Three sisters summary by chapter. Heroes of the play "Three Sisters" by Chekhov: characteristics of the heroes

Moscow commissioned this play from Chekhov. art theater. The first production took place on January 31, 1901. Since then she has already more than a century does not leave the domestic and foreign theatrical stages.

According to literary scholars and biographers of the writer, the idea for the play was born back in 1898-1899. This conclusion was made on the basis that Chekhov actively used notes from his notebooks when writing the play.

The youngest of the sisters, whose name is Irina, turns 20. On this occasion, celebrations are planned, the table is set and guests are awaited. The officers of the artillery battery stationed in the city should visit the Prozorovs. Its new commander, Vershinin, will also come.

Everyone is in joyful anticipation of the upcoming evening. Irina herself admits that her soul is so light, as if she is rushing on sails.

This coming fall the entire Prozorov family plans to move to Moscow. Their brother Andrey intends to go to university and plans to become a professor in the future.

The gymnasium teacher Kulygin, who is the husband of Masha, one of the sisters, is also in a pleasant mood. Military doctor Chebutykin, who once passionately loved the Prozorovs’ late mother, also comes to the holiday in an elevated mood. Now he treats Irina tenderly and touchingly.

Major notes in the four-act play by A.P. Chekhov are present in almost all the characters. For example, Lieutenant Tuzenbach. He looks to the future with enthusiasm, arguing that the time has come when our society must get rid of indifference and laziness, as well as the destructive neglect of work.

Vershinin also has optimism. Confused big amount Natasha is the only guest. Andrey proposes to her.

Minor mood

In the second act of Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" everyone is attacked by despondency and sadness. Andrey is languishing with boredom. He dreamed of a professorship in Moscow, but instead was forced to settle for an insignificant secretarial position at the zemstvo government. IN hometown he feels lonely, alien and unwanted.

Difficulties in family life Masha is worried. She is completely disappointed in her husband. Once she sincerely considered him important, learned and smart, but now she suffers in his company and among his fellow gymnasium teachers.

The younger sister Irina understands that she can no longer bear to work at the telegraph office. Everything she dreamed of was never realized. Olga comes home from the gymnasium with a headache and exhausted. Vershinin, who is also out of sorts, continues to assure that everything will soon change, but at the same time unexpectedly adds that happiness does not exist, but only work and labor.

Chebutykin tries to cheer up those gathered, but no one is happy about his puns, and hidden pain shows through in them.

At the end of the evening, Natasha begins to actively tidy up the whole house, simultaneously sending the guests away.

Three years later

The next action takes place three years later. Already in the stage directions to it, the author clarifies that the surroundings are gloomy and sad. At the very beginning of the third act of Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" the alarm bell is sounded behind the stage. Everyone is informed about the fire that has started. Through the window you can see a strong fire burning in the distance. In the house of the Prozorov family there are many people trying to escape the fire.

Irina gets hysterical. She laments that her whole life has passed and will not return, and we will never leave for Moscow. Their move, planned earlier, never took place.

Maria is also worried about her fate. She realizes that she does not understand how she will live her life.

Andrey begins to cry. He says he hoped everyone would be happy when he got married, but things turned out differently.

Baron Tuzenbach is also deeply disappointed. Didn't come happy life and from him. Chebutykin went on a drinking binge.

The denouement of the play

The last action of the play "Three Sisters", the plot of which is outlined in this article, takes place against the backdrop of the approaching autumn.

Masha looks sadly at the migratory birds flying past. The artillerymen leave the city and are transferred to a new duty station. True, it is still unknown where - to Chita or Poland. The officers come to say goodbye to the Prozorovs. They take photographs as a souvenir, and at parting they note that now there will be peace and quiet here. Baron Tuzenbach adds that it is also terrible boredom. The city is emptying.

“Three Sisters” is a play that tells how Masha breaks up with Vershinin, whom she previously loved so passionately. She admits that her life has been unsuccessful.

The fates of the sisters

By this time Olga received the position of head of the gymnasium. After this, she also realizes that she will no longer leave for Moscow, high post in the provinces she is strongly attached.

Irina decided so and accepted the offer from Tuzenbach, who was retiring. They are going to get married and start a family life together. Irina herself is at least a little inspired by this news, admits that she feels as if she has grown wings. Chebutykin is sincerely touched by them.

However, the hopes of most of the characters in the play are not destined to come true. Another character Solyony, in love with Irina, having learned about the upcoming wedding with Tuzenbach, provokes him into a conflict. In a duel he kills the baron.

