The comedy "Oh, time!" by Catherine II: author's strategies and tactics

Maskinskova Irina Anatol'evna PhD in Pedagogy Associate Professor; Department of Romano-Germanic Philology; Ogarev Mordovia State University 430033, Russia, Republic of Mordovia, Saransk, Yaroslavskaya str., 2, sq. 83 amaskinskova@mail.ru

Akimova Tat'yana Ivanovna ORCID: 0000-0002-6120-1784 Doctor of Philology Professor; Department of Russian and Foreign Literature; Ogarev Mordovia State University 430005, Russia, Republic of Mordovia, Saransk, Bolshevistskaya str., 68, office 503 akimova_ti@mail.ru

Catherine II's first comedy "Oh, Time!", which appeared in 1772, became a program document of the policy of the Russian Empress aimed at forming an enlightened person. On the one hand, the play testified to the intention of the writer-empress to turn to the image of Russian life in order to get closer to her subjects in the educational process, on the other hand, instead of French literature, Catherine II turns to the plot of the play by the German writer Gellert (Christian Frchtegott Geliert, 1715-1769), famous primarily for his fables and attracted attention not without the help of Frederick II, who called him "le plus raisonnable de tous les savants allemands", thereby emphasizing his contribution to the cause of Enlightenment.

Compared to Gellert's play ^[4], the comedy of the Russian writer was more ambiguous, included a larger number of actors, and also had a finale different from the source of the plot, consisting in edifying the maid about the importance of passing time, that is, the love motive of a dramatic work by a German author, telling about the complexity of the marriage of a young noblewoman who has a very The pious mother, reinterpreted, became the ideological message of Catherine II to the Russian nobility about the advent of a new era.

It should be noted that interest in Gellert's play arose back in the era of Elizabeth Petrovna, when a German comedy called "The Prayer Girls" was translated by Ivan Akimov in 1757 ^[5]. However, it was Catherine II, who demanded that comediographers, after her accession, translate the European plot into Russian mores ^[6], not only begins to write dramatic works and, after the death of the German author, turns to the plot of his "Bogomolka", but demonstrates to both viewers and playwrights the direction of the Enlightenment movement towards finding a golden mean between the "old" a way of life and a new attitude. To this end, we believe, the Russian empress begins to write a play, which became the first in a series of "noble comedies" that followed her.

This task of considering the ideological message of the comedy "Oh, Time!" is solved by us through the prism of the study of author's strategies and tactics, which allow us to identify the orientation of Catherine II's thinking towards the reader / viewer ^[1], ways of forming his opinion ^[2], and also determine the work of the crowned writer in the direction of the Russian Enlightenment. The available studies of this comedy of the Empress ^{[3, 12, 13]} were in line with genre thinking, and therefore did not allow us to see the innovative approach of the crowned writer in comedy.

In this play of the Russian Empress, three author's strategies are distinguished, which have perhaps become common to all subsequent "noble comedies": ridiculing the vices of the older generation, supporting the younger generation and approving the model of Catherine's Enlightenment based on the principles of "gallant dialogue", allowing readers to correct their own behavior themselves, beyond targeted remarks and humiliating human personality orders.

Each author's strategy is resolved through several author's tactics that serve as certain "pointers" of the reader's reaction and form the educational worldview itself. Let's look at each author's strategy and author's tactics in the comedy "Oh, time!"

The first author's strategy of Catherine II in this play is the author's strategy of ridiculing the vices of the older generation, which was laid down in the plot of "Bogomolka", but is now revealed by the playwright through a system of author's tactics that allow focusing on those human qualities that especially interfere with living in a secular society. Therefore, the writer uses the most common method of "talking surnames" in classical drama, which makes it possible not only to directly name a vice, but also to show the result of its influence on a person.

Thus, the author's tactics of using speaking surnames within the framework of the traditional comedy of manners is represented in the play by three female characters who make up the "old guard" and interfere with the happiness of young people: Christina and Mr. Molokososov. We emphasize that if Ekaterina borrows the name of the main character from Gellert, then the rest of the characters become the embodiment of her author's tactics.

