Why are Mtsyri called a romantic hero? Mtsyri as a romantic hero
The work “Mtsyri” is one of the artistic peaks of the entire creative heritage of M. Yu. Lermontov. This poem is the fruit of long and active work. A passion for the Caucasus, as well as a desire to describe situations in which the courageous character of the main character could be most fully revealed, all this led the great Russian poet to write the work “Mtsyri”. Can its main character be called romantic? And if so, why?
General characteristics of a romantic hero
In order to answer these questions and describe Mtsyri as a romantic hero, we will consider the main criteria by which a literary character can be classified in this category. Romanticism, as you know, is a literary movement that emerged at the beginning of the 19th century. This trend presupposes the presence of an exceptional hero in certain circumstances. A romantic character is characterized by loneliness, disappointment in 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 existence. The romantic hero protests against 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 near a mountain stream. However, the main character, having managed to overcome the call of his young heart, makes a choice in favor of freedom. For the sake of this ideal, he gives up personal happiness, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic.
Character's main values
His desire for freedom and love for his homeland merge into one fiery passion. For Mtsyri, the monastery, within whose walls he spent so much time, turns out to be like a prison. The cells seem stuffy. The monk guards seem cowardly and pathetic, and he himself sees himself as a prisoner and slave. Here the reader observes a motive of protest against established rules, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. He has an irresistible desire to find out “for freedom or prison we were born into this world,” the emergence of which is provoked by a passionate impulse to become free.
Will for the main character is real bliss. It is precisely because of his sincere love for his homeland that Mtsyri is ready to fight for it. The work does not fully reveal the hero's motives. However, they are noticeable in indirect hints. The main character remembers his father and his friends as valiant warriors. It is not for nothing that he dreams of battles in which he wins. Despite the fact that in his life Mtsyri has 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 only cries during his escape, but only because no one sees it. The will of the protagonist is strengthened during his stay in the monastery. It is no coincidence that a stormy night was chosen for the escape - this detail also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. What struck fear into the hearts of the monks became attractive to him. Mtsyri's soul was filled with a feeling of brotherhood with the thunderstorm. To the greatest extent, the courage of the protagonist was manifested in his fight with the leopard. But death did not frighten him, because he knew that a return to his previous way of life would be a continuation of his previous suffering. The tragic ending of the work suggests that death did not weaken the spirit of the protagonist and his love of freedom. The words of the old monk do not provoke him to repentance.
Nature and character description of Mtsyri
Lermontov introduced a description of the Caucasian landscape into the poem in order to more fully reveal the image of the main character. He despises his surroundings, feels a family connection only with nature, which also characterizes Mtsyri as a romantic hero. 8th grade is the time when schoolchildren usually study this work of 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 the monastery, the main character compares himself to a leaf that has grown between damp slabs. And having broken free, he can raise his head along with wildflowers during sunrise. Mtsyri is like a fairy-tale hero - he learns the mysteries of the chirping of birds, the dispute between the flow of water and stone, the heavy thought of separated rocks, eager to meet again, becomes clear to him.
Romantic character of Mtsyri
Why is Mtsyri a romantic hero, what exactly are the features that make him belong to this category? Firstly, he rebels against the established system - the monastery in which he happened to live. Secondly, Mtsyri has a clearly expressed individuality. The reader has the opportunity to observe an exceptional hero in the most extraordinary circumstances. There is a conflict between him and society - this is also a feature of a romantic hero. Mtsyri is disappointed in the conditions in which he lived; with all his soul he strives for the ideal. And Georgia becomes such a perfect world for him. The hot blood of a representative of the mountain people is very well suited for creating the image of a romantic hero.
The hero of the poem and freedom
Mtsyri spends three days in freedom, but there are trials along the way. He has to endure thirst and hunger, feelings of fear and impulses 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 and defeat the beast. The difficulties that befell Mtsyri symbolize the obstacles that every person faces on the path of life. The main character experiences many feelings. This is a feeling of unity with nature, with its colors and sounds, and the tenderness of love sadness.
Getting to know the character of the main character as the work progresses
Mtsyri - Lermontov's romantic hero, thirsting for happiness and freedom, strives to be with those people whom he can call kindred in spirit. The great Russian poet describes the rebellious soul of a man endowed with a powerful temperament. The reader is presented with a hero who is doomed to a slave existence inside the walls of the monastery, completely alien to his passionate nature. At the beginning of the work, the poet only makes hints about the character traits of the young man. He lifts the veil little by little, introducing the reader over and over again to the qualities of the main character. Describing the child’s illness, the poet only emphasizes his ability to cope with difficulties, pride, distrust and the strong spirit inherited from his great-grandfathers. The character of the main character is most fully revealed during confession.
