An Analysis of The Bear by Anton Chekhov - Literature review Example

An Analysis of Play: “The Bear” by Anton Chekhov Anton Chekhov’s “The Bear” is characterized in a subgenre of comedy known as a farce. This is quite different from common comedy, in that, it is in a way whimsy and detached from reality. It is in this respect that it brings out realism paradoxically. In the play, only three characters undergo bizarre situations to give a clear and interesting comedy. There is so much going around the three characters, Smirnov, and the steward, Luka. As the farce, there are many situations of comedy and witty remarks. It is this remarks that make any reader laugh and enjoy the play. This essay seeks to discuss the play as a farce through analyzing the different ridiculous situations. It also discusses the major themes and stylistic devices that Anton uses throughout the play. By definition, a farce is a play with a series of ridiculous situations. Anton Chekhov’s play is in totality a farce since it features the same definition. Throughout the play, there are absurd situations that leave the reader laughing. At the beginning, we can notice, Luka advising Luka to stop mourning and go out to see the neighbors. However, the words he uses to explain the situation are totally absurd and witty. Luka uses examples of cats, spiders and midges. The absurdity in the play is present in many other different situations across the play. In another instance when Luka refuses to lend Luka the money, he says, “I have not the pleasure of being your husband or your finance, so please don’t make scenes” (Schmidt & Chekhov 208). Clearly there is an artistic choice of words that have deep paradoxical meaning. On a different twist, Luka accepts a duel with Smirnov. However, she still seeks training on how to fire from Smirnov, the enemy. This is among the many situations with absurdity and sarcasm. Interestingly, Anton engages all this in a way that brings laughter to a reader. The comical antiques of the characters do not seem to end even when the play is ending. From all this, it is appropriate to conclude that, in all characteristics, the play is a farce. The writer employs comedy in absurdity through paradoxical remarks among the characters. In the play, it is clear that humor is one of the conspicuous themes. In almost every situation, the writer engages a little bit of humor. This makes the play very interesting. Humor is a recurrent them in the whole play. Humor is evident in the conversations between the characters and even their actions. The kind of statements each character makes must have a little bit of comedy. As a farce, the play captures comedy and absurdity in totality through humor. For instance, there so much humor in the conversation between Popov, the widow, and Smirnov. They apparently seem to get in the way of each other. Interestingly they decide to settle their scores through a duel. Popov, however, does not know how to fire her husband’s riffle. She has no option but to seek guidance from Smirnov. In a further interesting twist, as they are just about to start the duel, Smirnov changes his mind and decides to proclaim his love for Popov. These are examples of situations that would leave any reader in laughter as they are such interesting turn of events. Conflict is also a recurrent theme throughout the play. Luka faces the conflict of dealing with her husband’s death. She mourns for seven months and has little regard for normal life. She has a conflict of finding another life or moving on with life without her husband. Smirnov and Luka are in constant conflict from the beginning of the play. Smirnov comes to Luka to request for his dues. Luka’s husband had dies before settling his dues. It is has been a long time and Smirnova decides he must get his money back. In an interesting twist, Smirnova approaches a bitter widow who is not ready to lend an ear. After through arguments, they have only an option of settling their indifferences through a duel. Though comical, the play captures different aspects of conflict. These are both internal and external conflict. Smirnov on the other side faces internal conflicts within himself. Although he wants his money and is bitter, he cannot hide his feelings from Luka. During the duel, he is much impressed by Luka’s beauty and boldness. He decides to proclaim his love to Luka. He takes a knee and asks for her hand in marriage. Luka, on the other hand, faces the conflict of whether to accept this proposal or turn down the offer. Anton employs different literary devices to maintain a precise and interesting play. Sarcasm is one of the notable styles that have been used throughout the play. It comes about in different shades and perspectives. It is quite an evident feature in the characters remarks. There is a thin line between paradox and sarcasm in the play. It is nearly difficult to differentiate the two literary devices in the play. When the characters talk about their genders with insults there is evidence of both of the stylistic devices. They cannot seem to have an understanding of each other. However, in the end they both agree that they love each other. It is not quite the way the reader would expect things to end up. This also means that even though they had their differences, they still shared a lot in common reason for their marriage. All the stylistic devices are mashed up in the comedy. From the title, it is evident that the bear represents Smirnov. Bear, in this case, describes a person who has bad temper and lacks regard for any other person. It is a name that describes Smirnov in totality. The name suits him since it is evident through his remarks against Luka and Luka the steward. He calls Luka an ass and a fool. Smirnov makes fun of Luka. He does not appreciate how the widow mourned her husband for seven months. Luka decides to tell him to leave and the only answer he meets is “shut up! Who are you talking to? I will chop you into pieces!” (Chekhov & Schmidt 282). Irony is also present in that the bear also has its soft spots. Even after showing such bad temper and disregard for other people, Smirnov cannot shy away from proclaiming his love for Luka. It is, in this respect, that the writer captures irony at its best. In conclusion, the bear by Anton Chekhov is a farce. This is a type of comedy that has situations outside reality. It is this feature that makes it a unique and interesting type of comedy. Anton engages his apt literary skills to come up with such an interesting piece. The characters are in constant ridiculous situations and have whimsy comments that leave the reader in laughter. The plays have numerous interesting twists that Anton emphasizes through his literary styles. Paradox, irony and sarcasm are the forte of the play. Together with humor, Anton develops an interesting play with twists and turns. Another important feature is that it is only focused on three characters with only two active ones. Smirnov and Luka are the main characters in the play. Smirnove is the embodiment of the title as he has all the characters of a bear. His bad temper and disregard for other people is evident across the whole story. Anton also presents many different themes in the play. Conflict and humor are the two most evident themes in the play. Smirnov is on constant conflict with the other two characters. All the characters are subjected to both internal and external conflict. It is quite clear that humor pervades the whole play from the characters’ remarks. Indeed, Anton Chekhov has summed up a creatively interesting piece employing all the features of a farce. Works Cited Chekhov, A & Schmidt, P. the plays of Anton Chekhov. Harper Collins, 2008. Read More