A. N

The same ones, Dikoy and Kuligin

Wild. Look, everything is soaked. (To Kuligin.) Leave me alone! Leave me alone! (With heart.) Stupid man!

Kuligin. Savel Prokofich, after all, this, your lordship, will benefit all ordinary people in general.

Wild. Go away! What a benefit! Who needs this benefit?

Kuligin. Yes, at least for you, your lordship, Savel Prokofich. If only, sir, on the boulevard, on clean place, and put it. What's the cost? Empty consumption: stone column ( shows with gestures the size of each item), a copper plate, so round, and a hairpin, here’s a straight hairpin ( shows with a gesture), the simplest one. I’ll put it all together and cut out the numbers myself. Now you, your lordship, when you deign to take a walk, or others who are walking, will now come up and see<...>And then this place is beautiful, and the view, and everything, but it’s as if it’s empty. We, too, Your Excellency, have travelers who come there to see our views, after all, it’s a decoration - it’s more pleasing to the eye.

Wild. Why are you bothering me with all this nonsense! Maybe I don’t even want to talk to you. You should have first found out whether I am in the mood to listen to you, a fool, or not. What am I to you - equal, or what? Look, what an important matter you have found! So he starts talking straight to the snout.

Kuligin. If I had minded my own business, well, then it would have been my fault. Otherwise, I am for the common good, your lordship. Well, what does ten rubles mean to society? You won't need more, sir.

Wild. Or maybe you want to steal; who knows you.

Kuligin. If I want to put my labors away for nothing, what can I steal, your lordship? Yes, everyone here knows me; No one will say anything bad about me.

Wild. Well, let them know, but I don’t want to know you.

Kuligin. Why, sir, Savel Prokofich, honest man do you want to offend?

Wild. I’ll give you a report or something! I don’t give an account to anyone more important than you. I want to think about you this way, and I think so. For others, you are an honest person, but I think that you are a robber, that’s all. Did you want to hear this from me? So listen! I say I’m a robber, and that’s the end of it! So, are you going to sue me or something? So you know that you are a worm. If I want, I will have mercy, if I want, I will crush.

Kuligin. God be with you, Savel Prokofich! I, sir, small man, it won't take long to offend me. And I’ll tell you this, your lordship: “And virtue is honored in rags!”

Wild. Don't you dare be rude to me! Can you hear me!

Kuligin. I’m not doing anything rude to you, sir, but I’m telling you because maybe you’ll decide to do something for the city someday. You, your lordship, have a lot of strength; If only there was the will to do a good deed. Let’s at least take this now: we have frequent thunderstorms, but we won’t install thunder diverters.

Wild(proudly). Everything is vanity!

Kuligin. But what a fuss there was when there were experiments.

Wild. What kind of lightning taps do you have there?

Kuligin. Steel.

Wild(with anger). Well, what else?

Kuligin. Steel poles.

Wild(getting more and more angry). I heard that poles, you kind of asp; and what else? Set up: poles! Well, what else?

Kuligin. Nothing more.

Wild. What do you think a thunderstorm is, huh? Well, speak up!

Kuligin. Electricity.

Wild(stamping his foot). What other beauty there is! Why aren't you a robber? A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we can feel it, but you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some kind of rods. What are you, a Tatar, or what? Are you Tatar? A? speak! Tatar?

Kuligin. Savel Prokofich, your lordship, Derzhavin said:

My body is crumbling into dust,
I command thunder with my mind.

Wild. And for these words, send you to the mayor, so he will give you a hard time! Hey, venerables! listen to what he says!

Kuligin. There is nothing to do, we must submit! But when I have a million, then I’ll talk. ( He waves his hand and leaves.)

A.N. Ostrovsky. "Storm"

IN 1. To which of three kinds literature refers to the play "The Thunderstorm"? (Write your answer in the nominative case.)

AT 2. What device does the self-taught mechanic Kuligin propose to install on the boulevard in the first part of the fragment?

AT 3. The thunderstorm in the play is an allegorical image that has many meanings and has a special semantic capacity. What is this image called in literary criticism?

AT 4. What do you call the acute clash of characters and circumstances that forms the basis of a stage action? (We see such a clash between Dikiy and Kuligin in the above fragment.)

AT 5. What is the name of verbal communication between two or more persons, based on the alternation of their statements in a conversation?

