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Primary sourceBook1886

The Power of Darkness

Leo Tolstoy · 1886

A five-act tragedy by Tolstoy about a peasant's seduction, murder, and eventual confession, banned in Russia until 1902.

Tolstoy's banned peasant tragedy, showing his work as a dramatist of village life and moral themes.

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Black-and-white photograph of a stage set for a theatre production: a thatched-roof hut at left, large open window frames showing a field and trees, and a man in dark clothing with one arm raised standing beside a figure lying on the ground at right. Caption reads the final scene of the Theatre Guild's production of Tolstoy's The Power of Darkness, from design by Lee Simonson.
Final scene of the Theatre Guild's production of Tolstoy's The Power of Darkness, set design by Lee Simonson.

About this source

What it is

A five-act drama written by Leo Tolstoy in 1886. It tells the story of a peasant farmhand, Nikita, who seduces and abandons a young woman, has an affair with his master's wife and stepdaughter, and is drawn into poisoning and murder before finally confessing.

Why it matters

The play was banned in Russia for years because of its unflinching depiction of peasant life and sin, yet it was staged unofficially and later performed across Europe and America by figures such as Constantin Stanislavski and Jacob Adler. It shows Tolstoy's skill as a dramatist and his concern with moral redemption even for a confessed criminal.

Look closer

  • Why might the Russian authorities have wanted to ban this play?
  • What does the photograph of the stage set tell you about how the play was staged?
  • Why does Tolstoy give his villain a path to confession and redemption?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leo Tolstoy on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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