in Russia). From the incoherent dialogues between Varya and Lopakhin, it becomes clear: they absolutely do not understand each other. And Lopakhin, deciding for himself the Hamlet question "To be or not to be?", Is acting honestly. Realizing that he will not find happiness with Varya, he, like a district Hamlet, says: "Okhmelia, go to the monastery" ...

The point, however, is not only the incompatibility of Lopakhin and Varya, but that the hero has another, not expressed love. This is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, whom he loves "more than his own." Throughout the play, the leitmotif is Lopakhin's light, reverent attitude to Ranevskaya. He decides to make an offer to Varya after a request from Ranevskaya, but here he cannot overpower himself.

Lopakhin's tragedy lies in the fact that he remained for Ranevskaya the peasant whom she once carefully washed. And the moment he finally understands that the “dear” that he kept in his soul will not be understood, a turning point occurs. All the heroes of The Cherry Orchard lose something of their own, and Lopakhin is no exception. Only in the image of Lopakhin does his feeling for Ranevskaya act as a cherry orchard.

Lopakhin's celebration

And now it happened - Lopakhin acquires the estate of Ranevskaya from the auction. Lopakhin - new owner cherry orchard! Now in his character a predatory beginning really appears: "I can pay for everything!" The understanding that he bought an estate where once, "poor and illiterate", did not dare to go beyond the kitchen, intoxicates him. But in his voice one can hear irony, a mockery of himself. Apparently, Lopakhin already understands that his celebration will not last long - he can buy a cherry orchard, "which is not more beautiful in the world," but buy a dream is not in his power, it will scatter like smoke. Ranevskaya can still be comforted, because she, in the end, leaves for Paris. And Lopakhin is left alone, understanding this perfectly. "Goodbye" - that's all he can say to Ranevskaya, and this ridiculous word raises Lopakhin to the level of a tragic hero.

Product test

His father was a serf of Ranevskaya's grandfather and father; he traded in the village in a shop. Now Lopakhin got rich. His characterization is given by Chekhov, including in the first person. However, he speaks of himself with irony that he has remained a "man is a man". Talking about his childhood, the hero notes that his dad was a man who did not understand anything. He did not teach his son, but only beat drunk. Lopakhin admits that he is, in essence, "a fool and an idiot." did not learn anything, his handwriting is bad.

Lopakhin's business acumen

Of course, Lopakhin, whose characteristics we are interested in, has enterprise, business acumen and intelligence. The scope of its activities is much wider than that of the previous owners. He is energetic. Moreover, the main part of the state of this hero was earned by his own labor. The path to wealth was not easy for him. Separate remarks and remarks indicate that this merchant has some big "business". He is completely absorbed in him. At the same time, Lopakhin easily part with his money, lending it to Simeonov-Pishchik and Ranevskaya, persistently offering Peta Trofimov. This hero is always short of time: he either goes on business trips, or returns. By his own admission, he gets up at five o'clock in the morning, works from morning to evening. Ermolai Alekseevich says that he cannot live without work. Lopakhin is the one who looks at the watch more often than the others. His characterization is supplemented by this essential detail already at the beginning of the work. His first line in the play: "What time is it?" This merchant constantly remembers the time.

Perception of Lopakhin by the characters of the play

This hero is perceived differently characters plays. Their reviews of him are very contradictory. This is a "good, interesting person" for Ranevskaya, a "fist" and "boor" for Gaev, a "man of the greatest mind" for Simeonov-Pishchik. Petya Trofimov gives him a humorous characterization, saying that he is a predatory animal that eats everything that gets in the way, and this requires metabolism. "

The moment of Lopakhin's highest celebration

Lopakhin seeks to help Ranevskaya. He invites her to divide the garden into plots and lease them. This hero feels his tremendous power requiring exit and application. In the end, Lopakhin buys the cherry orchard. His characterization is complemented in this important scene by some essential features. For him, the episode when he announces the purchase to the former owners of the garden is a moment of supreme celebration. Now Lopakhin is the owner of an estate in which his grandfather and father were slaves, where they were not even allowed into the kitchen. He begins to "wave his arms" more and more - he is intoxicated by the consciousness of his own luck and strength. Compassion for Ranevskaya and triumph in him are opposed in this episode.

A dealer with an artist's soul

Chekhov said that Lopakhin's role in the work is central, that the whole play will fail if it fails. He wrote that Yermolai Alekseevich was a merchant, but a decent man in every sense; he must behave with decency, "no trick", intelligently. At the same time, Chekhov warned against a petty, simplistic understanding of the image of Lopakhin. He is a successful businessman, but he has the soul of an artist. His reasoning about Russia sounds Lopakhin's words remind lyrical digressions Gogol in It is to this hero that the most heartfelt words, said about the cherry orchard, belong in the play: "an estate that is not more beautiful in the world."

Chekhov introduced features characteristic of some Russian entrepreneurs of the early 20th century into the image of Lopakhin, a merchant, but at the same time an artist in his soul. It is about such names that left their mark on the culture of Russia as Savva Morozov, Shchukin, Tretyakov, the publisher Sytin.