First of all, the comedian condemns hypocrisy, therefore, the surname that Christina's grandmother, Khanzhakhina, receives demonstrates the hypocritical behavior of representatives of the older generation, hiding their hatred of people and thirst for greed behind outwardly pious behavior. The writer shows Khanzhakhina praying in front of everyone, but behind closed doors, considering the things she has pawned by those who are in trouble. This prototype of the old interest-bearing woman from Dostoevsky's novel is reproduced by the crowned writer as robbing an unhappy widow, forced to pawn an heirloom at unthinkable interest, as well as sparing any money for her granddaughter's dowry, and therefore refusing all applicants for her hand and heart.

Vestnikova is no less vicious, who, according to Mavra's maid, is "simpering, omniscient, arrogant, a weightlifter, malicious and loves clothes in old age" ^{[7, p. 247]}. Her main vice is the spread of rumors and gossip, which can greatly harm a person's position in society, especially for a young nobleman. So, by creating a bad reputation for Molokosov, she influenced the opinion of grandmother Christina about him. Nepustov gives her another characteristic, applying the proverb "a mountain will give birth to a mouse" to her behavior ^{[7, p. 250]}, especially after he hears Vestnikova's story about steep slides on Shrovetide. Her image is complemented by Mavra's words that Vestnikova is ready to join any service for an inexpensive gift. This character in the comedy "Oh, Time!" somewhat resembles the image presented in Catherine's memoirs: the image of M.S. Tchoglokova ^[8], who informs Elizabeth Petrovna about the life of the young and is easily bribed for any gift, is comparable to the image of Vestnikova.

Chudikhina is even more vicious: "every day she has new signs, she is afraid of everything, faints from everything, is superstitious to infinity, pious out of pomp, a reckless spendthrift; a quarrelsome, gossip, shameless and deceitful in a way that no one else can be" [p. 247] – this is exactly how she paints her the servant of the Moor. It is noteworthy that she appears in front of the audience with a request to meet her from another porch because of the cricket. Perhaps it is Chudikhina who in the play is the embodiment of everything stagnant, outdated, having nothing to do with educational ideals, since she acts as the fiercest opponent of any rational teachings and knowledge.

All three characters together represent the three main vices of opponents of the Enlightenment: hypocrisy, fraud, superstition, which prevent Catherine's subjects from developing in line with new ideas and engaging in self–education, and which the author himself, judging by her memoirs, observed at the court of Elizabeth Petrovna. But the playwright does not stop there and wants to even more present the lack of enlightenment of the previous reign.

To this end, the Russian empress uses another author's tactics: an indication of the discrepancy between word and deed as the most consistent ideological attitude with the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. Proving the impracticability of this noble postulate, the author of the comedy "Oh, time!" significantly undermined the authority of the previous ruler and demonstrated the incorrectness of "living the old-fashioned way."

First of all, the author of the comedy points to an ostentatious prayer ^{[7, p. 240]} as not corresponding to the true deeds of the character, which is facilitated by the story of the maid Mavra about the trauma received as a result of the prayer book thrown at her by her mistress ^{[7, p. 241]}. Prayer, which correlates with the intention to harm another person, turns into a farce, highlighting the inhumane thoughts and actions of Khanzhakhina. Therefore, Mavra's words are reinforced by Nepustov's statement about the duties of a nobleman living in the world: "It is good to pray, but there are positions in our lives that we are obliged to observe sacredly" ^{[7, p. 240]}. Speaking out against the transformation of a noble house into a semblance of a monastery, Catherine II pointed out the duties of aristocrats both in relation to themselves and in relation to the house-state: Educating oneself is a matter of national importance, since now the aristocrat's ancestral estate should become the basis for education and upbringing.

