Not everyone is given the opportunity to comprehend the full depth of the wisdom of the work āThe Word about Igor's Regimentā. Created eight centuries ago, an old Russian masterpiece can still be safely called a monument of culture and history of Russia. In the āWord about Igorās Regimentā, the genre is not important to determine; the language in which the work is written is important.
It may seem to some that the chronicle tells of one person, but this is not so.
Prince Igor Svyatoslavovich
The characterization of the image of Prince Igor is quite interesting. He is described as a brave, honest, knowledgeable person. It was impossible to say about him what he first does, and then thinks. The prince calculated every step he took, but, unfortunately, the warnings and persuasion of the wise people around Igor did not stop him. Igor lacked the wisdom so necessary. The hero, unfortunately, did not possess it. Despite all this, Igor was not stupid and understood that death awaited him on the battlefield.
The opinion of historians
As in most cases, the opinions of historians are not so clear. "The word about Igor's regiment" was no exception. Before us again are two opposing camps. On one side are those who consider Igor a true patriotic hero who has unwaveringly defended his land. They believe that the chronicle reflects the whole of Russia, and the image of Prince Igor personifies all the princes ruling in Russia. Others, on the contrary, present him as a thoughtless and reckless prince. Igorās campaign was obviously doomed to failure, the meaning of such sacrifice is not clear. But nevertheless, historians agree on one thing, Igor did not take place as a wise politician, but he could not occupy military valor.
There is also a third camp, it is not as numerous as the first two, but it was impossible not to mention it. The third opinion is that Prince Igor was a true greed, who simply decided to become famous as a hero-liberator, defender of the Russian land, and thereby squeeze the great prince Svyatoslav with his increased popularity.
Poetization of the image
The poetization and characterization of the image of Prince Igor by the author was purely political in nature, in the poem "The Word about Igor's Regiment" there is clearly a call for the unification of disparate Russian principalities. The author of an old Russian masterpiece understood very well that the princes feuds in Russia did not lead to anything good, only to foreign poverty and collapse. Thus, the author seeks to rally the princes, to remind them of their kinship. In the annals all adherents of fragmentation and civil strife are actively discussed, as well as one of their founders, Prince Oleg.
In order for the effect to be bright and colorful, he (the author) gives Igor the qualities of a valiant warrior and knight. Indeed, in the work "The Word about Igor's Regiment" the genre is a poem. The prince is capable of a great deed, of any sacrifice, for him there is nothing difficult in accomplishing a feat. All actions and deeds of Prince Igor are committed only for the good of Russia. He is not without eloquence and, like any general, before a battle with beautiful, courageous and courageous words inspires his squad. Igorās position is quite clear - itās better to die in battle than to be in captivity: āO my squad and brothers! It is better to be killed than to be captive; letās sit, brothers, on the greyhounds and look at least at the blue Don. ā This is the image of Prince Igor.
Having looked closely at the epithets that the author gives to the prince, we can confidently say what exactly he thinks about Igor. The author identifies the image of Prince Igor with the falcon, calls it āthe red sunā. On the way of the prince there is a detachment of Polovtsians, and his soldiers with ease, having defeated them, bring him victory. Of course, the Rusich got a lot of booty after the victory: expensive axamites, gold, pavoloki, beautiful Polovtsian girls were stolen. The annals say "there was so much production that carpets, casings, precious stones and even gold made their way through rivers, swamps and various marshes." This situation, according to Prince Igor, shows how selfless and noble he is. After all, he came to defeat the enemies, and not amuse himself with profit. Confirmation of his words is the fact that of all the riches he took for himself only battle marks of the enemies.
Thanks to this episode, we can conclude that for Igor it is not personal gain that is important, but, above all, the fight against the enemies of the Russians. Gold and other riches are too small and mean nothing to him. He is above all these worries. This is the description of Prince Igor.
Defeat
The nobility of the prince is manifested in the last battle, but at the same time, his nearness as a strategist and tactic is visible here. The next battle was simply crushing for the Russians. When Vsevolod, Igorās brother, began to experience difficulties during the battle, he immediately went to the rescue of him, completely not thinking about the consequences, since he was sorry for his brother. Despite everything - the heroic deed of Igor, the courage of Vsevolod and the valiant Russian soldiers, the battle was lost, and Igor himself was taken prisoner. So with his act he made the death of soldiers in vain. Many historians think that the character of Prince Igor ruined him. The decision is difficult, but sometimes it is worth choosing between the right and heroic deed
The escape
Despite the fact that the prince, having committed a reckless act, exposed Russia to attack, and with it the entire Slavic people, the author still adheres to the image of the prince as a good hero. The author mourns, describing the defeat in the battle. He shows his personal attitude to the protagonist of the āWordā not only when describing the defeat, but also during the princeās escape from captivity. The author is filled with sincere glee, because after Igorās return to his homeland, the whole Russian people rejoice with him.
Power of love
Of course, the author of the Word could not fail to mention love. Description of Prince Igor as a conqueror of female hearts in the annals, of course, is absent. And that he has feelings for a person is not specifically said. The annals tell about how he is loved, strongly and sincerely, there are enough such images in the "Tale of Igor's Regiment". The author creates such a powerful image of love that it seems that you can touch and feel it. The text says: love is so huge that it overcame great distances and penetrated the camp to the Polovtsy, and it was she who helped the prince eventually escape.
Yaroslavna
Describing love, the author had in mind Yaroslavna, the lawful wife of the prince. Yaroslavnaās cry for Igor is filled with tenderness and warmth. Speaking about these emotions, the author makes it clear to the reader that only a worthy person deserves such feelings. Prince Igor deserves the kind of love his wife Yaroslavna has for him.
Attitude to the hero of the "Word"
So what was the image of Prince Igor? This person can be treated in different ways. You can condemn him and consider that he acted selfishly in battle, and thanks to his act many compatriots-Russians were killed, and in vain. You can condemn his strategic and tactical abilities, as well as ridicule his shortsightedness and recklessness. But also do not forget about the good character traits, about his prowess, faith and courage, unbroken will and patriotism. And a bad person cannot deserve sincere and tender love from such a beautiful woman as Yaroslavna.
How many people - so many opinions. It is difficult to say which particular person from the real life the author wanted to describe in his masterpiece. But the fact that the image of the prince in him is positive is understandable from the first line. Prince Igor is a true fighter against the enemies of the Russians, the defender of Russia. Without a doubt, the main message of the author is the cessation of the feudal war of the Russian princes and their further reunification under a common banner.
The great man was Prince Igor. The work of the ancient chronicler greatly impressed many. No one will deny this. It is human nature to make mistakes, so it is not for us to judge the deeds of the Old Russian prince.