The Seagull Summary

?

Summary of The Seagull-

  • ACT ONE: Opens with Masha and Medvedenko on stage, debating about what makes people happy. Medvendeko thinks Masha would like him if he had more money. Masha fixated on love to Konstantin.  Masha snorts snuff, states that she'll never love Medvedenko back. 
  • Sorin enters- talks about random stuff, dogs, sleep, air...
  • Konstantin- happy with play set design, discussion about mum with Sorin. Nina and Konstantin kiss.
  • Polina and Dorn- rocky relationship.
  • Play is performed, Ark makes many comments, frustrates Konst, calls of play.
  • Nina meets Ark, Dorn, Sham, Trig, speak of play, Nina worried about staying because of fathers rules. 
  • Dorn compliments Konst work. Masha takes snuff admits shes in love with Konst, annoys Dorn abundance of unrequited love in his presence.  

ACT TWODorn, Masha, and Arkadina sit enjoying a book by Maupassant

  • Arkadina stops the activity by asking Dorn to compare her appearance with Masha's. He determines that Arkadina looks younger than Masha even though Arkadina is twice Masha's age. Arkadina brags about how well kept she is and how she lives her life to the fullest without thinking about death. She also brags about her health and fitness. She makes fun of Masha and belittles her for sitting around doing nothing all of the time
  •  Sorin playfully teases Nina about being happy because her father and stepmother left for a three-day trip, and therefore, she can escape their strict watch by socializing with Sorin's family and the people on his estate. Nina is happy and carefree. Sorin is happy, too, because he gets to spend time with Nina and receive attention from a young, pretty girl.
  •  Arkadina complains that she is worried about Treplev who is spending all of his days by the river, moping. Masha explains that Treplev is depressed. 
  • The argument about Sorin's health develops into a debate on how to live life well. Sorin complains that Dorn has lived his life well and experienced life to the fullest extent. Sorin feels sorry for himself because he spent his life in a government job
  • Shamrayev and Arkadina argue about the use of the horses. Arkadina wants to use them later in the day to go into town. Shamrayev has them out in the field. Stubborn, he will not allow her to use them later. She threatens to leave the estate and return to the country. 
  • Paulina makes herself feel worse by asking Dorn if he likes other women now. He does not give her a straight answer. Nina gives Dorn a bouquet of fresh picked flowers. Paulina takes the flowers from him and destroys them.
  • Treplev enters with a rifle and a dead seagull in his hands. He puts the seagull at Nina's feet. He tells her that he shot the bird in her honor and that one day he will be like the seagull. Nina and Treplev fight about their relationship to each other. She accuses him of talking in symbols. 
  • Trigorin enters. Treplev exits bitterly when

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Drama & Theatre Studies resources:

See all Drama & Theatre Studies resources »See all The Seagull resources »