This holy duty is opposed by the actions of Khanzhakhina, who, instead of helping a representative of her circle, uses the sad position of her neighbor. Nepustov draws attention to the discrepancy between Khanzhakhina's wealth and the fleecing of her friends, turning to the maid Mavra: "Your mistress is moderately rich, that she walks a hundred thousand tall; how is she not ashamed to take half a half of her height in a week? And from whom else? From the poor widow!" ^{[7, p. 246]}. The rebuke of the reasoner character, addressed to the older generation, was supposed to indicate new life postulates replacing the previous hypocritical attitudes addressed to the nobles.

It is no coincidence that Nepustov voices the importance of the noble word in matters of honor: "firm observation of this word, so that it would not be ashamed of its lack of content!" ^{[7, p. 243]}, which cannot be ignored, since now the Catherine word, sounding under the banners of Enlightenment, opposes the untenable promises of the aristocrats who were in former times.

The next author's tactic of Catherine II, which consists in condemning domestic tyranny, sharpens the educational problems of the play and reveals a serious flaw of the former unenlightened rule. It should be noted that the motif of domestic tyranny is also heard in the memoirs of Catherine the Great, dedicated to the life of the Empress when she was Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. And if in the memoir narrative the author will draw the reader's attention to the forced locked existence of the future heir to the throne with his wife in the same room under constant supervision from the servants and secret agents of Elizabeth Petrovna, then in the comedy the crowned writer talks about physical abuse as a common occupation of the nobility of the "older generation".

So, according to the maid Mavra, when singing the akathist, Khanzhakhin "is pleased to have mercy: with another slap in the face, with another cane, and with another curse and curse" ^{[7, p. 243]}, thereby emphasizing the real rude essence of the unenlightened behavior of a nobleman. Khanzhakhin demonstrates the same behavior towards his granddaughter, accompanying him with constant reproaches for swearing the most silent girl, who does not allow herself to make any statements about anyone. Thus, Catherine's author's strategy, directed against the vices of the older generation, should have highlighted the difference between the previous government and the one under which the audience of the play existed.

The author's strategy of supporting the younger generation is necessary for the Russian empress, who is thinking about how the Enlightenment will develop after her reign, as well as what an enlightened nobleman should be. At the same time, she understands that the most effective way is to achieve happiness in a family-state, hence the motive of successful matchmaking arises in dramatic works, symbolizing the approach to happiness.

To this end, she uses the author's tactics of introducing helper characters who resolve the difficult situation of young people with marriage / marriage. The maid of the Moor helps Christina, because she admits that she loves her cordially. Nepustov stands up for a young man of thirty years old, asking permission from the lady to marry. Even Vestnikova, after an expensive gift from Molokososov, assists the young heroes: "How can I be against it? I would really love him myself, that's how he is" ^{[7, p. 268]}, replacing the previous negative characterization of Christina's fiance with a positive one.

Such a resolution of the conflict situation of a dramatic work "from the outside" is explained by the genre logic of a classic work, however, the technique of "Deus ex machina" ^[14] is modified in the comedy "Oh, time!", in which the main character becomes precisely the servant of the Moor, embodying not only the hero-reasoner, but also the empress herself, deliberately reducing your status for the sake of realizing an important educational mission: to act in unity with the Russian people. Hence, the attitude towards the miraculous, embedded in the classical paradigm of French drama, changed: the Age of Enlightenment not only abolished faith in miracles, but also affirmed the idea of the possibility of the rise of the third estate. Catherine II, after the work of the Established Commission in 1767, as is known ^{[11, p. 74]}, realized the impracticability of the initial plans in the Russian Enlightenment movement. It should be noted that the commission, dissolved as a result of the outbreak of war with Turkey, was suspended until 1772, but never resumed its work. It was in this year that the comedies of the Empress addressed to the Russian nobility appeared.

The central author's tactic of Catherine II was the liberation from the Domostroevsky model of behavior, which was supposed to symbolize the final departure of the young man from previous misconceptions and the adoption of an enlightening way of thinking. The play explicitly states about this that these are "worthless customs" ^{[7, p. 243]} that should remain in the past.

