“The Miserly Knight” is one of four plays that make up the “Little Tragedies” cycle, in each of which the author pays close attention to one of human vices. “The Stingy Knight” reveals the problem of endless greed, which can subjugate a person’s will and change his soul beyond recognition. The much-wise Litrekon made a very brief retelling of the book, succinctly describing the main events from the work so that the reader could quickly remember the plot.
Contents (330 words): Knight Albert and his servant Ivan are talking in the tower. It turns out that in the last tournament, Albert's helmet was pierced through by Count Delorge, and there is no way to restore it. In retaliation, the young knight knocked the count out of the saddle with a powerful blow. It is unknown whether he has yet recovered. Albert laments that he did not take the vanquished man's helmet. He does not have money for equipment and beautiful outfits, which is why it is shameful and humiliating to appear in front of other knights. No one understood that the reason for such a strong blow to the count was not courage, but anger for the damaged helmet. Moreover, the faithful horse Emir is limping, and there is no money for a new horse.
Albert decides to turn to the moneylender. Solomon demands a pledge, because the knight never paid off his previous debts, but the young man has nothing to pledge. The Jew complains of poverty and asks to return at least part of the money. Of course, Albert does not have these funds, but he refers to a future inheritance. When the father dies, the knight's parental wealth will be in his hands, and then he will repay the debts. Solomon is huddled. What if the old man outlives his son? Shouldn't Albert help the baron pass away with poison? However, the knight is outraged by this blasphemous proposal, and he drives the Jew away.
Meanwhile, the baron sits in the basement, surrounded by chests of gold. They are dearer to him than anything in the world. Just as a few handfuls of earth create a hill, so every pinch of gold increases its wealth. Today he collected the debt from the weeping widow and children and from the poor Thibault. Money brings the baron into a frantic feeling of fear, excitement and endless bliss. But after death, all the savings will go to the rake-son, who will squander the wealth accumulated with such labor. This thought torments the old man.
Albert goes to the palace to ask the Duke to influence his father. However, having heard the sovereign’s request to provide support to the young man, the baron begins to slander his son. He accuses Albert of attempted murder and theft. The young knight is discouraged and in response reproaches his father for lying. The Baron throws down the gauntlet, Albert accepts the challenge. The Duke intervenes in the conflict and cannot allow a duel between father and son. The knight leaves, and the old man, unable to withstand the excitement, dies. This is how Pushkin’s “little tragedy” ends in abridged form.
Review (160 words): I really liked A. S. Pushkin’s book “The Miserly Knight” because it makes you think about the importance of preserving family relationships. Father and son should not fight over money, because their family ties are more valuable than gold.
The main idea of the work, in my opinion, is that society’s fixation on material wealth is driving people crazy, and this must be prevented. Therefore, my favorite hero of the book is the Duke, who seeks to end the confrontation between father and son and reconcile them. This is exactly what good people who care about what happens around them should act. The moral that can be drawn from what we read teaches us to value the spiritual component of life more than money and luxury. It must be defended; this is true nobility. The author contrasts the ostentatious courage of the knight with the restrained dignity of the duke, who really fights for worthwhile ideals, separating father and son.
Thus, my impression of the book is enthusiastic, because it is very relevant today, when people, in pursuit of profit, are ready to neglect their family. Therefore, I would advise everyone to read The Stingy Knight.
In the tower, the knight Albert shares his misfortune with his servant Ivan: at the knight's tournament, Count Delorge pierced his helmet, but there is no money for a new one, because Albert's father, the baron, is stingy. Albert regrets that Delorge pierced his helmet and not his head. The knight was so angry about the damaged armor that he threw the count twenty steps, causing the admiration of the ladies. Albert needs money for a dress and a new horse, because Emir’s horse is limping after the fight. Albert wants, through a servant, to borrow money from the Jew Solomon in order to buy the bay inexpensively, but the Jew does not give money without a mortgage, “he groans and squeezes.” There was no money to even buy wine; the last bottle the day before the servant had taken to a sick blacksmith.
The Jew himself comes and asks to pay at least part of the debt. Albert gives his word to repay the debt, because he is the heir to the baron’s wealth. The Jew objects that the baron can live another thirty years. Solomon talks about the importance of money: any young man sees money as nimble servants, any old man sees reliable friends. But Albert knows that his father, the baron, sees money as masters and serves them, denying himself warmth, food, drink and peace.
