“Homo Ludens” in the Epic by I.A. Goncharov

The author of the article turns to the problem of the place and role of the drama basis in the epic of I.A. Goncharov and discovers the new approach to the problem. While the previous works analysed the dialogical basis of the creative work by Goncharov in the sketch “Literary Evening,” novels “The Common Story,” “Oblomov,” “Precipice,” the author of the article finds and analyses the comic episodes that are close to the drama genre and make use of the following devices: changing the clothes, the character’s appearance in the role of “the other” (in direct and indirect sense of the word) person or as “a masked character.” The insertion of such episodes into epic makes the action more “speedy,” creates the “nearness” of the character to the reader, activating the interest of the latter, making the author’s point of view more objective. The article proves the presence of the characteristics of drama genre in these scenes: dialogue, exposition, rising actions, climax, denouement, unexpected ending. The result of the analysis taken is the widening and deepening of the characteristics of the specificity of the epic thinking of the writer and the origins of objectivity of his style.