Anton Chekhov

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Chekhov's use of farce in The Proposal

Summary:

Chekhov uses farce in The Proposal to exaggerate the characters' trivial conflicts and absurd behavior, highlighting their pettiness and vanity. The exaggerated arguments and misunderstandings create humor while also critiquing the social norms and materialism of the time.

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Is Chekhov's play The Proposal a farce?

A farce can be defined as a subgenre of comedy characterized by overdrawn characters, improbable situations, and all-round absurdity. Chekhov's one-act comedy The Proposal has all these qualities, making it the very epitome of a farce.

In the play, we are presented with a high-strung couple, Lomov and Natalia, who are so completely preoccupied with arguing over matters both great and small—whether it's who owns a piece of land or whose family has the best hunting dog—that they are unable to become engaged. This is an utterly ridiculous situation, exactly the kind of thing one would expect to see in a farce.

In the time-honored traditions of the farce, both of these characters are deliberately overdrawn. Lomov is a hypochondriac, prone to having all kinds of imaginary pains and palpitations. And Natalia is herself somewhat unstable, getting all hysterical when she senses that she's driven Lomov away.

Further farce ensues...

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at the end of the play when Natalia's father, Stepan Stepanovich, forces his daughter and Lomov to get engaged right after Lomov has come round after collapsing from exhaustion brought on by his arguments with Natalia. Nevertheless, the absurdity continues with Lomov and Natalia arguingeven after she has accepted the marriage proposal with a kiss.

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How does Chekhov use farce in The Proposal?

"Farce" refers to a dramatic work that utilizes absurdity as a literary device by placing exaggerated characters in improbable situations. Anton Chekhov's The Proposal is an example of farce because the main characters, Lomov and Natalia, are both absurdly sensitive and so prone to arguing over minor details that Lomov can't manage to accomplish his marriage proposal. The two fail to become engaged because they are too distracted by arguments over land disputes between their families and whose family owns the superior dog. Lomov is so offended by Natalia's claims that he even passes out at one point in the play. The Proposal is a farce because the concept of two people being unable to start their engagement because they are too busy bickering is humorous and absurd, and the characters of Lomov and Natalia are so exaggeratedly sensitive and argumentative.

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