Boris Godunov Sparknotes

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When Victor writes his marriage proposal to Lisa, included in the letter is an invitation to play opposite him in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, something he’d promised her after their first meeting during Onegin but had fallen through several times before. Boris Godunov is a biographical account of Macbeth-esque Russian tsar Boris Godunov, who obtained his title by murdering his predecessor’s son, the rightful heir. Though the majority of his subjects are unsuspecting of his involvement in the murder of Tsarevich Dmitri, a young monk, Grigori, convinced of Boris’s involvement and resolves to bring about his downfall by impersonating Dmitri and taking over the throne for himself. He travels abroad to gain supporters for his cause, openly claiming …show more content…

She literally gives up her voice to take on yet another identity, that of a nurturing caregiver, as well as fully reaccepting her Jewish and Russian identities by marrying Victor. It does seem odd, however, that Lisa would neglect the opportunity to sing one final role opposite her new husband, but the fact that she chooses not to embody a character like Marina foreshadows the sacrifice that Lisa makes for her son at Babi Yar, leading to both of their …show more content…

Once Lisa and Kolya jump into the Babi Yar ravine, the novel is no longer narrated from Lisa’s perspective. Her murder via bayonet rape committed by Nazi soldiers is told from a limited third person perspective, lending to the notion that Lisa, the protagonist who has shown such growth over the course of the novel, will die metaphorically voiceless alongside so many others in this

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