Features of Chekhov’s drama briefly: “The Cherry Orchard”, “The Seagull”, “Uncle Vanya”

Features of Chekhov's drama were noted as innovative by many artists. V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko and K. S. Stanislavsky were the first to see “undercurrent” in the dramatic movement of Anton Pavlovich’s plays, which hides a continuous internal intimate lyrical flow behind the outward routine of what is happening. It was they who made every effort to bring a fresh interpretation of Chekhov's plays to the viewer. Using the example of the dramas Cherry Orchard, Seagull, Uncle Vanya, we will consider the artistic originality of the works of this author.

Description of life

The features of Chekhov’s dramaturgy are clearly visible on one of his most famous plays, The Cherry Orchard. Its main principle was to overcome theatrical conventions, traditional for theatrical works of the XVIII century. It is known that Anton Pavlovich strove to ensure that everything was on stage as in life. For example, the basis of the “Cherry Orchard” is the most mundane event - the sale of a country estate for debts, and not the choice between duty and feeling, tearing the character’s soul, not a fatal clash of peoples and kings, villains and heroes. The playwright completely abandoned the plot’s external amusement in favor of simple and uncomplicated events, trying to prove that the hero’s daily state is no less conflicting.

Ambiguous Heroes

Features of Chekhov's drama (Grade 10 studies this topic in detail) are also observed in the description of the characters. For example, in the play “The Cherry Orchard” there is not a single convinced villain or villain. The merchant Lopakhin, who is buying a landlord's property for debt, is a sincere and sensitive person. He did not forget how warmly Ranevskaya treated him from childhood. From a pure heart, he offers her and Gayev help in saving the estate - he offers to break up the garden into separate summer cottages. Also, without any back thought, he lends Lyubov Andreyevna, probably knowing that she will not return it. However, it is Lopakhin who buys the estate and gives the order to cut down cherry trees, without waiting for the departure of the old owners. However, he does not even realize what pain this inflicts on Ranevskaya and Gayev. The merchant, however, recalls with admiration the beauty of poppy fields, on which he managed to earn 40 thousand. The character of this hero coexists low and high, the desire for beauty and the thirst for profit, noble impulses and cruelty. The attitude of the audience is contradictory. But even in life there are no absolutely bad or good people. The maximum authenticity of the characters is another feature of Chekhov’s drama.

"Underwater current"

In his works, Anton Pavlovich completely abandons some theatrical techniques. For example, it excludes voluminous monologues, since people in everyday life do not pronounce them. The features of Chekhov’s dramaturgy in the story “The Cherry Orchard” clearly demonstrate this. Instead of deliberate “aside” remarks, the author uses a special psychological device, which Nemirovich-Danchenko christened with subtext or “underwater current”. First of all, this is the “double sounding” of each character, that is, the polysemy of his character. An example of such a “sound” is the above description of the character of Lopakhin. In addition, Chekhov in a special way builds a dialogue of his characters, that is, makes it so that viewers can understand what the characters think about during the discussion of everyday issues. The conversation between Lopakhin and Vary in the fourth act is a model of such an ambiguous explanation. They want to talk about their feelings for each other, but they talk about extraneous things. Varya is looking for some subject, and Lopakhin shares his plans for the coming winter. As a result, declarations of love between the characters never happen.

Significant pauses

The features of Chekhov's drama can be enumerated endlessly. If in most dramatic works heroes are revealed through the commission of actions, then in Anton Pavlovich they manifest themselves in experiences. Therefore, it is so important to trace the "undercurrent" in his plays. Normal pauses are filled with deep content in them. For example, after a failed explanation between Varya and Lopakhin, the heroine is left alone and crying. When Ranevskaya enters the room, she asks her one single question: “What?” After all, tears can be caused both by joy and grief. There is a pause between the interlocutors. Lyubov Andreyevna understands everything without explanation and begins to hurry with her departure. Or, in the last act, Petr Trofimov sets about discussing his happy fate and says that “Humanity is heading towards the highest truth, to the highest happiness that is possible on earth, and I am in the forefront!” To the sarcastic question of Yermolai Alekseevich: “Will you get there?”, Petya confidently responds: “I'll get there. (Pause) I’ll go or show others how to get there. ” This silence between the phrases indicates that the hero does not feel the irony of his interlocutor and is reasoning quite seriously.