In the comedy, Chudikhina stands closest to domostroi, who speaks about her former life without sciences: "Why teach a girl to read and write? They don't need a letter for anything: the less a girl knows, the less she lies" ^{[7, p. 266]}, and connects the teaching with lies and deception. Her idea of educating girls is based on the continuation of the lifestyle that the ancestors led: "I was forced by my mother to swear that I would not take a pen in my hand until I was fifty years old. Oh, come on! Nowadays, they say, girls are taught everything in St. Petersburg" ^{[7, p. 266]}, and the approval in 1764 of the Educational Society of Noble Maidens, which was subordinate not to the Senate, but to the Empress herself ^{[10, p. 207]}, appears condemned by the older generation, since it violates the previous foundations. The proof of the most illogical behavior of representatives of the older generation is Molokososov's story about his refusal to marry Christina because of a grasshopper, which became a bad omen for a positive decision. In fact, this is the culmination of the comic action of the play, since it explains the destruction of the happiness of the younger generation due to the superstition of the older one.

As an alternative to religious fanaticism based on pagan ideas of ancient people, love for one's neighbor appears in the play ^{[7, p. 245]}, which is opposed to hypocritical prayer, which serves only to create an outwardly decent image and covers the true way of thinking of a person.

Being understandable to others is an important feature of an enlightened person, helping to improve relationships between different members of society, therefore, the lack of communication among young girls as an ideal model of behavior is condemned. In the comedy, Christina appears so unable to explain herself, very attractive in appearance, but she does not know how to conduct a conversation with a young man and therefore confuses him about her cordial disposition.

The inability to conduct a conversation in the age of Enlightenment is equated with low mental abilities. This situation is played out by Catherine in the play. She shows that the mind of a woman is tested precisely at a personal meeting with the opposite sex, therefore the groom's dream of the bride: "Oh, if she were as smart as she was pretty!" ^{[7, p. 252]}, testifies to the new demands of the younger generation in relation to the choice of a betrothed, which is voiced in the Catherine comedy of the Suckers: "I talk to her, she doesn't answer a word; I explain my passion, she listens without any movement; I assure her with fervor, I assure her with my faithfulness, she accepts it unfeelingly; I ask if I am not repugnant to her? – she is silent" ^{[7, p. 253]}. Christina's silent answers mean not only a lack of upbringing, but also the "sleeping" mind of a young girl who is not familiar with understanding her own behavior, and in general, with reflection as a consequence of the Domostroevsky model.

Therefore, the next author's tactic of Catherine II proclaims the need for young girls to understand their hearts as a guarantee of their happy lives. As an example, the maid's conversation with Christina can be cited, which reveals the girl's lack of education (speaks in bookish) and her inability to behave in the presence of a man: "When he told you about his passion, that he loved you, that you were beautiful, then you sat with downcast eyes and were silent, as if you had no tongue; he changed his speech, he told you this and that, but you were all in one, and with your eyes, and the body, and the tongue, remained in the position; and he was treated with a dissenting "yes" and "no" answer" ^{[7, p. 255]}. As you can see, the author eloquently demonstrates in this play the consequences of "domostroevsky" upbringing, leading to the collapse of a girl's dream of a happy married life.

The main author's strategy implemented by the crowned writer in drama is the establishment of a model of Enlightened absolutism, which, in Catherine's view, should ensure harmony and happiness to all who want to become enlightened in the Russian state.

To this end, Catherine II uses the author's tactics of ridiculing the previous unenlightened reign so that the reader / viewer can independently conclude about improving the lives of the nobility with the coming to power of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna and not dream of the accession of her son Pavel Petrovich ^{[9, p. 300]}, who turned 18 in the year of writing the comedy and, accordingly He could have claimed the Russian throne.

Compared with the rule of her predecessors on the Russian throne, Catherine II enters into correspondence with encyclopedic writers and advocates the development of journalism, whereas in former times the appeal to periodicals caused confusion, as evidenced by the story of the maid Mavra about how her mistress scolds for reading the magazine "Monthly Essays" ^{[7, p. 242]}, and also "praises the old days, and those times when she was fifteen years old" ^{[7, pp. 242-243]}. This instruction refers readers to the reign of Anna Ioannovna, which received a very negative assessment among the Russian nobility.

