As-tolstoy depicts Napoleon. The image and characteristics of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace": description of appearance and character, portrait

Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes the limitedness and self-confidence of this commander, which is manifested in all his words, gestures and deeds. The portrait of Napoleon is ironic. He has a "short", "fat" figure, "fat thighs", a fussy, impetuous gait, "a plump white neck", a "round belly", "thick shoulders". This is the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace". Describing the morning toilet of the French emperor before the battle of Borodino, Lev Nikolaevich is a revealing character portrait characteristics, given originally in the work, enhances. The emperor has a "groomed body", "overgrown fat breasts", a "yellow" and "swollen" face. These details show that Napoleon Bonaparte ("War and Peace") was a man far from working life and alien to folk roots. The leader of the French is shown as a narcissistic egoist who thinks that the whole universe obeys his will. For him, people are of no interest.

Napoleon's behavior, his manner of speaking

The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is revealed not only through the description of his appearance. In his manner of speaking and behavior, narcissism and narrow-mindedness also show through. He is convinced of his own genius and greatness. Good is what came to his mind, not what is actually good, as Tolstoy notes. In the novel, each appearance of this character is accompanied by the author's merciless commentary. So, for example, in the third volume (first part, sixth chapter), Lev Nikolaevich writes that it was clear from this person that only what was happening in his soul was of interest to him.

In the work "War and Peace" Napoleon's characterization is also marked by the following details. With subtle irony, which sometimes turns into sarcasm, the writer exposes Bonaparte's claims to world domination, as well as his acting, incessant posing for history. All the time the French emperor was playing, there was nothing natural and simple in his words and behavior. This is shown very expressively by Lev Nikolaevich in the scene when he admired the portrait of his son on the Borodino field. In it, the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" acquires some very important details. Let's describe this scene briefly.

Episode with a portrait of Napoleon's son

Napoleon approached the painting, feeling that what he would do and say now "is history." The portrait depicted the son of the emperor, who played the globe in a bilbock. This expressed the greatness of the leader of the French, but Napoleon wanted to show "fatherly tenderness." Of course it was clean water acting. Napoleon did not express any sincere feelings here, he only acted, posed for history. This scene shows the arrogance of this man, who believed that all of Russia would be subdued with the conquest of Moscow and thus his plans for dominating the whole world would be realized.

Napoleon - actor and player

And in a number of further episodes, the description of Napoleon ("War and Peace") indicates that he is an actor and a player. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, he says that the chess has already been set, tomorrow the game will begin. On the day of the battle, Lev Nikolaevich remarks after cannon shots: "The game has begun." Further, the writer shows that it cost tens of thousands of people their lives. Prince Andrei thinks that war is not a game, but only a cruel necessity. A fundamentally different approach to it was in this thought of one of the main characters of the work "War and Peace". The image of Napoleon is set off by this remark. Prince Andrei expressed the opinion of the peaceful people, who were forced under exceptional circumstances to take up arms, since the threat of enslavement hung over their homeland.

Comic effect produced by the French emperor

It did not matter to Napoleon what was outside of himself, since it seemed to him that everything in the world depended only on his will. Tolstoy gives such a remark in the episode of his meeting with Balashev ("War and Peace"). The image of Napoleon in it is complemented by new details. Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes the contrast between the insignificance of the emperor and his inflated self-esteem. The comic conflict that arises in this case is the best proof of the emptiness and impotence of this historical figure, who pretends to be majestic and strong.

Spiritual world of Napoleon

According to Tolstoy spiritual world the leader of the French is an "artificial world" inhabited by "ghosts of some greatness" (volume three, part two, chapter 38). In fact, Napoleon is living proof one old truth that "the king is the slave of history" (volume three, part one, chapter 1). Considering that he is doing his own will, this historical figure just played the "heavy", "sad" and "cruel" "inhuman role" that was intended for him. He would hardly have been able to endure it if this person had not had a darkened conscience and mind (volume three, part two, chapter 38). The writer sees the obscuration of the mind of this commander-in-chief in the fact that he consciously cultivated in himself spiritual callousness, which he took for true greatness and courage.

