The Swan Song (Important Passages with Explanation)

 

“The Swan Song”, is one of Chekhov’s early plays. It was written in 1887. It is based on ancient beliefs. It was believed that the swan sings a beautiful song just before it dies. It is about the last performance of a sixty-eight years old actor, Svietlovidoff, who is old and lonely. After playing his part, he falls asleep in the dressing room under the influence of alcohol. When he wakes up he finds that he is lonely in this world. His friend comes to him. He recalls not only the shattering experiences of his life but also his past greatness as an actor. In the end Svietlovidoff bids adieu to the stage by some moving lines from Shakespeare’s play” Othello”. The empty stage represents the absurdity of life.

 

Important Passages with Explanation

1.      Even if I don’t mind ruining my health, I ought at least to remember my age, old idiot that I am! Yes, my old age! It’s no use! I can play the fool and brag and pretend to be young, but my life is really over now, I kiss my hand to the sixty-eight years that have gone by: I’ll never see them again! I have drained the bottle, only a few little drops are left at the bottom, nothing but the dregs. Yes, yes, that’s the case, Vasili, old boy.

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play’ The Swan Song’ written by Anton Chekhov. It is the stone of Svietlovidoff who was once a famous stage actor. When the play opens, it is night and the audience has gone. But he is in the dressing room lonely and sad.

Explanation:- In these lines, Svitelovidoff is alone in the dressing room at night. He is talking to himself. He has taken a lot of wine and is drunk. He knows that he is ruining his health by drinking too much. He says that he can boast about himself and pretend to be young. Then he looks at the bottle which he has emptied. He has taken a lot of wine in order to forget his sorrow and loneliness.

2.      I served in the army, in the artillery, before I fell as low as this, and what a fine young chap I was! Handsome, daring eager! Where has it all gone? What has become of those old days? There is a pit that has swallowed them all! I remember it all now, forty-five years of my life lie buried there, and what a life!

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play” The Swan Song” written by Anton Chekhov. Svietlovidoff is an old stage actor. He has performed for the stage for forty-five years. Now he is sad, forgotten, and lonely. He remembers his past glory.

Explanation-  In these lines, Svietlovidoff is talking to his friend IvanItch. He says in his youth he served in the army. He was in the artillery division. But now, as an actor, he has fallen to a very low position in his old age. He says that in his youth he was a fine boy. But in his old age, his condition is pitiable. Life is like a pit in which forty-five years of his life are buried. Thus these lines show the misery of an actor who was once famous, but now he is forgotten.

3.      She was beautiful, graceful as a popular, young, innocent, pure, and radiant as a summer down. Her smile could charm away the darkest night. I remember I stood before her once, as I am now standing before you. She had never seemed lovely to me as she did them, and she spoke to me so with her eyes- such a look! Enraptured, intoxicated, I fell on my knees before her I begged for my happiness, and she said:” Give up the stage!” Do you understand? She could lone an actor, but marry him never!

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play” The Swan Song” written by Anton Chekhov. The main character of this play, Svietlovidoff, is an old actor. He goes to the dressing room and falls asleep. When he wakes up in the night, he weeps at his sad& lonely condition. He tells her that when he was at the peak of his career a woman fell in love with him.

Explanation:- Here Svietlovidoff remembers the love affair of his youth. He was a famous actor and a woman fell in love with him. She was very beautiful. He says that he will never forget her. He proposed to her for marriage. But for marriage, she laid the condition that Svitlovidoff should give up theatre. He says that a woman could love an actor but could not marry an actor. It was because in those days stage acting was considered a low profession.

4.      I was acting that day, I remember- I had a foolish, clown’s part, and as I acted, I felt my eyes being opened, I saw that the worship of the art I held so sacred was a delusion and an empty dream; that I was a slave, a fool, the plaything of the idleness of strangers.

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play ”The Swan Song” written by Anton Chekhov. The play deals with the story of an actor named Svietlovidoff has been in the theatre for more than forty years. This play presents Svietlovidoff's last performance on the stage. When the play opens, it is night and the audience has gone.

Explanation:- Here Svietlovidoff is talking to Nikita. He tells him that he realizes the actual position of an actor in society. He never thought that the woman would reject his proposal he says that he was playing a foolish clown’s part on that day. Her refusal opened his eyes. He realized that his sacredness of art was only a delusion. His art had done nothing for him. He considered himself a slave and a fool. This shows that the artists or stage actors are taken nothing more than the entertainers. They are given no social respect and respect at all.

5.      But I am a man, I am still alive. Warm, red blood is tingling in my veins, the blood of noble ancestors. I was artillery before I fell as low at this, and what a fine young chap I was!

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play” The Swan Song” written by Anton Chekhov. The play deals with the story of an old actor named Svietlovidoff. The play presents Svitlovidoff’s last performance on the stage.