Jide offers to introduce Albert to a pharmacist who makes poison to give to the baron father. Albert is outraged by this proposal and kicks Solomon out. He doesn’t even want to take his chervonets because they “smell of poison.” The baron's son is going to seek justice from his father from the duke.
Scene 2
In the basement with hidden treasures, the baron pronounces his famous monologue. He compares the anticipation of a date with “faithful chests” with the anticipation of a date between a young rake and a crafty libertine. The baron pours a handful of gold into the sixth incomplete chest, “the usual tribute” brought daily. He compares himself with a certain king who ordered his soldiers to fill up a mound of earth (each had to bring only a handful) and from there inspected the conquered lands. From the height of his wealth, the baron can look at the world; everything is subject to him, like a demon: genius, virtue, sleepless work, bloody villainy. Everything is obedient to the Baron, but he himself is obedient to nothing. He is above all desires; the consciousness of his power is enough for him.
The Baron examines the wealth and reflects on how he got it. He remembers a widow with three children, who stood on her knees all day in the rain, but, in the end, gave away an old doubloon - a husband’s duty, so as not to be in prison tomorrow. Another stolen coin, brought by the robber Thibault. All the tears, blood and sweat shed for the baron’s wealth could drown him in the “cellars of the faithful.”
The baron protects his wealth with “honest damask steel,” that is, with a sword. When he unlocks the chests, he feels the same as a murderer stabbing a victim with a knife: “It’s nice and scary together.” The money that the baron puts to sleep in his chests “in the sleep of strength and peace” is for him like gods sleeping in heaven. The baron opens the chests and reigns, but he is consumed by the thought that after his death his son will squander his wealth. The Baron acquired all this by enduring abstinence, curbing passions, caring, and not sleeping at night. He is afraid that his son will accuse him of having no conscience and a heart overgrown with moss, but only one who has suffered through wealth will not squander it. The Baron would like to protect his basement from unworthy glances and from the living even after death.
Scene 3
In the palace, Albert complains to the Duke about his father’s stinginess, and the Duke promises to rebuke him in private, because the Baron was a friend of the Duke’s grandfather, played with the Duke when he was still a child. By order of the nobleman, the baron arrives, and the duke asks Albert to go into the next room. After renewing acquaintance and remembering the baron’s friendship with the duke’s grandfather, the nobleman asks the baron why his son is not at court. The Baron first says that Albert is being shy, then he “confesses” that his son spends his youth in violence and base vices, and finally declares that he is angry with his son, he is ashamed, since his son wanted to kill and rob him. Albert cannot stand it, rushes into the room and accuses his father of lying. The Baron challenges his son to a duel, throwing down his gauntlet. The Duke takes the glove from Albert, who accepted the challenge, and drives them both out, calling the old man a madman and the young man a tiger cub. Albert leaves, and the Baron suddenly dies with the words “Where are the keys?” The Duke is indignant: “Terrible age, terrible hearts!”
- “The Miserly Knight”, analysis of Pushkin’s play
- “The Captain’s Daughter”, a summary of the chapters of Pushkin’s story
- "Boris Godunov", analysis of the tragedy of Alexander Pushkin
The tragedy “The Miserly Knight” by Pushkin was written in 1830, in the so-called “Boldino autumn” - the most productive creative period of the writer. For a reading diary and better preparation for a literature lesson, we recommend reading a summary of “The Miserly Knight” scene by scene. Most likely, the idea for the book was inspired by the difficult relationship between Alexander Sergeevich and his stingy father.
Main characters of the play
Main characters:
- The Baron is a mature man of the old school, a former valiant knight. He sees the meaning of all life in the accumulation of wealth.
- Albert is a twenty-year-old young man, a knight, forced to endure extreme poverty due to the excessive stinginess of his father, the baron.
Other characters:
- Jew Solomon is a moneylender who regularly lends money to Albert.
- Ivan is a young servant of the knight Albert, who serves him faithfully.
- The Duke is the main representative of the government, under whose command are not only ordinary residents, but also the entire local nobility. Acts as a judge during the confrontation between Albert and the Baron.
“The Miserly Knight” summary for the reader’s diary:
The young knight Albert is brave and courageous, but he is forced to lead a semi-beggarly existence due to the exorbitant greed of his father, a noble baron. At a knight's tournament, he wins a brilliant victory over his opponent, but is not at all happy about it - his helmet is broken, his zealous horse is limping, and there is no money, let alone to buy himself a new dress.
