Admiring the river view and talking with the young clerk Kudryash and the tradesman Shapkin. In the distance, a local buoy, a merchant Savyol Dykoy, is shown. Waving his arms, he scolds his nephew, Boris Grigorievich, who is walking next to him. Shapkin and Kudryash exchange remarks that one rarely sees such a brawler as Dikoy: every now and then, as if breaking loose, he lashes out with abuse at acquaintances and strangers. Curly, a dashing and perky guy, says that it would be nice to catch Wild somewhere in an alley and scare him well.
A. N. Ostrovsky. Thunderstorm. Spectacle
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 2 - briefly
Dikoy and Boris approach. Savel Prokofievich scolds his nephew as a "parasite" and "Jesuit". Boris's "guilt" is also revealed: he just caught his uncle's eye at the wrong time.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 3 - briefly
Wild leaves in anger, and Boris Grigoryevich approaches Kuligin, Kudryash and Shapkin. They sympathetically ask him: is it not hard to live with an uncle and listen to scolding every day? Boris says that he lives at the Wild involuntarily. Boris's father, the brother of Savel Prokofievich, quarreled with his mother, a rich merchant's wife, because he married a noble woman. The mother in her will wrote off all her huge fortune to Savel - so that he would still pay some part to Boris and his sister when they reached the age of majority, but only on the condition that "they would be respectful to him." Boris now has to show "respect" to his uncle. The wild, tyrant and “warrior”, who daily fights with his domestic women and children, has already tortured Boris so much that he is ready to leave, giving up hope for an inheritance, but one must think about the fate of an indigent sister.
Kudryash and Shapkin leave. Kuligin, on the other hand, pronounces his famous monologue in front of Boris - “Cruel morals, sir, in our city”, vividly drawing in it the ignorance, greed and arbitrariness that prevail in Kalinov. A simple but rather educated man, Kuligin cherishes the dream of opening a “perpetual mobile” (perpetual motion machine), earning a million on it and turning this money for public benefit. But he doesn't even have the funds for a model.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 4 - briefly
Kuligin also leaves. Boris, left alone, reflects on his sad fate, which has recently been complicated by a new misfortune: he fell in love with a married woman.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 5 - briefly
Boris just notices the object of his passion. This young beauty Katerina, the wife of the merchant Tikhon Kabanov, who is now walking with her mother-in-law, her husband and his sister Varvara from the church. Tikhon's mother - Marfa Kabanova (Kabanikha) - in character resembles Savel the Wild. But unlike him, she does not so much scold her family furiously as she torments them with tedious moralizing, which she reads "under the guise of piety."
Now, on the way from the church, Kabanikha, right in the presence of Katerina, reprimands his son for the fact that he began to love his wife more than his mother, and is ready to "exchange his mother for her." The weak-willed Tikhon barely objects to the parent: “why change? I love you both." Kabanova sternly tells him "not to pretend to be an orphan", scolds him for the fact that he rarely yells at Katerina and rarely threatens her. “It won’t be like that. One sin! So at least get your wife a lover!
Modest and meek Katerina is silent, listening to all this. Tikhon's sister, Varvara, looks at her mother with disgust and dislike.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 6 - briefly
The boar goes home. The spineless Tikhon began to blame Katerina that “because of her, his mother scolds him,” but Varvara, outraged by this unfair reproach, tells him to shut up. Taking advantage of the absence of his mother, Tikhon runs away to Savel the Wild: to have a drink with this constant drinking companion.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 7 - briefly
Varvara takes pity on Katerina. She, touched, utters a sad monologue in front of her. “Why don’t people fly like birds…” she asks. “I would run, raise my hands and fly.” Katerina recalls her childhood in her parents' house: “I withered with you, but was I like that!” She tells Varvara how her mother did not have a soul in her. They went to church with her, and the girl Katerina prayed there so fervently that all the people around looked at her. For her, the church was almost a paradise, during the service she almost saw angels in reality, and in the morning she went to pray in the garden, crying, on her knees - she herself did not know what. Katerina recalls her girlish dreams with pictures, as on icons. And suddenly he says: “I will die soon. I'm scared. It’s as if I’m standing over an abyss, and someone is pushing me there.”
Varvara says that she guessed a long time ago: Katerina does not love her husband, but another. Katerina with tears admits this as a terrible sin. Varvara reassures her and promises to arrange meetings with her lover for Katerina when Tikhon leaves the other day on merchant business. Katerina listens to these words with great fear.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 8 - briefly
A crazy old lady appears, who walks around the city with two lackeys in three-cornered hats. "What, beauties? Are you waiting for the good fellows, gentlemen? Your beauty leads to a whirlpool! Everything in the fire will burn inextinguishable!” Leaves.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", act 1, phenomenon 9 - briefly
Katerina trembles after the mistress's prophecy, but Varvara reassures her: “Don't listen to her. She herself sinned all her life from a young age - now she is afraid to die from this.
A storm is gathering. Katerina looks at the sky with fear: “It’s not that the thunder will kill you, but the fact that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins and evil thoughts. And how will I appear before God after this conversation with you!
To go to the summary of the next action "Thunderstorms", use the button Forward below the text of the article.
A cross-cutting theme of Ostrovsky's drama is patriarchal life and its collapse, as well as a change in personality in connection with this. Ostrovsky denounces and poeticizes traditional way and in the tragedy "Thunderstorm", created in 1859. Before you is a summary of the play THUNDER by actions.
CHARACTERS :
- Savel Prokofievich Wild- merchant significant person in the town.
- Boris Grigorievich- his nephew, a young man, decently educated.
- Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova (Kabanikha)- a rich merchant's wife, a widow.
- Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov- her son.
- Katerina- his wife.
- barbarian Tikhon's sister
- Kuligin- tradesman, self-taught watchmaker, looking for a perpetuum mobile.
- Vanya Kudryash- a young man, Dikov's clerk.
- Shapkin- tradesman.
- Feklusha- a stranger.
- Glasha- a girl in the house of Kabanova.
- Lady with two footmen- an old woman of seventy, half-crazy.
Thunderstorm - summary.
ACTION FIRST.
The action takes place in the city of Kalinov, on the banks of the Volga, in the summer. A public garden on a high bank, a rural view beyond the Volga. Kuligin sits on a bench and looks across the river. Kudryash and Shapkin are walking.
