1. The Seagull
Summary:
- Treplyov writes a play for his lover, Nina, to act in, but it fails and her love for him fades so he shoots himself
- Nina and Trigorin, a famous writer, fall in love, although Trigorin is in a long-term relationship with Arkadina, a famous actress
- Masha is in love with Treplyov, but chooses not to pursue him, and instead marries Medvedenko, a schoolmaster
- Several years later, Nina is ruined by her scandal with Trigorin after their child dies and he abandons her
- Masha is still in love with Treplyov, even though she is married to someone else and still unhappy
- Nina visits Treplyov, and he admits he still loves her, but Nina still loves Trigorin, so Treplyov shoots himself and dies
I think that through Masha's character, Chekhov intends to suggest that holding back your own emotions ultimately harms other people, as well as yourself. Masha is cruel, and decides to marry a man she doesn't love in order to forget her own feelings. She doesn't consider the consequences of this, or the future, in which she remains miserable and has now trapped Medvedenko in a joyless marriage. She is still in love with Treplyov even years later, highlighting that emotion is unavoidable. Her emotional dishonesty is quite tragic.
Arkadina's character is used to portray how the lines between motivation and obsession can become blurred when striving for success. Chekhov discusses how success and fame is destablising and destructive, and can lead to selfishness and alienation. She is only interested in material things, and only talks of such, like her clothes, and never her actual acting or art. She is also disconnected from every character, including her own son, who, by the end of the play, commits suicide in the room next door while she is playing bingo. This ultimately highlights the issue with notoriety.
On the other hand, Trigorin believes he is inadequate as a writer, and his insecurities ultimately harm other people. His love affair with Nina is used to forget his insecurities, and once she causes trouble for him, he returns to his regular life unfazed. He surrounds himself with people who praise him. Nina leaves her life back home for him, and is ruined by the scandal, unable to return to her parents who have outcast her.
The key discussion of this play is of fame and the consequences of pursuing it. All characters care to be famous, not just to create art, and Chekhov explores the self-destruction caused in doing so.