✦ Class 12 English Prose · Bihar Board

A Marriage
Proposal

Anton Chekhov

A hilarious one-act comedy about a nervous landowner who comes to propose marriage, only to end up in furious arguments over a strip of land and a hunting dog — while the woman he came to propose to doesn't even know why he's there!

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Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov Russian Dramatist & Story Writer · 1860–1904
The Author

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)

Russian dramatist, short story writer, and one of the greatest writers of modern theatre.

Anton Chekhov portrait

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904), dramatist and short story writer of Russia, was a doctor by profession. He began his literary career by writing comic sketches. He lived in Russia during the rule of the czars, or emperors.

His works present an accurate picture of the Russia of his day. They also explore the depths of human emotion. Chekhov introduced to the stage the realistic problems of common people. His works often show a comic attitude towards the behaviour expected from the elite of that time. Even his saddest plays contain humour. His comedies are based on recognizable human weaknesses. Hence, they portray human life in a sensitive way.

His important works include Uncle Vanya (1900), The Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904). He had a considerable influence on twentieth-century drama. George Bernard Shaw paid tribute to him in Heartbreak House (1919).

The present comedy A Marriage Proposal presents characters who cause their own discomfort. It is a one-act play in which a nervous hypochondriac landowner comes to propose to his neighbour's daughter, but ends up quarrelling about a disputed piece of land and a hunting dog instead.

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Full NameAnton Pavlovich Chekhov
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Born1860, Russia
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Died1904
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ProfessionDoctor · Writer · Dramatist
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Famous WorksUncle Vanya · The Three Sisters · The Cherry Orchard
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PlayA Marriage Proposal
Quick Overview

Summary

Concise overview of the chapter.

A Marriage Proposal is a hilarious one-act play by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov. It features three characters: Ivan Vassilievich Lomov, a wealthy but nervous landowner; Natalia Stepanovna, his neighbour and the woman he wants to marry; and Stepan Stepanovich Choobookov, Natalia's father.

Lomov arrives at Choobookov's house dressed formally and asks for Natalia's hand in marriage. Choobookov is delighted — Lomov is wealthy and respectable. But the proposal immediately goes wrong.

First, Lomov and Natalia get into a heated argument over a piece of land called Ox Meadows. Both claim ownership. The argument becomes so intense that Lomov feels his heart racing and nearly faints. He leaves the room in a rage.

Natalia, learning that Lomov had come to propose, is horrified — she still wants to marry him. She calls him back. But then they start arguing about something else — their dogs. Lomov says his dog Guess is better than Natalia's dog Leap. Another shouting match begins.

Lomov feels faint again. Choobookov, frustrated, joins the argument. The three of them shout at each other over trivial matters — land, dogs, hunting — while the actual proposal is forgotten.

Finally, Choobookov — in desperation — places Natalia's hand in Lomov's and declares them engaged. Lomov and Natalia, still arguing, suddenly realise they are now officially engaged. They stop shouting. The play ends comically, with the two of them still bickering but now as a couple.

Chekhov's satire targets the absurdity of human quarrels — how people fight over petty things while missing what really matters. It also pokes fun at the landowning class — idle, quarrelsome, and obsessed with status.

Of all the foolish things that men do, arguing about land and dogs while love is waiting to be accepted is the most foolish of all. — The play's message
The Text

A Marriage Proposal

A one-act comedy by Anton Chekhov.

SC
Stepan Stepanovich Choobookov

A landowner, father of Natalia

NS
Natalia Stepanovna

His twenty-five-year-old daughter

IL
Ivan Vassilievich Lomov

Their neighbour, a healthy but hypochondriac landowner

Scene I Lomov Arrives to Propose

(Choobookov and Lomov. The latter enters, wearing tails and white gloves.)