The final assessment that Petya Trofimov gives to his seemingly antagonist is very significant. The characterization of the image of Lopakhin, given by this character, is dual. As we said, he compared him to a beast of prey. But at the same time, Petya Trofimov tells Lopakhin that he still loves him: he, like an artist, has delicate thin fingers and a vulnerable soul.

The illusion of victory

By no means does Lopakhin want to ruin the cherry orchard. His characterization would be wrong if we thought so. He only proposes to rebuild it, dividing it into plots for summer cottages, to make it "democratic", generally accessible for a moderate fee. However, at the end of the play, he is shown not at all as a triumphant winner who achieved success Lopakhin ("The Cherry Orchard"). His characterization in the finale is very contradictory. And the old owners of the garden are depicted not only as defeated. Lopakhin intuitively feels the relativity and illusion of his own victory. He says he wants this unhappy, awkward life to change sooner. These words are supported by his fate: Yermolai Alekseevich alone is able to appreciate the significance of the cherry orchard, but he destroys it with his own hands.

The characteristic of Lopakhin from "The Cherry Orchard" is marked by the following: good intentions, personal good qualities for some reason this hero is at odds with reality. Neither those around him, nor he himself is able to understand the reasons for this.

Lopakhin is not given personal happiness either. Relationships with Varya are poured into incomprehensible to others his actions. He never dares to propose to this girl. Lopakhin, moreover, has a special feeling for Lyubov Andreevna. He waits for Ranevskaya's arrival with special hope and wonders if she will recognize him after five years of separation.

Relationship with Varya

In the last act, in the famous scene, when the failed explanation between Varya and Lopakhin is described, the heroes talk about the broken thermometer, about the weather - and not a word about what is most important to them at that moment. What is the matter, why did not the explanation take place, this love did not work out? Varya's marriage is discussed throughout the play as almost a settled matter, and nevertheless ...

What separates Lopakhin and Varya?

Apparently, the point is not that the groom is a businessman incapable of displaying love feelings. It is in this spirit that Varya explains to herself their relationship. She believes that he simply has no time for her, since Lopakhin has a lot to do. Probably, Varya, after all, is not a match for this hero: he is a broad nature, an entrepreneur, a person of great scope and at the same time an artist at heart. Varin's world is limited by economy, economy, keys on his belt. This girl, moreover, is a dowry, who has no rights even to the now ruined estate. Lopakhin, for all the subtlety of his soul, lacks tact and humanity in order to bring clarity to their relationship.

The dialogue of the characters, described in the second act, does not clarify anything at the level of text in the relationship between Vari and Lopakhin. But it becomes clear at the level of subtext that these people are infinitely distant. The characterization of Lopakhin's hero allows us to judge that with Varya he would hardly have found his happiness. Ermolai Alekseevich has already decided that he will not be with this girl. Here Lopakhin plays the role of provincial Hamlet, who solves for himself the famous question: "To be or not to be?" And he decides: "Okhmelia, go to the monastery ...".

What separates Varya and Lopakhin? Perhaps the relationship of these heroes is largely determined by the motive of the fate of the cherry orchard, their attitude to it? Varya, like Firs, worries about the fate of the estate, the garden. And Lopakhin "sentenced" him to felling. Thus, the death of the cherry orchard comes between the heroes.

But, probably, there is one more reason that is not formulated in the play (like many other things, sometimes the most important thing for Anton Pavlovich) and lies in the realm of the subconscious. This is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya.

Lopakhin and Ranevskaya

Lopakhin's characterization from The Cherry Orchard would be incomplete without an analysis of the relationship between these two characters. The fact is that Ranevskaya, when Lopakhin was still a "boy" with a nose bloody from his father's fist, took him to the washstand and said: "He will heal before the wedding." Ranevskaya's sympathy, in contrast to his father's fist, was perceived by Lopakhin as a manifestation of femininity and tenderness. Lyubov Andreevna, in fact, did what her mother was supposed to do. Perhaps it was she who was involved in the fact that this merchant has such a "delicate, tender soul." But it is precisely this characteristic of Lopakhin in the play "The Cherry Orchard" that makes the image of the merchant of interest to us contradictory. Ermolai Alekseevich had a wonderful vision in his soul. So, in the first act, he tells Lyubov Andreevna that she once did so much for him, and that he loves her "more than his own." This is the characteristic of Ranevskaya and Lopakhin, their relationship.

Lopakhin's words in the first act are a "confession" of his first, long-standing love, filial gratitude, Yermolai Alekseevich's light love for a beautiful vision that does not require anything in return and does not oblige to anything.

Farewell to the past

However, what was once experienced is irreversible. This "dear" for Lopakhin was not understood, heard. Probably, this moment became a turning point for him psychologically. He became for Lopakhin a calculation with the past, a farewell to him. And for him began new life... But now this hero has become more sober.

This is the characteristic of Ermolai Lopakhin, the central character plays, according to Chekhov.