Remarks

The features of Chekhov’s drama (briefly, of course, it’s rather difficult to describe all the nuances) are also in the active use of seemingly secondary theater techniques - author's remarks, sound recordings, characters. For example, in the first act of The Cherry Orchard, the author describes the scenery in detail - a room where everyone is waiting for the arrival of Lyubov Andreevna. Particular attention in this remark is given to the garden, which can be seen from the window - its trees are strewn with snow-white flowers. The viewer and reader immediately have a sad foreboding that all this splendor will soon perish. And the remark, anticipating the second action, contains a remark that the outskirts of the city and telegraph poles are visible from the garden. In addition to its direct meaning, this decoration also has a symbolic meaning - the new century dictates its own rules, and there is no place for a cherry orchard in it. The "Noble Nest" of Ranevsky-Gayevs will certainly be destroyed.

Sounds

Sounds play an important role in the works of Anton Pavlovich. The features of Chekhov’s dramaturgy on the example of the play “The Cherry Orchard” directly indicate this. A sad waltz playing at the ball, which, contrary to any logic, arranges Lyubov Andreevna on the day of bidding; the knock of balls for billiards, reminiscent of Gaev’s favorite pastime; the rattle of a broken string that irrevocably violated the charm and peace of a summer evening. He so impresses Ranevskaya that she immediately begins to gather home. Although Gaev and Lopakhin immediately give a reliable explanation for the unpleasant sound (the cry of a bird, the break of a tub in the mine), Lyubov Andreevna perceives it in her own way. She believes that the rattle of a broken string indicates the completion of her former life. Of course, the knock of an ax at the end of the play is symbolic: the beauty of the earth - the cherry orchard - will be ruined by order of Lopakhin.

Details

In particular, the features of Chekhov's dramaturgy are especially expressive. On stage, Varya always appears in a dark dress with a bunch of keys at the waist. When Ermolay Alekseevich announces at the ball that he has bought the estate, she defiantly throws her keys to Lopakhin under her feet. Thus, she shows that she gives him the whole household. The ending of the play serves as a sad symbol of the end of the homestead Russia: everyone leaves the house, Yermolay Alekseevich locks the front door until spring, and an old sick servant Firs appears from the back room, who lays down on the sofa and freezes. It becomes clear to everyone that together with their last keeper, local Russia gradually disappears.

"Weakened" plot

Not all contemporaries of the author were able to appreciate the features of dramaturgy by A.P. Chekhov. The insufficiently expressive plot in his works was especially criticized. Before Anton Pavlovich, the plot of the play was built, as a rule, on one external conflict. The cross-cutting event, built on the clash of several heroes, determined the essence of the work. For example, in “Woe from Wit”, the action is built on the contradictions between Chatsky and the “Famusian society” surrounding him. The traditional conflict decides the fate of the characters, demonstrates the victory of some heroes over others. The situation is quite different in Chekhov’s plays. The main event (the sale of property for debts) here is generally relegated to the background. The inexpressive plot of this work is hardly divided into the usual supporting elements (climax, denouement, etc.). The pace of action is constantly slowing down, and the drama consists of scenes that interact very weakly with each other.

