Griboyedov's comedy Woe from Wit is a classic of Russian theatre which retains perennial freshness. Many of its lines have entered everyday Russian speech as quotations or 'proverbial' utterances. The play is a seminal work in Russian culture, which from a Western perspective may seem to combine the classicisms of Molière with the wit of Oscar Wilde and the social acerbity of John Osborne.

This edition of the Russian text furnishes the student with substantial linguistic help and information on the historical and cultural background. The apparatus of notes is supplemented by a new introduction examining the literary and cultural context by Professor Peace who has contributed further notes and a vocabulary.