So, for example, in the third volume (part two, chapter 38) it is said that he liked to examine the wounded and killed, thereby testing his mental strength(as Napoleon himself believed). In an episode when a squadron of Polish lancers swam across the Neman River and the adjutant, before his eyes, allowed himself to draw the attention of the emperor to the devotion of the Poles, Napoleon called Bertier to him and began to walk along the shore with him, giving orders to him and occasionally looking with displeasure at the drowned lancers who entertained his attention. For him, death is a boring and familiar sight. Napoleon takes for granted the selfless devotion of his own soldiers.

Napoleon is a deeply unhappy person

Tolstoy emphasizes that this man was deeply unhappy, but did not notice this only due to the absence of at least some moral feeling. The "great" Napoleon, the "European hero" is morally blind. He cannot understand either beauty, or goodness, or truth, or the meaning of his own actions, which, as Leo Tolstoy notes, were "opposite to goodness and truth," "far from everything human." Napoleon simply could not understand the meaning of his deeds (volume three, part two, chapter 38). To come to truth and goodness, according to the writer, is possible only by abandoning the imaginary greatness of one's personality. However, Napoleon is not at all capable of such a "heroic" act.

Napoleon's responsibility for what he did

Despite the fact that he is doomed to play a negative role in history, Tolstoy by no means diminishes the moral responsibility of this man for everything he has done. He writes that Napoleon, destined for the "not free", "sad" role of the executioner of many peoples, nevertheless assured himself that their good was the goal of his actions and that he could control and direct the destinies of many people, to do by his power of beneficence. Napoleon imagined that the war with Russia took place at his will, his soul was not struck by the horror of what had happened (volume three, part two, chapter 38).

Napoleonic qualities of the heroes of the work

In other heroes of the work, Lev Nikolaevich connects the Napoleonic qualities with the lack of a moral feeling in the characters (for example, Helen) or with their tragic delusions. So, in his youth, Pierre Bezukhov, who was fond of the ideas of the French emperor, remained in Moscow in order to kill him and thereby become the "deliverer of mankind." In the early stages of his spiritual life, Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of rising above other people, even if this required sacrificing loved ones and family. In the image of Lev Nikolaevich, Napoleonism is a dangerous disease that divides people. She makes them wander blindly on the spiritual "off-road".

The epic novel "War and Peace" is replete with characters - both fictional and real. historical figures. An important place among them is occupied by the figure of Napoleon - it is no coincidence that his image is present from the first pages of the work to the epilogue.

Why did Tolstoy pay so much attention to Bonaparte? With this figure, he connects the most important philosophical and moral issues, first of all, understanding the role prominent personalities in history.

The writer builds the image of the French emperor in two projections: Napoleon - the commander and Napoleon - the man.

Describing the Battle of Austerlitz and the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy notes the absolute experience, talent and military erudition of Napoleon the commander. But at the same time much more close attention he focuses on the socio-psychological portrait of the emperor.

In the first two volumes, Napoleon is shown through the eyes of heroes - Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. The romantic halo of the hero excited the minds of his contemporaries. This is evidenced by the delight of the French troops, who saw their idol, and Pierre's passionate speech in Anna Scherer's salon in defense of Napoleon, "a great man who managed to rise above the revolution".

Even when describing the appearance of a “great man”, the writer repeats definitions many times "small", "fat thighs", landing the image of the emperor and emphasizing its commonness.

Tolstoy specifically shows the cynicism of the image of Napoleon and negative traits. Moreover, this is not so much the personal qualities of this person as the manner of behavior - "position obliges".

Bonaparte himself practically believed that he was a "superman" who decided the fate of other people. Everything he does "there is a story", even the trembling of the left calf. Hence the pomposity of manners and speech, self-confident cold expression, constant posturing. Napoleon is always preoccupied with how he looks in the eyes of others, whether he corresponds to the image of a hero. Even his gestures are designed to attract attention - he gives a signal to start battle of austerlitz with a wave of the removed glove. All these character traits of an egocentric personality - vanity, narcissism, arrogance, acting - are in no way combined with greatness.

