Plays:
Ivanov-1887:
Chekhov’s first play premiered in Moscow in 1887, when he was 27 years old. It
was initially a failure with critics and audiences alike. But after being re-written
and re-worked it was premiered again in 1889 in St. Petersburg, where it was
widely praised. The play was partly modeled after his earlier play, Platanov, which
he had written while in school, but was never released (Reid). His training in
comic writing paid off when he created the anarchic, satirical play. He claimed to
have written the play in only ten days as a response to a challenge by Fredor
Kosch, a popular theatre producer. In writing the play, Chekhov “set out to deliver
a “punch to the nose” to complacent, unthinking theatergoers” (Reid) by
relentlessly mocking and satirizing Russian theater stereotypes. He also rebelled
by using a four act form for his play that did not follow the traditional actionclimax-conclusion mold, something he continued throughout his career
(Melchinger). The play tells the story of a 35 year old man who feels burned out
and apathetic about life. The play also anticipated the revolutionary atmosphere
of turn of the century Russia. The major themes were nostalgia, disharmony, and
irony, which would soon surface in Chekhov’s short fiction (Biography Reference
Center).
The Seagull-1896:
Chekhov’s next major play was The Seagull, and it established him as a major
literary figure in Russia (ABC-CLIO). The plot follows four main character’s
relationships and conflicts. In this play, Chekhov alluded heavily to
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in plot detail as well as direct quotes. He is “cited by some
scholars as the twentieth-century’s answer to… William Shakespeare” (Biography
Resource Center). The Seagull was the first of the four major plays for which
Chekhov is chiefly known. (Chambers)
The Three Sisters-1901
This play portrays a quite gloomy tone, as do many of Chekhov’s works. As
Chekhov himself put it, “All I wanted was to say honestly to people: ‘Have a look
at yourselves and se how bad and dreary your lives are!’ The important thing is
that people should realize that, for when they do, they will most certainly create
another and better life for themselves.” (ABC-CLIO). This is a play about hope. It
plays with time throughout, making large and often unspecified jumps between
acts. This is because time is unimportant to the meaning of the play. The play
tells the story of three sisters, Olga, Masha, and Irina, and their search for love
and happiness. The Three Sisters is Chekhov’s most frequently performed play
(Melchinger).
Uncle Vanya-1902
This play is the work for which Chekhov is chiefly remembered. Originally,
Chekhov wrote a play called The Wood Demon, but he rewrote it, and “the
transforming of The Wood Demon into Uncle Vanya is very illuminating of
Chekhov’s development as a dramatist” (Melchinger 109). Uncle Vanya is
thematically preoccupied with the so-called wasted life, and the character’s
respective miseries.
The Cherry Orchard-1904
The Cherry Orchard was Chekhov’s last and perhaps his most powerful work. It
portrays a family that argues about how to save their ancestral home, and debates
about whether or not to sell their cherry orchard to developers. (ABC-CLIO) The
play relies chiefly on atmosphere, as opposed to plot. The atmosphere of pathos,
meaning emotional appeal is able to grip the audience throughout the play. The
play has a dual nature, because Chekhov intended it as a comedy, while the
director, Stanislavski, directed it as a tragedy. Chekhov died mere months after
this play became his last great success on the stage.
Other Influential Works:
Novellas:

The Steppe (1888)

The Duel (1891)

An Anonymous Story (1893)

Three Years (1895)

My Life (1896)

Anton Chekhov is truly a master of the short story, and some of
the best known are

o



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
1883
1889
The Death of a
o
The Bet
Government Clerk
o
A Dreary Story
1884

1890-Gusev
o
A Chameleon

1891-Peasant Wives
o
Oysters

1892
1885
o
The Grasshopper
o
A Living Chronology
o
In Exile
o
Small Fry
o
War No. 6
o
The Huntsman
o
A Malefactor
o
The Black Monk
o
Sergeant Prishibeyev
o
Rothschild’s Fiddle
o
The Student
o
The Teacher of

1886
1894
o
Misery
o
The Requiem
o
Anyuta
o
Agafya
o
Anna on the Neck
o
Grisha
o
Whitebrow
o
Easter Eve
o
Ariadna
o
A Gentleman Friend

1896-An Artist’s Story
o
The Chorus Girl

1897
o
Vanka
Literature

1887
o
Home
o
The Siren
1888-Sleepy

1895
o
Peasants
o
The Petchenyeg
o
The Schoolmistress
1898
o
The Little Trilogy

o
Ionych
o
A Doctor’s Visit

1900
1899
o
At Christmas Time
o
In the Ravine
o
The Darling

1902-The Bishop
o
On Official Duty

1903-Betrothed (The Fiancée)
o
The Lady with a Dog
Awards and Honors:

1887- Chekhov won the Pushkin Prize for his short story collection At Dusk

January 1890- Became the first writer to be elected to honorary
membership in the prestigious Russian Academy of Sciences.
Works Cited:
“Anton Chekhov.” Authors and Artist for Young Adults. Vol 68. Thomson
Gale, 2006. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.:
Gale, 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com/serlet/BioRC
“Anton Chekhov” World History: The Modern Era. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 12 Feb.
2008 http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com.
"Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich." Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Chambers
Harrap Ltd., 1997. Wilson Web. The H.W. Wilson Company. UMHS Lib., King of
Prussia, PA. 12 Feb. 2008. http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/anton-chekhov/ivanov.htm
Reid, John http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4431
Melchinger, Siegfried. Anton Chekhov. New York: Frederick Ungar Co., Inc.,
1972.