ChoobookovWhy, of all people! My old friend, Ivan Vassilievich! How nice to see you! (shakes hand.) This really is a surprise, old boy... How are you?
LomovVery well, thank you. And may I ask how you are?
ChoobookovNot bad at all, old friend, with the help of your prayers and so on... Please have a seat... Now, really, it's not very nice of you to neglect your neighbours, my dear boy. And what are you all dressed up for? Morning coat, gloves, and so on! Are you off on a visit, old boy?
LomovNo, I'm just calling on you, my esteemed neighbour.
ChoobookovBut why the morning coat, old friend? This isn't New Year's Day!
LomovWell, you see, the fact of the matter is... (Takes his arm.) I've burst in on you like this, Stepan Stepanovich, my esteemed neighbour, in order to ask a favour of you. I've already had the honour more than once of turning to you for help and you've always, so to speak, uh!... but forgive me, my nerves... I must have a sip of water, dear Stepan Stepanovich. (Drinks some water.)
Choobookov(aside) He's after money. Fat chance! (to Lomov) What is it, my dear fellow?
LomovWell, you see, my Stepan dearovich, uh! I mean dear Stepanovich... uh! I mean, my nerves are in a terrible condition, which you yourself are so kind as to see. In short, you're the only one who can help me, although, of course, I've done nothing to deserve it and... and I don't even have the right to count on your help...
ChoobookovNow, now; don't beat about the bush, old friend. Out with it!... Well?
LomovAll right, here you are. The fact of the matter is, I've come to ask for your daughter Natalia's hand in marriage.
Choobookov(overjoyed) My dearest friend! Ivan Vassilievich. Could you repeat that — I'm not sure I heard right!
LomovI have the honour of asking—
Choobookov(breaking in) My oldest and dearest friend... I'm so delighted and so on... Yes really, and all that sort of thing. (hugging and kissing him) I've been yearning for this for ages. It's been my constant desire. (sheds a tear.) And I've always loved you like a son, you wonderful person, you. May God grant you love and guidance and so on, it's been my most fervent wish... but why am I standing here like a blockhead? I'm dumbstruck by the sheer joy of it, completely dumbstruck. Oh, with all my heart and soul... I'll go get Natasha, and so on.
Lomov(deeply moved) Stepan Stepanovich, my esteemed friend, do you think I may count on her accepting me?
ChoobookovA handsome devil like you? How could she possibly resist? She's madly in love with you, don't worry, madly, and so on... I'll call her right away.

Scene II Lomov Alone — His Nervous Fears

(Lomov alone.)

LomovIt's so cold... I'm shaking all over, like before a final exam. The important thing is to make up your mind. If you think about it too long, or waver, talk about it too much, and wait for the ideal woman or for true love, you'll never marry... Brr! It's cold! Natalia Stepanovna is an excellent housekeeper, she's not bad-looking, and she's got some education... What more could I ask for? Oh, I'm so nervous; I can hear a buzzing in my ears. (Drinks some water.) It would be best for me to get married... first of all, I'm thirty-five years old already — and that, as they say, is a critical age. And then, I have to start leading a steady and regular life... I've got a heart condition, with palpitations all the time... I've got an awful temper and I'm always getting terribly wrought up... Even now, my lips are trembling and my right eyelid is twitching... But the worst thing is when I try to sleep. The instant I get to bed and start dropping off, something stabs me in my left side — Ungh! And it cuts right through my shoulder straight into my head — Ungh! I jump like a lunatic, walk about a little, and then I lie down again, but the moment I start to doze off, I feel it in my side again — ungh! And it keeps on and on for at least twenty times...

Scene III The Ox Meadows Quarrel

(Natalia Stepanovna and Lomov.)

