Each of us at school or college heard about such a thing as classicism. This is an aesthetic direction found in many types of culture and art. In general, the word classicism comes from the Latin classicus, which means "exemplary" in translation. It evokes thoughts of something strict, precise, even antique, doesn't it? That's right, the poetics of classicism began to take shape in the late Renaissance in Italy, and was finally formed in the 17th century in France.
The foundations of this direction - the rules of the ancient art of Aristotle, Horace - require strict observance of the canons, which in this genre are unshakable and unquestioning to be fulfilled. Also, the aesthetics of classicism has its own special hierarchy of genres: epic, ode, tragedy - "high" genres; satire, comedy, fable - "low". Let's look at the basis of literary classicism.
Rule of threeunity
Includes the following concepts:
- The unity of time - the action is strictly within a day.
- Unity of place - throughout the whole work, actions take place in one place, as a rule, this is a house, palace, estate, etc.
- Unity of action - the absence of side parties and characters, the presence of one main plot.
Why do we need the rule of three unities in literature
The requirement for the unity of time can be explained as follows: a spectator who has been in the theater for a few hours will not believe the events on the stage, the duration of which greatly does not correspond to the duration of the performance itself. If in Shakespeare's plays the action can take several months, then in the dramaturgy of classicism this is impossible. The action in a play written in this style is necessarily divided into five acts and takes no more than a day. The physical time of perception of the viewer must necessarily coincide with the time of action on the stage.
The demand for unity of place is based on the same principles. It was assumed that the viewer should understand that before him all the time the same scene. This strict character of the principle of classicism is especially evident in comparison with another type of drama - Shakespeare's. Let us recall his plays, where the action is transferred from one place to another. The requirements of the unity of time and place greatly reduced the diversity of the plot of the works of classic dramaturgy, but at the same time contributed to the particular rigor and clarity of the structure of the play.
Last requirement -unity of action - in each play, the number of actors should be minimal; the action develops logically, strictly, clearly, without side storylines. It will be difficult for the viewer to watch the production to the end if there is no unity of action in it.
Classicism in foreign literature
Classicism first relied on the theories of Aristotle and Horace - ancient authors. In European literature, this style ends its existence from the 1720s. It also adhered strictly to the rule of three unities discussed earlier in the article.
European classicism went through two main stages in its development:
- The rise of the monarchy, the positive development of science, culture and economy. At this time, classicist writers saw it as their task to glorify the monarch.
- The crisis of the monarchy, criticism of shortcomings in the political system. The authors condemn the monarchy.
Development of classicism in Russia
This artistic movement found a response in Russia later than in the rest of the world. National traditions - that's what Russian classicism relied on. It was in this that its uniqueness and originality manifested itself.
Classicism developed especially strongly in architecture, where it reached very high heights. This was due to the creation and construction of a new capital (St. Petersburg) and the active growth of other Russian cities. The achievements of classicism were manifested in a large number of buildings, for example, the arrow of Vasilyevsky Island (J. F. Thomas de Thomon) in St. Petersburg, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra(I. Starov), architecture of Tsarskoye Selo (A. Rinaldi) and many others.
In Tsarskoye Selo, Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi worked on seven objects, including the Chinese Theatre, the Chesme Column, and the Cahul Obelisk.
On the photo is the Marble Palace (A. Rinaldi) in St. Petersburg.
Development of classicism in Russian literature
In Russia, classicism originated in the second quarter of the 18th century and gave us such wonderful creators as M. V. Lomonosov, A. D. Kantemir, V. Trediakovsky, G. R. Derzhavin, A. P. Sumarokov, Ya. B. Knyazhnin and many other great names.
Of course, Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov made a greater contribution to the development of Russian classicism in literature. He developed a system of three "calms", created a sample of an ode - a solemn message, which became very popular at that time. The traditions of classicism were especially clearly reflected in Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth".
In addition to the obligatory rule of the three unities of classicism in literature, the following are also attributed to the features of this style in Russia:
- the division of heroes into negative and positive characters, the obligatory presence of a reasoner - a hero expressing the position and opinion of the author;
- the presence of a love triangle in the plot;
- the triumph of good in the finale and the indispensable punishment of vice.
Classicism played a huge role in the development of the worldart. This direction is the basis, the basis of literature. The classic style belongs to a huge number of great works. The most famous comedies, tragedies and plays, which have become unsurpassed masterpieces, are played every day in all theaters of the world.