AT 6. What is the name of a character's short utterance, a phrase that he utters in response to the words of another character?

AT 7. In the above fragment there are the author's explanations of the text of the play and the statements of the characters, in parentheses. What term denotes them?

C1. How does the above fragment help reveal the general conflict of the play “The Thunderstorm”?
C2. Which heroes of Russian literature can, together with Dikiy, be called ignorant and tyrant? Give reasons for your answer.

Answers and comments

Tasks C1 and C2. Analyzing the above excerpt from the 4th act of the drama “The Thunderstorm”, students will note that Dikiy’s dialogue with Kuligin immediately precedes the climax of the play - Katerina’s confession under the arches of the gallery. What the characters are talking about is formally in no way connected with Katerina and her drama (Kuligin does not meet Katerina on stage at all, except for the moment when he carries out her corpse), but more in a broad sense you can see a direct connection: after all, before us on stage is a clash between an ignorant tyrant and a good, smart, but weak person. This collision perfectly characterizes the atmosphere surrounding the main character: all living things are suppressed and destroyed in her. The rudeness of the Wild One, who feels like a rightful master in the city, correlates with the omnipotence of Kabanikha in his house. Timid attempts to resist (Kuligin’s persistence), as well as efforts to change this atmosphere without conflict, are doomed to failure (“There is nothing to do, we must submit”). Against this background, Katerina’s act looks more like a blatant protest (although, as you know, there are other points of view in criticism). Dikiy’s ignorance and rudeness evoke the characters of Fonvizin (Prostakova, Skotinin) and - on a tangent - Famusov society with his hatred of enlightenment. The scene of a conversation between the strong and the weak can be seen, for example, in Gogol’s “The Overcoat”.

Act four

A. N. Ostrovsky. Storm. Play

In the foreground is a narrow gallery with the vaults of an ancient building that is beginning to collapse; here and there there is grass and bushes behind the arches - the shore and a view of the Volga.

First appearance

Several walkers of both sexes pass behind the arches.

1st. Is it raining, as if a thunderstorm is brewing?

2nd. Look, it will come together.

1st. It’s also good that there is somewhere to hide.

Everyone enters under the vaults.

Woman. Why are there so many people walking on the boulevard? It's a holiday, everyone has gone out. The merchants' women are so dressed up.

1st. They'll hide somewhere.

2nd. Look how many people are crowding here now!

1st (looking around the walls). But here, my brother, someday it was planned. And now it still means in some places.

2nd. Well yes, of course! Of course, it was planned. Now, look, everything has been left empty, fallen apart, overgrown. After the fire they never fixed it. You don’t even remember the fire, this one will be forty years old.

1st. What is this, my brother, that was drawn here? It's quite difficult to understand this.

2nd. This is fiery Gehenna.

1st. Yes, my brother!

2nd. And people of all ranks go there.

1st. Yes, yes, I understand now.

2nd. And every rank.

1st. And the araps?

2nd. And araps.

1st. And this, my brother, what is it?

2nd. And this is Lithuanian ruin. Battle - do you see? How ours fought with Lithuania.

1st. What is this – Lithuania?

2nd. So it is Lithuania.

1st. And they say, my brother, it fell on us from the sky.

2nd. I can't tell you. From the sky, from the sky.

Woman. Explain again! Everyone knows what comes from heaven; and where there was some kind of battle with her, mounds were poured there for memory.

1st. What about you, my brother! It's so accurate!

Enter Wild and behind him Kuligin without a hat. Everyone bows and assumes a respectful position.

Second phenomenon

The same , Wild And Kuligin.

Wild. Look, everything is soaked. (Kuligin.) Leave me alone! Leave me alone! (With heart.) Foolish man!

Kuligin. Savel Prokofich, after all, this, your lordship, will benefit all ordinary people in general.

Wild. Go away! What a benefit! Who needs this benefit?

Kuligin. Yes, at least for you, your lordship, Savel Prokofich. If only I could put it on the boulevard, in a clean place, sir. What's the cost? Empty consumption: stone column (shows the size of each item with gestures), a copper plate, so round, and a hairpin, here’s a straight hairpin (shows with a gesture), the simplest one. I’ll put it all together and cut out the numbers myself. Now you, your lordship, when you deign to go for a walk, or others who are walking, will now come up and see what time it is. And this place is beautiful, and the view, and everything, but it’s as if it’s empty. Here too, Your Excellency, travelers come and go there to look at our views, after all, it’s a decoration – it’s more pleasing to the eye.