In fact, Tolstoy shows Napoleon as a deeply flawed person, because he is morally poor, he does not know the joys of life, he does not have "love, poetry, tenderness." Even the French emperor imitates human feelings. Having received a portrait of his son from his wife, he "made an appearance of thoughtful tenderness." Tolstoy gives a derogatory characterization of Bonaparte, writing: “... never, until the end of his life, he could understand neither goodness, nor beauty, nor truth, nor the meaning of his actions, which were too opposite to goodness and truth ...”.

Napoleon is deeply indifferent to the fate of other people: they are only pawns in big game called "power and might", and the war is like the movement of chess pieces on the board. In life he "looks past people"- and bypassing after the battle the Austerlitz field strewn with corpses, and indifferently turning away from the Polish uhlans when crossing the river Viliya. Bolkonsky says about Napoleon that he was "happy from the misfortune of others". Even seeing the terrible picture of the Borodino field after the battle, the Emperor of France "find reasons to rejoice". Lost lives are the basis of Napoleon's happiness.

Trampling all moral laws, professing the principle "Winners are not judged", Napoleon literally goes over the corpses to power, glory and power.

By the will of Napoleon "terrible thing"- war. That is why Tolstoy denies greatness to Napoleon, following Pushkin, believing that "genius and villainy are incompatible."

• The image of Marya Bolkonskaya in the novel "War and Peace", composition
• The image of Kutuzov in the novel "War and Peace"
• Comparative characteristics of the Rostovs and Bolkonskys - composition

Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy completed work on his novel "War and Peace" in 1867. The events of 1805 and 1812, as well as the military figures who took part in the confrontation between France and Russia, are the main theme of the work.

Like any peace-loving person, Lev Nikolaevich condemned armed conflicts. He argued with those who found the "beauty of horror" in military operations. The author speaks in describing the events of 1805 as a pacifist writer. However, talking about the war of 1812, Lev Nikolaevich is already moving to the position of patriotism.

Image of Napoleon and Kutuzov

The images of Napoleon and Kutuzov created in the novel are a vivid embodiment of the principles used by Tolstoy in depicting historical figures. Far from everything the heroes coincide with real prototypes. Lev Nikolaevich did not strive to draw reliable documentary portraits of these figures when creating the novel "War and Peace". Napoleon, Kutuzov and other heroes act primarily as carriers of ideas. Omitted in the work are many known facts. Some qualities of both commanders are exaggerated (for example, the passivity and decrepitude of Kutuzov, the posturing and narcissism of Napoleon). Assessing the French and Russian commanders-in-chief, as well as other historical figures, Lev Nikolayevich applies strict moral criteria to them. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is the topic of this article.

The French emperor is the antithesis of Kutuzov. If Mikhail Illarionovich can be considered goodie of that time, then in the image of Tolstoy, Napoleon is the main anti-hero in the work "War and Peace".

Portrait of Napoleon

Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes the limitedness and self-confidence of this commander, which is manifested in all his words, gestures and deeds. The portrait of Napoleon is ironic. He has a "short", "fat" figure, "fat thighs", a fussy, impetuous gait, "a plump white neck", a "round belly", "thick shoulders". This is the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace". Describing the morning toilet of the French emperor before the battle of Borodino, Lev Nikolaevich enhances the revealing nature of the portrait characterization given originally in the work. The emperor has a “groomed body”, “overgrown fat chest”, “yellow” and These details show that Napoleon Bonaparte (“War and Peace”) was a man far from working life and alien to folk roots. The leader of the French is shown as a narcissistic egoist who thinks that the whole universe obeys his will. For him, people are of no interest.

