Chekhov as an artist is no longer possible
compare with former Russians
writers - with Turgenev,
Dostoevsky or with me. Chekhov
its own form, like
impressionists. Watch how
like a man without any
parsing smears with paints, which
fall into his hands, and
no relation to each other
these smears do not have. But you will move away
some distance,
look, and in general
gives a complete impression.
L. Tolstoy
Oh, I wish it all went away
would rather change our
awkward, unhappy life.
Lopakhin
To analyze the play, you need a list of characters, and with the author's remarks-comments. We will give it here in full, which will help to enter the world of the "Cherry Orchard"; the action takes place in the estate of Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. So, characters plays:
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, landowner. Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. Varya, her stepdaughter, 24 years old. Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, merchant. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich, student. Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, landowner. Charlotte Ivanovna, governess. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk. Dunyasha, maid. Firs, footman, old man 87 years old. Yasha, a young footman. Passerby. Station manager. Postal official. Guests, servants.
Genre problem. genre nature The Cherry Orchard has always been controversial. Chekhov himself called it a comedy - "a comedy in four acts" (although a special type of comedy). K. S. Stanislavsky considered it a tragedy. M. Gorky called it "a lyrical comedy". Quite often the play is defined as "tragicomedy", "ironic tragicomedy". The question of the genre is very important for understanding the work: it determines the code for reading the play and the characters. What does it mean to see a tragicomic beginning in a play? It means “to a certain extent agree with their [heroes. - V.K.] originality, to consider them sincerely and truly suffering, to see in each of the characters a sufficiently strong character. But what can be strong characters among the “weak-willed”, “whining”, “whining”, “disillusioned” heroes?
Chekhov wrote: "I did not come out with a drama, but a comedy, in places even a farce." The author denied the characters of The Cherry Orchard the right to drama: they seemed to him incapable of deep feelings. K. S. Stanislavsky, in his time (in 1904), staged a tragedy, with which Chekhov did not agree. In the play there are tricks of a booth, tricks (Charlotta Ivanovna), blows with a stick on the head, after pathetic monologues, farcical scenes follow, then a lyrical note appears again ... closet"), funny, inappropriate replicas and out of place answers, comic situations arising from a misunderstanding between the characters. Chekhov's play is both funny and sad and even tragic at the same time. There are many crying people in it, but these are not dramatic sobs, and not even tears, but only the mood of faces. Chekhov emphasizes that the sadness of his characters is often superficial, that their tears hide the tearfulness common to weak and nervous people. The combination of the comic and the serious has been a hallmark of Chekhov's poetics since the first years of his work.
External plot and external conflict. The external plot of the "Cherry Orchard" - change of owners of the house and garden, sale family estate for debts. At first glance, the play clearly indicates the opposing forces that reflect the alignment of social forces in Russia at that time: old, noble Russia (Ranevskaya and Gaev), entrepreneurs gaining strength (Lopakhin), young, future Russia (Petya and Anya). It would seem that the collision of these forces should give rise to main conflict plays. Characters focused on major event in their life - at the sale of the cherry orchard, scheduled for August 22. However, the viewer does not become a witness of the sale of the garden itself: the seemingly climactic event remains outside the scene. The social conflict in the play is not relevant, not social status actors is the main thing. Lopakhin - this "predator"-entrepreneur - is depicted not without sympathy (like most of the characters in the play), and the owners of the estate do not resist him. Moreover, the estate, as it were, turns out to be in his hands, against his will. It would seem that in the third act the fate of the cherry orchard is decided, Lopakhin bought it. Moreover, the denouement of the external plot is even optimistic: “Gaev (cheerfully). In fact, everything is fine now. Before the sale of the cherry orchard, we all worried, suffered, and then, when the issue was finally resolved, irrevocably, everyone calmed down, even cheered up ... I'm a bank employee, now I'm a financier ... yellow in the middle, and you, Lyuba, like - no way, you look better, that's for sure." But the play does not end, the author writes the fourth act, in which nothing new seems to be happening. But the motif of the garden resounds here. At the beginning of the play, the garden, which is in danger, attracts the whole family, gathered after a five-year separation. But no one can save him, he is no more, and in the fourth act everyone again disperses. The death of the garden led to the breakup of the family, scattered all the former inhabitants of the estate around the cities and villages. Silence sets in - the play ends, the motif of the garden falls silent. This is the external plot of the play.