Wild. Why are you bothering me with all this nonsense! Maybe I don’t even want to talk to you. You should have first found out whether I am in the mood to listen to you, a fool, or not. What am I to you - even, or something! Look, what an important matter you found! So he starts talking straight to the snout.

Kuligin. If I had minded my own business, then it would have been my fault. Otherwise, I am for the common good, your lordship. Well, what does ten rubles mean to society? You won't need more, sir.

Wild. Or maybe you want to steal; who knows you.

Kuligin. If I want to put my labors away for nothing, what can I steal, your lordship? Yes, everyone knows me here, no one will say anything bad about me.

Wild. Well, let them know, but I don’t want to know you.

Kuligin. Why, sir Savel Prokofich, would you like to offend an honest man?

Wild. I'll give you a report or something! I don’t give an account to anyone more important than you. I want to think about you this way, and I think so. For others, you are an honest person, but I think that you are a robber, that’s all. Did you want to hear this from me? So listen! I say I’m a robber, and that’s the end of it! So, are you going to sue me or something? So you know that you are a worm. If I want, I will have mercy, if I want, I will crush.

Kuligin. God be with you, Savel Prokofich! I, sir, am a small person; it won’t take long to offend me. And I’ll tell you this, your lordship: “And virtue is honored in rags!”

Wild. Don't you dare be rude to me! Can you hear me!

Kuligin. I am not doing anything rude to you, sir; but I’m telling you because maybe you’ll even think about doing something for the city someday. You, your lordship, have a lot of strength; If only there was the will to do a good deed. Let’s just take it now: we have frequent thunderstorms, but we won’t install thunder diverters.

Wild (proudly). Everything is vanity!

Kuligin. But what’s the fuss when the experiments took place?

Wild. What kind of lightning taps do you have there?

Kuligin. Steel.

Wild (with anger). Well, what else?

Kuligin. Steel poles.

Wild (getting more and more angry). I heard that poles, you kind of asp; and what else? Set up: poles! Well, what else?

Kuligin. Nothing more.

Wild. What do you think a thunderstorm is, huh? Well, speak up.

Kuligin. Electricity.

Wild (stomping his foot). What other beauty there is! Well, how come you’re not a robber! A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we can feel it, but you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some kind of rods. What are you, a Tatar, or what? Are you Tatar? Oh, speak up! Tatar?

Kuligin. Savel Prokofich, your lordship, Derzhavin said:

My body is crumbling into dust,
I command thunder with my mind.

Wild. And for these words, send you to the mayor, so he will give you a hard time! Hey, honorable ones, listen to what he says!

Kuligin. There is nothing to do, we must submit! But when I have a million, then I’ll talk. (Waving his hand, he leaves.)

Wild. Well, are you going to steal from someone? Hold it! Such a fake little man! What kind of person should be with these people? I really don't know. (Addressing the people.) Yes, you damned ones will lead anyone into sin! I didn’t want to get angry today, but he, as if on purpose, made me angry. May he fail! (Angrily.) Has it stopped raining?

1st. It seems he has stopped.

Wild. Seems! And you, fool, go and have a look. And then - it seems!

1st (coming out from under the vaults). Stopped!

Wild leaves, and everyone follows him. The stage is empty for some time. He quickly enters the arches Varvara and, hiding, looks out.

The third phenomenon

Varvara and than Boris.

Varvara. It seems he is!

Boris walks towards the back of the stage.

Boris looks around.

Come here. (Beckons with his hand.)

Boris enters.

What should Katerina and I do? Please tell me!

Boris. And what?

Varvara. It’s a problem, and that’s all. My husband has arrived, do you know that? And they didn’t wait for him, but he arrived.

Boris. No, I didn't know.

Varvara. She just didn't feel like herself!

Boris. Apparently, I was the only one who lived for ten days while he was gone. Now you won't see her!

Varvara. Oh, what are you! Yes, listen! She is trembling all over, as if she were suffering from a fever; so pale, rushing around the house, as if looking for something. Eyes like those of a madwoman! Just this morning the poster started crying. My fathers! what should I do with it?

Boris. Yes, maybe she will get over it!

Varvara. Well, hardly. She doesn’t dare raise her eyes to her husband. Mama began to notice this, she walks around and keeps looking sideways at her, looking like a snake; and that makes her even worse. It's just painful to look at her! Yes, and I'm afraid.