Natalia(entering) Ah, it's you. And Papa said a customer had come for the merchandise. How do you do, Ivan Vassilievich!
LomovHow do you do, my esteemed Natalia Stepanovna!
NataliaI'm sorry about my apron and not being dressed... We're shelling peas for drying. Where've you been yourself? Have a seat... (They sit down.) Would you like a bite of lunch?
LomovThank you so much, but I've already eaten.
NataliaWell, then have a cigarette... The matches are over here... The weather's magnificent today, but yesterday it rained so hard that the men couldn't do a thing all day long. How much hay did you get done? Can you imagine, I was so greedy that I had the whole meadow mown, and now I regret it, I'm scared that all my hay may rot. I should have waited. But what's this? I do believe you're wearing a morning coat! How original! Are you going to a ball or something? Incidentally, you're getting quite handsome... But honestly, why are you all dolled up?
Lomov(nervously) You see, my esteemed Natalia Stepanovna... the fact is I've made up my mind to ask you to listen to me... Naturally you'll be surprised and even angry, but I... (aside) God, it's cold!
NataliaWhat is it? (pause) Well?
LomovI'll try to be brief. You are well aware, my esteemed Natalia Stepanovna, that for a long time now, in fact since my childhood, I have had the honour of knowing your family. My late aunt and her husband, whose estate as you know I inherited, always held your father and your late mother in utmost esteem. The Lomov family and the Choobookov family have always maintained extremely friendly, one might even say, intimate relations. Furthermore, as you know, my property borders on yours. Perhaps you will be so kind as to recall that my Ox Meadows run along your birch forest.
NataliaExcuse me for interrupting you. You said "my Ox Meadows"... Are they yours?
LomovOf course...
NataliaOh, come now! The Ox Meadows belong to us, not you!
LomovOh no! They're mine, dear Natalia Stepanovna.
NataliaThat's news to me. How did they ever get to be yours?
LomovWhat do you mean? I'm talking about the Ox Meadows that are wedged in between your birch forest and the Burnt Marsh.
NataliaExactly... They're ours.
LomovNo, you're mistaken, dear Natalia Stepanovna — they're mine.
NataliaDo be reasonable, Ivan Vassilievich! Since when have they been yours?
LomovSince when? They've always been ours, as far back as I can remember.
NataliaExcuse me, but this is too much!
LomovYou can look at the documents, dear Natalia Stepanovna. At one time, there were some quarrels about the Ox Meadows, you're quite right. But now, everyone knows they're mine. Why argue about it? If you will permit me to explain: my aunt's grandmother lent them to your paternal great-grandfather's peasants for an indefinite period and free of charge in return for their firing her bricks. Your great-grandfather's peasants used the Meadows free of charge for some forty years and began thinking of them as their own... and then after the Emancipation, when a statute was passed — You've got it all wrong! Both my grandfather and great-grandfather regarded their property as reaching all the way to the Burnt Swamp — which means that the Ox Meadows were ours. What's there to argue about? — I don't understand. How annoying!
LomovI'll show you the documents, Natalia Stepanovna.
NataliaNo; you're joking or trying to tease me... What a surprise! We've owned the land for practically three hundred years and now suddenly we're told it's not ours! I'm sorry, Ivan Vassilievich, but I can't believe my ears. Those Meadows don't mean a thing to me. The whole area probably doesn't come to more than forty acres, it's worth about three hundred rubles; but I'm terribly upset by the injustice of it all. You can say what you like, but I simply can't stand injustice.
LomovPlease listen to me, I beseech you. Your paternal great-grandfather's peasants, as I have already had the honour of telling you, fired bricks for my aunt's grandmother. Now, my aunt's grandmother, wishing to do them a favour in return—
NataliaGrandfather, grandmother, aunt... I don't know what you're talking about! The Meadows are ours, and that's that.
LomovThey're mine!
NataliaThey're ours! You can keep arguing for two days, you can put on fifteen morning coats if you like, but they're ours, ours, ours!... I don't desire your property, but I don't care to lose mine... Do as you like!
LomovI don't need the Meadows, Natalia Stepanovna, but it's the principle of the thing. If you want, I'll give them to you.
NataliaIt would be my privilege to give them to you, they're mine!... All this is rather odd — to put it mildly, Ivan Vassilievich. Up till now we've always considered you a good neighbour and friend. Last year we let you borrow our threshing machine, and as a result we couldn't finish our own grain until November, and now you're treating us like Gypsies. You're giving me my own land. Excuse me, but that's not a neighbourly thing to do! To my mind, it's impertinent, if you care to—
LomovAre you trying to tell me that I'm a landgrabber? Madam, I've never seized anyone else's property, and I won't allow anyone to say I have... (Hurries over to the carafe and drinks some water.) The Ox Meadows are mine!