Finale of "Three Sisters"

"Three Sisters" is a play in the finale of which the artillery battery leaves the city. They leave under a military march. In fact, one thing worries all the characters in the play "Three Sisters". The characters are not free people, as migratory birds, which they observe themselves.

All characters are imprisoned in strong social cages. Their destinies are subject to the laws by which the country itself lives, which at that time was experiencing general troubles.

Artistic features of the performance

Having familiarized yourself with the summary of "Three Sisters", you can separately dwell on artistic features this work.

Many critics of that time considered the lack of a plot to be a drawback of the play. By at least, in the generally accepted understanding of this term. Thus, the popular playwright Pyotr Gnedich in one of his letters cites an ironic statement by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. The great Russian writer notes that when a drunk doctor lies on the sofa, and it’s raining outside the window, then this is outright boredom, and not a play, as Chekhov believes, and not a mood, as Stanislavsky would say. And no dramatic action You can’t survive in such a scene.

Director Nemirovich-Danchenko admitted that he found the plot in “Three Sisters” only shortly before the premiere of the play. What was new was the lack of events, as well as the fact that social drama and Anton Chekhov saw tragedy in the most ordinary things. This was an innovative technique in Russian drama, which had not been used by anyone before. The play "Three Sisters" became very popular abroad. The play was translated into German, French and Czech during the author's lifetime. Translated by A. Scholz, it was first shown on the Berlin stage in 1901.

The play begins optimistically: both the weather itself and the characters are joyful. The Prozorov sisters are young, full of hope, each happy in their own way, but their dream of moving to Moscow is not destined to come true in the light of revolutionary events. Each loses faith in her ideal: the youngest Irina is disappointed in her high school studies and work at the telegraph office “without dreams or thoughts,” the middle Masha is disappointed in her teacher husband, whom she previously considered important and smart, the eldest Olga is disappointed in everything.

His brother's wife Natasha turns out to be not a beautiful fairy, but a vulgar bourgeois who takes over the whole house, and Andrei himself, to everyone's disappointment, takes the place of a secretary instead of a professorial position. Around fighting, everything collapses, burns, everyone suffers, even the eternal joker understands that he is simply trying to close himself off from reality with his jokes. Three years later, hope for work and marriage began to dawn, but even this was not destined to come true; the sisters were left face to face with the vulgarity of life.

This play is about disappointment, about the broken dreams of young sisters who are not destined to even move to Moscow. And yet they do not give up their lives, as Chekhov’s heroes often do in the finale, but continue to live.

Read a summary of the play Three Sisters

The play begins on a sunny day, the sisters are waiting for guests. Everyone is on an emotional high, everyone believes in a bright future, hopes for the best. In addition, the family is going to move to Moscow, and there are new bright prospects there. But their usual life doesn’t seem to let them in. Already by the middle of the play, the mood of the characters, and even the situation itself, changes, reflecting their emotional state. Bad weather, evening, fire, people around are terrified... The heroes themselves suffer. Everyone is unhappy with their situation.

Dissatisfaction is intensified by the fact that their beautiful dreams contrast too much with the terrible reality. Irina’s job turns out to be mechanical and uninteresting, it’s impossible to find another one, and studying constantly gives her a headache. Maria's family life becomes unbearable, her husband and his friends disgust her. The sisters have a feeling that their lives have gone somewhere; they, like many people, see a way out in moving. Change of place of residence, new acquaintances and opportunities... And of course, they are still striving for the capital. Even their brother (a man) weeps, mourning his hopes, saying that he got married three years ago and thought that he would be happy, but he was mistaken.

Then autumn comes, everything becomes even sadder. In addition, the artillery brigade, which at least slightly brightened up the life of the sisters with its company, is transferred somewhere abroad. The heroes also have to fight terrible boredom - melancholy. Maria has to part with her lover, who must leave with the brigade. In despair, Masha calls her entire life “unsuccessful.” The eldest Olga heads the gymnasium and understands that she needs to say goodbye to the dream of Moscow.

Understanding these sentiments, Irina accepts the proposal of the elderly baron and prepares to become his wife. But this thread also breaks, because the baron is killed by her admirer in a duel. Brother Andrei, who wanted to leave his disgusted wife, cannot do this... due to mental weakness. Not the lives of the heroes, but they themselves become gray without passing the tests of fate.