Albert is forced once again to turn to the Jew Solomon, a moneylender from whom he borrows money. Solomon gives advice to the young man on how to get rich quickly, hinting that “it’s time for the baron to die.” He invites the knight to use the services of an experienced pharmacist and poison his greedy father, but the young man drives the moneylender out in a rage.
Albert sees no other choice but to turn to the Duke for help so that he can influence the Baron.
Meanwhile, the Baron goes down to the basement and enjoys the sight of his six chests filled with gold coins. In gold he sees joy and self-confidence. The only thing that saddens the baron is the fact that after his death all the treasures will flow into the “satin torn pockets” of his dissolute son.
During a chance meeting in the ducal chambers, a disgusting scene plays out between father and son - the baron accuses Albert of attempted murder, and the hot young man is ready to fight his own father, defending his honor. Unable to withstand the intensity of passions, the miser dies, and the amazed Duke exclaims: “A terrible age, terrible hearts!”
This is interesting: Pushkin's tragedy was written in 1830. The play is based on a passage from John Wilson’s poem “Plague City,” which perfectly emphasized the writer’s mood. Due to the raging cholera epidemic, Pushkin could not leave Boldino and see his bride in Moscow.
The plot of the tragedy “The Miserly Knight” in chapters
Scene one
Knight Albert shares problems with his servant Ivan. Despite his noble origin and knighthood, the young man is in great need. At the last tournament, his helmet was pierced by the spear of Count Delorge. And, although the enemy was defeated, Albert was not too happy about his victory, for which he had to pay a price too high for him - damaged armor.
The horse Emir also suffered, and after a fierce battle he began to limp. Besides, the young nobleman needs a new dress. During a dinner party, he was forced to sit in armor and justify himself to the ladies by saying that “he got into the tournament by accident.”
Albert confesses to the faithful Ivan that his brilliant victory over Count Delorge was caused not by courage, but by his father’s stinginess. The young man is forced to make do with the crumbs that his father allocates to him. He has no choice but to sigh heavily: “Oh poverty, poverty! How she humbles our hearts!”
To buy a new horse, Albert is forced once again to turn to the moneylender Solomon. However, he refuses to give money without collateral. Solomon gently makes the young man think that “it’s time for the baron to die,” and offers the services of a pharmacist who makes an effective and fast-acting poison.
In a rage, Albert drives away the Jew who dared to suggest that he poison his own father. However, he is no longer able to eke out a miserable existence. The young knight decides to seek help from the Duke so that he can influence the stingy father, and he will stop keeping his own son, “like a mouse born in the underground.”
Scene two
The Baron goes down to the basement to “pour a handful of accumulated gold” into the still incomplete sixth chest. He compares his accumulations to a hill that grew thanks to small handfuls of earth brought by soldiers on the orders of the king. From the height of this hill the ruler could admire his possessions.
So the baron, looking at his wealth, feels his power and superiority. He understands that, if he wants, he can allow himself anything, any joy, any meanness. The feeling of his own strength calms a man, and he is quite “satisfied with this consciousness.”
The money that the baron brings to the basement has a bad reputation. Looking at them, the hero remembers that he received the “old doubloon” from an inconsolable widow with three children, who sobbed in the rain for half a day. She was forced to give the last coin to pay off the debt of her deceased husband, but the tears of the poor woman did not pity the insensitive baron.
The miser has no doubt about the origin of the other coin - of course, it was stolen by the rogue and rogue Thibault, but this in no way worries the baron. The main thing is that the sixth chest of gold is slowly but surely replenished.
Every time he opens the chest, the old miser falls into “heat and trembling.” However, he is not afraid of an attack by a villain, no, he is tormented by a strange feeling, akin to the pleasure that an inveterate killer experiences when he plunges a knife into the chest of his victim. The Baron is “pleasant and scary together,” and in this he feels true bliss.
Admiring his wealth, the old man is truly happy, and only one thought gnaws at him. The Baron understands that his last hour is near, and after his death all these treasures, acquired through many years of hardship, will end up in the hands of his son. Gold coins will flow like a river into “satin tattered pockets,” and the carefree young man will instantly spread his father’s wealth around the world, squander it in the company of young beauties and cheerful friends.
The Baron dreams of guarding his chests of gold with a “guard shadow” even after death in the form of a spirit. The possible separation from the wealth he has acquired is a dead weight on the soul of the old man, for whom the only joy in life is to increase his wealth.
