Woe from Wit

Brief Overview

Woe from Wit is a comedy in four acts written by Alexander Griboyedov in 1823. The play is a satire on the Russian aristocratic society of the early 19th century. At the center of the plot is the character of Alexander Chatsky, an educated and witty young man who returns to Moscow after many years away, only to find that his progressive ideas and views on life are met with misunderstanding and ridicule by the Moscow social elite. The comedy highlights themes of hypocrisy, insincerity in social and personal relationships, and the conflict between old and new values.