Napoleon's behavior, his manner of speaking

The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is revealed not only through the description of his appearance. In his manner of speaking and behavior, narcissism and narrow-mindedness also show through. He is convinced of his own genius and greatness. Good is what came to his mind, not what is actually good, as Tolstoy notes. In the novel, each appearance of this character is accompanied by the author's merciless commentary. So, for example, in the third volume (first part, sixth chapter), Lev Nikolaevich writes that it was clear from this person that only what was happening in his soul was of interest to him.

In the work "War and Peace" Napoleon's characterization is also marked by the following details. With subtle irony, which sometimes turns into sarcasm, the writer exposes Bonaparte's claims to world domination, as well as his acting, incessant posing for history. All the time the French emperor was playing, there was nothing natural and simple in his words and behavior. This is shown very expressively by Lev Nikolaevich in the scene when he was admiring the portrait of his son. In it, the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" acquires some very important details. Let's describe this scene briefly.

Episode with a portrait of Napoleon's son

Napoleon approached the painting, feeling that what he would do and say now "is history." The portrait depicted the son of the emperor, who played the globe in a bilbock. This expressed the greatness of the leader of the French, but Napoleon wanted to show "fatherly tenderness." Of course, it was pure acting. Napoleon did not express any sincere feelings here, he only acted, posed for history. This scene shows a man who believed that all of Russia would be subdued with the conquest of Moscow and thus his plans for dominating the whole world would be realized.

Napoleon - actor and player

And in a number of further episodes, the description of Napoleon ("War and Peace") indicates that he is an actor and a player. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, he says that the chess has already been set, tomorrow the game will begin. On the day of the battle, Lev Nikolaevich remarks after cannon shots: "The game has begun." Further, the writer shows that it cost tens of thousands of people their lives. Prince Andrei thinks that war is not a game, but only a cruel necessity. A fundamentally different approach to it was in this thought of one of the main characters of the work "War and Peace". The image of Napoleon is set off by this remark. Prince Andrei expressed the opinion of the peaceful people, who were forced under exceptional circumstances to take up arms, since the threat of enslavement hung over their homeland.

Comic effect produced by the French emperor

It did not matter to Napoleon what was outside of himself, since it seemed to him that everything in the world depended only on his will. Tolstoy gives such a remark in the episode of his meeting with Balashev ("War and Peace"). The image of Napoleon in it is complemented by new details. Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes the contrast between the insignificance of the emperor and his comic conflict that arises at the same time - the best proof of the emptiness and impotence of this one who pretends to be majestic and strong.

Spiritual world of Napoleon

In Tolstoy's understanding, the spiritual world of the leader of the French is an "artificial world" inhabited by "ghosts of some greatness" (volume three, part two, chapter 38). In fact, Napoleon is a living proof of one old truth that "the king is a slave of history" (volume three, part one, chapter 1). Considering that he is fulfilling his own will, this historical figure was only playing the "heavy", "sad" and "cruel" "inhuman role" that was intended for him. He would hardly have been able to endure it if this person had not had a darkened conscience and mind (volume three, part two, chapter 38). The writer sees the obscuration of the mind of this commander-in-chief in the fact that he consciously cultivated in himself spiritual callousness, which he took for true greatness and courage.

So, for example, in the third volume (part two, chapter 38) it is said that he liked to examine the wounded and killed, thereby testing his spiritual strength (as Napoleon himself believed). In the episode when a squadron of Polish lancers swam across and the adjutant allowed himself to draw the attention of the emperor to the devotion of the Poles before his eyes, Napoleon called Bertier to him and began to walk along the shore with him, giving him orders and occasionally looking with displeasure at the drowned lancers who entertained his attention . For him, death is a boring and familiar sight. Napoleon takes for granted the selfless devotion of his own soldiers.