Kuligin sings " In the midst of the valley is flat, at a smooth height. .". He stops singing and admires the beauties of the Volga. Talks with Curly. Nearby, Dikoy scolds his nephew, waving his arms. Both characterize him negatively: a scolder, for no reason will cut off a person, he got Boris Grigorievich as a victim. They immediately talk about Kabanikha - that she does such things under the guise of piety, and Dikoy broke loose as if from a chain, and there is no one to appease him. Curly expresses the idea that Dikoy needs to be taught a lesson: to talk face to face in the alley so that he becomes silk. “No wonder he wanted to give you as a soldier ", Shapkin notes.
“He will not give me up: he smells with his nose that I will not sell my head cheaply. It’s he who scares you, but I know how to talk to him ... he’s a word, and I’m ten; spit, and go. No, I will not become a slave to him, ”-
Curly answers. Kuligin remarks that it is better to endure. Dikoy and Boris pass by, Kuligin takes off his hat. Shapkin says to Kudryash: "Let's go to the side: it will still be attached, perhaps." Departure. They pass by. Wild calls his nephew a parasite, this weekend he always gets under his feet. Dikoy leaves, Boris remains where he is. Kuligin asks why Boris lives with his uncle and endures his scolding.
Boris says: his grandmother disliked his father because he married a noble woman, so they lived in Moscow. Then the grandmother died and left a will so that the uncle would pay their part to the nephews only on the condition that they would be respectful to him. Kuligin notes that with such a condition, the inheritance will never be seen. Boris agrees, but he feels sorry for his sick sister, who remained in Moscow. He does any work for his uncle, but he does not know how much he will be paid. Wild finds fault with everyone, and when he is offended by such a person to whom he does not dare to answer, he vents evil on his household.
Pass a few people from the evening service. Curly and Shapkin bow and leave. Boris complains to Kuligin that he can't get used to the local customs. Kuligin replies that he will never get used to it, the customs in the city are cruel, poverty and rudeness.
Feklusha and another woman enter. Feklusha tells the woman about the generosity of merchants, especially Kabanova. Boris asks Kuligin about Kabanova and hears in response: "Prude, sir! She clothes the poor, but eats the household completely. After a pause, Kuligin tells Boris that he wants to invent a perpetual motion machine, sell it to the British, and use the money to give the bourgeoisie a job.
Boris, left alone, reflects on his interlocutor and thinks about the woman he fell in love with. That's when he sees her. The Kabanov family is walking: Kabanikha, Tikhon, Katerina and Varvara.
The boar guards her son, he is completely in her will, agrees with everything. His sister Varvara grumbles to herself at her mother. Kabanova says that parental strictness comes from love, but children and daughters-in-law do not understand. He blames his son that his wife is dearer to him than his mother, takes him away from Kabanikha. Katerina tells her that she honors her as her own mother, to which her mother-in-law replies that if she is not asked, there is no need to jump out. Katerina is offended, and Kabanikha scolds her son for everything. He is upset too. To this, the mother declares that the wife will not be afraid of such a husband, and if so, then she will not be afraid of the mother-in-law either. With a wife, you need not affection, but a shout - she teaches Tikhon. Otherwise, the wife and lover will lead. And Tikhon should not set a negative example for his sister either, she is a girl. Calling his son a fool, Kabanikha goes home, the youth walks a little more. Tikhon begins to reprimand his wife that because of her he got from his mother. At first, Kabanikha molested him with marriage, and now she doesn’t give a pass because of her wife. Varvara stands up for Katerina, says that Tikhon and her mother only attack her, and her brother himself only thinks about having a drink with Wild. Tikhon admits that his sister guessed right. Varvara lets him go to the merchant, Katerina and Varvara remain alone. Katerina asks Varvara if she pities her, if she loves her. Hearing an affirmative answer, frankly with her:
“You know what came to my mind? Why do people do not fly like birds? You know, sometimes I feel like I'm a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you are drawn to fly. That's how it would have run up, raised its hands and flew. Try something now?
Katerina recalls her life before her marriage: she lived without worries, her mother dressed her up, the house was full of pilgrims, they went to church, listened to lives, sang poems. Varvara tells her that they have the same thing. But Katerina objects: in the house of Kabanikha, she feels bonded, she even rarely dreams, and not the same, but before she dreamed that she was flying. Katerina thinks that she will soon die, because she feels something unusual, as if she is starting to live again; she is afraid of something, as if standing over an abyss and being pushed there, but there is nothing to hold on to. Varvara worries if Katerina is well, to which Katerina replies that it would be better if she were sick. She dreams of heated conversations, of other people's hugs, she loves another. Barbara does not condemn her. On the contrary, he promises tomorrow, as soon as Tikhon leaves, to help Katya meet a man.
Enter a lady with a stick and two lackeys in three-cornered hats behind. The mistress tells the girls that beauty leads to a whirlpool and everyone will boil in tar. Leaves. Catherine is scared. Varvara says that everything is nonsense, the lady herself sinned, now she frightens everyone. But Katerina does not calm down, but panics even more from the approach of a thunderstorm. She is afraid that she will be killed and she will appear before God after such a conversation with all the evil thoughts, she hurries home to pray. Kabanov comes up, he is rushed to go home.
ACT TWO
In the house of the Kabanovs, Glasha gathers Tikhon's things into bundles. Feklusha enters. In a conversation with a maid, he frightens her with punishment for sins, says that only here the law is righteous, and others are not righteous, he frightens her with the earth, where all people have dog heads, because they are punished for infidelity. After talking, Feklusha leaves.
Enter Katerina and Varvara. Varvara orders to take things to the wagon, left alone with Katerina, talks to her. Katerina tells what she was like as a child:
“This is how I was born, hot! I was still six years old, no more, so I did it! They offended me with something at home, but it was towards evening, it was already dark; I ran out to the Volga, got into the boat, and pushed it away from the shore. The next morning they already found it, ten miles away!
Varvara tells her that she does not love Tikhon, Katerina feels sorry for him, but pity is not love. Varvara guesses who she is in love with, because more than once she has seen how the face of Katerin changes when she sees Boris Grigorych. Varvara conveys a bow from him and teaches: do not give yourself away, learn to lie, the house stands on this. Katerina replies that she didn’t want to think about him, she will love her husband, and Varvara embarrasses her, and reminds her of Boris. Katerina at night embarrassed the enemy She even wanted to leave the house. Varvara believes that you can do whatever you want, only in secret, Katerina sees nothing good in this and decides to endure as long as she is patient. And if he can't stand it, he'll leave. " Where will you go? You are a man's wife ", Barbara tells her.