Mtsyri's excited monologue introduces the listener into the world of his secret aspirations and gives an explanation of the reasons for his escape. After all, the prisoner was obsessed with the desire to gain freedom and experience life. He wanted to live in a world where people are free, like birds. The boy wanted to learn about real life, to find his lost native land again. He was attracted by a world that was completely inaccessible within the monastery walls.
A thirst for 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 main character was strong enough to defy 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 confessional poem 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 precise and spare speech, characteristic of realism (“Once upon a time, a Russian general ...”). And this romantic poem is evidence of the growth of realistic motifs 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 also contains elements of realism. The image of Mtsyri is deeply tragic. After all, those who dare to confront reality are most often defeated. It is impossible to change the surrounding reality alone. The solution for such a hero is death. This is the only way he gets rid of the conflict.
M. Yu. Lermontov admired the Caucasus since childhood. Majestic inaccessible mountains, clear rivers and Caucasians, freedom-loving and proud. In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” it should be noted that the theme of freedom is key in the poem.
History of creation
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” one can cite the history of writing the poem as one of the arguments. The story of Lermontov's first biographer P. A. Viskovatov tells how the poet, during his first Caucasian exile, met a monk who told this story.
The monk told Lermontov that, as a child, he ended up in a monastery. General Ermolov brought him there. For a long time he could not get used to monastic life and tried to escape. Perhaps it was under the impression of this story that Mikhail Yuryevich wrote his poem.
But it is impossible to determine how reliable Viskovatov’s story is. Some researchers believe that the basis could be the story of the artist P.Z. Zakharov, who was of Chechen nationality. He was taken to Tiflis by General Ermolov. Both of these stories are about the difficult fate of captive mountaineers who found themselves far from their relatives and their homeland and dreamed of enjoying life. Mtsyri is a freedom-loving, impressionable young man with a warm heart.
Character character
In the essay "Mtsyri - the romantic hero of the poem" you need to reveal the character of the main character. This is a freedom-loving young man, eager to break out of the walls of the monastery and see the world. He wants to find his place in life, because he does not want to be a monk and give up all worldly joys.
Mtsyri avoided the company of monks, believing that behind the walls they hid from real life. His hot, ardent nature strives for freedom, to experience all the feelings that ordinary people experience. His rebellious spirit cannot come to terms with the fact that in his prime he will have to give up joys. So he runs away. And as events unfold, the young man’s determination, his courage and loyalty to his dream become more and more apparent.
The protagonist's childhood
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero,” the image of a young man is revealed by a story about his past. In earlier works, the poet did not talk about the conditions that influenced the development of character. The story about childhood and the difficult years of adolescence reveals the character’s inner world more deeply.
The reader learns that one Russian general was heading to Tiflis. His path passed through the mountains, and a captive child rode with him. But the baby could not bear the hardships of the journey and fell ill. But despite his fragile build and timidity, he felt the mental fortitude characteristic of mountaineers.
One monk took pity on him and took the boy away. At first, the child avoided society and did not play noisy games. He loved to wander alone and was homesick. But gradually the boy got used to the monks and even learned a foreign language and was baptized. And having become a young man, he was ready to take the monastic vow. But then Mtsyri suddenly disappeared. After reading the story of the protagonist's childhood, the reader begins to understand the motives of the young man and empathize with him.
The hero's attitude towards the monastery
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” it is worth writing about what feelings the young man had towards the monastery. Despite the fact that the monk took pity on him, and thanks to him the boy was able to survive, Mtsyri never developed warm feelings for his benefactor. For the young man, the monastery was a dungeon. Mtsyri retained in his heart childhood memories of his home, for which he yearned.
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” one can point out that such characters are characterized by strong experiences and spiritual doubts. He was frightened by the prospect of becoming a monk and giving up all the joys of life. Therefore, he succumbs to a spiritual impulse and runs away from the monastery to see the world. Despite the fact that the monastery is associated with peace of mind, Mtsyri does not find peace there and strives to escape from there. The young man called those three days that he spent outside the monastery walls blessed.
Memories of family
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” it should be noted that one of the important characteristics of the character is his love for his homeland and home. The young man tells the monk that he remembers his village and family. He was saddened that he could not address anyone with the sacred words “mother” and “father.” Despite the monk's efforts to make the boy forget them, Mtsyri says that he was born with the sound of these words.
Often romantic heroes have difficult relationships with their families, because it is important for a person to feel the support of his ancestors. The young man preserved his childhood memories like a treasure. And this is important to note in an essay on the topic “Mtsyri as a romantic hero.”