A.P. Chekhov. "The Cherry Orchard". general characteristics plays. Analysis of the third act.
Chekhov brings everyday life to the stage - without effects, beautiful poses, unusual situations. He believed that in the theater everything should be as simple, and at the same time difficult, as it happens in life. In everyday life, he sees both beauty and significance. This explains the peculiar composition of his dramas, the simplicity of the plot, the calm development of the action, the absence of stage effects, the “undercurrent”.
The Cherry Orchard is the only play by Chekhov that can be seen, though not quite clearly, social conflict. The bourgeoisie comes to replace the doomed nobility. Is it good or bad? Incorrect question, says Chekhov. It is a fact. “I didn’t get a drama, but a comedy, in some places even a farce,” wrote Chekhov. According to Belinsky, comedy reveals how real life deviated from the ideal. Was this not Chekhov's task in The Cherry Orchard? Life, beautiful in its possibilities, poetic, like a blossoming cherry orchard - and the impotence of the "stupid", unable to either preserve this poetry, or break through to it, to see it.
Feature of the genre lyrical comedy. The characters are drawn by the author with a slight mockery, but without sarcasm, without hatred. Chekhov's heroes are already looking for their place, but they haven't found it yet, everyone stage time they are going somewhere. But they never get together. The tragedy of Chekhov's heroes comes from being unrooted in the present, which they hate and fear. Genuine life, real, seems alien to them, wrong. They see the way out of the anguish of everyday life (and the reason for it still lies in themselves, therefore there is no way out) in the future, in the life that should be, but which does not come. And they don't do anything to make it happen.
One of the main motifs of the play is time. Starts with a late train, ends with a late train. And the heroes do not feel that time has changed. He entered the house, where (as it seems to Ranevskaya) nothing changes, and devastated, destroyed it. Heroes are behind the times.
The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard"
Composition "The Cherry Orchard": Act 1 - exposition, Ranevskaya's arrival, the threat of losing the estate, the exit proposed by Lopakhin. 2nd act - senseless waiting for the owners of the garden, 3rd act - sale of the garden, 4th act - departure of the former owners, entry into the possession of a new one, cutting down the garden. That is, act 3 is the climax of the play.
The garden must be sold. He is destined to die, Chekhov insists on this, no matter how he feels about it. Why this will happen is quite clearly shown in Acts 1 and 2. The task of act 3 is to show how.
The action takes place in the house, the stage direction introduces the viewer to the party, which was discussed in the 2nd act. Ranevskaya calls it a ball and very accurately determines that “we started the ball inopportunely” - from Petya’s words, the viewer learns that it is at this time that the auction takes place, at which the fate of the estate is decided. Therefore, the mood of this scene is a contrast between external well-being (dances, tricks, optional “ballroom” conversations) and an atmosphere of melancholy, bad foreboding and just about ready hysteria.
How does Chekhov create this atmosphere? The idiotic performances of Simeonov-Pishchik, to which no one reacts, as if it were necessary, now and then the conversations of the owners of the house about their sadness break out, as if they are not up to the guests.
When no one needs the ball fizzles out, Gaev and Lopakhin appear with a message about the sale of the estate. "Speech" by Lopakhin new role leaves a complex, rather difficult impression, but the act ends on an optimistic note - Anya's remark addressed to Ranevskaya: “Mom, you have a life left ...” There is a sense in this optimism - the most unbearable for the heroes of the play (choice, the need to decide and take on responsibility) behind.
What new will we learn about the characters in Act 3?
Ranevskaya.