“If I get very cold here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I'll throw myself out the window, I'll throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, so I won’t, even if you cut me!” -
Katherine answers. After a short pause, Varvara suggests that, as Tikhon leaves, he sleeps in the garden, in the arbor. To Katerina's indecision, she says that she needs it too.
Meanwhile, Tikhon is again instructed by his mother. Even outside the house, he is bound hand and foot, he only thinks how to quickly break out from under his mother's care and drink. Before leaving, Kabanova tells her son to order her wife to obey her mother-in-law, not to be rude, to honor her like her own mother, not to sit like a lady with folded arms, not to stare out the windows and not to look at young guys. Kabanov, embarrassed, repeats everything. Katerina looks at him sternly. Kabanova and her daughter leave. Katerina stands as if in a daze. Tikhon speaks to her and asks for forgiveness. Shaking her head, Katerina says that her mother-in-law offended her, throws herself on her husband's neck and asks him not to leave. Kabanov, cannot disobey his mother, and he himself wants to get out of the house as quickly as possible, even from his wife:
“Yes, as I know now that there will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs, so am I up to my wife?”
Katerina is looking for support in her husband, means to escape temptation, and he says that she has nothing to worry about if she stays with her mother. The wife asks Tikhon to take a terrible oath of allegiance from her, but Tikhon does not understand her.
Enter Kabanova, Varvara and Glasha. Tikhon has to go. He says goodbye to Kabanikha - she orders to bow at her feet. She says goodbye to Katerina, she throws herself on Tikhon's neck. The boar orders to keep order and bow at the feet of the head of the family. Kabanov kisses Varvara and Glasha, leaves, followed by Katerina, Varvara and Glasha.
Kabanova, left alone, thinks aloud about stupid youth who do not know order, and about antiquity, on which the world rests. Katerina and Varvara enter her. The mother-in-law continues to teach Katerina:
“You boasted that you love your husband very much; I see your love now. Other good wife, after seeing off her husband, howls for an hour and a half, lies on the porch; and you can see nothing.”
Varvara leaves the yard, Kabanikha goes to pray, Katerina thinks. She would like to have children, she regrets that she did not die young, she thinks how to pass the time before her husband arrives. Decides, on the promise, to sew linen and distribute it to the poor. Here Varvara appears again, going for a walk. She informs Katerina that her mother allowed her to sleep in the garden, and there is a locked gate behind the raspberries, Varvara changed the key to it, and now Katerina can meet Boris. Varvara gives the key to Katerina, she is confused, wants to throw the key away, and then argues that looking at Boris and talking to him is not a sin, maybe there will be no such case again. She decides not to deceive herself - she admits that she really wants to see Boris.
ACT THREE
Kabanova and Feklusha are sitting on a bench in front of the gate near the Kabanovs' house. They are talking. Feklusha glorifies the "virtue" of the hostess, complaining about the hustle and bustle of people. She condemns the appearance of the train, for her it is a fiery serpent, which seems like a machine to vain people, only the righteous see it in its true form. Time, according to Feklusha, becomes shorter because of human sins. Kabanova says that it will be even worse. Suits Wild. He starts arguing with Kabanikha, she upsets him, not wanting to argue, she is going to go home. Then Dikoy asks her to stay and talk in order to calm down, he was angry from the very morning. Those to whom he owes money pester him, and he gets turned on by this, all the households are in fear. The boar invites him to her place for dinner, they leave.
Glasha remains at the gate and notices Boris. He comes up and asks about his uncle. Glasha answers and leaves, and Boris suffers that it is impossible for uninvited people to enter the house and look at Katerina: “ That she got married, that they buried - it doesn't matter ". Kuligin is coming towards Boris, calling him to the boulevard. Kuligin argues - the boulevard is empty, the poor have no time to walk, and the rich sit at home, families are tyrannized:
“Everything is sewn and covered - no one sees or knows anything, only God sees! You, he says, look at me in people and on the street, but you don’t care about my family; to this, he says, I have locks, yes constipation, and angry dogs. The family, they say, is a secret, a secret! We know these secrets! .. To rob orphans, relatives, nephews, beat up household members so that they don’t dare to squeak about anything that he does there. That's the whole secret." .
They see Curly and Varvara, they go and kiss. Then Kudryash leaves, and Varvara goes to her gate and calls Boris. He fits.
Kuligin leaves for the boulevard. Varvara invites Boris to the ravine behind the Kabanikhi garden. He follows Kuligin.
At night, Kudryash comes up to the ravine covered with bushes with a guitar, sits down on a stone and sings. Boris arrives. Curly is waiting for Varvara and does not understand what Boris needs here. He admits that he fell in love with a married woman. Curly warns: for this, his sweetheart, if they find out, will be driven into the coffin.
“Look - don’t make trouble for yourself, and don’t get her into trouble either! Suppose, even though her husband is a fool, but her mother-in-law is painfully fierce.
Varvara comes out of the gate, sings, Kudryash answers her with a song. Varvara comes down the path and, covering her face with a handkerchief, goes up to Boris and tells him to wait.
The couple hugs and goes to the Volga. Boris is as if in a dream, his heart is beating, he is waiting for Katerina: she quietly descends the path, covered with a large white scarf.
Boris tells her about love and wants to take her hand. Katerina gets frightened and asks not to touch her, drives him away. Katerina tells Boris that he has ruined her, only she obeys his will, she no longer has power over herself, throws herself on his neck. The lovers embrace. Now Katerina only wants to die, Boris reassures her, but she thinks about retribution for sin, about human judgment. Finally he decides: come what may, we will take a walk until the husband arrives, and if they lock him up later, there will still be an opportunity to see each other,
Kudryash and Varvara return, send them out for a walk, sit down on a stone themselves. Curly is afraid that their Kabanikh will be missed. Varvara says that even if she wakes up, she won't be able to get into the garden, it's locked. And Glasha is on guard, just a little - she will give a voice. Curly plays the guitar quietly. It's time to go home, the first hour of the night. Curly whistles to Boris. They say goodbye and agree to meet tomorrow.