Scene IV Choobookov Joins the Quarrel

(Enter Choobookov.)

ChoobookovWhat's going on? What's all the shouting about?
NataliaPapa, please tell this gentleman whom the Ox Meadows belong to — us or him.
Choobookov(to Lomov) Why, the Meadows belong to us, old friend.
LomovBut for goodness' sake, Stepan Stepanovich, how can that be? Can't you be reasonable at least? My aunt's grandmother lent the Meadows to your grandfather's peasants for temporary use and free of charge. His peasants used the land for forty years and got in the habit of regarding it as their own, but after the Land Settlement—
ChoobookovExcuse me, old boy... You're forgetting that our peasants didn't pay your grandmother and so on precisely because the Meadows were disputed and what not... But now every child knows that they're ours. I guess you've never looked at the maps.
LomovI'll prove they're mine!
ChoobookovYou won't prove a thing, my boy.
LomovI'll so prove it!
ChoobookovMy dear boy, why carry on like this? You won't prove a thing by shouting. I don't want anything of yours, but I don't intend to let go of what's mine. Why should I? If it comes to that, dear friend, if you mean to dispute my ownership of the Meadows, and so on, I'd sooner let my peasants have them than you. So there!
LomovI don't understand. What right do you have to give away other people's property?
ChoobookovAllow me to decide whether or not I've got the right. Really, young man, I'm not accustomed to being spoken to in that tone of voice, and what not. I'm old enough to be your father, and I must ask you to calm down when you speak to me, and so forth.
LomovNo! You're treating me like an idiot, and laughing at me. You tell me that my property is yours, and then you expect me to remain calm and talk to you in a normal fashion. That's not a very neighbourly thing to do, Stepan Stepanovich. You're no neighbour, you're a robber baron.
ChoobookovWhat? What did you say, my good man?
NataliaPapa, have the men mow the Ox Meadows right now!
Choobookov(to Lomov) What did you say, sir?
NataliaThe Ox Meadows are our property, and I won't let anyone else have them. I won't, I won't, I won't!
LomovWe'll see about that! I'll prove to you in court that they're mine.
ChoobookovIn court? My good man, you can take it to court, and what not. Go right ahead! I know you, you've just been waiting for a chance to litigate, and so on. You're a quibbler from the word go. Your whole family's nothing but a bunch of pettifoggers. All of them!
LomovI must ask you not to insult my family. The Lomovs have always been law-abiding folk. None of them was ever hauled into court for embezzlement the way your uncle was...
ChoobookovEvery last one of them was insane.
NataliaEvery last one of them, every last one!
ChoobookovYour grandfather drank like a fish, and the whole country knows that your youngest aunt, Nastasia, ran off with an architect, and what not—
LomovAnd your mother was a hunchback! (clutching at his heart) There's a twitching in my side... My head's throbbing... Oh, God... Water!
ChoobookovAnd your father was a gambler and he ate like a pig!
NataliaAnd no one could beat your aunt at scandalmongering.
LomovMy left leg's paralysed... And you're a schemer... Oooh! My heart!... And it's no secret to anyone that just before the election you... There are stars bursting before my eyes... Where's my hat?
NataliaVermin! Liar! Brute!
ChoobookovYou're a spiteful, double-dealing schemer! So there!
LomovAh, my hat... My heart. Where am I? Where's the door? Oooh!... I think I'm dying... My foot's totally paralysed. (Drags himself to the door.)
Choobookov(calling after him) And don't ever set your foot in my home again!
NataliaGo to court! Sue us! Just wait and see! (Lomov staggers out.)

Scene V The Shocking Truth

(Choobookov and Natalia Stepanovna.)