It turns out that she is able not only to infuriate with her impracticality, she is also not stupid. It seems that at this ball she woke up - sensible remarks about the Yaroslavl grandmother, about what a cherry orchard is for her. In a conversation with Petya, she is even wise, very accurately defines the essence of this person, and without prettiness and playing with herself, she talks about herself and her life. Although, of course, she remains herself - she says truthful words to Petya in order to hurt someone else, because she herself hurts. But in general, this is the peak of her reflection of life, already at the very beginning of Act 4 she will continue to play as an actress, for whom only her own role is important and the whole play is not available. And now she accepts the news of the sale of the estate not courageously, but with dignity, without a game, her grief is genuine and therefore ugly: “She has shrunk all over and is crying bitterly.”
Gaev.
It is almost non-existent in this act, and we will not learn anything new about it. All he can say is: “How much I have suffered!” - in general, again "I". It is very easy to console him in grief - with the sound of billiard balls.
Lopakhin.
Here is a surprise. Until now, we knew him as a good friend of this family, which did not deserve such a friend. He was more worried about saving the cherry orchard than all of these goons put together. And there was no thought that he himself wants to buy a garden, that for him this is not just another deal, but an act of the triumph of justice. Therefore, now his honesty is worth more. We also didn’t know about him that he was able to get carried away, forget himself, rejoice to the point of madness, he was so even and calm until now. And what kind of "genetic" hatred in him for former owners- not personally to Gaev and Ranevskaya, but to the class: “... Grandfather and father were slaves, .. they were not even allowed into the kitchen ...” And he is also weak, because he thinks about life: “I would rather change somehow our awkward , unhappy life ... ", and what to think about is not enough: "Let everything be as I wish!"
For the first time A.P. Chekhov announced the start of work on new play in 1901 in a letter to his wife O.L. Knipper-Chekhov. Work on the play progressed very difficult, this was due to the serious illness of Anton Pavlovich. In 1903, it was completed and presented to the leaders of the Moscow art theater. The play premiered in 1904. And from that moment on, the play "The Cherry Orchard" has been analyzed and criticized for over a hundred years.
The play "The Cherry Orchard" became the swan song of A.P. Chekhov. It contains reflections on the future of Russia and its people, accumulated in his thoughts for years. And of course artistic originality the plays became the pinnacle of Chekhov's work as a playwright, showing once again why he is considered an innovator, who breathed new life into the entire Russian theater.
Theme of the play
The theme of the play "The Cherry Orchard" was the situation of auctioning the family nest of impoverished nobles. By the early 20th century, such stories were not uncommon. A similar tragedy occurred in Chekhov's life, their house, together with his father's shop, was sold for debts back in the 80s of the nineteenth century, and this left an indelible mark on his memory. And already, being an accomplished writer, Anton Pavlovich tried to understand psychological condition people who lost their homes.
Characters
When analyzing the play "The Cherry Orchard" by A.P. Chekhov's heroes are traditionally divided into three groups, based on their temporal affiliation. The first group, representing the past, includes the aristocrats Ranevskaya, Gaev and their old footman Firs. The second group is represented by the merchant Lopakhin, who has become a representative of the present. Well, the third group is Petya Trofimov and Anya, they are the future.
The playwright does not have a clear division of heroes into main and secondary ones, as well as into strictly negative or positive ones. It is this representation of characters that is one of the innovations and features of Chekhov's plays.
Conflict and plot development of the play
There is no open conflict in the play, and this is another feature of A.P. Chekhov. And on the surface there is a sale of the estate with a huge cherry orchard. And against the background of this event, one can discern the opposition of a bygone era to new phenomena in society. The ruined nobles stubbornly hold on to their property, unable to take real steps to save it, and the proposal to receive commercial profit by leasing land to summer residents is unacceptable for Ranevskaya and Gaev. Analyzing the work "The Cherry Orchard" by A.P. Chekhov, we can talk about a temporary conflict in which the past collides with the present, and the present with the future. In itself, the conflict of generations is by no means new to Russian literature, but never before has it been revealed at the level of a subconscious premonition of changes in historical time, so clearly felt by Anton Pavlovich. He wanted to make the viewer or reader think about their place and role in this life.
