The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard is very different from any other play; it is certainly not a type of comedy. On the same note, the play is not a tragedy either since it does not contain certain of its important characteristics, namely death. But we do not necessarily require death to call the play a tragedy. Marriage might have compelled us to call the play a comedy, but this too does not happen, although there are floating proposals around the place. On the other hand, some characters beg us to empathize with them, which is an indication of tragedy. To an extent, the character of Firs, Gaev and Tofimov can be called comic since they help add a sense of light-hearted humour to the play. As a result, Lyubov’s comedy is diminished as she is the only character, besides Lopakhin, who really shows genuine concern about the cherry orchard. There is undoubtedly an emotional attachment that works at the psychological level between the family members and the cherry orchard. Mrs. Ranevsky in particular cannot come to terms with her reality and refuses to accept her son’s death. Referring the orchard to as a ‘nursery’ serves to maintain this gloomy sentimentality in Mrs. Ranevsky’s mind. In the end, we are justified in calling The Cherry Orchard a mixture of tragedy and comedy, as it contains prominent elements of both.