Scene three
Albert complains to the Duke that he has to experience “the shame of bitter poverty” and asks him to bring his overly greedy father to reason. The Duke agrees to help the young knight - he remembers the good relationship between his grandfather and the miserly baron. In those days, he was still an honest, brave knight without fear or reproach.
Meanwhile, the Duke notices the Baron at the window, who is heading to his castle. He orders Albert to hide in the next room, and receives his father in his chambers. After exchanging mutual courtesies, the Duke invites the Baron to send his son to him - he is ready to offer the young knight a decent salary and service at court.
To which the old baron replies that this is impossible, since his son wanted to kill him and rob him. Unable to bear such blatant slander, Albert jumps out of the room and accuses his father of lying. The father throws the glove to his son, and he picks it up, thereby making it clear that he accepts the challenge.
Stunned by what he saw, the Duke separates father and son and angrily drives them out of the palace. Such a scene causes the death of the old baron, who in the last moments of his life thinks only about his wealth. The Duke is distraught: “Terrible age, terrible hearts!”
Conclusion
In the work “The Stingy Knight”, Alexander Sergeevich comes under the close attention of such a vice as greed. Under her influence, irreversible personality changes occur: the once fearless and noble knight becomes a slave to gold coins, he completely loses his dignity, and is even ready to harm his only son so that he does not take possession of his wealth.
The young knight Albert is about to appear at the tournament and asks his servant Ivan to show him his helmet. The helmet was pierced through in the last duel with the knight Delorge. It is impossible to put it on. The servant consoles Albert with the fact that he repaid Delorge in full, knocking him out of the saddle with a powerful blow, from which Albert’s offender lay dead for a day and has hardly recovered to this day. Albert says that the reason for his courage and strength was his rage over his damaged helmet. The fault of heroism is stinginess. Albert complains about poverty, about the embarrassment that prevented him from removing the helmet from a defeated enemy, says that he needs a new dress, that he alone is forced to sit at the ducal table in armor, while other knights flaunt in satin and velvet. But there is no money for clothes and weapons, and Albert’s father, the old baron, is a miser. There is no money to buy a new horse, and Albert’s constant creditor, the Jew Solomon, according to Ivan, refuses to continue to believe in debt without a mortgage. But the knight has nothing to pawn. The moneylender does not give in to any persuasion, and even the argument that Albert’s father is old, will soon die and leave his entire huge fortune to his son does not convince the lender.
At this time, Solomon himself appears. Albert tries to beg him for a loan, but Solomon, although gently, nevertheless resolutely refuses to give money even on his word of honor. Albert, upset, does not believe that his father can survive him, but Solomon says that everything happens in life, that “our days are not numbered by us,” and the baron is strong and can live another thirty years. In despair, Albert says that in thirty years he will be fifty, and then he will hardly need the money. Solomon objects that money is needed at any age, only “a young man looks for nimble servants in it,” “but an old man sees reliable friends in them.” Albert claims that his father himself serves money, like an Algerian slave, “like a chained dog.” He denies himself everything and lives worse than a beggar, and “the gold lies quietly in his chests.” Albert still hopes that someday it will serve him, Albert. Seeing Albert's despair and his readiness to do anything, Solomon hints at letting him know that his father's death can be hastened with the help of poison. At first, Albert does not understand these hints. But, having understood the matter, he wants to immediately hang Solomon on the castle gates. Solomon, realizing that the knight is not joking, wants to pay off, but Albert drives him away. Having come to his senses, he intends to send a servant for the moneylender to accept the money offered, but changes his mind because it seems to him that they will smell of poison. He demands to serve wine, but it turns out that there is not a drop of wine in the house. Cursing such a life, Albert decides to seek justice for his father from the Duke, who must force the old man to support his son, as befits a knight.
The Baron goes down to his basement, where he stores chests of gold, so that he can pour a handful of coins into the sixth chest, which is not yet full. Looking at his treasures, he remembers the legend of the king who ordered his soldiers to put in a handful of earth, and how as a result a giant hill grew from which the king could survey vast spaces. The baron likens his treasures, collected bit by bit, to this hill, which makes him the ruler of the whole world. He remembers the history of each coin, behind which are the tears and grief of people, poverty and death. It seems to him that if all the tears, blood and sweat shed for this money came out of the bowels of the earth now, there would be a flood. He pours a handful of money into the chest, and then unlocks all the chests, places lighted candles in front of them and admires the shine of gold, feeling like the ruler of a mighty power. But the thought that after his death the heir will come here and squander his wealth makes the baron furious and indignant. He believes that he has no right to this, that if he himself had accumulated these treasures bit by bit through hard work, then he certainly would not have thrown gold left and right.