Boris. What are you afraid of?

Varvara. You do not know her! She's kind of weird here. Everything will happen from her! It will do such things that...

Boris. Oh my god! What should we do? You should have a good talk with her. Is it really impossible to persuade her?

Varvara. I tried it. And he doesn't listen to anything. It's better not to come near.

Boris. Well, what do you think she can do?

Varvara. Here's what: he'll knock at his husband's feet and tell him everything. That's what I'm afraid of.

Boris (with fear). Could it be?

Varvara. Everything can come from her.

Boris. Where is she now?

Varvara. Now my husband and I went to the boulevard, and my mother went with them. Go ahead too if you want. No, it’s better not to go, otherwise she’ll probably be completely confused.

A clap of thunder in the distance.

No way, thunderstorm? (Looks out.) And it's raining. And so the people fell. Hide there somewhere, and I’ll stand there in plain sight, so they don’t think anything of it.

Several persons of different ranks and gender enter.

The fourth phenomenon

Different faces and than Kabanova, Kabanov, Katerina And Kuligin.

1st. The butterfly must be very afraid that it is in such a hurry to hide.

Woman. No matter how you hide! If it’s destined for someone, you won’t go anywhere.

Katerina (running in). Ah, Varvara! (He grabs her hand and holds her tightly.)

Varvara. That's enough!

Katerina. My death!

Varvara. Come to your senses! Get your thoughts together!

Katerina. No! I can not. I can't do anything. My heart really hurts.

Kabanova (entering). That's it, you have to live in such a way that you are always ready for anything; For fear this wouldn't happen.

Kabanov. But what, mamma, her sins can be special: they are all the same as the rest of us, and this is what she is naturally afraid of.

Kabanova. How do you know? Someone else's soul in the dark.

Kabanov (jokingly). Is there really anything without me, but with me, it seems, there was nothing.

Kabanova. Maybe without you.

Kabanov (jokingly). Katya, repent, brother, it’s better if you’ve sinned. After all, you can’t hide from me: no, you’re being naughty! I know everything!

Katerina (looks into Kabanov’s eyes). My darling!

Varvara. Well, why are you pestering! Can't you see that it's hard for her without you?

Boris leaves the crowd and bows to Kabanov.

Katerina (screams). Oh!

Kabanov. Why are you scared? Did you think it was a stranger? This is a friend! Is uncle healthy?

Boris. God bless!

Katerina (Varvara). What else does he need from me?.. Or is it not enough for him that I am suffering so much. (Bowing towards Varvara, she sobs.)

Varvara (loudly so mother can hear). We are off our feet, we don’t know what to do with her; and then strangers are still creeping in! (He makes a sign to Boris, who goes to the very exit.)

Kuligin (goes out to the middle, addressing the crowd). Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell! Now every grass, every flower is rejoicing, but we are hiding, afraid, as if some kind of misfortune is coming! The thunderstorm will kill! This is not a thunderstorm, but grace! Yes, grace! It's all stormy! The northern lights will light up, you should admire and marvel at the wisdom: “from the midnight lands the dawn rises,” but you are horrified and come up with ideas: this means war or pestilence. Is there a comet coming? I wouldn’t look away! Beauty! The stars have already taken a closer look, they are all the same, but this is a new thing; Well, I should have looked and admired it! And you are afraid to even look at the sky, you are trembling! Out of everything, you have created a scare for yourself. Eh, people! I'm not afraid. Let's go, sir!

Boris. Let's go! It's scarier here!

They leave.

Fifth appearance

The same without Boris And Kuligina.

Kabanova. Look what races he has made. There is something to listen to, nothing to say! Now the times have come, some teachers have appeared. If an old man thinks like this, what can one demand from young people!

Woman. Well, the sky has covered everything. Exactly with the cap, it covered it.

1st. Eco, my brother, it’s like a cloud is curling around like a ball, just like there’s living things tossing and turning in it. And so it crawls towards us, and crawls, like something alive!

2nd. Remember my words that this storm will not pass in vain! I tell you correctly; That's why I know. Either he will kill someone, or the house will burn down, you will see: therefore, look how unusual the color is.

Katerina (listening). What they're saying? They say he will kill someone.

Kabanov. It is known that they make such a fuss, in vain, whatever comes to mind.