ACT FOUR
On the banks of the Volga there is a narrow gallery with vaults of an old building that is beginning to collapse. Several walking men and women pass behind the arches, talking about the fact that a thunderstorm is coming, hiding under the arches. They inspect the painted walls: fiery hell is depicted, where people go " every rank and every rank ”, Lithuanian battle. Dikoy enters, followed by Kuligin, everyone bows and assumes a respectful position. Kuligin persuades Savel Prokofich to donate ten rubles for the benefit of society; he wants to put a sundial on the boulevard. Dikoy is dissatisfied, angry, dismisses the interlocutor, calls him a robber. When Kuligin offers to escape from a thunderstorm with a lightning rod, Dikoy says that a thunderstorm is sent as a punishment and you cannot defend yourself from it with a lightning rod. The rain passes. Dikoy and everyone else leave. After some time, Varvara quickly enters under the vaults and, hiding, looks out for someone. Boris passes, she beckons him with her hand. The girl reports that Tikhon arrived ahead of time and Katerina cries all the time and does not raise her eyes to him. The boar squints at her, and this makes it even worse for her, Varvara suspects that Katerina will tell everything to her husband. Boris is scared. Thunder rumbles in the distance.
Kabanova, Kabanov, Katerina and Kuligin are walking along the boulevard. Hearing thunder, Katerina gets frightened, runs under the vaults and grabs Varvara by the hand. Kabanova notes that one must live in such a way as to always be ready for anything; there would be no fear ". Tikhon protects his wife: she has no more sins than everyone else, and she is naturally afraid of thunder. Kabanova says that he cannot know all the sins of his wife, Tikhon laughs it off, and Katerina is ready to confess, but Varvara cuts off the conversation.
Boris steps out of the crowd and bows to Kabanov, Katerina screams. Tikhon reassures her. Varvara makes a sign to Boris, he moves to the very exit. Kuligin goes to the middle, addresses the crowd. And the thunderstorm, and the northern lights, and comets, in his opinion, are grace, not a threat:
“Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell! Now every grass, every flower rejoices, but we hide, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune! From everything you have made yourself a scarecrow. Eh, people! I'm not afraid here. Let's go, sir!" -
he turns to Boris. " Let's go! It's scarier here! ” - Boris answers. They leave.
The boar grumbles at Kuligin with displeasure. People look at the sky and talk about its unusual color, conclude that a thunderstorm will kill someone. Katerina tells her husband that the storm will kill her. The lady enters with footmen. Katerina hides herself screaming. The lady laughs at her:
“You are obviously afraid: you don’t want to die! Want to live! How not to want! - you see, what a beauty ... Beauty is our death! You will destroy yourself, you will seduce people, and then rejoice in your beauty. You will lead many, many people into sin... And who will answer? You will have to answer for everything. In the whirlpool is better with beauty! Hurry, hurry!"
Katerina hides in horror, Varvara advises her to stand in a corner and pray, Katerina moves away, kneels, sees an image of fiery hell on the wall and screams. Kabanov, Kabanova and Varvara surround her. Katerina, in fear, confesses everything and falls unconscious into her husband's arms.
ACT FIVE
Kuligin sits on a bench at dusk and sings. Tikhon is walking along the boulevard. Approaches Kuligin and begins to complain: “I am unhappy now, brother, man! So I'm dying for nothing, not for a penny! Tikhon considers his mother the cause of everything that happened. He loves his wife, beat him a little on the orders of his mother, but it is a pity to look at her. Kabanikha says that Katerina “It is necessary to bury the living in the ground so that she is executed! ”, eats it with food. Tikhon, if not for his mother, would have forgiven his wife. Looking at Katerina, she is killed, she sees that Boris feels sorry for her too. Boris himself is sent by his uncle to Siberia for three years. The Kabanov family shattered apart ": Varvara ran away with Curly as soon as her mother began to lock her up. Tikhon's house is disgusted.
Glasha enters, says that Katerina has run away and cannot be found. Kabanov is afraid that she will lay hands on herself from longing. Everyone leaves to look for her.
Katerina is walking along the boulevard. She is looking for Boris to say goodbye to him, but he is nowhere to be found. She regrets that she brought him into trouble, complains about difficult nights and hard days, wants to be executed, thrown into the Volga. He calls Boris, he goes to the voice. They hug and cry together. Katerina asks him to take her with him, but Boris cannot, the horses are already ready and his uncle sends him. Katerina complains about her torturer-mother-in-law, about reproaches. Tikhon's caress is worse for her than beatings. Katerina asks Boris to give to the poor on the way and order them to pray for her sinful soul. Say goodbye. Boris, suspecting something was wrong, asks if she has something in mind.
Katerina calms him down and sends him home. Boris, leaving, sobs: “There is only one thing we need to ask God for, so that she dies as soon as possible, so that she does not suffer for a long time!”
Katerina follows him with her eyes and ponders where she should go: It’s all the same to me whether it’s home or in the grave ... It’s better in the grave ... »Thinks of death as getting rid of a boring life in a different house, in a nasty family. He approaches the shore and says goodbye to Boris loudly.
Kabanova, Kabanov, Kuligin are looking for Katerina, approaching the place where people saw her. With different sides people gather with lanterns. From the shore they shout that a woman has thrown herself into the water. Kuligin and several people run after him. Kabanov wants to run, but his mother holds his hand. Tikhon asks to let him go: “ I'll pull it out, otherwise I'll do it myself ... What can I do without it! » Kabanova does not let him in, threatening with a curse, she only allows him to approach the body when they pull him out.
Kuligin pulls out the body. Tikhon still hopes that she is alive, but Katerina, having hit her temple on the anchor, died. Kabanov runs, Kuligin and the people carry Katerina towards him.
"Here's your Katherine. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; and the soul is now not yours: it is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!” -
says Kuligin Kabanov, puts the body on the ground and runs away. Kabanov rushes to Katerina, crying for her: “ Mom, you ruined her, you, you, you .. Kabanova says to him: What you? Do you remember yourself? Forgot who you're talking to?.. Well, I'll talk to you at home ". He bows low to the people, thanks for the service. They bow to her.
« Good for you, Katya! Why am I left to live in the world and suffer!” - says Tikhon and falls on the corpse of his wife.
I hope that the cool content of the play "Thunderstorm" helped you prepare for the lesson of Russian literature.
List of actors:
Savel Prokofievich Dikoi - a merchant, a significant person in the city.
Boris Grigorievich is his nephew, a young man, decently educated.
Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova (Kabanikha) - a rich merchant's wife, widow.
Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov is her son.
Katerina is his wife.
Varvara - Tikhon's sister
Kuligin is a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker looking for a perpetuum mobile.
