Drama

Swan Song
                                                                                                                        - Anton Chekhov


Literal Comprehension
Anton Chekhov is a 20th-century Russian writer. His works show the predicament of a human being. Anton Chekhov’s play “A Swan Song” is a character study of a stage actor Svetlovidov. Svetlovidov is an old man of 68 years who has been on the stage for 45 years. He is an actor who can evoke a variety of emotions in the audience. A swan song is a farewell appearance on stage of an actor. The play is, therefore, about Svetlovidov’s final performance on stage. When the other play ends this play begins. Time is a dark night. On the background of the roughly carpeted room, and unpainted doors Svetlovidov murmurs at the witness of Nikita.
As the play begins, Svetlovidov has just woken up from his sleep in the dressing room. He feels sad when he finds no one in the empty theatre. Other actors have left for home to be with their families. He has no family and no one bothers to wake him up. He curses his own fate and laments that no one cares for him now. He repeats his sorrowful farewell saying, “My song is sung, my song is sung!” He cries alone for some time and reviews his career as a soldier, as an artist, and as a popular stage actor performing all sorts of roles. Then, Nikita, who is a promoter in the theatre, appears on the stage. He, in fact, acts as a create a list in the evolution of Svetlovidov’s character. Svetlovidov, then, talks about the place of actors in society and meanness of society in offering real honour and affection to them. He feels that the society has looked down upon the actors as mere entertainers and “plaything for other people’s pastime.” So, he compares artists with prostitutes and buffoons. It’s painful for him to remember that the wonderful woman of his youth “could love an actor, but be his wife never!” She wanted to marry with him only if he left the stage. Svetlovidov, finally, talks about the universal strength of art. To drive his point home, he recites climatic lines from tragic plays written by Shakespeare. In this way, Svetlovidov overcomes his grief; art finally triumphs over personal tragedy.


Interpretation
Chekhov, in this play, tries to represent the attitude of the contemporary Russian society towards the stage artists. Stage artists were looked down upon as mere entertainers in a so-called social circle. They were praised and admired for their performance, but they were considered somewhat less respectable for intimate personal ties such as marriage. For instance, the young woman could have married Svetlovidov only if he had left the stage. The playwright also talks about the universal strength of art. For instance, in the play, Svetlovidov overcomes his grief by reciting lines from famous tragic plays of Shakespeare.