Napoleon is a deeply unhappy person

Tolstoy emphasizes that this man was deeply unhappy, but did not notice this only due to the absence of at least some moral feeling. The "great" Napoleon, the "European hero" is morally blind. He cannot understand either beauty, or goodness, or truth, or the meaning of his own actions, which, as Leo Tolstoy notes, were "opposite to goodness and truth," "far from everything human." Napoleon simply could not understand the meaning of his deeds (volume three, part two, chapter 38). To come to truth and goodness, according to the writer, is possible only by abandoning the imaginary greatness of one's personality. However, Napoleon is not at all capable of such a "heroic" act.

Napoleon's responsibility for what he did

Despite the fact that he is doomed to play a negative role in history, Tolstoy by no means diminishes the moral responsibility of this man for everything he has done. He writes that Napoleon, destined for the "not free", "sad" role of the executioner of many peoples, nevertheless assured himself that their good was the goal of his actions and that he could control and direct the destinies of many people, to do by his power of beneficence. Napoleon imagined that the war with Russia took place at his will, his soul was not struck by the horror of what had happened (volume three, part two, chapter 38).

Napoleonic qualities of the heroes of the work

In other heroes of the work, Lev Nikolaevich connects the Napoleonic qualities with the lack of a moral feeling in the characters (for example, Helen) or with their tragic delusions. So, in his youth, Pierre Bezukhov, who was fond of the ideas of the French emperor, remained in Moscow in order to kill him and thereby become the "deliverer of mankind." In the early stages of his spiritual life, Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of rising above other people, even if this required sacrificing loved ones and family. In the image of Lev Nikolaevich, Napoleonism is a dangerous disease that divides people. She makes them wander blindly on the spiritual "off-road".

Image of Napoleon and Kutuzov by historians

Tolstoy notes that historians praise Napoleon, thinking that he was a great commander, and Kutuzov is accused of excessive passivity and military failures. In fact, the French emperor developed a stormy activity in 1812. He fussed, gave orders that seemed brilliant to him and those around him. In a word, this man behaved as a "great commander" should. The image of Kutuzov by Lev Nikolayevich does not correspond to the ideas of a genius accepted at that time. Consciously the writer exaggerates his decrepitude. So, during the military council, Kutuzov falls asleep not in order to show "contempt for the disposition", but simply because he wanted to sleep (volume one, part three, chapter 12). This commander-in-chief does not give orders. He only approves what he considers reasonable, and rejects everything unreasonable. Mikhail Illarionovich does not seek battles, does not undertake anything. It was Kutuzov who, while maintaining outward calm, made the decision to leave Moscow, which cost him great mental anguish.

What determines the true scale of personality, according to Tolstoy?

Napoleon won almost all the battles, while Kutuzov lost almost everything. The Russian army suffered setbacks near the Berezina and Krasnoe. However, it was she who eventually defeated the army under the command of the "brilliant commander" in the war. Tolstoy emphasizes that historians devoted to Napoleon believe that it was precisely great person, hero. In their opinion, for a person of this magnitude there can be no bad and good. The image of Napoleon in literature is often presented from this angle. outside moral criteria, according to various authors, are the actions of a great man. These historians and writers even evaluate the shameful flight of the French emperor from the army as a majestic act. According to Lev Nikolaevich, the true scale of a person is not measured by the "false formulas" of various historians. The great historical lie turns out to be the greatness of such a person as Napoleon ("War and Peace"). The quotes from the work that we have cited prove this. Tolstoy found true greatness in Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich, a modest worker of history.

In the four-volume novel by L.N. Tolstoy depicts many people, both fictional characters and real ones. historical characters. Napoleon is one of them and one of the few who is present in the novel literally from the first and almost to the last page.

Moreover, for Tolstoy, Napoleon is not just a historical figure, a commander who moved troops to Russia and was defeated here. The writer is interested in him both as a person endowed with his human qualities, virtues and shortcomings, and as the embodiment of individualism, a person who is sure that he is above everyone and everything is allowed to him, and as a figure with whom the novelist associates the most complex moral issues.

The disclosure of this image is important both for the perception of the whole novel as a whole and for a number of main characters: Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Kutuzov, Alexander I, and for understanding philosophical views the author himself. The image of Napoleon - not a great man and commander, but a conqueror and enslaver allowed Tolstoy to give his picture of vision in the novel real forces stories and roles of prominent personalities.