Vanya Kudryash is a young man, a clerk in Diky.
Shapkin is a tradesman.
Feklusha is a stranger.
Glasha is a girl in Kabanova's house.
The lady with two lackeys is an old woman of 70 years old, half crazy.
The action takes place in the city of Kalinov on the banks of the Volga, in the summer.
Between the 3rd and 4th actions 10 days pass. Action 1
Public garden on the banks of the Volga.
Phenomenon 1
Kuligin is sitting on a bench, Kudryash and Shapkin are walking. Kuligin admires the Volga. They hear Dikoy scolding his nephew in the distance. Discuss it. Kudryash says that Boris Grigoryevich "has been sacrificed to Dikoy", complains about the obedience of the townsfolk, that there is no one to "frighten" Dikoy in a dark alley "that way four or five of us." Shapkin notices that in addition to the “cursor-Wild”, “Kabanikha is also good”, which does the same, but under the guise of piety. He adds that it was not without reason that Dikoy wanted to give Kudryash to the soldiers. Curly replies that Dikoy is afraid of him, because he understands that he "will not give away his head cheaply." He regrets that Diky does not have adult daughters, otherwise he would “respect” him.
Phenomenon 2
Dikoy and Boris appear. Dikoi scolds Boris, he obediently listens, Dikoi leaves.
Phenomenon 3
Boris tells the audience about his family and domestic circumstances. Boris's grandmother (Dikiy's mother and Boris's father) disliked "dad" because he married a "noble". The daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law did not get along, as the daughter-in-law "it seemed very wild here." They moved to Moscow, where they raised their children, without denying them anything. Boris studied at the Commercial Academy, and his sister went to a boarding school. The parents died of cholera. The grandmother in the city of Kalinovo also died, leaving her grandchildren an inheritance that their uncle must pay them when they come of age, but only on the condition that they will be respectful to him. Kuligin notices that neither Boris nor his sister will see the inheritance, since nothing will prevent Diky from saying that they were disrespectful. Boris does "what they order", but does not receive a salary - they will pay it off at the end of the year, as Diky pleases. All the households are afraid of Wild - he scolds everyone, but no one dares to answer him. Kudryash recalls how Dikoy was scolded by the hussars on the ferry, to whom he could not answer the same, and how then Dikoy took out his anger for several days at home. Boris says that he can't get used to the local order. Kuligin replies: “Cruel morals, sir, in our city ... In philistinism, sir, you will see nothing but rudeness and naked poverty. Because honest labor will never earn us more daily bread. And those who have money, sir, he tries to enslave the poor, so that for his free labors more money make money ... ”Kuligin recalls that Dikoy answered the mayor when he came to him on the complaints of workers that they were calculated incorrectly:“ I will not pay them a penny a penny per person, and I have a thousand of this, so it’s me and good!"
Feklusha appears with another woman. Feklusha says that there is “splendor” around, that “you live in the promised land”, blesses “pious people”, and especially “the house of the Kabanovs”. They leave.
Kuligin says about Kabanikha that she is “a hypocrite”, “clothes the poor, and completely ate at home.” Then he adds that for the general good he is looking for a perpetuum mobile (perpetual motion machine), wondering where to get money for models.
Phenomenon 4
Boris (one) says about Kuligin that he is a good person - "dreams for himself and is happy." He grieves that he will have to ruin his youth in this wilderness, that he is "driven, downtrodden, and then he foolishly decided to fall in love."
Phenomenon 5
Katerina, Varvara, Tikhon and Kabanikha appear. The boar nags his son that his wife is dearer than his mother, that if you try your mother-in-law “you won’t please your daughter-in-law with any word, well, and the conversation began that the mother-in-law ate completely.” Tikhon tries to dissuade her. Katerina enters into a conversation, but Kabanikha cuts her off, complaining about Tikhon that he does not keep his wife in fear. Tikhon replies: “But why should she be afraid? It is enough for me that she loves me.” Kabanova reproaches her son that he "decided to live by his own will." He answered: “Yes, mama, I don’t want to live by my own will. Where can I live by my own will? Kabanova notices that if the wife is not kept in fear, she can take a lover.
Phenomenon 6
Tikhon reproaches Katerina that he always gets it from his mother because of her. Left unattended by his mother, Tikhon wants to go to Diky for a drink. Leaves.
Phenomenon 7
Katerina and Varvara remain alone.
Katerina: Why don't people fly like birds? You know, sometimes I feel like I'm a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you are drawn to fly. That’s how I would have run up, raised my hands and flew away ... ”Katerina recalls the time when she lived with her parents - she went for water, watered flowers, then with“ mother ”, wanderers and pilgrims went to church -“ I loved to death go to church! It’s as if I used to go into paradise ... ”She had extraordinary dreams in which“ invisible voices sang, ”the smell of cypress, etc. Katerina tells Varvara that she has the feeling that she is standing in front of an abyss, smells trouble. “If it were my will, I would now ride along the Volga, in a boat, with songs, or in a troika on a good one ...” She admits that she has a sin on her mind. Varvara says that after Tikhon's departure, he will think of something. Katerina screams: “No! Not!"
Phenomenon 8
A half-mad lady appears with two lackeys, shouting that beauty leads to the abyss, to the pool, points to the Volga, threatens with fiery hell.
Phenomenon 9
Catherine is scared. Varvara reassures her, says that the mistress "has been sinning all her life since she was young ... that's why she is afraid to die." Thunderstorm, it starts to rain. Katerina gets scared, she and Varvara run away.
Action 2
A room in the Kabanovs' house.
Phenomenon 1
Feklusha and Glasha are talking. Glasha says that “you are all riveting on each other”, asks why they should not live in the world. Feklusha replies that it is impossible in the world without sin, says that sin is also behind her - she loves to “eat sweetly”. She says that “due to her weakness, she did not go far, but to hear - she heard a lot.” He says that there are countries where "there are no Orthodox tsars, and the Saltans rule the earth ... and whatever they judge, everything is wrong ... And there is also a land where all people have dog heads." Feklusha leaves, Glasha speaks approvingly of the wanderers who tell about everything, "otherwise they would have died like fools."
