The Duality Of The Cherry Orchard By Constantin Stanislavsky
The Duality of The Cherry Orchard:To Laugh or not to Laugh The Cherry Orchard's first performance took place in 1904. It was directed by a frequent collaborator of the author, Constantin Stanislavsky. Constantin Stanislavsky came from an aristocratic background, which I believe had a great influence on the play's spirit.. In order to cater to the audience of his peers, Stanislavsky chose create an emotionally evocative tragedy that plucked the heart strings of the diminishing aristocracy (Jackson & Gassner 176). This production of The Cherry Orchard could not be further from Anton Chekhov's true spirit and intention written into the actual script of the play. Throughout this essay I will show the humor that Chekhov has imparted into the play's
…show more content…
Ranevsky calls it vulgar and discounts it. Gayev concurs with Mrs. Ranevsky's thought about leasing out parts of the cherry orchard. Lopakhin angrily rebukes them and calls him a silly woman (Chekhov 211). This is yet another example of how Chekhov creates elements of comedy in the play. Another element of comedy that this act presents is when Mrs. Ranevsky rants about her mismanagement of her finances and her failed relationships. After she reads the telegram handed to her, she mentions overhearing music. After Gayev tell her it is her Jewish band, she immediately thinks of throwing a party. Chekhov's irony in this short conversation is almost surgical. Chekhov's use of irony throughout The Cherry Orchard is unbelievably humorous and is one of the pillars of comedic value in his play. The act ends with Yepikhodov strumming his guitar while Varya looks for Anya, who has met with Trofimov …show more content…
The reader is under the influence that Varya will become romantically linked to Lopakhin, while Anya will become romantically linked with Trofimov. The humor and irony lie in the fact that both of the male characters are not capable of recognizing the potential relationships or even understanding the women themselves. Trofimov considers himself to be above love, while Lopakhin is engulfed in his own business dealings. The irony of this situation is truly hilarious. Many may not be able to understand Chekhov's sense of humor throughout The Cherry Orchard. However, if one decides to delve into and analyze the meaning behind the text and the quirks of the characters, one will arrive at a startling conclusion. Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard is a satire of aristocratic irresponsibility of his time. John Gassner noted that Chekhov has moments in his writing where tragedy and comedy meld (Jackson & Gassner 180) Labeling this play a tragedy would be much like labeling a Jackson Pollock painting, as a splattering of
Ranevsky calls it vulgar and discounts it. Gayev concurs with Mrs. Ranevsky's thought about leasing out parts of the cherry orchard. Lopakhin angrily rebukes them and calls him a silly woman (Chekhov 211). This is yet another example of how Chekhov creates elements of comedy in the play. Another element of comedy that this act presents is when Mrs. Ranevsky rants about her mismanagement of her finances and her failed relationships. After she reads the telegram handed to her, she mentions overhearing music. After Gayev tell her it is her Jewish band, she immediately thinks of throwing a party. Chekhov's irony in this short conversation is almost surgical. Chekhov's use of irony throughout The Cherry Orchard is unbelievably humorous and is one of the pillars of comedic value in his play. The act ends with Yepikhodov strumming his guitar while Varya looks for Anya, who has met with Trofimov …show more content…
The reader is under the influence that Varya will become romantically linked to Lopakhin, while Anya will become romantically linked with Trofimov. The humor and irony lie in the fact that both of the male characters are not capable of recognizing the potential relationships or even understanding the women themselves. Trofimov considers himself to be above love, while Lopakhin is engulfed in his own business dealings. The irony of this situation is truly hilarious. Many may not be able to understand Chekhov's sense of humor throughout The Cherry Orchard. However, if one decides to delve into and analyze the meaning behind the text and the quirks of the characters, one will arrive at a startling conclusion. Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard is a satire of aristocratic irresponsibility of his time. John Gassner noted that Chekhov has moments in his writing where tragedy and comedy meld (Jackson & Gassner 180) Labeling this play a tragedy would be much like labeling a Jackson Pollock painting, as a splattering of