Immediately after reading the first couple of lines I noticed the pessimistic outlook of the characters to their own lives and towards those who surrounded them. They aspired for a transformation from their boring, drained and disappointing lives to a rebirth of hope in which they wouldn’t mourn for their misused lives. Chekhov introduces the focus of a wasted live in the sense of not only feeling alienated from society and its function but as well feeling distant from oneself.
The initial conversation between Astroff and Marina demonstrates the lack of excitement in both of their lives. While they hold a conversation in which none of them is actually paying attention we can notice the weariness as Marina sits knitting a stocking and is doubtful of the past, as well as it seems that Astroff holds a conversation with himself rambling and whining of how the excess of work has changed him. You would imagine that someone who has chosen medicine as a profession feels passionate about it, so how come he complained that working made him a different man? It was age which changed him, inevitably as time goes by our bodies, our minds and specially our strengths change, it is not that existence is tedious or senseless as Astroff proclaims. While he whimpered about the silly people that surrounded him he referred to himself as “I ask nothing, I need nothing, I love no one…” This self reflection portrays him as a senseless being, but as he reveals with his next memory about the dead patient in Malitskoi he exposes the fact that he is still concerned for others, he feels guilty because a man died under his watch, besides his constant complaining demonstrates he still loves and still cares.
When Voitski enters the scene we are again introduced to a depressive and melancholic man. His dissatisfaction and constant grouching resemble a man displeased with his live, opposite from Astroff, Voitski blames his discontent on others. For instance he blames the change in schedules and the fact that he oversleeps on the professor. Besides from his frustration, with Voitski we also get the chance to begin noticing Chekov’s humorous side. All along he had been presenting a depressive play with miserable and disappointed characters, until Voitski began ridiculing his relatives while describing them. “I don't do anything now but croak like an old raven. My mother, the old magpie, is still chattering about the emancipation of woman, with one eye on her grave and the other on her learned books…” How he depicts each character and compares them with animals or mocks their habits and age are evidence of Chekov’s desire to add satire to the play. The author furthermore includes ridicule in the play when inserting characters such as Telegin referred to as Waffles because of his face. This personage supports the child of his ex-wife and lover, even though he was abandoned by her a day after his marriage. Lamentably he believes that what he is doing is keeping his pride by supporting her, even do that means he will be unhappy, to the audience it’s just plainly absurd.
Close to the end of the act we notice how there is a tangled web of love and envy. Sonia demonstrates her love for the doctor, but previously he had said he loved no one and above it he is disliked by Sonia’s uncle. On the other hand Voitski is in love with Helena, her brother-in-law, which he resents, wife. How will this set of twisted stories end? Will they affect the estates development? As I read the play I also questioned the fact of the constant pauses and silences. Where they just written as an intermission between the characters dialogues or did they signify an uncomfortable moment and lack in the fluidity of the conversations?
The initial conversation between Astroff and Marina demonstrates the lack of excitement in both of their lives. While they hold a conversation in which none of them is actually paying attention we can notice the weariness as Marina sits knitting a stocking and is doubtful of the past, as well as it seems that Astroff holds a conversation with himself rambling and whining of how the excess of work has changed him. You would imagine that someone who has chosen medicine as a profession feels passionate about it, so how come he complained that working made him a different man? It was age which changed him, inevitably as time goes by our bodies, our minds and specially our strengths change, it is not that existence is tedious or senseless as Astroff proclaims. While he whimpered about the silly people that surrounded him he referred to himself as “I ask nothing, I need nothing, I love no one…” This self reflection portrays him as a senseless being, but as he reveals with his next memory about the dead patient in Malitskoi he exposes the fact that he is still concerned for others, he feels guilty because a man died under his watch, besides his constant complaining demonstrates he still loves and still cares.
When Voitski enters the scene we are again introduced to a depressive and melancholic man. His dissatisfaction and constant grouching resemble a man displeased with his live, opposite from Astroff, Voitski blames his discontent on others. For instance he blames the change in schedules and the fact that he oversleeps on the professor. Besides from his frustration, with Voitski we also get the chance to begin noticing Chekov’s humorous side. All along he had been presenting a depressive play with miserable and disappointed characters, until Voitski began ridiculing his relatives while describing them. “I don't do anything now but croak like an old raven. My mother, the old magpie, is still chattering about the emancipation of woman, with one eye on her grave and the other on her learned books…” How he depicts each character and compares them with animals or mocks their habits and age are evidence of Chekov’s desire to add satire to the play. The author furthermore includes ridicule in the play when inserting characters such as Telegin referred to as Waffles because of his face. This personage supports the child of his ex-wife and lover, even though he was abandoned by her a day after his marriage. Lamentably he believes that what he is doing is keeping his pride by supporting her, even do that means he will be unhappy, to the audience it’s just plainly absurd.
Close to the end of the act we notice how there is a tangled web of love and envy. Sonia demonstrates her love for the doctor, but previously he had said he loved no one and above it he is disliked by Sonia’s uncle. On the other hand Voitski is in love with Helena, her brother-in-law, which he resents, wife. How will this set of twisted stories end? Will they affect the estates development? As I read the play I also questioned the fact of the constant pauses and silences. Where they just written as an intermission between the characters dialogues or did they signify an uncomfortable moment and lack in the fluidity of the conversations?
No comments:
Post a Comment