Picture or drawing Three sisters

Chekhov's "Three Sisters", act 2 - briefly

The second act of "Three Sisters" takes place a year or two after the first, in the days New Year's holidays. The life of Olga, Masha and Irina does not get better during this time. Olga continues to work at her unloved gymnasium. Masha starts to get excited love affair with Vershinin, but he cannot leave his own family, where two little daughters are growing up, for her sake. Irina, who had previously dreamed of useful work, goes to work at the telegraph office, but in her position she finds not inspiration, but routine and boredom. The romantic, but outwardly unattractive Tuzenbach and the embittered bully Solyony fall in love with her at the same time.

Andrey is already married to the stupid and greedy Natasha, has little son- “Bobika.” Family concerns completely ruin Andrei’s previous plans for a scientific career. Instead, he has to be content with the insignificant position of secretary of the zemstvo government. The pliable Natasha makes an increasingly close acquaintance with the head of the council, Protopopov. Out of grief, Andrei begins to drink, gets involved in gambling, and loses large sums.

The vulgar reality increasingly makes the three sisters dream of “leaving for Moscow.” But this departure has been postponed so many times that there is less and less hope for it. Natasha, who has settled in her sisters’ house, behaves more and more like a housewife. Referring to the child’s ill health, she removes Irina from a separate room, demands to receive guests less often, not to invite winter holidays mummers, and she herself openly goes for a ride in a troika with Protopopov.

Chekhov's "Three Sisters", act 3 - briefly

A couple more years will pass. The third act of Chekhov's play takes place during a large fire that destroys an entire block in the city. Olga distributes old things from the house to the fire victims, but Natasha, who has completely taken Andrei into her hands, is very dissatisfied with such generosity. Natasha commands the house, shouts rudely at the servants and is about to kick out the nanny Anfisa, who nursed all three sisters in childhood, but is now unable to work due to old age, without a piece of bread. Natasha gave birth to a second child, apparently from Protopopov. Andrei, who had fallen into a lack of will, lost to smithereens and voluntarily mortgaged the house, which belongs to him not alone, but together with his sisters, to the bank. Natasha took all the money received as bail.

Masha has a hot affair with Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin. But this dreamer-idealist, preacher of the future ideal life, cannot leave his daughters to join her. Irina went to work from the telegraph to the zemstvo government, but even there she found only vulgarity and routine. Tuzenbach proposes to her. Not loving the baron, but not finding a better match, Irina agrees to marry him. Tuzenbach throws military service and is looking for a position at a brick factory. He and Irina are going to go there together and there, perhaps, they will finally find the meaning of life. Her former unlucky admirer, the vengeful Solyony, is greatly annoyed by Irina’s rapprochement with the baron.

There is a rumor that the artillery brigade and all its officers will soon be transferred from the city to somewhere far away. The sisters will lose many old friends, and Masha will lose Vershinin.

Chekhov. "Three sisters". Audiobook

Chekhov's "Three Sisters", act 4 - briefly

The artillery brigade leaves the city. Irina and Tuzenbach should get married tomorrow and go to the brick factory. Irina, who passed the teacher exam, hopes that this new profession will breathe fullness into her existence. But right before the brigade leaves, the evil Solyony starts a quarrel with Tuzenbach on the boulevard and challenges him to a duel.

The sisters sadly say goodbye to their familiar officers. Masha breaks up with Vershinin with pain in her heart. Olga was appointed head of the gymnasium, and she now lives in a separate apartment, where she also took her nanny Anfisa. Natasha, to whom Protopopov no longer hesitates to go home, is glad that Irina will also leave home.

Year of publication of the book: 1901

The play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov was created by order of one of the Moscow theaters and was first published in 1901. In the same year, the play was first staged in the theater, after which it was staged more than once in many theaters around the world. The plot of "Three Sisters" of Chekhov's play formed the basis of several feature films. The latest film adaptation was the film of the same name, released in October 2017. It is largely thanks to such works that Anton Chekhov occupies the top positions to this day.

Plays "Three Sisters" summary

Three sisters Olga, Masha and Irina live in the same house with their brother Andrey. Their father, General Prozorov, recently died, and the family is still in mourning for him. All the girls are very young - the oldest, Olga, is twenty-eight years old, and the youngest, Irina, is just turning twenty. None of them are married. Except for Masha, who has long been married to Fyodor Kulygin, an intelligent professor who once attracted her with his erudition. However, at present, the girl is terribly burdened by marriage, she becomes bored in the company of her husband and his friends, although Kulygin is still madly in love with her.

