Abstract
Anton Chekhov, the Russian Dramatist delineated the texture of everyday life in his plays. He articulates for people the still small voice of the heart rather than the fanfare of great historical events. His preoccupation with individual joys and sorrows is not divorced from his intense awareness of the social realities that birthed them. Chekhov's basic theme in his plays is the twilight of a social order in decay, the malaise that precedes great social changes, the disintegration of old social relationships when confronted with new material conditions of living and the futility of the individual against the inexorable determinants of history. To some the inevitable social changes appear too hard to bear and assume the semblance …show more content…
His plays may appear gloomy but they express a great love and understanding of human beings, In the end one feels that if Chekhov can see so cleverly the vanity and weakness of people and yet love them, then there is certainly hope for mankind.
Chekhov's attitude towards his own time changed when he attained greater mastery of form. His selection of material, the development of plot and the depiction of his characters were determined by the change in his perception and attitude. There was a connection between the acquiring of mastery of form and the increasing moral sensitivity towards the spirit of the times. Chekhov was fully aware of what had been rejected by society and what was replacing it and it was the acceptance of the link between aesthetics and ethics.
Chekhov's mature plays differ from his early plays and pre Chekhov drama as in that very slight emphasis is placed on action. Chekhov's maturity grew and he abandoned the direct presentation of major catastrophe on the stage. Nina's painful adventures in The Seagull, Tuzinbachs death in Three Sisters and the fateful auction of The Cherry Orchard are not presented directly to the audience. In Greek tragedy a similar convention is observed. Chekhov studied rather reluctantly the classics at school and there is no evidence of direct classical influence in his drama. His use of indirect action vastly differs from any Greek …show more content…
They have aroused universal enthusiasm, affection and concern. A dramatist can attract people with his interesting and innovative techniques of presenting some aspect of the human plight neglected by his predecessors. Chekhov had his own special view of mankind, and according to him human affairs were flatter, duller uneventful and unheroic than they were presented by his predecessors. His outlook as a man was not pessimistic. He seemed to accept Henry Thoreaus thesis that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. His view of life has its own advantages. The sick hurry and divided aims of a modern man enable him to derive consolation from Chekhov's view of life. Chekhov has succeeded in catering to a different area of human need. His audiences can recognize the world as real in an entirely new and special sense.. Chekhov's supreme skill gives them aesthetic satisfaction. A theatre goer can perceive that Chekhov's characters are less heroic and effective than himself. He can smile with affection when he sees Uncle Vanya, Vershinin and Lyuba as he is not outclassed by them. Chekhov loves to meander and to allow his characters to take over . After Ivanov, Chekhov avoided concentrating on a single character. In his mature plays all the main personages are given equal
Anton Chekhov, the Russian Dramatist delineated the texture of everyday life in his plays. He articulates for people the still small voice of the heart rather than the fanfare of great historical events. His preoccupation with individual joys and sorrows is not divorced from his intense awareness of the social realities that birthed them. Chekhov's basic theme in his plays is the twilight of a social order in decay, the malaise that precedes great social changes, the disintegration of old social relationships when confronted with new material conditions of living and the futility of the individual against the inexorable determinants of history. To some the inevitable social changes appear too hard to bear and assume the semblance …show more content…
His plays may appear gloomy but they express a great love and understanding of human beings, In the end one feels that if Chekhov can see so cleverly the vanity and weakness of people and yet love them, then there is certainly hope for mankind.
Chekhov's attitude towards his own time changed when he attained greater mastery of form. His selection of material, the development of plot and the depiction of his characters were determined by the change in his perception and attitude. There was a connection between the acquiring of mastery of form and the increasing moral sensitivity towards the spirit of the times. Chekhov was fully aware of what had been rejected by society and what was replacing it and it was the acceptance of the link between aesthetics and ethics.
Chekhov's mature plays differ from his early plays and pre Chekhov drama as in that very slight emphasis is placed on action. Chekhov's maturity grew and he abandoned the direct presentation of major catastrophe on the stage. Nina's painful adventures in The Seagull, Tuzinbachs death in Three Sisters and the fateful auction of The Cherry Orchard are not presented directly to the audience. In Greek tragedy a similar convention is observed. Chekhov studied rather reluctantly the classics at school and there is no evidence of direct classical influence in his drama. His use of indirect action vastly differs from any Greek …show more content…
They have aroused universal enthusiasm, affection and concern. A dramatist can attract people with his interesting and innovative techniques of presenting some aspect of the human plight neglected by his predecessors. Chekhov had his own special view of mankind, and according to him human affairs were flatter, duller uneventful and unheroic than they were presented by his predecessors. His outlook as a man was not pessimistic. He seemed to accept Henry Thoreaus thesis that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. His view of life has its own advantages. The sick hurry and divided aims of a modern man enable him to derive consolation from Chekhov's view of life. Chekhov has succeeded in catering to a different area of human need. His audiences can recognize the world as real in an entirely new and special sense.. Chekhov's supreme skill gives them aesthetic satisfaction. A theatre goer can perceive that Chekhov's characters are less heroic and effective than himself. He can smile with affection when he sees Uncle Vanya, Vershinin and Lyuba as he is not outclassed by them. Chekhov loves to meander and to allow his characters to take over . After Ivanov, Chekhov avoided concentrating on a single character. In his mature plays all the main personages are given equal