The Bravery of a Young Man
In an essay on the topic “Mtsyri as a romantic hero,” you must talk about the hero’s meeting with the leopard. After all, such characters must not only have the ability to experience strong feelings, but also be ready to perform brave deeds. During the meeting with the leopard, the young man showed his courage and perseverance.
Mtsyri was not afraid to die in battle with the beast, because for him it was more terrible to return to the monastery, which he considered a prison. The hero’s resilience is also evident in the fact that he remains true to his dream, despite any obstacles. In the essay “Can Mtsyri be called a romantic hero”, it is worth noting that the young man wanted to be like his father, to participate in battles, defending his homeland and family.
Meeting with a girl
In the essay “Can Mtsyri be called a romantic hero”, his meeting with a young Georgian woman should also be described. But there are also some differences between him and the sentimental character. The young man, who had never seen the girl before, was delighted not so much by her beauty as by her whole image.
Mtsyri was amazed by her simple, artless song. And something similar to love for a moment distracted his thoughts and feelings from the main goal: to find the way to his home. But the young man suddenly loses consciousness, and when he woke up, the young Georgian woman had already left. And Mtsyri saw two saklyas, into one of which the girl entered. And what he saw was dear to him, perhaps because it reminded him of his home, his family. This is a manifestation of the hero’s romantic nature: loyalty to his dream.
Youth and nature
In the essay “Mtsyri as a Romantic Hero” for grade 8, you need to describe the role of landscapes in revealing the character’s image. The young man felt unity with nature; it was closer to him than the company of people. He perceived the thunderstorm as his faithful friend and believed that there was no friendship stronger than his and lightning.
Mtsyri understood the murmur of the stream. Crouching to the ground, he listened to what the plants and animals were saying. Having spent many years in the monastery, dreaming of seeing the world, the young man was amazed by its beauty. In his confession to the monk, Mtsyri said that all the voices of nature merged together. And the proud voice of a man did not sound there. This is proof that the young man loved grass and trees, the company of animals and birds.
Admiration for nature, impressionability - all this is typical of romantic heroes. They often seek solitude among mountains, forests, and lakes, trying to find harmony. The fact that Mtsyri understood the world around him better than people emphasizes his isolation and alienation. After all, he was lonely among the monks, he felt like a stranger. And only after escaping from the monastery, among the herbs and flowers, the young man found peace and felt part of the world around him.
They write an essay “Mtsyri as a romantic hero” in 8th grade. In the image of a courageous young man, M. Yu. Lermontov depicted the qualities that he would like to see in people. The poem praises the strength of a person’s spirit and his loyalty to his dream.
Mtsyri as a romantic hero
mtsyri lermontov freedom work
The main character of the poem M.Yu. Lermontov "Mtsyri" - a young novice. He lives in a tragic and alien world for him - a world of stuffy cells and painful prayers. The monastery in the hero’s understanding 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 discovers a lot of new things. He admires the beauty and harmony of Caucasian nature. Everything around him delights him. He enjoys every moment of his dream come true. The boy sees only beauty in everything. Throughout his life he had never experienced such feelings. Everything seems unusual, wonderful, full of colors and positive emotions to him. But fate laughs at the poor boy. After three days of wandering, Mtsyri returns to the monastery again. The young man cannot stand it and dies. Before his death, he shares with the elder the impressions, experiences and feelings received from the colorful and vibrant journey. It is these three days that he considers the life of a truly 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 poor young man’s entire life, 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, the crystal purity and at the same time dangerous power of the rivers, the bright unusual greenery and people, freedom-loving and proud, shook the imagination of a big-eyed and impressionable child. Perhaps this is why, even in his youth, Lermontov was so attracted to the image of a rebel, on the verge of death, making an angry protest speech (the poem “Confession”, 1830, the action takes place in Spain) before the elder monk. Or maybe it was a premonition of his own death and a subconscious protest against the monastic prohibition to rejoice in everything that is given by God in this life. This acute desire to experience ordinary human, earthly happiness is heard in the dying confession of young Mtsyri, the hero of one of Lermontov’s most remarkable poems about the Caucasus (1839 - the poet himself had very little time left).
Before "Mtsyri" the poem "The Fugitive" was written. In it, Lermontov develops the theme of punishment for cowardice and betrayal. Brief plot: a traitor to duty, forgetting about his homeland, Harun fled from the battlefield without taking revenge on his enemies for the death of his father and brothers. But neither a friend, nor a lover, nor a 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 fight for the freedom of the homeland.
