Themes
Movement through time
True Love
Movement through time
At the turn of the 20th century, Russians lived in a time of uncertainty. A society constantly building up to the revolution of 1917 this era was distinctly set apart from others. It is through playwrights such as Chekhov and his plays that we begin to understand the ambiance of such a time.
Who knows?
Maybe they'll say this was a great time.
Maybe they'll speak of us with respect.
After all, there's no more torturing, executions, or invasions - though there's enough suffering. (from Three Sisters, Act 1)
In Three Sisters, Chekhov creates what is believed to be a prophetic piece of theatre, as he constantly tapped into the sense of change his characters felt occurring around them. They live in a state of oblivion, failing to put their finger on the elements that are imposing something momentous upon their world.
Will that world last?
I doubt it.
It's hour has struck.
Something vast is coming toward us, a powerful storm is brewing-a good one.
It's coming soon. (from Three Sisters, Act 1)
In 2005 Scott Alderdice extracts the same feeling, removing the verisimilitude of realism, to create a sense of timelessness. He avoids the lens of political upheaval and instead focuses upon the metaphysical elements that purge the characters into disaster. Thus the audience is thrown into a discordant world of poetry where the soul can't escape itself.
The world is a dream.
We don't exist, we only think we do.
So what difference does it make?
(from Three Sisters, Act 4)
Why, when we grow up, must we become boring, dull, insignificant, lazy, callous, useless, and miserable?
(from Three Sisters, Act 4)
We are left questioning whether or not Chekhov was aware of his prophetic ability or whether we are in an age of the same anticipation. Are we searching for purpose in this world? Do we fear the chance that our lives mean nothing? Are we in denial of what revolution our world potentially holds? And if so, what's around the corner?
It's strange.
We can't know what will seem important to the future, and what will seem ridiculous.
(from Three Sisters, Act 1)
True love
The various relationships in the play raise questions about the search for true love and how society often constricts an organic connection. The married characters in the play are all miserable within their contacts. Masha marries for necessity, and finds herself unhappy within a matter of years, Vershinin complains constantly of his troubled wife and her constant stunts, while Andrey finds himself trapped in a damaging and manipulative marriage with Natasha and due to the nature of the times, divorce was not a plausible option. To juxtapose this are single characters who take on different attitudes about love. Irina admits to making the same mistake as Masha with Tuzenbach before they are ever married. She doesn't love him and therefore she continues to create this theme. Olga has never found love, and thus develops a bleak outlook on romance. At 28 years of age, she has already given up. Kulyghin offers the only interest in her, deciding if he didn't marry Masha, he would've married her. Chebutykin speaks so fondly of the sisters' mother, that a love for her is exposed. However, he never had the opportunity to consummate that love, and therefore lives on in love with her memory. When you find true love, what can you do with it? What if they don't love you back? What if you're already married? What if you think you're in love and you can't take it back? We are faced with another constant search of humanity that plagues our diminutive lives.