The comedy shows that in this house, where they live in the old-fashioned way, "common sense is almost impossible to contain" ^{[7, p. 251]}, which, according to the enlighteners, should be the main judge in making any decision. Common sense is not applicable to the behavior of either Khanzhakhina, Vestnikova, or even more so Chudikhina. This is confirmed by the words of Vestnikova that they used to ride a sleigh around Moscow, and now they are all operas and comedies ^{[7, p. 261]}, which are not compatible with the previous frivolous entertainment and make the viewer think about what is happening on stage and try on the derived comedic roles in relation to himself.

Therefore, in addition to developing the reader's and viewer's taste, it is necessary to form the skills of an enlightened person, which is why the author's tactics of approving a model of gallant behavior in the family-state, which will indicate possible vectors for the adoption of educational ideas, are connected.

The first step in this transformation is reading relevant works of fiction, for example, the novel by Prevost, which teaches the value of friendly relations: "The old loyalty of friendship is commendable, very commendable" ^{[7, p. 243]}, which are important in establishing harmony in society.

The second stage is the education of one's own heart and the ability to explain oneself in matters of the heart. So, Christina asks Mavra: "Read to me more often "Pomela" so that I can learn how to talk to people" ^{[7, p. 256]}, which emphasizes the importance of gallant relationships not only between the opposite sex, but also with everyone who enters into communication.

The third step in gallant education is the ability to write love letters, which, according to Christina, her grandmother forbade her, namely, they develop the skills of gallant treatment.

The fourth stage is the ability to wear a dress as an indicator of politeness ^{[7, p. 253]}, that is, to dress not for oneself, but for society, in order to bring joy to one's appearance.

The fifth step is the ability to meet guests, which in this play is ridiculed in the person of Khanzhakhina, who discourteously greets both Nepustov and Molokososov.

The sixth stage is the secular society itself, which appears in this play as an independent institution of noble education: "when it sees the light, of course, it will align, like many others" ^{[7, p. 254]}, which indicates the influence of the noble corporation itself in establishing its own laws of the hostel.

The seventh step is a gallant relationship already within the family: the wife listens to her husband's advice and accepts them based on their reasonableness.

Finally, the older generation's participation in the fate of their children and grandchildren is contrasted with the ability to live for themselves and give others the opportunity to live as the best formula for a harmonious world order.

The specificity of this Catherine's enlightenment through the prism of the formation of a gallant model of behavior means the formation of a secular tactic of mythologizing one's own rule, in which the image of time will mean a meaningful acceptance by the reader / viewer of the conditions of the state dormitory offered by the Russian Empress.

In this regard, Chudikhina's words about the changed times are important: "Since the world has become completely transformed and the enemy has brought foreign sciences to us, everything has become bad and time is stupid" ^{[7, p. 265]}, which denote the change of the managerial paradigm in the Russian state, which has risen on the path of Enlightenment, inseparable from the name of Catherine II.

From this point of view, the finale of the comedy should be read, which is voiced by the words of the Moors: "This is how our century is passing! We condemn everyone, we appreciate everyone, we mock and slander everyone, but we do not see that we are worthy of laughter and condemnation ourselves" ^{[7, p. 269]}, and directs the audience to correct their own morals as a step towards the golden age of Catherine II.

Thus, the three author's strategies of the Russian empress, used in the comedy "Oh, Time!", become the most important tools for the implementation of educational ideology and evidence of the orientation of Catherine II's consciousness towards the reader, which is achieved by author's tactics, which are specific ways of influencing enlightened subjects. From Catherine II's special attitude to time as part of the "work ethic" ^{[15, p. 184]}, a play arises in which for the first time the motive of the audience's awareness of the peculiarities of their time as epoch-making sounds.