Explore Henrik Ibsen's symbolic elements in The Wild Duck and compare them to Anton Chekhov's use of symbolism in The Seagull.

Examine the life expectancy and infant mortality rates in Russia during the period of Chekhov's play. Relate your findings to two key events in The Seagull: the death of Nina's child and Sorin's revealed age.

Investigate the state of medicine in Russia during the 1890s. Connect your research to Dorn, the physician in The Seagull, as well as to Chekhov's own medical career and his battle with tuberculosis.

Study some of the artistic manifestos from the late nineteenth century, such as George B. Shaw's The Quintessence of Ibsenism (1891) and Leo Tolstoy's What Is Art (1898). These works illuminate the principles of realism in literature, whether in drama or fiction. Relate these principles to Chekhov's approach in The Seagull.

Examine the structural principles of the "well-made" play, which follows the form Aristotle described in his analysis of tragedy in The Poetics. Compare these principles to Chekhov's methods in The Seagull.

Investigate Count Leo Tolstoy's criticisms regarding Chekhov's supposed failure to use his art to promote a moral cause. Discuss whether or not you believe this criticism is justified based on the thematic elements in the play.