KONSTANTIN - Konstantin is a frustrated young man. He lives in the shadow of his successful parents (Trigorin and Arkadina, both in the elite Russian circle of artists) and he is desperate to write like his father does. He is immature and like a child, his desperation for love, approval and self worth destroys him on the inside. The way that Konstantin wants to write a new wave of symbolist writing is similar to that being created by the likes of Stanislavsky and Chekhov himself. He is a character who is full of self-doubt and heavily reflects a lot of the younger generation of the time. This could still be related to today’s youth wannabe artists.
I answered some Stanislavksi questions:
WHO? - Konstantin Treplev
WHEN? - 1896
WHERE? - Family estate, Russia.
WHY? - To get away from family so I can write in peace. Also to get Nina to stay in this particular scene.
FOR WHAT REASON? - Because he feels everything he writes is not good enough. He loves Nina and wants to be with her.
FOR WHAT REASON? - Because he feels everything he writes is not good enough. He loves Nina and wants to be with her.
HOW? - By trying to explain his feelings to her.
Karl Glusman as Konstantin
Objectives
An objective is the reason for our actions. It is what motivates your character to do what they do.
In my scene extract Konstantin's objective is: To get Nina to stay
His superobjective is: To be a successful writer.
This is a constant reocurring theme in the play
Knowing my objective was useful because I could apply that to every time I rehearsed and performed. It would sit at the back of my mind and I would make sure it was always there.
Konstantin is could even be considered a Hamlet like character. This could be because of the parallel relationship between him, Arkadina, and Trigorin with Shakespeare's characters of Hamlet, Gertrude, and Claudius. The characters even mention quotes from Hamlet in the first act when Arkadina shows off her acting.
Later, in Act Four when he becomes published, Konstantin still feels empty without Nina. He craves Nina's love even after she left him for his mother's lover and kills himself when she shows herself to be incapable of loving him back once again. Treplev fills the void of love in his life by taking his life into his own hands.
Chekhov liked to explore real life issues that real life people experience. The deterioration of Konstantin's mental health is very significant in my scene as it is just before he takes his own life. He is supposed to be at his last wits.
Historical, Social and Political Context
I cannot find accurate statistics on suicide rate in Russia in the 1800s however, it is known that in the 1860s, the only suicides that were counted were ones of "noblemen". They did not take commoners into account as they had to be counted by the dozen. This really shows how much of an issue suicide was. The reasons of suicide follow a pattern such as political issues or financial issues.
It is also quite possible to view the hostility towards religion throughout this period as a possible impetus to suicide.
I cannot find accurate statistics on suicide rate in Russia in the 1800s however, it is known that in the 1860s, the only suicides that were counted were ones of "noblemen". They did not take commoners into account as they had to be counted by the dozen. This really shows how much of an issue suicide was. The reasons of suicide follow a pattern such as political issues or financial issues.
It is also quite possible to view the hostility towards religion throughout this period as a possible impetus to suicide.
Russia was also an Empire at the time The Seagull was written. This means Russia was very powerful and politically intimidating at the time. Alexander the III was in power and interestingly he was an enthusiastic amateur musician and patron of the ballet, Alexander was seen as lacking refinement and elegance.
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