This was my first play by Chekhov. After reading it peacefully on my library desk. I am going to watch it tonight. I’ll try to write my brief opinion on it. After my reading of his stories, some of my friends had suggested I try his plays. I earnestly obeyed them with this first play of Chekhov. I found once again very similar beauty and charm in it, which had made me his instant admirer when I’d first gone through his wonderful stories.
There are four main characters in this play. TREPLIEFF, a young playwright who thinks he writes differently than others. He assumes that his themes, though abstract and offbeat, can make wonder.
NINA, a young aspiring actress. ARKADINA, An old actress (mother of TREPLIEFF) who feels she still has more acting prowess and charm than that of her younger counterparts. TRIGORIN, A successful writer and main cause of jealousy and conflict of romantic and artistic affairs among TREPLIEFF, NINA and ARKADINA .
The play depicts the discontent of a young man TREPLIEFF, who sometimes is dominated by the plane-human egoism and regrets that his mother is a famous actress…
“If she were an ordinary woman, I think I would be a happier man. What could be more intolerable and foolish than my position, Uncle, when I find myself the only non-entity among a crowd of her guests, all celebrated authors, and artists?”
THE SEAGULL
On the other hand, this young man envies the success of TRIGORIN, he praises him but tries to diminish his literary achievements.
“As for his stories. They are- how shall I put it? – Pleasing, full of talent, but if you have read Tolstoi or Zola, you somehow don’t enjoy Trigorin.”
Play progressed wonderfully and kept me engrossed in it.
There are existential thoughts in the play and many characters try to find out the purpose of their lives and during such conversation a reader finds the true meaning of this play. Sea-gull is used symbolically and beautiful indications are shown within the play at different intervals, of this little sea creature. This play is all about the artists and their artistic endearments, their ambitions, and their limitations. Characters are doused with ego, self-obsession, discontentment, jealousy, and passion, and their internal emotions and their infringing interests are depicted beautifully by Chekhov.
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