In the palace, Albert complains to the Duke about his father, and the Duke promises to help the knight, to persuade the Baron to support his son as it should be. He hopes to awaken fatherly feelings in the baron, because the baron was a friend of his grandfather and played with the duke when he was still a child.
The baron approaches the palace, and the duke asks Albert to hide in the next room while he talks with his father. The Baron appears, the Duke greets him and tries to evoke memories of his youth. He wants the baron to appear at court, but the baron is dissuaded by old age and infirmity, but promises that in case of war he will have the strength to draw his sword for his duke. The Duke asks why he does not see the Baron’s son at court, to which the Baron replies that his son’s gloomy disposition is a hindrance. The Duke asks the Baron to send his son to the palace and promises to teach him to have fun. He demands that the baron assign his son a salary befitting a knight. Turning gloomy, the baron says that his son is unworthy of the duke’s care and attention, that “he is vicious,” and refuses to fulfill the duke’s request. He says that he is angry with his son for plotting parricide. The Duke threatens to put Albert on trial for this. The Baron reports that his son intends to rob him. Hearing these slander, Albert bursts into the room and accuses his father of lying. The angry baron throws the glove to his son. With the words “Thank you.” This is my father’s first gift.” Albert accepts the baron’s challenge. This incident plunges the Duke into amazement and anger; he takes away the baron’s glove from Albert and drives father and son away from him. At this moment, with words about the keys on his lips, the baron dies, and the duke complains about “a terrible age, terrible hearts.”
. (The other three are “Mozart and Salieri”, “The Stone Guest”, “Feast during the Plague”.)
Pushkin “The Miserly Knight”, scene 1 – summary
Pushkin “The Miserly Knight”, scene 2 – summary
Albert's father, the baron, meanwhile goes down to the basement where he stores his gold to add a new handful to the sixth, still incomplete, chest. With bated breath, the stingy knight looks around at the accumulated wealth. He decides today to “throw himself a feast”: to open all the chests and admire them by candlelight. In a long monologue, the Baron talks about the enormous power that money gives. With their help, you can erect luxurious palaces, invite beautiful young nymphs into magnificent gardens, enslave free genius and sleepless labor, put bloody villainy at your service... (See Monologue of the Miserly Knight.)
However, money is almost always born of evil. The stingy knight admits: he took many coins from the chests from poor widows who had nothing to feed their children. Others, repaid as debt, may have been obtained by robbery in the forests and on the highway. Putting the key into the lock of the chest, the stingy knight feels the same as people who “find pleasure in killing” feel when they plunge a knife into the victim.
Stingy knight. Painting by K. Makovsky, 1890s
The Baron's joy is darkened by only one thought: he himself is already old, and his son Albert is a spendthrift and a reveler. The father has been accumulating wealth for many years, and the son is able to squander it in the blink of an eye. The stingy knight bitterly complains that after death he cannot hide his basement from the “gaze of unworthy”, come here from the grave and sit on the chests as a “guard shadow”.
Pushkin “The Miserly Knight”, scene 3 – summary
Albert complains to the Duke in the palace that his father has doomed him to extreme poverty. The Duke promises to talk to the Baron about this.
A stingy knight just arrives at the palace. Albert hides nearby for a while, and the Duke tells the Baron: his son rarely appears at court. Perhaps the reason is that the young knight has nothing to buy good clothes, a horse and armor? The Duke asks the Baron to give his son a decent allowance.
The stingy knight frowns in response and assures the Duke that Albert is a dishonest man who is mired in vices and even tried to rob and kill his father. Albert, hearing this conversation, runs into the room and accuses his parent of lying. The stingy baron challenges his son to a duel, throwing him the gauntlet. Albert readily picks it up.
Stunned by the hatred of father and son for each other, the Duke loudly reproaches them both. The stingy knight shouts in excitement that he is stuffy - and unexpectedly dies. At the last moment he looks for the keys to the chests. The tragedy ends with the Duke’s phrase: “Terrible age, terrible hearts!”