In the poem “Mtsyri” Lermontov develops the idea of courage and protest inherent in “Confession” and the poem “The Fugitive”. In "Mtsyri" the poet almost completely excluded the love motive, which played such a significant role
in “Confession” (the love of the hero-monk for a nun). This motive was reflected only in a brief meeting between Mtsyri and a Georgian woman near a mountain stream. The hero, defeating 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 works of the Decembrist poets. Lermontov does not share these concepts: love for the fatherland and thirst for will merge into one, but “fiery passion.”
At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, a romantic tradition developed in Russia, replacing 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 the romantics, man, his inner world, aspirations and feelings come first. Romantic writers firmly believe that every person is unique and of primary value, so they shift their attention to the depiction of feelings and experiences. This is how a romantic hero appears, for whose portrayal quite clear literary canons are soon formed.
The first rule of romanticism as a literary movement is the depiction of an unusual hero in unusual conditions. As a rule, romantic writers choose an atypical setting for their works: a forest, mountains, 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 at the same time arouses their hostility. From here follows the second condition: the opposition of the hero and society, the hero and the surrounding reality. The romantic hero is always in opposition, since he clearly sees the imperfection of the world and, due to his moral purity, does not want to come to terms with it. This is what the romantic conflict is built on. Another prerequisite for the literature of romanticism is a detailed description of the hero’s thoughts. For this, the form of a diary, lyrical monologue or confession is chosen.
A classic example of a romantic hero in the works of Russian writers can be the heroes of the works of M. Lermontov. 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 talk about Lermontov’s heroes as Byronic heroes. The Byronic hero is a romantic hero of the highest quality, a rebel hero with a fiery nature. No circumstances can break him. These qualities especially attracted Lermontov, and it is them that he writes out in his heroes with special care. Such is the romantic hero Mtsyri, who can be called the ideal of a romantic hero.
We learn about Mtsyri’s life, or rather about its key moments, first-hand, since Lermontov chose the form of confession for the poem. This is one of the most popular genres of romanticism, since confession allows you to open the depths of the human soul, making the story both emotional and sincere. The hero is placed in an unusual place: in a monastery in the Caucasus, and the Caucasus for Russian people then seemed like a very exotic land, a center of freedom and free-thinking. The features of the romantic hero of “Mtsyri” can already be seen in how little the reader is told about the hero’s previous life - just a few meager phrases about his childhood. His life in the monastery is shrouded in mystery, so characteristic of romantic works. Little Mtsyri was captured 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, he is a rebel by nature. He was never able to 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 the quiet existence in his cell? It is obvious that the monks who cured and raised Mtsyri did not wish him harm. But their world cannot become Mtsyri, since it was created for another life. And in her name he is ready to take risks. In accordance with the romantic tradition, life in the monastery and life outside it are contrasted here, with the first symbolizing the lack of freedom and constraint of the human personality, while the second is an ideal life. It is precisely this that Mtsyri, born for freedom, strives for. His escape is a rebellion against tradition; 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, the thunderstorm evokes delight, a desire to become related to the rebellious elements: “I’m like a brother...”. The hero's sincerity overcomes his ostentatious monastic humility - Mtsyri finds himself free.
Tragedy of Mtsyri
The romantic hero is almost always doomed to defeat in the fight against the world, since this fight is unequal. His dreams, as a rule, do not come true, and his 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 in the air of freedom. Another thing is 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 they will experience this time. Mtsyri is happy with his merging with nature. Here, memories of his family, his native village and a happy childhood come back to him. Here his blood awakens, the blood of the warlike highlanders, and he turns out to be capable of feats. During the battle with the leopard, Mtsyri appears before the reader as a brave warrior, fully aware of his strength and able to use it. He is beautiful, just like the wild nature around him: he is part of it and its child.
But Lermontov could not rightfully be called a great romantic poet if he had turned his poem into a happy fairy tale. Mtsyri is defeated by circumstances, he is wounded and again brought 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 feasible at all, because no one was waiting for him there. Mtsyri’s loved ones were long dead, the house was destroyed, and in his own home he would have turned out to be exactly the same stranger as in the monastery. This is where true romantic tragedy manifests itself: the hero is completely excluded from this world and is equally alien to everyone in it. Happiness may await him only beyond the limits of life, 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 story, who rightfully enjoys the love of 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 critic’s words really fully characterize the hero. Years go by, literary trends change, the romantic tradition is a thing of the past, but the image of Mtsyri still inspires heroic deeds and awakens love for what is 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 8th grade students when searching for materials for an essay on the topic “Mtsyri as a romantic hero of Lermontov’s poem”
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