Ivanov (play)
Ivanov | |
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Written by | Anton Chekhov |
Date premiered | 19 November 1887 |
Original language | Russian |
Genre | Realistic drama |
Ivanov (Russian: Иванов: драма в четырёх действиях (Ivanov: drama in four acts); also translated as "Ivanoff") is a four-act drama by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.
Ivanov was first performed in
Characters
- Nikolai Ivanov – A government official concerned with melodramaticclimax.
- Anna (born as Sarah Abramson) – Ivanov's wife of five years who unknowingly suffers from tuberculosis. She has renounced Judaism and converted to Russian Orthodoxy in order to marry Ivanov.
- Paul Lebedev – Chairman of the rural district council. Confidant and good friend to Ivanov.
- Zinaida – Lebedev's wife. She is a wealthy lender to whom Ivanov owes a large sum of money.
- Sasha – The Lebedevs' 20-year-old daughter. She is infatuated with Ivanov, an infatuation which ends in her nearly marrying him.
- Eugene Lvov – A pompous young doctor on the council's panel, and a self-consciously "honest man". Throughout the play, he moralizes and attacks Ivanov's character. He later resolves to reveal what he believes are Ivanov's intentions in marrying Sasha.
- Count Matthew Shabelsky – Ivanov's maternal uncle, a geriatric buffoon. He indulges in anti-Semitic jokes, but his tenderness to Anna is unmistakable.
- Martha Babakina – A young widow, an estate-owner, and the daughter of a rich businessman. She has a turbulent relationship with the Count.
- Michael Borkin – A distant relative of Ivanov who is steward of his estate. Somewhat of a jester, he comes out with many money-making schemes throughout the play, including his proposal for the Count and Martha Babakina to marry.
- Dmitry Kosykh – An excise officer.
Synopsis
The play tells the story of Nikolai Ivanov, a man struggling to regain his former glory. For the past five years, he has been married to Anna Petrovna, a disinherited Jewess, who has become very ill. Ivanov's estate is run by a distant relative, Mikhail Borkin, who is frequently advising people on how he can help them make money. The doctor, Lvov, an 'honest' man as he frequently reminds the rest of the cast, informs Ivanov that his wife is dying of tuberculosis, and that she needs to recover by going to the Crimea. Unfortunately, Ivanov is unable, and unwilling, to pay for the trip. He is heavily in debt and already owes Zinaida Lebedeva 9000 roubles. Ivanov is criticised for heartlessness and for spending time with the Lebedevs instead of his seriously ill wife. At the end of Act One, Ivanov departs to visit the Lebedevs, and unbeknown to him is followed by Anna and Lvov.
Act Two shows a party at Lebedevs', and features various people discussing Ivanov. They say his only motive for marrying Anna was for the large
Act Three shows a number of conversations between Ivanov and other members of the cast – Lebedev begs Ivanov to repay his debts, and Lvov confronts Ivanov once again about the heartless way he treats Anna. Sasha then appears, concerned by Ivanov's refusal to visit since the incident at the end of Act Two. The act then ends with Anna confronting Ivanov about Sasha's visit, and about how he has lied and cheated on her for the entirety of their marriage. Ivanov's anger is aroused by the false accusation and in a fit of anger he reveals to her that she is dying.
Act Four occurs around a year after the previous acts. Anna has died, and Ivanov and Sasha are preparing to marry. As the wedding is about to begin, Lvov appears, planning to unveil Ivanov's 'evil' intentions – believing Ivanov is simply marrying Sasha for the dowry. He makes the accusation publicly and even though other characters have previously expressed doubts they all leap to Ivanov's defence and challenge Lvov to duels. Ivanov finds the whole situation amusing, returning to his old self, and takes out his gun. Sasha realises what he is about to do, but is unable to stop him: Ivanov runs away from the crowd and shoots himself, abruptly ending the play.
Adaptations
The play is frequently produced in English and several translations are available. The
An adaptation by Michael Nathanson, with the setting transported to Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 1950s, was staged by the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre in 2014.[8]
The play was loosely adapted for the 2008 Icelandic film White Night Wedding.
References in other media
- The play is discussed in the 2006 film The Treatment.
- The characters of Ivanov and Doctor Lvov are analyzed by existentialist philosopher Lev Shestov in "The Apotheosis of Groundlessness."
References
- ^ Billington, Michael (2008-09-18). "Ivanov". The Guardian (50, 397). London: 19.
- New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ Billington, Michael (12 September 2001). "Platonov" – via The Guardian.
- ^ "David Hare proves young Chekhov is more glorious than old Chekhov". 2 October 2015.
- ^ Staff (2002). "Ivanov by Anton Chekhov in a new version by David Harrower". National Theatre. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ Lee, Veronica (14 October 2008). "Ivanov and Oedipus show how hard it is to translate plays". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ Horwood, William (2007). "Helen Rappaport biography and work". Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ "WJT's Ivanov breathes life into Chekhov classic". CBC News, January 30, 2014.
External links
- The full text of Ivanoff at Wikisource, with audio, as translated by Marian Fell.
- Ivanoff at Project Gutenberg
- Full text of Ivanov in the original Russian
- Ivanov public domain audiobook at LibriVox