The Sea-Gull | Page 3

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The Sea-Gull
by Anton Checkov

THE SEA-GULL
A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS
CHARACTERS
IRINA ABKADINA, an actress
CONSTANTINE TREPLIEFF, her son
PETER SORIN, her brother
NINA ZARIETCHNAYA, a young girl, the daughter of a rich
landowner
ILIA SHAMRAEFF, the manager of SORIN'S estate
PAULINA, his wife
MASHA, their daughter
BORIS TRIGORIN, an author
EUGENE DORN, a doctor
SIMON MEDVIEDENKO, a schoolmaster

JACOB, a workman
A COOK
A MAIDSERVANT
The scene is laid on SORIN'S estate. Two years elapse between the
third and fourth acts.
THE SEA-GULL
ACT I
The scene is laid in the park on SORIN'S estate. A broad avenue of
trees leads away from the audience toward a lake which lies lost in the
depths of the park. The avenue is obstructed by a rough stage,
temporarily erected for the performance of amateur theatricals, and
which screens the lake from view. There is a dense growth of bushes to
the left and right of the stage. A few chairs and a little table are placed
in front of the stage. The sun has just set. JACOB and some other
workmen are heard hammering and coughing on the stage behind the
lowered curtain.
MASHA and MEDVIEDENKO come in from the left, returning from a
walk.
MEDVIEDENKO. Why do you always wear mourning?
MASHA. I dress in black to match my life. I am unhappy.
MEDVIEDENKO. Why should you be unhappy? [Thinking it over] I
don't understand it. You are healthy, and though your father is not rich,
he has a good competency. My life is far harder than yours. I only have
twenty-three roubles a month to live on, but I don't wear mourning.
[They sit down].
MASHA. Happiness does not depend on riches; poor men are often
happy.

MEDVIEDENKO. In theory, yes, but not in reality. Take my case, for
instance; my mother, my two sisters, my little brother and I must all
live somehow on my salary of twenty-three roubles a month. We have
to eat and drink, I take it. You wouldn't have us go without tea and
sugar, would you? Or tobacco? Answer me that, if you can.
MASHA. [Looking in the direction of the stage] The play will soon
begin.
MEDVIEDENKO. Yes, Nina Zarietchnaya is going to act in Treplieff's
play. They love one another, and their two souls will unite to-night in
the effort to interpret the same idea by different means. There is no
ground on which your soul and mine can meet. I love you. Too restless
and sad to stay at home, I tramp here every day, six miles and back, to
be met only by your indifference. I am poor, my family is large, you
can have no inducement to marry a man who cannot even find
sufficient food for his own mouth.