Kabanova. Don't judge your older self! They know more than you. Old people have signs for everything. an old man he won’t say a word to the wind.

Katerina (to my husband). Tisha, I know who will kill.

Varvara (Katerina is quiet). At least keep quiet.

Kabanova. How do you know?

Katerina. It will kill me. Then pray for me.

Included Lady with lackeys. Katerina hides screaming.

Appearance Six

The same And Lady.

Lady. Why are you hiding? There's no need to hide! Apparently you’re afraid: you don’t want to die! I want to live! How could you not want to! - see how beautiful she is. Ha ha ha! Beauty! And you pray to God to take away the beauty! Beauty is our destruction! You will destroy yourself, you will seduce people, then rejoice in your beauty. You will lead many, many people into sin! Helipads go out to fights, stabbing each other with swords. Funny! Old, pious people forget about death and are seduced by beauty! And who will answer? You will have to answer for everything. It's better to be in the pool with beauty! Yes, hurry, hurry!

Katerina hiding.

Where are you hiding, stupid? You can't escape God! You will all burn in unquenchable fire! (Leaves.)

Katerina. Oh! I'm dying!

Varvara. Why are you really suffering? Stand to the side and pray: it will be easier.

Katerina (walks to the wall and kneels, then quickly jumps up). Oh! Hell! Hell! Gehenna of fire!

Kabanov, Kabanova and Varvara surround her.

My whole heart burst! I can't stand it anymore! Mother! Tikhon! I am a sinner before God and before you! Wasn’t it me who swore to you that I wouldn’t look at anyone without you! Do you remember, do you remember? Do you know what I, dissolute, did without you? The first night I left home...

Kabanov (confused, in tears, tugs at her sleeve). Don't, don't, don't say! What you! Mother is here!

Kabanova (strictly). Well, well, speak up now that you’ve already started.

Katerina. And yet I walked for ten nights... (Sobbing.)

Kabanov wants to hug her.

Kabanova. Drop her! With whom?

Varvara. She's lying, she doesn't know what she's saying.

Kabanova. Shut up! That's it! Well, with whom?

Katerina. With Boris Grigoryich.

Thunderclap.

Oh! (Falls unconscious into her husband’s arms.)

Kabanova. What, son! Where will the will lead? I spoke, but you didn’t want to listen. That's what I've been waiting for!

To go to the previous / next action of “Thunderstorms”, use the Back / Forward buttons under the text of the article. For links to materials about other works by A. N. Ostrovsky, see below, in the block “More on the topic...”

17.2 The symbolic meaning of the title of Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”.

In 1859, the play “The Thunderstorm” was written, and at the same time it was staged. The drama was written in the era of realism. One of the features of this direction are symbols. There are many symbols in the play, such as the title of the piece, which has a lot of meaning.

The image of a thunderstorm appears to us in several forms. Firstly, the thunderstorm appears as a natural phenomenon. Her first appearance occurs in the first act, when Katerina mentions her love.

The entire city has been expecting thunderstorms for two weeks. Also in compositionally it is the culmination and foreshadows death: “Remember my word that this storm will not pass in vain! I tell you correctly; That's why I know. Either he’ll kill someone or the house will burn down, you’ll see.” When in the fourth act, Katerina admits her betrayal, it is accompanied by thunderclaps.

Secondly, the symbolism of the name lies in the fact that for each hero the thunderstorm is received differently. So, Kuligin is not afraid of a thunderstorm and does not see anything mystical in it: “Now every blade of grass, every flower rejoices, but we are hiding, afraid, as if some kind of misfortune!” Dikoy, on the contrary, believes that a thunderstorm is a punishment: “A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment.” For him, a thunderstorm means submission, so he obeys Kabanikha. main character Katerina considers the thunderstorm to be God’s judgment: “It’s not so scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly overtake you with all your evil thoughts.” She loves Boris and is afraid of thunderstorms, because she believes that she must pay for all her sins. For Tikhon, Katerina’s husband, the thunderstorm is his mother’s reservation. We learn this at the beginning, when he leaves and says that there will be no “shackles on my feet.” Thus, the thunderstorm is compared with the oppression of Kabanikha.

Thus, symbolic meaning the title of the play is that a thunderstorm stirs social life people, and through her image reveals the character of the characters.