Chekhov's plays are very difficult to divide into phases of development dramatic action, because he tried to bring the unfolding action closer to reality, showing the everyday life of his heroes, of which the most of life.
Lopakhin's conversation with Dunyasha, who are waiting for Ranevskaya's arrival, can be called an exposition, and almost immediately the plot of the play stands out, which consists in pronouncing the apparent conflict of the play - the sale of the estate at auction for debts. The twists and turns of the play are trying to convince the owners to rent out the land. The climax is the news of the purchase of the estate by Lopakhin, and the denouement is the departure of all the heroes from the empty house.
Composition of the play
The play "The Cherry Orchard" consists of four acts.
In the first act, you get to know all the characters in the play. Analyzing the first action of The Cherry Orchard, it is worth noting that the inner content of the characters is conveyed through their relationship to the old cherry orchard. And here one of the conflicts of the whole play begins - the confrontation between the past and the present. The past is represented by brother and sister Gaev and Ranevskaya. For them, the garden an old house- this is a reminder and a living symbol of their former carefree life, in which they were rich aristocrats who own a huge estate. For Lopakhin, who is opposed to them, owning a garden is, first of all, an opportunity to make a profit. Lopakhin makes an offer to Ranevskaya, by accepting which she can save the estate, and asks the impoverished landowners to think about it.
Analyzing the second act of The Cherry Orchard, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the masters and servants are walking not in a beautiful garden, but in a field. From this we can conclude that the garden is in an absolutely neglected state, and it is simply impossible to walk through it. This action perfectly reveals Petya Trofimov's idea of what the future should be like.
In the third act of the play comes the climax. The estate is sold, and Lopakhin becomes the new owner. Despite being satisfied with the deal, Lopakhin is saddened that he must decide the fate of the garden. This means that the garden will be destroyed.
Fourth action: family nest deserted, the once united family is falling apart. And just as a garden is cut down to its roots, so this surname remains without roots, without shelter.
Author's position in the play
Despite the seeming tragedy of what is happening, the characters of the author himself did not cause any sympathy. He considered them narrow-minded people, incapable of deep feelings. This play has become more philosophical reflection playwright about what awaits Russia in the near future.
Very peculiar genre affiliation plays. Chekhov called The Cherry Orchard a comedy. The first directors saw drama in it. And many critics agreed that The Cherry Orchard is a lyrical comedy.
Artwork test
The play does not have a classical plot, climax and dramatic action in the classical sense of these concepts. The Cherry Orchard, like all Chekhov's plays, differs from the usual dramatic works. It is devoid of spectacular scenes and external diversity. The main event - the sale of the estate with a cherry orchard - takes place not in front of the audience, but behind the scenes. On the stage, the viewer sees scenes of everyday life (people talk about everyday trifles, quarrel and make up, rejoice at the meeting, sad about the upcoming separation).
There are 4 actions in comedy that are not divided into phenomena. The time limits of the play are from May to October. The composition is circular - the play begins with the arrival of Ranevskaya from Paris and ends with her departure to Paris. The composition itself reflects an empty, dull and eventful noble life. To understand the attitude of the author to what is happening and the characters, one must turn close attention on a carefully thought-out system of images, the arrangement of characters, the alternation of mise-en-scenes, the interlocking of monologues and dialogues, individual remarks and author's remarks.
Act one
Exposure. The characters are waiting for the arrival of Ranevskaya from Paris. Viewer
sees the situation in the house, where everyone speaks and thinks about his own, where an atmosphere of alienation and disunity reigns.
Tie. Ranevskaya appears with her daughter. It turns out that the estate is up for auction. Lopakhin proposes to give it to dachas, but Gaev and Ranevskaya are not able to make such a decision. This is the beginning of a conflict, but not so much between people, but between generations, past and present. The Cherry Orchard is a metaphor for the beautiful past of the nobles who are unable to keep it. Time itself brings conflict.
