State of Revolution is a 1977 play by Robert Bolt. It covers the era of the Russian Revolution from Vladimir Lenin's time in exile to his death in 1924.
This play provides examples of:
- Abstract Apotheosis: Lenin after his death.
- Anarchy Is Chaos: An anonymous character, known simply as the "Anarchist.""Long live disorder! Long live chaos! Long live anarchism!"
- The Anti-Nihilist: All the Bolshevik characters.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Dzerzhinsky
- Beware the Honest Ones: The other characters feel this way about Lunacharsky.Trotsky: "Your Commissariat is institutionally corrupt precisely because you are personally, and if I may so, excessively innocent."
- Bittersweet Ending: At least according to Lunacharsky: "You know, these anniversaries of Comrade Lenin's death are not for those of us who knew him altogether sad occasions. Rather they are happy-sad."
- Book Ends: The play begins and ends with Lunacharsky addressing a meeting of the Young Communists on the anniversary of Lenin's death, after the victory of Stalin.
- Both Sides Have a Point
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Mdvani.
- Chess Motifs
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Draganov.
- The City Versus The Country
- Code of Honour: Dzerzhinsky.
- Conspiracy Theorist: The "General" is presented this way, blaming the Bolshevik Revolution on a sinister Jewish conspiracy.
- Cult of Personality: Discussed.
- Dark Horse Victory: Stalin.
- Dawn of an Era: The October Revolution.Trotsky: "we are embarked upon that violent adventure which goes by the name of Human History! Comrades, they will say we have created chaos, that we have turned society upside down. It is right that the people should take command-and right that you should obey!"
- Deadpan Snarker: Pretty much every character gets their moment, but Lenin above all.
- Dirty Communists: Rigorously avoided and deconstructed.
- Dramatic Irony
- Dude, Where's My Respect??: Stalin.
- Eccentric Artist: Gorky.
- Establishing Character Moment: Trotsky first appears onstage announcing the successful Bolshevik insurrection.
- Ethical Slut: Kollontai.
- Exalted Torturer: Dzerzhinsky.
- The Exile: The play begins with Lenin, Dzerzhinsky, Kollontai, and Lunacharsky in exile in Capri, having been forced to flee Russia for revolutionary activity.
- The Extremist Was Right
- Historical Fiction: Obviously.
- Hoist by His Own Petard
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Trotsky, naturally, although this is only Foreshadowed and not actually portrayed.
- How We Got Here: Lunacharsky's speech to the Young Communists.
- Humble Hero: Lenin.Gorky: "You're a modest megalomaniac."
- Insufferable Genius: Trotsky.
- Internal Affairs: Stalin at certain points.
- In Vino Veritas: Mdvani gets drunk and writes a letter to his wife insulting the Soviet leadership ... which unfortunately for him falls into Stalin's hands.
- Just the First Citizen: Lenin, then Stalin.
- Large Ham: Trotsky.
- Loyal to the Position: The fictional police agent Draganov: "At your service .... At anybody's service, really. A technician you know, just a technician."
- Knight Templar: Dzerzhinsky.
- Malicious Slander: The charge that Lenin is a German agent.
- The Mutiny: Two - the revolts within the military in 1917, and the Kronstadt mutiny in 1921.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: The Russian "General" is presented this way."...any man who'll stand aside and see his country overrun - is a yellow-bellied bastard!"
- The Neidermeyer: The captain killed by Zhelnik and his fellow sailors.
- Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering: the Politburo
- Plato Is a Moron: A very literal example.Lenin: "Plato was an idealist slave owner."
- Real Politik
- Rebellious Rebel: A continuing theme, with different characters taking on this role at different points.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Bolt portrays the Bolshevik Revolution in this way to an extent, although quite sympathetic to the necessity of the revolution.
- Romanticism Versus Enlightenment
- Rousing Speech
- Saving the World With Art: Gorky and Lunacharsky think this is possible. Lenin is quite a bit more skeptical.
- Shaming The Mob: The Kronstadt mutiny.
- Sliding Scale Of Free Will Versus Fate
- Sliding Scale of Unavoidable vs. Unforgivable: the whole play revolves around this tension.
- Smart People Play Chess
- Sophisticated as Hell: Lenin.
- Speech Impediment: Lenin after his stroke.
- Starts with Their Funeral: Or, more precisely, the anniversary of the funeral.
- Totalitarian Utilitarian: subverted, in that the Bolsheviks (usually presented this way in western fiction) are the heroes of the play and given a fair hearing.
- Tragic Mistake
- Utopia Justifies the Means
- Vestigial Empire: The German, Austrian, and Russian empires after World War I.
- We ARE Struggling Together: Well, what were you expecting?
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Almost every character at one point or another.
- Written by the Winners: Lunacharsky's speech at the end clearly reflects Stalin's victory and its effects, in contradiction to both what are we shown in the play and Lunacharsky's own earlier opinions.
- You Can't Fight Fate
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Every character sees themselves as defending the true interests of the revolution.