But in Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” you can read that everything in the lives of girls has not been happening for a long time as they dreamed. Olga has been going to work at the gymnasium for several years, but admits to herself that such a routine depresses her. The girl feels how every day she is losing her youth and beauty, so she is in constant irritation. Irina doesn’t work yet. But this is precisely what haunts her - the girl sees no meaning in her idle life, devoid of any work. She dreams of finding a job she likes and meeting her love.

The main characters of the play “Three Sisters” often reminisce about their life in Moscow. They moved from there when they were still small children due to new job father. Since then, the Prozorovs have lived for many years in a small town in northern Russia. All this time, the sisters have a premonition that if they returned to Moscow now, their life would become rich and interesting.

Irina’s twentieth birthday has arrived, which coincides with the day when the family can end their mourning for the deceased general. The sisters decide to organize a holiday to which they invite their friends. Among the guests were mainly officers who for a long time were under the leadership of their father. Among them were the kind but drink-loving military doctor Chebutykin, the sensitive but completely ugly Baron Tuzenbach and Staff Captain Soleny, who for unknown reasons constantly behaved aggressively towards others. Also present was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vershinin, who was in bad mood due to constant disagreements with his wife. The only thing that cheered him up even a little was his unshakable faith in the bright future of the next generations. Andrei’s beloved Natalya also showed up for the holiday - a terribly stupid, hysterical and domineering person.

Further in the play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov summary takes us to a time when Andrei and Natasha were already married. Now the woman is trying to manage the house as a mistress. Together they are raising a young son. Andrey, who once dreamed of a career as a scientist, realizes that due to the needs of his family, he will not be able to fulfill his dream. The young man receives the position of secretary of the zemstvo government. He is terribly annoyed by such activity, which is why Prozorov, like main character becomes seriously interested in gambling. The result of this was frequent losses of large sums.

At the same time, in the play “Three Sisters” you can read that over the past year the life of the sisters has practically not changed. Olga occupies the same position and still hates it. Irina decides to find a job and gets a job at the telegraph office. The girl thought that work would bring her happiness and help her realize her potential. However, work takes up all her energy and time, and Irina begins to give up on her dream. Officer Solyony proposes to her, but the girl refuses the evil and arrogant man. After this, he swears that he will not allow her to be with anyone else and promises to kill any rival he has. Masha, in order to somehow distract herself from her annoying husband, begins to build a relationship with Vershinin. The lieutenant colonel admits that he is madly in love with a girl, but he cannot leave his family because of her. The fact is that he has two little daughters growing up, and the man does not want to traumatize them by leaving.

The heroines still dream of moving to Moscow. They tried several times to plan their trip in detail, but something always got in their way. At the same time, they try to get along with Natasha, who behaves terribly. The girl evicts Irina from her own room and gives the premises to her son. Due to the child’s constant illnesses, she demands not to invite guests and not to organize loud celebrations. The sisters do not want a quarrel with the new family member, so they tolerate all her antics.

Next, “Three Sisters,” the content of the play takes us another two years forward. In the town where the Prozorovs live, a serious fire occurs that destroys an entire block. Residents leave their homes in a hurry, some of them find shelter in the house of the main characters. Olga decides to help the victims a little and wants to give them old unnecessary things, but Natalya speaks out against this idea. The behavior of Andrei’s wife began to go beyond all limits - she commands all family members, insults those who work in this house and orders the dismissal of the old nanny, who, due to her age, cannot do housework.

Andrey completely went into gambling. He didn’t care at all about what Natasha was doing, so he didn’t get involved in domestic squabbles. During this time, a terrible thing happened - the man became so overplayed that he got into huge debts. As a result, he had to mortgage the house that belonged to him and his sisters. None of the girls found out about this, and Natalya appropriated all the money raised for herself.

Meanwhile, the text of the play “Three Sisters” tells that Masha has been meeting with Vershinin throughout this entire time. Her husband, as he does, guesses about this affair, but chooses not to show it. Alexander never decided to leave his family, which is why he is often in a bad mood. Irina changed her job - now she holds a position in the zemstvo government together with her brother. However, the change in activity does not make her happy. The girl doesn’t know what to do next, and her sisters offer her to marry, even if it’s to someone she doesn’t love. Moreover, there is already a contender for her hand and heart - just recently Baron Tuzenbach confessed his love to her.

Irina understands that there is no better candidate and accepts the baron's courtship. She does not have any feelings for the man, but after the engagement, something in her thoughts changes. Tuzenbach decides to quit his service. Together with Irina, they constantly discuss their plans for the future and dream of going where they will find their destiny. Finally, the girl feels absolutely happy, and faith in the best arises in her again. However, as the author of the play “Three Sisters” says, Solyony remains very dissatisfied with the relationship between Irina and Tuzenbach. He plans to take revenge on his rival.