Action two
Action development. Fate is decided cherry orchard and the estate of Ranevskaya.
Act Three
Climax. Somewhere behind the scenes, the sale of the estate and the cherry orchard is going on, and on
stage - a ridiculous ball arranged by Ranevskaya with the last money.
act four
Interchange. After resolving the problem, everyone calms down and rushes into the future - they disperse. Ax blows are heard - they are cutting down a cherry orchard. In the final scene, the old servant Firs is left in the boarded up house.
The originality of the composition lies in the natural development of the action, complicated
parallel lines, digressions, household trifles, off-plot
motives, in the nature of the dialogues. Dialogues are diverse in content (everyday, comic, lyrical, dramatic). The author often interrupts them with something insignificant and trifling, trying to convey the immediacy of real life. Chekhov's innovation is that the play is extremely close to life.
The events in the play can only be called a rehearsal of the conflict that will happen in the future. It is not known what will happen to the characters of the play further and how their life will turn out.
By the beginning of the 3rd act, the ideological and moral positions of the characters have been determined, a feeling of a global “undercurrent” has been created: through empty chatter, talk about nothing or each about his own, through the apparent eventlessness, a growing inner boil begins to be clearly felt.
Lopakhin is trying again to revive the dead practical vein of Ranevskaya and Gaev, but they live in another dimension, they are not able to understand Lopakhin, they only sensitively catch the approaching disaster.
Petya Trofimov solemnly convinces Anya that they are "above love", above this particular garden, they need to "get around the petty and ghostly ...", that "all of Russia is our garden", that they need to work "to redeem our past." Anya, seemingly perceiving Petya's calls, is nevertheless thoughtful and sad, her farewell to the garden is very ambiguous: the joy of moving towards the new life promised by Trofimov is combined with the bitterness of losing tender attachment to the past, and simply love for her mother, who is now ill.
The action takes place in the living room. A Jewish orchestra is playing, for which there is no one to pay, everyone is dancing (a kind of feast during the plague). Varya quarrels with Trofimov, Charlotte shows Pishchik tricks on the cards. Varya is again being asked to marry Lopakhin. Epikhodov broke the billiard ball. It strikes the routine of what is happening with a simultaneous increase in internal tension.
Ranevskaya's heart is getting worse and worse. At first, she acts and speaks as if mechanically, absent-mindedly, only complaining a few times that there is no news from the auction from Lopakhin. Then she suddenly explodes in a conversation with Petya, revealing her spiritual heaviness from saying goodbye to her life in home. So she flared up, bringing down all her indignation on the head of poor Petya.
Music plays, the characters quarrel, reconcile, and the tension of painful expectation hangs in the air. The severity of Ranevskaya is even more intensified with the appearance of Firs, who reminds her of the past. Varya drives Epikhodov away with a stick, and at that moment - the culmination of the action - Lopakhin, treated by mistake to Varya's stick, enters with the main message. Perhaps the tragicomic nature of this decisive situation forced Chekhov to define the play as a comedy genre?
It is curious that, unlike the whole play (there are 38 famous Chekhov pauses in four acts), there is only one pause in Act 3 - after Lopakhin's words: "I bought it." Everything is mixed up. Gaev's crying is replaced by a desire to eat and play billiards ( defensive reaction). The convulsive expectation of Ranevskaya turns into tears and loss of speech (she is silent). The unbridled and indelicately plebeian triumph of Lopakhin is intertwined with Ranevskaya's reproach and sympathy for her. The orchestra is no longer playing cheerfully, but quietly. In Anya's consoling speech, words of love for her mother, coming from the depths of her soul, are interspersed with high-flown words about the "new garden" learned from Petya.
Act 3 is the climax of the play. All important things happened. The garden was bought, but it was bought all the same by his own, native "predator", and not by someone else's Deriganov. Only the scene of farewell and departure remained, when no one else right house the equally unnecessary Firs will be forgotten, and the whole play will end with the symbolic sounds of a broken string and the clatter of an ax on the still-living cherry trees.