The novel has whole line episodes that speak of the undoubted military experience and talent of Napoleon. Throughout the entire Austerlitz campaign, he is shown as a commander who is well versed in the combat situation and who was not spared by military successes. He quickly understood both the tactical plan of Kutuzov, who proposed a truce near Gollabrun, and the unfortunate mistake of Murat, who agreed to start peace negotiations. Before Austerlitz, Napoleon outwitted the Russian truce Dolgorukov, instilling in him a false idea of ​​his fear of a general battle in order to lull the enemy’s vigilance and bring his troops as close as possible to him, which then ensured victory in the battle.

When describing the French crossing the Neman, Tolstoy mentions that applause bothered Napoleon when he devoted himself to military concerns. In the picture of the Battle of Borodino, which illustrates Tolstoy's philosophical thesis about the impossibility for the commander-in-chief to keep pace with his orders with the rapidly changing situation during the battle, Napoleon reveals his knowledge of the intricacies of the combat situation. He takes into account the vulnerability of the defense of the left wing of the Russian position. After Murat's request for reinforcements, Napoleon thought: "What kind of reinforcements do they ask for when they have in their hands half of the army directed at the weak, unfortified wing of the Russians."

When describing the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy twice speaks of the many years of experience of Napoleon as a commander. It was the experience that helped Napoleon understand the difficulty and results of the Battle of Borodino: “Napoleon, after his long experience of the war, knew well what” it meant for eight hours, after all the efforts used, an unwinnable battle by the attacker. Elsewhere, the author again speaks of the military erudition of the commander , who "with great tact and experience of the war calmly and joyfully played his role ...".

And it is not surprising that in 1805, at the height of Napoleon's rise and victories, twenty-year-old Pierre rushes to the defense of the French emperor, when in the Scherer salon he is called a usurper, antichrist, upstart, murderer and villain, and Andrei Bolkonsky speaks of the unimaginable greatness of Napoleon.

But Tolstoy does not want to show in the novel the life of one person or a group of people, he seeks to embody in it the thought of the people. Therefore, Napoleon is sometimes ridiculous in his belief that he directs the battles and the course of history; and Kutuzov's strength lies in the fact that he relies on a spontaneously expressed popular will takes into account the mood of the people.

And in general, in the first two volumes, the writer prefers that the reader see Napoleon not through his, Tolstoy's, eyes, but through the eyes of the heroes of the novel. A three-cornered hat and a gray marching frock coat, a bold and straight gait - this is how Prince Andrei and Pierre represent him, this is how defeated Europe knew him. Tolstoy, at first glance, it is also like this: “The troops knew about the presence of the emperor, searched for him with gases, and when they found a figure in a frock coat and hat separated from the retinue on the mountain in front of the tent, they threw their hats up and shouted: “Vivat! On the faces of these people there was one common expression of joy at the beginning of the long-awaited campaign and delight and devotion to the man in the gray frock coat standing on the mountain.

Such is Napoleon Tolstoy on the day when he ordered his troops to cross the Neman River, thereby starting a war with Russia. But soon it will become different, because for the writer this image is, first of all, the embodiment of war, and war is “the opposite. human mind and human nature event.

In the third volume, Tolstoy no longer hides his hatred for Napoleon, he will give vent to sarcasm, he will mock the man who was adored by thousands of people. Why does Tolstoy hate Napoleon so much?

“For him, the conviction was not new that his presence at all ends of the world, from Africa to the steppes of Muscovy, equally strikes and plunges people into the madness of self-forgetfulness ... About forty lancers drowned in the river ... Most nailed back to this shore ... But as soon as they got out ... they shouted: “Vivat!”, Enthusiastically looking at the place where Napoleon stood, but where he was no longer there, and at that moment they considered themselves happy.”