Explanation:- In these lines, Svietlovidoff feels very sad to think that he has no home, family relatives, and nobody to care for him. Nikita tries to console him. He asks him not to feel sad. To this Sveitlovidoff says that he too is a human being and still alive. He has warm blood running in his veins. He says that he is an aristocrat and has served in the army and was in the artillery regiment. He was a smart and strong young man before adopting an acting career and then fell low as this.

6.      Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me! Bravo! Encore! Bravo! Where the devil is there any old age in that? I am not old, that is all nonsense, a torrent of strength rushes over me; this is life, freshness youth? Old age and genius can’t exist together.

Reference to the context:- These lines have been taken from the play, “ The Swan Song” written by Anton Chekhov Sveitlovidoff is an old actor. He was very famous in the past. But now he is lonely. At night he sits with his friend Nikita Ivanitch and shares his past memories& sadness with him.

Explanation-In these lines, Svietlovidoff is talking to his friend Nikita Ivanitch. Svietlovidoff is sixty years old. He is lonely& sad. Now nobody cares for him. Sometimes he was very sad at his miserable condition. But then he tells his friend that he is not completely exhausted. He is not an instrument upon which anyone can play. Although he is old, he feels a wave of strength coming over him. He says that old age and genius cannot exist together. He has art and therefore, old age does not matter.

7.      My audience has gone home. They are all asleep and have forgotten their old clown.    No, nobody needs me, nobody loves me; I have no wife, no children.

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from Anton Chekhov's play, 'The Swan Song'. In this play, the playwright brings out the disillusionment of an actor who finds that while he is loved and applauded as an artist, he is disregarded as an individual and a human being.

Explanation: After his swansong ( Last performance) on the stage, Svietlovidoff gets drunk and falls asleep in the dressing room itself. When he gets up, he finds that everyone else has left for their homes and he has been left all alone. None has cared to wake him up and take him home. The audience, who was mad with enthusiasm at his wonderful performance, did not care a fig for him. They had all gone home, fallen asleep, and forgotten the old clown who had entertained them for forty-five years of his life. Now, at last, the old actor realizes that nobody needs him as a human being, and nobody likes him. He has no wife and no children also to take care of him. He feels himself all alone like an outcast.

8.      Enraptured, intoxicated, I fell on my knees before her, I begged for my happiness, and she said: 'Give up the stage!' Give up the stage! Do you understand? She could love an actor, but marry him - never!

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from Anton Chekhov's play. 'The Swan Song'. In this play, the playwright brings out the disillusionment of an actor who finds that while he is loved and applauded as an artist, he is disregarded as an individual and a human being.

Explanation: Here, the old comedian, Svietlovidoff, recalls how a beautiful woman refused to marry him simply because he would not give up the stage. Sveitlovidoff felt intoxicated and enraptured when he found that a very beautiful woman among his audience was madly fond of him. But when he proposed to her for marriage, she said, “Give up the stage." It gave Svietlovidoff the shock of his life to see that a woman could love an actor, but never think of marrying him. In other words, people take actors merely as playthings, not living human beings having their own feelings and emotions.

9.      I saw that the worship of the art I had held so sacred was a delusion and an empty dream; that I was a slave, a fool, the plaything of the idleness of strangers. I understood my audience at last, and since that day I have not believed in their applause, or in their wreath, or in their enthusiasm. 

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from Anton Chekhov's play, 'The Swan Song'. In this play, the playwright brings out the disillusionment of an actor who finds that while he is loved and applauded as an artist, he is disregarded as an individual and a human being.

Explanation: These lines have been spoken by the old comedian, Svietlovidoff, to the prompter, Ivantich,. Svietlovidoff recalls how a beautiful woman refused to marry him just because he was not ready to give up the stage. But he could never think of doing such a thing. He says that he was playing a foolish clown's part that day, but the woman's reaction opened his eyes. He realized all his worship of art was an empty dream. His art had done nothing but turn him into a slave and a fool. It had made him a plaything of the idleness of strangers. After that day, he came to understand his audience. Since that day, he stopped believing in their applause, wreaths, or their enthusiasm.

10.   The people applaud me, they buy my photograph, but I am a stranger to them. They don't know me, I am as the dirt beneath their feet. They are willing enough to meet me ....but allow a daughter or a sister to marry me, an outcast, never!

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from Anton Chekhov's play. 'The Swan Song'. In this play, the playwright brings out the disillusionment of an actor who finds that while he is loved and applauded as an artist, he is disregarded as an individual and a human being.

Explanation: Here, the old comedian, Svietlovidoff, expresses his disillusionment about his life as an actor. He finds that people applaud him for his genius in acting. But as a human being, he is a stranger to them. They know nothing about his feelings and emotions as an individual. While they applaud him as an actor, they show complete disregard for him as a human being. They treat him like the dirt beneath their feet. They are willing to meet him as an actor, but will never allow a daughter or a sister to marry him. Then they forget all about his genius and treat him as an inferior human being.