The Seagull

Two years later

The final Act of the play begins two years after the end of Act III. The family and workers of Sorin’s estate have gathered to be with Sorin, who has grown sicker as the years have passed. Masha has married Medvedenko, as she previously said she would, and the two of them have a baby together. Masha is, as always, not content with her life. She tells her husband, “What a bore you’ve turned out to be. At least one used to get a bit of philosophy with it but now it’s all the baby—come on home” (53). She tells him to go on home without her, she wants to stay at Sorin’s. He leaves her alone at last when she begrudgingly promises to be home tomorrow.

Konstantin and Polina enter with items to make a bed on the ottoman in Konstantin’s room. Since he has fallen ill, Sorin wants to be near Konstantin and wants to stay in his room. Polina remarks her surprise that Konstantin turned out to be a gifted writer after all, as it is revealed that some of his stories have been published. She tells him to be nice to Masha, much to Masha’s embarrassment.

Konstantin exits, and Masha scolds her mother for annoying him. Polina replies that she only did it because she feels so sorry for Masha, watching her suffer from a broken heart. Masha brushes her off, telling her, “All you have to do is get hold of yourself, not sit waiting for something to change like waiting for the weather. If love worms its way into your heart, dig it out” (54). While Masha was never optimistic about love, she has become even more cynical and miserable in the last two years. She insists that as soon as she and her husband leave, she will get over her love for Konstantin once and for all.

Sorin is brought in and lays down on the ottoman made up for him in Konstantin’s room. Dorn accompanies him and tells Sorin that Arkadina has gone to the station to meet Trigorin. Sorin says he must be truly sick if everyone is gathered like this, and yet no one is giving him any medicine. He says to the room, “I’ve got an idea for a story for Kostya. A good title would be The Man Who Wanted To” (56). He then explains all of the unfulfilled dreams he had in life, from getting married and having kids to being a writer himself. Dorn laughs him off for complaining about his life at his age, but Sorin argues back that he wants to live.

The conversation takes a turn when Konstantin’s play is mentioned, and Dorn asks how Nina is these days. Konstantin fills them in, saying that neither her private life nor her career on the stage has led to happiness. She left to live with Trigorin and had a baby, but the baby died. He says, “Trigorin got tired of her and went back to his old ties […] Or rather, he never let go of them. Having no backbone, he was about to bend both ways” (58). On the stage, Konstantin has followed Nina to each place she has performed. He says that there are times when her acting is good, but as a whole she lacks the talent for it. She still writes him, signing each of her letters as “‘The Seagull’—like in Pushkin’s play where the miller is so mad with grief he calls himself a raven” (58). Now, she has returned home and is staying in a hotel nearby. Her father and his wife have disowned her and refuse to let her near their house.

Just then, Arkadina and Trigorin enter, with Shamraev close behind. Trigorin greets everyone, finally going up to Konstantin, praising him for his success as a writer. He tells him that many people in town want to know more about Konstantin, the mysterious writer from the country. Trigorin will not stay for long, as he has his own writing to finish. He looks outside at the growing storm, saying if it clears he will go to the lake “where [Konstantin] had [his] play. [Trigorin’s] got a new story and [he wants] to refresh [his] memory of the scene” (61). While the storm trudges on, the group decides to play a game of lotto.

Konstantin leaves to write in his study. He hears something moving outside and rushes to the window. Nina is standing in the storm. He ushers her in, and she asks him to be quiet so no one will know she is there. She looks around the old familiar study and begins to cry. She tells Konstantin that they have both become who they thought they wanted to be when they were younger: an actress and a writer. She says, “look at me now, first thing tomorrow I’m off to Yeletz, travelling third class with the peasants […] It’s not a glamorous life” (67). As she speaks, she keeps referring to herself as “the seagull,” then correcting herself, then saying she is the seagull again.

Konstantin confesses he still loves her, despite all that has happened between them. Nina is taken aback and starts to leave. She says, “I don’t deserve to live. I’m so tired […] I’m the seagull—but not really. I’m an actress” (68). At that point she hears Trigorin’s laughter from offstage and grows weary. She recalls the story he once told her about a man who destroys a seagull. She tells Konstantin she has come to realize that “what really counts is not dreaming about fame and glory…but stamina: knowing how to keep going despite everything, and having faith in yourself” (69). Even though Nina’s life did not turn out the way she hoped it would, she perseveres because at least she is still on the stage, acting, as she always dreamed.

Nina leaves Konstantin once again. Konstantin looks around at his writing and begins to tear all of the pages up and throws them on the floor. He rushes out into the storm just as Dorn and the others enter from their game. Shamraev leads Trigorin to the cupboard, where he pulls out the seagull (the same that Konstantin killed) that Trigorin asked him to have stuffed. Trigorin says he does not remember asking this of him.

Suddenly, there is a gunshot from offstage. Dorn goes out into the storm to investigate, and returns saying it is nothing to worry about. He pulls Trigorin aside to tell him they need to get Arkadina out of the study: Outside, Konstantin has shot himself.