Phenomenon 2
Katerina tells Varvara about how she was offended by something in her childhood and she ran out to the Volga, got into a boat, and in the morning they found her ten miles away. Then he confesses to Varvara that he loves Boris. Varvara says that he also likes Katerina, only it's a pity to see him nowhere. Katerina is frightened, screaming that she would not exchange her Tisha for anyone. Varvara argues with her that you can do "whatever you want, as long as it's sewn and covered." Katerina assures her that if she gets sick of life here, nothing will hold her back - she will either throw herself out the window or drown herself in the Volga. Varvara says that, as soon as Tikhon leaves, she will "sleep in the gazebo", calling Katerina with her.
Phenomenon 3
Enter Kabanikha and Tikhon, who is getting ready to go. The boar tells him to tell his wife how to live without him, then she herself pronounces instructions, Tikhon repeats after her. He leaves with Barbara.
Phenomenon 4
Katerina asks Tikhon not to leave. He replies: “If my mother sends, how can I not go!” Katerina asks then to take her with him. Tikhon refuses, explaining that he needs a break from scandals and all the household. Katerina begs her husband to take a terrible oath from her, falls on her knees before him, he picks her up, does not listen, says * that this is a sin.
Phenomenon 5
Kabanikha, Varvara and Glasha arrive. Tikhon leaves, Katerina says goodbye to him, Kabanova makes her bow to her husband at the feet, "as expected."
Phenomenon 6
The boar is alone. Complains about the fact that antiquity is being deduced, that there is no longer the former respect for the elderly. Young people, in her opinion, do not know how, and still want to live by their own will.
Phenomenon 7
Kabanikha reproaches Katerina for not saying goodbye to her husband, as it should be. “Another good wife, after seeing her husband off, howls for an hour and a half, lies on the porch.” Katerina replies that she doesn’t know how and doesn’t want to make people laugh.
Phenomenon 8
Katerina, alone, laments the fact that she has no children. She regrets that she did not die in childhood, then she would fly like a butterfly from flower to flower, etc. She is going to wait for Tikhon.
Phenomenon 9
Varvara tells Katerina that she took time off to sleep in the garden, where there is a gate, the key to which the Kabanikha usually hides, then adds that she took this key away and put another one in its place. Gives this key to Katherine. Katerina screams: “Don't! Don't!", but he takes the key.
Event 10
Katerina, alone, argues with herself, holding the key in her hand, wants to throw it away, but then hides it in her pocket. Decides to see Boris, and there "come what may."
Action 3
Scene 1
Street at the gates of the Kabanovs' house.
Phenomenon 1
Feklusha tells Kabanikhe that the last times have come, that in other cities there is “sodom”: noise, running around, incessant driving. He says that in Moscow everyone is in a hurry, that they are “harnessing the fiery serpent”, and so on. Kabanova agrees with Feklusha, declares that she will never go there for anything.
Phenomenon 2
Wild appears. Kabanova asks why he wanders so late. Wild is drunk, arguing with Kabanikha, she rebuffs him. Wild asks her forgiveness, explains that he was angry in the morning: the workers began to demand payment of the money due to them. “I have such a heart! After all, I already know what I need to give, but I can’t do everything with good. He complains about his temper, which brings him to the point that then he has to ask for forgiveness "from the very last peasant." Wild leaves.
Phenomenon 3
Boris tells Glasha that he was sent for Diky from home. He sighs that he cannot see Katerina in any way. Kuligin appears, admires the weather, beautiful places, then he adds that "the town is lousy", that "they made the boulevard, but they don't walk." The poor have no time to walk, and the rich sit behind closed gates, the dogs guard the house so that no one sees how they rob orphans, relatives, nephews. Curly and Varvara appear and kiss. Curly leaves, followed by Kuligin.
Phenomenon 4
Varvara makes an appointment for Boris in the ravine behind the Kabanovs' garden.
Scene 2
Night, the ravine behind the Kabanovs' garden.
Phenomenon 1
Curly plays the guitar and sings a song about a free Cossack.
Phenomenon 2
Boris appears. Argues with Kudryash over a place for a date. Then he tells Kudryash that he loves a married woman who, when she prays in church, looks like an angel. Curly guesses that this is “young Kabanova”, says that “there is something to congratulate”, remarks that “even though her husband is a fool, her mother-in-law is painfully fierce.”
Phenomenon 3
Varvara arrives, she and Kudryash go for a walk. Boris and Katerina remain alone. Katerina: “Get away from me ... I will never beg for this sin!” He accuses Boris that he ruined her, he is afraid of the future. Boris urges her not to think about the future, "it is enough that we are now well." Katerina confesses that she loves Boris.
Event 4-5
Kudryash and Varvara come, wondering if the lovers have coped. Those answer in the affirmative, are removed. Curly speaks with praise of the idea of climbing through the garden gate. After a while, Boris and Katerina return. Having agreed on a new date, everyone disperses.
Action 4
A narrow gallery of a building that began to collapse, on the walls of which scenes of the Last Judgment are depicted.
Phenomenon 1
It is raining, the walkers run into the gallery, discussing the images on the walls.
Phenomenon 2
Kuligin and Dikoy appear. Kuligin is trying to persuade Wild to donate money to install a sundial on the boulevard. He scolds Kuligin, tries to get rid of him, says: “So you know that you are a worm. If I want - I will have mercy, if I want - I will crush. Kuligin explains to Diky that it is necessary to install several lightning rods in the city. Dikoy shouts that the storm is the Lord's punishment, and not "electricity" at all, calls Kuligin an atheist and a Tatar. Kuligin leaves with nothing, muttering to himself that he must submit, and promising that they will talk when he has a million. The rain is ending.
The unenviable fate of young girls who married not for love, but for duty, is reflected in the image of Katerina from Ostrovsky's play. At that time in Russia, society did not accept divorces, and unfortunate women, forced to obey the customs, quietly suffered from a bitter fate.
It is not in vain that the author describes in detail through Katerina's memories her childhood - happy and carefree. In her married life, the exact opposite of the happiness she dreamed of was waiting for her. The author compares it with the ray of the immaculate, pure light in dark kingdom despotism, lack of will and vices. Knowing that for a Christian, suicide is the most serious mortal sin, she still gave up, throwing herself off the Volga cliff.
Action 1
The action takes place in a public garden near the banks of the Volga. Sitting on a bench, Kuligin enjoys the beauty of the river. Curly and Shapkin are walking slowly. From afar comes the scolding of the Wild, he scolds his nephew. Those present begin to discuss the family. Kudryash acts as a defender of the destitute Boris, believing that he suffers, like other people who have resigned to fate, from the despot-uncle. Shapkin replies to this that it was not in vain that Dikoy wanted to send Kudryash to serve. To which Kudryash says that Dikoy is afraid of him and knows that you can’t take his head cheaply. Curly complains that Diky has no marriageable daughters.
