Anton Chekhov - Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated)

The Complete Works of

ANTON CHEKHOV

(1860-1904)

Contents

Delphi Classics 2014

Version 6

The Complete Works of

ANTON CHEKHOV

By Delphi Classics, 2014

Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

First published in the United Kingdom in 2014 by Delphi Classics.

Delphi Classics, 2014.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

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Chekhovs birthplace, now a museum , Taganrog, South Russia

Chekhov as a boy

FATHERLESSNESS OR A PLAY WITHOUT A TITLE

Translated by John Cournos

This is Chekhovs first play, which was written in 1878 specifically for Maria Yermolova, a rising star of Maly Theatre. Yermolova rejected the play and it was not published until 1923. The lead character is Mikhail Platonov, a disillusioned provincial schoolmaster and his name is used for the title in English translations. The work has been adapted and produced at the Almeida Theatre in London, the Bristol Old Vic and by the Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto.

Chekhov at the beginning of his dramatic career

CONTENTS

ANNA PETROVNA VOINITZEV Widow of General Voinitzev

SERGEY PAVLOVITCH VOINITZEV Her Step-Son

SOFYA EGOROVNA His Wife

MIKHAIL VASSILYEVITCH

PLATONOV

IVAN IVANOVITCH

TRILETZKY

NIKOLAI IVANOVITCH

TRILETZKY A Doctor, His Son

ALEXANDRA IVANOVNA Platonovs Wife, His Daughter

ABRAHAM ABRAHAMOVITCH

VENGEROVITCH (I) A Jewish Money-Lender

ISAAC ABRAHAMOVITCH

VENGEROVITCH (II) His Son

PORFIRY SEMEONOVITCH GLAGOLYEV (I) A Rich Old Man

KIRYL PORFIRYEVITCH GLAGOLYEV (II) His Son

STCHERBOOK A Neighbour

LIZA AND VERA His Daughters

PETRIN AND BUGROV Money-Lenders

MARYA EFIMOVNA GREKOVA A Young Woman from the Neighbourhood

OSSIP A Dark Character

YAKOV AND VASSILY Servants of Voinitzev

KATYA MARKO

Scene: A garden. In the foreground a -flower-bed and a winding path. In the centre of the flower-bed, a statue. On the head of the statue, a lighted lantern. There are forms, chairs, small tables. To the right, the facade of the house is visible. There are steps leading up to it. The windows are open. From them are audible laughter, conversation, the sounds of a piano and violin. (The quadrille, valses, etc.) In the depth of the garden there is a Chinese summer-house decorated with lanterns. Over its entrance there is a monogram consisting of the letters S. V. Beyond the summer-house a game of skittles is being played. There is heard the rolling of balls, and outcries: Five good ones! Four poor ones! etc. The garden and the house are illuminated. Visitors are pacing the garden back and forth, and occasionally a servant is seen. Vassily and Jakov, in black frock coats, drunken, are hanging lanterns and lighting them.

TRILETZKY. Well said! (Sighs.) You are right.

BUGROV (taking out his wallet) . You think it right to scoff too... It doesnt take much to send you off into Ha! Ha! Ha! Is it proper to do that? No, you cant say it is... Though Im not educated as you are, still Ive been baptized the same as my learned brother... If I talk stupidly, then you ought to instruct me, and not laugh at me... Thats what I think. We moujiks are human beings, though we dont use powder and though our skins are tough. You dont have much to say to us. Excuse me, if V m blunt... (He opens his wallet.) Its the last time, Nikolai Ivanitch. (He counts.) One. Six. Twelve...

TRILETZKY (looks into the wallet) . Heavens! And they say Russians havent any money! Where did you get so much?

BUGROV. Fifty... (Gives him the money.) Its the last time.

TRILETZKY. And whats that piece of paper? Youd better hand it over too... Its looking so fondly at me! (He takes the money.) Youd better hand it over too!

BUGROV (giving him more money) . Take it! Youre surely greedy, Nikolai Ivanitch!

TRILETZKY. Theyre all one-rouble notes, so many one-rouble notes... Looks as though you had begged them all. Theyre not counterfeit, by any chance?

BUGROV. Hand them back to me, if theyre counterfeit!

TRILETZKY. Id hand them back, if you needed them... Merely Timofey Gordeitch! I wish youd get stouter still, and get a medal. Tell me, Timofey Gordeitch, why do you lead such an abnormal life? You drink a lot, you talk in a bass voice, you sweat, you dont sleep when you ought to... For example, why arent you asleep right now? Youre a full-blooded, splenetic, inflammable sort of man. You ought to go to bed early! Why, you even have more veins than others. Is it right to go on killing oneself as you do?