Meanwhile, in the play “Three Sisters” by Chekhov, the summary talks about the big changes that are coming in the lives of women. The battalion, which was temporarily based in the city, was supposed to go to Poland. All this meant that the sisters would have to say goodbye to many of their friends. Masha is especially sad, as she understands that she may never see Vershinin again. Olga, meanwhile, managed to become the head of the gymnasium, where she worked for many years. She left Father's house and moved to an apartment where she invited an old nanny.

Irina is getting an education and can now work as a teacher. Together with her fiancé, she plans to leave this city soon and hopes that now she will finally be happy. Natasha is happy that Irina is leaving after Olga. Now she feels like a full-fledged mistress. But suddenly a quarrel between the baron and Soleny occurs, after which the captain challenges his opponent to a duel. Irina is horrified by this news. Early in the morning a duel took place. After some time, Doctor Chebutykin, who was a second, came into the Prozorovs’ house. He reported that Baron Tuzenbach was dead.

After this, the meaning of the play “Three Sisters” comes down to the fact that Irina returns to her usual state again. She grieves over her life and does not see the slightest chance of finding happiness. The sisters grieve with her. Adding to their pain is the fact that the officers in full force leave the city and the heroines are left completely alone.

The play “Three Sisters” on the Top books website

Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" is so popular to read that it took a high place in our ranking. And the recently released film adaptation contributed a lot to this. Therefore, we can confidently assume that we will see her among our site’s ratings more than once.

You can read Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” in full on the Top Books website.

The play “Three Sisters” was written by order of the Moscow Art Theater in 1900 and first appeared on stage in 1901. The work is so popular that it has not ceased to be staged by theaters around the world for more than 100 years.

The play consists of four acts. The whole life of the heroes passes in a small provincial town, the main entertainment of the inhabitants of which is gossip, drinking and gambling.

The main characters are sisters: Masha, Irina and Olga, disappointed in life, they evoke the involuntary sympathy of the reader. Olga is dissatisfied with the results of her work, as she feels that the gymnasium is draining vitality and youth from her drop by drop.

Life seems to be without the slightest brightness for Irina, so she cannot meet a person whom she could love. The middle sister Masha, having a husband who loves her completely, is nevertheless unhappy in her family life. With the death of their father, the life of the Prozorov sisters ceased to be carefree and made them think about the future.

First action

The beginning of the play occurs with the end of mourning for General Prozorov and coincides with Irina’s name day. It is at Irina’s birthday that all the characters in the work gather. Officers Tuzenbakh and Solyony come to the house; they are both in love with Irina. Lieutenant Colonel Vershinin appears. He and Masha love each other. Here they meet Andrei, the brother of the sisters, and his beloved Natasha, a young lady who dresses in tasteless outfits, thereby shocking Olga.

Second act

Time passed and a lot changed in the Prozorovs’ house. Olga married Andrei, gave birth to his son and became quite comfortable, completely subjugating her husband. Andrey instead scientific activity became an ordinary secretary in the council. Officer Solyony is terribly jealous of Irina, threatening to kill the one she loves.

Third act

After a fire in the city, many find refuge in the still hospitable house of the Prozorovs. Natalya completely runs all the affairs in the house, she forced Olga to vacate the room for her son, and now Olga and Irina live together. The old nanny, Anfisa, who has become completely helpless, survives from the house. Kulygin does not notice the meetings of his wife Masha with Vershinin. Tausenbach, who left his service, appears and calls Irina to go to another city.

Act Four

Five years have passed since mourning for my father. Much has changed. Natalya had a daughter and she wants to put her in Irina’s room, who agrees to Tauzenbaz and the next day they are ready to get married. The irreparable is happening. Solyony provokes the baron into a quarrel, challenges him to a duel and kills him. The regiment in which Vershinin and Soleny serve is transferred to Poland. The sisters are left alone.

Main themes of the work

The main theme in the work is the theme of labor. Work should make you happy, but the heroines are completely disappointed in what they do.
The theme of inaction permeates the play and no matter how hard the characters strive to change something, they fail, the dream remains unattainable.
The third topic is a criterion for comprehending the beauty of the world; the attitude towards nature is a measure of the moral perception of the world, humanity and decency.
The theme of comprehending beauty in modern model world is relevant at all times and that is why the production of the play is always welcome on any stage in our time.