Then Boris and his uncle approach those present. Dikoy continues to scold his nephew. Then Dikoi leaves, and Boris explains the family situation. She and her sister were left orphans, even when they were studying. Parents died of cholera. Orphans lived in Moscow, until their grandmother died in the city of Kalinovo (where the action takes place). She bequeathed an inheritance to her grandchildren, but they will be able to receive it after they come of age from their uncle (Wild), on the condition that they honor him.
Kuligin argues that Boris and his sister are unlikely to receive an inheritance, because Dikoy can consider any word as disrespectful. Boris is completely subordinate to his uncle, works for him without a salary, but there is little sense. The nephew, like the whole family, is afraid of the Wild One. He shouts at everyone, but no one can answer him. It happened once that Diky was scolded by the hussars when they collided at the crossing. He could not answer the serviceman, which made him very angry and then took his anger out on his family for a long time.
Boris continues to complain about the difficult life. Feklusha approaches with a lady who praises the Kabanovs' house. Like, allegedly glorious and pious people live there. They leave, and now Kuligin expresses his opinion about Kabanikh. He says that she completely ate her family. Then Kuligin says that it would be nice to invent a perpetual motion machine. He is a young developer who has no money to make models. Everyone leaves, and Boris is left alone. He thinks about Kuligin and calls him a good man. Then, remembering his fate, he sadly says that he will have to spend all his youth in this wilderness.
Kabanikha appears with his family: Katerina, Varvara and Tikhon. The boar saws his son that his wife has become dearer to him than his mother. Tikhon argues with her, Katerina intervenes in the conversation, but Kabanikha does not allow her to say a word. Then he again pounces on his son that he cannot keep his wife strict, hints that it is so close to a lover.
The boar leaves, and Tikhon accuses Katerina of maternal reproaches. Frustrated, he goes to Dikoy to have a drink. Katerina stays with Varvara and remembers how freely she lived with her parents. She was not particularly forced to do business, she only carried water, watered flowers, and prayed in church. She saw beautiful vivid dreams. What now? She feels like she is standing on the edge of an abyss. She anticipates trouble, and her thoughts are sinful.
Varvara promises that as soon as Tikhon leaves, she will think of something. Suddenly, a half-witted lady appears, accompanied by two lackeys, she loudly shouts that beauty can lead into the abyss, and frightens the girls with fiery hell. Katerina is scared, and Varvara tries to calm her down. A thunderstorm begins, the women run away.
Action 2
Kabanov's house. In the room, Feklusha and Glasha are talking about human sins. Feklusha argues that it is impossible without sin. At this time, Katerina tells Varvara the story of her childhood resentment. Someone offended her and she ran away to the river, got into a boat, and then they found her ten miles away. Then she confesses that she is in love with Boris. Varvara convinces her that he likes her too, but they have nowhere to meet. But here Katerina is frightened of herself and assures that she will not change her Tikhon, and says that when she is completely sick of life in this house, she will either throw herself out the window or drown herself in the river. Varvara again reassures her, and says that as soon as Tikhon leaves, she will think of something.
Kabanikha and his son come in. Tikhon is going on a journey, and the mother continues his instructions so that he instructs his wife how she needs to live while her husband is away. Tikhon repeats her words. The boar and Varvara leave, and, left alone with her husband, Katerina asks him not to leave her or take her with him. Tikhon resists and says he wants to be alone. Then she throws herself on her knees in front of him and asks to take an oath from her, but he does not listen to her and picks her up from the floor.
Women accompany Tikhon. The boar makes Katerina say goodbye to her husband as expected, bowing at her feet. Katherine ignores her. Left alone, Kabanikha is indignant that the elderly are no longer respected. Katerina enters, and the mother-in-law begins to reproach her daughter-in-law again for not saying goodbye to her husband as it should be. To which Katerina says that she doesn’t want to make people laugh, and she doesn’t know how.
Alone, Katerina regrets that she does not have children. Then she regrets that she did not die as a child. Then she would certainly become a butterfly. Then she sets herself up to wait for her husband's return. Varvara enters and persuades Katerina to ask her to take a nap in the garden. There the gate is locked, Kabanikha has the key, but Varvara changed it and gives it to Katerina. She doesn't want to take the key, but then she does. Katerina is confused - she is afraid, but she also really wants to see Boris. He puts the key in his pocket.
Action 3
Scene 1
On the street near the Kabanovs' house stands Kabanikha and Feklusha, who reflects that life has become fussy. City noise, everyone is running somewhere, but in Moscow everyone is in a hurry. Kabanikha agrees that one should live measuredly, and says that she would never go to Moscow.
Dikoy appears, having pretty much taken on his chest, and starts a skirmish with Kabanova. Then Dikoy cooled down and began to apologize, pushing the reason for his condition to the workers, who from the very morning began to demand wages from him. Wild leaves.
Boris sits upset because he has not seen Katerina for a long time. Kuligin comes and, admiring the beauty of nature, thinks that the poor have no time to walk and enjoy this beauty, while the rich sit behind the fences, their house is guarded by dogs so that no one sees how they rob orphans and relatives. Varvara appears in Kudryash's company. They kiss. Kudryash and Kuligin leave. Varvara is busy about meeting Boris with Katerina, appointing a place in the ravine.
Scene 2
Night. Behind the Kabanovs' garden in the ravine, Kudryash sings a song while playing the guitar. Boris arrives and they start arguing over a date spot. Curly is not inferior, and Boris admits that he is in love with a married woman. Curly, of course, guessed who she was.
Varvara appears and goes for a walk with Kudryash. Boris is left alone with Katerina. Katerina accuses Boris of ruined honor. She is afraid to move on. Boris reassures her, offering not to think about the future, but to enjoy unity. Katerina confesses her love for Boris.
Kudryash comes with Varvara and asks how the lovers are doing. They talk about their confessions. Kudryash offers to continue using this gate for meetings. Boris and Katerina agree on their next date.
Action 4
A dilapidated gallery, on the walls of which are paintings of the Last Judgment. It's raining, people are hiding in the gallery.