Effective preparation for the Unified State Exam (all subjects) - start preparing

Updated: 2018-10-10

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.
By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

Kuligin. Nothing more.

Wild. What do you think a thunderstorm is, huh? Well, speak up.

Kuligin. Electricity.

Kuligin. Savel Prokofich, your lordship, Derzhavin said:

My body is crumbling into dust,
I command thunder with my mind.

Wild. And for these words, send you to the mayor, so he will give you a hard time! Hey, honorable ones, listen to what he says!

Kuligin. There is nothing to do, we must submit! But when I have a million, then I’ll talk. (Waving his hand, he leaves.)

1st. It seems he has stopped.

Wild. Seems! And you, fool, go and have a look. And so it seems!

1st (coming out from under the vaults). Stopped!

Dikoy leaves, and everyone follows him. The stage is empty for some time. Varvara quickly enters under the arches and, hiding, looks out.

The third phenomenon

Varvara and then Boris.

Varvara. It seems he is!

Boris walks towards the back of the stage.

Boris looks around.

Come here. (Beckons with his hand.)

Boris enters.

What should Katerina and I do? Please tell me!

Boris. And what?

Varvara. It’s a problem, and that’s all. My husband has arrived, do you know that? And they didn’t wait for him, but he arrived.

Boris. No, I didn't know.;

Varvara. She just didn't feel like herself!

Boris. Apparently, I’ve only lived for ten days, so far! He was absent. Now you won't see her!

Boris. Yes, maybe she will get over it!

Varvara. Well, hardly. She doesn’t dare raise her eyes to her husband. Mama began to notice this, she walks around and looks sideways at her, and looks like a snake; and that makes her even worse. It's just painful to look at her! Yes, and I'm afraid.

Boris. What are you afraid of?

Varvara. You do not know her! She's kind of weird here. Everything will happen from her! It will do such things that...

Boris. Oh my god! What should we do? You should have a good talk with her. Is it really impossible to persuade her?

Varvara. I tried it. And he doesn't listen to anything. It's better not to come near.

Boris. Well, what do you think she can do?

Varvara. Here's what: he'll knock at his husband's feet and tell him everything. That's what I'm afraid of.

Boris (with fear). Could it be?

Varvara. Everything can come from her.

Boris. Where is she now?

Varvara. Now my husband and I went to the boulevard, and my mother went with them. Go ahead too if you want. No, it’s better not to go, otherwise she’ll probably be completely confused.

A clap of thunder in the distance.

No way, thunderstorm? (Looks out.) And it's raining. And so the people fell. Hide there somewhere, and I’ll stand there in plain sight, so they don’t think anything of it.

Several persons of different ranks and gender enter.

The fourth phenomenon

Different faces and then Kabanova, Kabanov, Katerina and Kuligin.

1st. The butterfly must be very afraid that it is in such a hurry to hide.

Woman. No matter how you hide! If it’s destined for someone, you won’t go anywhere.

Katerina (running in). Ah, Varvara! (He grabs her hand and holds her tightly.)

Varvara. That's enough!

Katerina. My death!

Varvara. Come to your senses! Get your thoughts together!

Katerina. No! I can not. I can't do anything. My heart really hurts.

Kabanova (entering). That's it, you have to live in such a way that you are always ready for anything; For fear this wouldn't happen.

Kabanov. But what, mamma, her sins can be special: they are all the same as the rest of us, and this is what she is naturally afraid of.

Kabanova. How do you know? Someone else's soul in the dark.

Kabanov (jokingly). Is there really anything without me, but with me, it seems, there was nothing.

Kabanova. Maybe without you.

Kabanov (jokingly). Katya, repent, brother, it’s better if you’ve sinned. After all, you can’t hide from me: no, you’re being naughty! I know everything!

Katerina (looks into Kabanov’s eyes). My darling!

Varvara. Well, why are you pestering! Can't you see that it's hard for her without you?

Boris leaves the crowd and bows to Kabanov.

Katerina (screams). Oh!

Kabanov. Why are you scared? Did you think it was a stranger? This is a friend! Is uncle healthy?

Boris. God bless!

Katerina (Varvara). What else does he need from me?.. Or is it not enough for him that I am suffering so much. (Bowing towards Varvara, she sobs.)

Varvara (loudly so mother can hear). We are off our feet, we don’t know what to do with her; and then strangers are still creeping in! (He makes a sign to Boris, who goes to the very exit.)