Swan Song Anton Chekhov

            Swan Song

                                                                        Anton Chekhov, Russia

                                                                        (1860-1904)

b. Apply the four levels of meanings to the drama” Swan Song”.

Literal comprehension: A 68 years old actor Vasili Svetlovidov comes out of the dressing room with a candle in his hand at the outset of the play. He has been in acting sector for forty-five years in different roles as a stage actor. The show of drama was already over an hour ago. He is there alone because all have already gone after the show. He called his two- hired caretakers they are also not present. When he goes to dressing room he meets Nikita Ivanichthe prompter. Nikita Ivanich spends the night in the dressing room because there is no place to sleep. Svetlovidov is an experienced and popular actor, though he is not taken cared by anyone. He cheered and pleased thousands of people with his number of comic stage acting. Now he is alone and found isolated and careless by anybody. All the public and his audiences have forgotten him completely.

            Being serious with his present lonely condition Svetlovidov tells Nikita about his past. He says before he started his acting he was in the army. He was handsome and smart then. After joining in acting also he was pleasant perfect and handsome. A young elegant passionate beautiful woman fell in love with him and proposed to marry with her. But she was only ready to marry if he left his acting career. For the love and beauty of that woman he didn’t sacrifice his action career. After that separation with women he started drinking. He has already spent 45 years in acting. He has given beautiful pleasure to all of his audiences. Though Nikita Ivanich praises his talent, genius and capacity Svetlovidov repents being old, helpless, support less and like a squeezed lemon. He sacrificed his youth, talent and capacity for entertaining others. He feels himself like lonely like wind in the field like the plight of king Lear of Shakespeare’s drama and cites and some verses. He also condemns to his paid caretakers Petrushka and Yegorka who are not taking care of him. The actor realizes his last, lonely stage and sings his swan song and finishes his acting career. To comfort him Nikita still consoles him has talent and capacity now as well. In desperate, isolated sad state of popular actor, Svetlovidov the play “swan song” falls its curtain.

Interpretations: this play “swan song” might be trying to impart the ideas of helplessness and isolated life of once popular and liked but now dimmed actors. Public figures or actors are using heart and soul for entertaining offers though they are not always cheerful by heart. Audiences’ nature is so much selfish that they take advantages as much as they could. But the same leading figure becomes helpless, old and unable to entertain others. Actors are happy in public eyes but they are making you laugh burning their heart. The play also might be giving the ideas that “everyone takes the warmth of burning fire”.

Critical Thinking: This play has given a plight of public people or actors who being unhappy themselves try to make happy others. This is unquestionable truth. They dedicate wholeheartedly themselves in entertaining others until they have capacity and strength. The moment of inability and workless stage they are careless figures in public eyes. Still being agreed with his philosophical ideas, we can be disagreeing with some ideas. Why do actors entertain other being unhappy themselves? Can we always do happy acting being sad by heart? Has not Svetlovidov got name and fame for his 45 years long acting profession? Can a handsome man select acting career leaving a beautiful and elegant woman’s support, etc. Again we can’t deny the universal truth regarding the plight of actors in old state.

Assimilation:  Before going through this text, I used to think that actors are almost happy so they entertain others. Audiences and fans really love actors by heart. When I read this text, I came to know the go of the world (rule of world) that actors are good actors until they can do good performances. As they become unable to impart sound and convincing acting by age factor or other people almost forget them like to the star Sveflowidovof the play ‘Swan sang’ I also recalled the star ‘Santosh Panta’ who was hero when his tele-film ‘Hijoaaja ka Kura’ and other. With end of age, tele-film now almost all start to forget him I found this play really heart touching one.

c. In “Swan Song” a sixty-eight years Old Russian actor confronts his ghosts: He recalls a hurt love soulfully reflects apron his …………career and doubts his talent and the choice be made. Do you think he ever really had talent? Explain your answer.

In this one act play “Swan Song” by Russian writer Anton Chekhov has given a plight of famous actor. A sixty-eight years old actor who has spend forty-five years in acting entertaining others but now no one is to support him. He is really conforming or predicting his upcoming ghosts. He recalls his lost love he rejected her to be devoted to his acting career. She was gentle, flagger beautiful women he recalls whom he can remembers in his grave as well his career was dashing and charming. He did have a number of supporters and fans. He questions himself if he had such talent. But by his lamentation citation of verses of Hamierhthello, King Lear, etc. and nostalgias we can easily realize that he really did have true genuine and talent.

He had keen interest in acting field because he left thinning girlfriend and devoted in it. He entertained thousands of people as the slays but now a helpless figure. Time and again the prompter Nikita convinces him he rally has talent now also. He is still genius and perfect. But Svetlovidov becames so much tensed and insolated having no one to love care support and cheer at him. At this last stage he realizes his helpless condition. Neither the hired (paid) attendants seen supportive nor the crazy audiences at the stage of his Swan Song so, for him becoming sad and isolated is not unnatural. It is the feeling of each public figure that were popular but careless support les by present state. By all too tooted description and memory of Swetlovidov we can conclude that although he is feeling having nothing remain with him, he did have capacity talent and genius acting.