Kuligin talks to Diky, begging him to donate money for the installation of a sundial in the center of the boulevard, along the way persuading him to install lightning rods. Dikoy refuses, yells at Kuligin, believing superstitiously that the thunderstorm is God's punishment for sins, he calls the developer an atheist. Kuligin leaves him and says that they will return to the conversation when he has a million in his pocket. The storm is ending.
Tikhon returns home. Katerina becomes not herself. Varvara reports to Boris about her condition. The storm is coming again.
Kuligin, Kabanikha, Tikhon and a frightened Katerina come out. She is afraid and it shows. She perceives the storm as God's punishment. She notices Boris and gets even more frightened. Words of people reach her that a thunderstorm happens for a reason. Katerina is already sure that lightning should kill her and ask to pray for her soul.
Kuligin tells people that the storm is not punishment, but grace for every living blade of grass. The half-witted lady and her two lackeys reappear. Turning to Katerina, she shouts for her not to hide. There is no need to be afraid of God's punishment, but you need to pray that God will take away her beauty. Katerina already sees fiery hell, and she tells everyone about her connection on the side.
Action 5
Twilight fell on the public garden on the banks of the Volga. Kuligin sits alone on a bench. Tikhon comes up to him and talks about his trip to Moscow, where he drank all the time, but did not remember the house, complains that his wife cheated on him. She says that she should be buried alive in the ground, as mama advises. But he feels sorry for her. Kuligin persuades him to forgive his wife. Tikhon is pleased that Dikoy sent Boris to Siberia for three whole years. His sister Varvara ran away from home with Kudryash. Glasha said that Katerina was nowhere to be found.
Katerina is alone and really wants to see Boris to say goodbye. She complains about her unfortunate fate and about the human court, which is worse than execution. Boris comes and says that his uncle sent him to Siberia. Katerina is ready to follow him and asks to take her with him. She says that her drunkard husband is disgusting to her. Boris looks around all the time, afraid that they will be seen. In parting, Katerina asks to give alms to the poor so that they pray for her. Boris leaves.
Katerina goes to the shore. At this time, Kuligin is talking to Kabanikha, accusing her of instructing her son against her daughter-in-law. There are screams that a woman has thrown herself into the water. Kuligin and Tikhon rush to help, but Kabanikha stops his son, threatening to curse him. He will stay. Katerina crashed to death, people bring her body.
Ostrovsky made his heroine of the play "Thunderstorm" a woman of high morals, spiritual, but so airy and dreamy that she was simply not able to survive in the environment prepared for her by fate. "Thunderstorm!" This fatal name is fraught with several meanings. It seems that everything is the fault of the thunderstorm that frightened the already guilty Katerina. She was very pious, but life with an indifferent husband and a tyrannical mother-in-law forced her to rebel against the rules. She paid the price for this. But one can wonder if her fate would have ended in this way if there had not been this thunderstorm. Considering Katerina's natural inability to lie, treason would still be revealed. And if she had not given herself to love, she would simply have gone crazy.
The husband, crushed by the authority of his mother, treated Katerina indifferently. She was desperately looking for love. She initially felt that this would lead her to death, but she could not resist the feelings - she lived in prison for too long. She was ready to run after Boris to Siberia. Not from great love, but from these disgusting walls, where she could not breathe freely. But the lover is also weak in spirit, like her unloved husband.
The outcome is tragic. Disappointed in life and in men, childless and unhappy Katerina is no longer held on earth by anything. Her final thoughts are about saving the soul.
Studying library statistics, school analysts came to the conclusion that the texts of works that are studied in literature lessons are practically not in demand today. What are the students reading? How are they doing with the program?
"Thunderstorm". Ostrovsky. Summary first act
The beginning of the nineteenth century, an ordinary day in the small (invented by the author) town of Kalinov. The tradesman Shapkin, the self-taught Kulibin, and the clerk of the local tyrant merchant are talking about the inhuman character of the merchant with speaking surname Wild. They are joined by Diky's nephew, Boris, who has recently arrived from Moscow. From a conversation with him, Kudryash and Shapkin learn that the young man received a good education in Moscow (he graduated from the Commercial Academy). Now he came to his uncle to receive part of the inheritance from his parents, who died during the epidemic in Moscow. Hoping for the decency of Diky, Boris left his sister in Moscow in the care of relatives. He is ready to fulfill the requirement specified in the will: to be respectful to his uncle.
However, in response to Boris's story, all those present begin to assure him that Dikoy is not the kind of person who can give away an inheritance, especially on such conditions.
Young people, noting the cruelty of urban customs, disperse, and they are replaced by the wanderer Feklusha, glorifying the splendor of the city and the generosity of the Kabanov family. However, the mechanic Kulibin expresses the opinion that it is Kabanikha who is the biggest hypocrite in the city.
Kabanikha appears with her daughter Varvara, son Tikhon and his wife Ekaterina. She leaves, telling her son to watch, secretly releases Tikhon for a drink, and herself remains with Katerina, who remembers her childhood.
Varvara understands that Katerina is not in love with her husband, and promises to arrange a date, which scares the girl terribly. The action ends.
Note. The summary of Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm" did not include Katerina's monologue, which is important for understanding her image. This is worth considering.
"Thunderstorm". Ostrovsky. Summary of the second act
Kabanov's house. Varvara and Katerina continue their conversation to the endless monologue of Feklusha about the phantasmagoric wonders of distant lands. Guessing that Katerina is in love with Boris, Varvara invites her to sleep in the garden arbor after her husband's departure. Tikhon comes out, accompanied by Kabanikh's mother. She tells the departing Tikhon to properly teach his wife what she should do in his absence. The humiliated Katerina begs her husband to take her with him, but Tikhon, who feels soon free from maternal supervision, remains deaf to requests.
Tikhon leaves, Varvara passes the key to the garden gate to the hesitant Katerina. This is where the action ends.
"Thunderstorm". Ostrovsky. Brief summary of the third act
In the first part, Kabanikha, Feklusha, Wild are talking at the Kabanovsky house.
In the second part, Varvara arranges a date between Katerina and Boris, after which the girl can no longer hide her love. She is ready to confess everything, which scares Boris.
"Thunderstorm". Ostrovsky. Brief summary of the fourth act
A thunderstorm starts. Varvara informs Boris that Tikhon has returned. Frightened by a thunderstorm, Katerina is sure that this is how God wants to punish her for treason. She confesses to her husband in treason in front of everyone.
In the last act, unable to bear the humiliation of her mother-in-law, the pity of her husband and the cowardice of Boris, Katerina throws herself into the river from a cliff.