The features of dramaturgy by A.P. Chekhov (the 10th grade in the literature lessons is quite deeply acquainted with the writer's work) are in the deep psychologism of his creations. The author does not seek to show the external clash of heroes, replacing him with an internal conflict of a situation unpleasant for his characters. The contradictions develop in the souls of the actors and do not consist in a battle for the estate (it practically does not happen), but in the incompatibility of dreams and reality, the discontent of the heroes with themselves and the world around them. Therefore, in the finale of the play, we see not the triumphant Lopakhin, but the unfortunate person who exclaims in sorrow: “Oh, if all this had passed, rather, our awkward, unhappy life would have changed somehow.” There are no main characters in Chekhov’s works, and each of them lays blame for what is happening. In the plays of Anton Pavlovich, central characters and secondary characters are equally important.

Unusual genre

The genre originality also includes the features of Chekhov's drama. “The Cherry Orchard” is a lyrical work, however, the author managed to weave comic elements into it. Gorky called this play a “new drama”, which combined tragic pathos (regret over the death of the cherry orchard and the collapse of the fate of some heroes), and comic overtones (explicit - in the description of the images of Charlotte, Simeonov-Pishchik, Epikhodov, etc. .; veiled - in the characters of Lopakhin, Gaev, Ranevskaya, etc.). Outwardly, the heroes are passive, but their inertia hides an internal complex action-meditation.

"Gull"

All the features of Chekhov’s drama were briefly outlined by us on the example of only one work - the drama “The Cherry Orchard”. This is the last play by Anton Pavlovich, in which he summarized his creative achievements. However, all of the above applies to other works of the author. For example, Chekhov for some reason called his anxious, pierced by the languor of the spirit "The Seagull" comedy. This mystery of the playwright still excites the minds of researchers, but who will argue that he is a master at creating sad comedies? Anton Pavlovich was able to extract poetry from the very disorder of life and compose works unusual in their genre affiliation. Just like in The Cherry Orchard, there are no central characters in The Seagull. All the heroes in it are equal, there are no secondary and main destinies, therefore there is no main character in it. The name of this work is very symbolic. The seagull, according to the author, personifies an alarming flight, a rush into the distance, an incentive to move. There is no banal plot in this drama; it reveals the broad theme of bitter dissatisfaction with one’s fate, the dream of a better life. But the meaning of this play is conveyed to the audience through everyday, everyday details that have a deep meaning, the very “undercurrent”. These are the features of Chekhov’s drama. "The Seagull" is a typical work of this author.

"Uncle Ivan"

This is another innovative work of Anton Pavlovich. It also clearly shows the features of Chekhov's drama. “Uncle Vanya” is a play in which the author focuses not on the external contradictions between the characters, but on their inner experiences. Everyday life is the only source of conflict here. Nothing tragic in the fate of the Chekhov characters really happens, but they are all not satisfied with their lives. Some spend their days in lazy idleness, others in impotent rage, and others in despondency. An established lifestyle makes people worse than it could be. Dr. Astrov was mistaken, Voynitsky was angry with the whole world, Serebryakov - ingloriously degraded. They all became callous and indifferent to each other and, most importantly, to themselves. Their life is meaningless and useless. And who is to blame? As always, Anton Pavlovich has it all at once. Responsibility lies with each hero.

Conclusion

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to state all the features of Chekhov's drama by points:

1. Almost all the works of the author are based on a detailed description of life, through which the features of the characters, feelings, moods of heroes are heard to readers and spectators.
2. There are no dramatic dramatic events in the plot of Chekhov’s plays, the main source of the conflict is the inner experiences of the characters.
3. Heroes in the works of Anton Pavlovich are ambiguous, in each of them there are negative and positive traits.
4. Dialogues in the works of the author often consist of fragmentary meaningful phrases through which the well-being of the characters is transmitted.
5. Remarks, sounds, symbolic details are of great importance in Chekhov's plays.
6. The dramaturgy of Anton Pavlovich is distinguished by genre originality. The dramatic events in it are intertwined with comic overtones, which makes the image of events in it more lively and reliable.

Now you know everything about the features of the dramatic skills of A.P. Chekhov. His work is rightfully included with the golden fund of world classics.