Tolstoy does not like all this, moreover, it revolts him. Napoleon is indifferent when he sees that people are senselessly dying in the river out of sheer devotion to him. Napoleon admits the idea that he is almost a deity, that he can and must decide the fate of other people, doom them to death, make them happy or unhappy... Tolstoy knows: such an understanding of power leads to crime, brings evil. Therefore, as a writer, he sets himself the task of debunking Napoleon, destroying the legend of his unusualness.

For the first time we see Napoleon on the banks of the Neman. The second time was in the house where Alexander I lived four days ago. Napoleon receives the envoy of the Russian Tsar. Tolstoy describes Napoleon without the slightest distortion, but emphasizing the details: “He was in a blue uniform, open over a white waistcoat, descending on a round stomach, in white leggings, tight-fitting fat thighs of short legs, and in over the knee boots ... His whole plump, short figure with broad thick shoulders and an involuntarily protruding belly and chest, she had that representative, portly appearance that forty-year-old people always have living in the hall.

Everything is true. And a round belly, and short legs, and thick shoulders. Tolstoy speaks several times about "trembling of the calf in Napoleon's left leg", and again and again reminds him of his heaviness, of his short figure. Tolstoy does not want to see anything unusual. A man, like everyone else, plump in his time; just a man who allowed himself to believe that he was not like other people. And from this follows another property hated by Tolstoy - unnaturalness.

In the portrait of Napoleon, who came out to meet the envoy of the Russian Tsar, his tendency to “make himself” is persistently emphasized: he had just combed his hair, but “one strand of hair went down over the middle of a wide forehead” - this was Napoleon’s hairstyle known to the whole world, she was imitated, she needed was to keep. Even the fact that he smelled of cologne evokes Tolstoy's anger, because it means that Napoleon is very busy with himself and the impression that he makes on others: “It was clear that for a long time for Napoleon in his conviction there was no possibility of error and that in his concept, everything that he did was good, not because it coincided with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat is good and bad, but because he did it.

This is Napoleon Tolstoy. Not majestic, but absurd in his conviction that history is driven by his will, that all people should pray to him. Tolstoy showed both how they idolized Napoleon and how he himself all the time wished to appear as a great man. All his gestures are designed to call for special attention. He is constantly acting. He gives the signal for the start of the Battle of Austerlitz with a glove removed from his hand. In Tilsit, before the guard of honor, he tears off the glove from his hand and throws it on the ground, knowing that this will be noticed. And on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, receiving a courtier who came from Paris, he plays a small performance in front of a portrait of his son. In a word, Tolstoy always shows in Napoleon a frank desire for fame and how he constantly plays the role of a great man.

The image of Napoleon allows Tolstoy to pose the question: is it possible to take greatness and glory for life ideal? And the writer, as we see, gives a negative answer to it. As Tolstoy writes, "the unmasked rulers of the world cannot oppose any reasonable ideal to the Napoleonic ideal of glory and greatness, which has no meaning." The denial of this selfish, artificial, illusory ideal is one of the main ways in which Napoleon himself is debunked in War and Peace.

Therefore, Andrei Bolkonsky, on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, speaks of Napoleon’s lack of “the highest, best human qualities- love, poetry, tenderness, philosophical, inquisitive doubt. According to Bolkonsky, he was "happy from the misfortune of others."

Napoleon is devoted to seven chapters out of twenty, describing the Battle of Borodino. Here he dresses, changes clothes, gives orders, goes around the position, listens to the orderlies ... The battle for him is the same game, but it is this main game that he loses. And from that moment on, Napoleon begins to experience a real "feeling of horror in front of that enemy, who, having lost half of his troops, stood just as menacingly at the end as at the beginning of the battle."

According to Tolstoy's theory, Napoleon the invader was powerless in the Russian war. To some extent, this is true. But it is better to recall other words of the same Tolstoy that Napoleon simply turned out to be weaker than his opponent - "the strongest in spirit." And such a view of Napoleon does not in the least contradict either history or laws. artistic perception personality, followed by a great writer.