ChoobookovHe can go straight to hell, damn him! (Walks about, all wrought up.)
NataliaIsn't he the worst crook? Catch me trusting a good neighbour after this!
ChoobookovThe chiseler! The scarecrow!
NataliaThe monster! He not only grabs other people's property, he calls them names, to boot.
ChoobookovAnd that clown, that... freak had the colossal nerve to ask me for your hand in marriage, and so on. Can you imagine? He wanted to propose.
NataliaPropose?
ChoobookovExactly! That's what he came for. To propose to you.
NataliaPropose? To me? Why didn't you say so?
ChoobookovAnd he got all dolled up in a morning coat. That pipsqueak. That upstart.
NataliaPropose? To me? Ohhh! (collapses into an armchair and wails) Bring him back. Get him. Ohh! Get him!
ChoobookovGet whom?
NataliaHurry up, hurry! I feel sick. Bring him back. (hysterical).
ChoobookovWhat is it? What's wrong? (Grabbing his head) This is awful. I'll shoot myself. I'll hang myself. They've worn me out.
NataliaI'm dying! Bring him back!
ChoobookovAlright. Stop yelling! (Runs out)
Natalia(alone, wailing) What've we done? Bring him back! Bring him back!
Choobookov(running in) He's coming and all that, goddamn him. Ughh! You talk to him, alone. I really don't feel like...
Natalia(wailing) Bring him back!
Choobookov(shouting) He's coming, I tell you. Oh God! What did I ever do to deserve a grown-up daughter? I'll cut my throat. I swear, I'll cut my throat. We insulted and abused him, and it's all your fault!
NataliaMy fault? It was yours!
ChoobookovNow I'm the culprit! (Lomov appears at the French doors. Choobookov exits.)

Scene VI The Dog Quarrel

(Natalia and Lomov.)

Lomov(entering, exhausted) What horrible palpitations... my foot's gone numb... there's a jabbing in my side...
NataliaMy apologies, Ivan Vassilievich, we got so worked up... I do recall now that the Ox Meadows are actually your property.
LomovMy heart's palpitating... The Meadows are mine... There are stars bursting in both my eyes. (They sit down.)
NataliaWe were wrong.
LomovIt's the principle of the thing... I don't care about the land, it's the principle of the thing—
NataliaExactly, the principle... Let's talk about something else.
LomovParticularly since I have proof. My aunt's grandmother let your paternal great-grandfather's peasants—
NataliaAll right, all right... (aside) I don't know how to go about it... (to Lomov) Will you start hunting soon?
LomovYes, for grouse, Natalia Stepanovna. I think I shall begin after the harvest. Oh, have you heard what bad luck I had? My hound Guess — you know the one — he's gone lame.
NataliaWhat a pity! How did it happen?
LomovI don't know... he must have twisted his leg, or else some other dog bit him... (sighs) My very best hound, not to mention the money! Why, I paid Mironov a hundred and twenty-five rubles for him.
NataliaYou overpaid him, Ivan Vassilievich.
LomovI don't think so. It was very little for a wonderful dog.
NataliaPapa bought his dog Leap for eighty-five rubles, and Leap is vastly superior to your Guess!
LomovLeap superior to Guess? Oh, come now, (laughs) Leap superior to Guess! Of course he is! I know that Leap is still young, he's not a full-grown hound yet. But for points and action, not even Volchanietsky has a better dog.
LomovExcuse me, Natalia Stepanovna, but you're forgetting that he's pug-jawed, which makes him a poor hunting dog.
NataliaPug-jawed? That's news to me.
LomovI can assure you, his lower jaw is shorter than his upper jaw.
NataliaHave you measured it?
LomovIndeed, I have. He'll do for pointing, of course, but when it comes to retrieving, he can hardly hold a candle.
NataliaFirst of all, our Leap is a pedigreed greyhound — he's the son of Harness and Chisel, whereas your Guess is so piebald that not even Solomon could figure out his breed... Furthermore, he's as old and ugly as a broken-down nag—
LomovHe may be old, but I wouldn't trade him for five of your Leaps... The very idea! Guess is a real hound, but Leap... Why argue? It's ridiculous... Every huntsman's assistant has a dog like your Leap. At twenty-five rubles he'd be overpriced.
NataliaYou seem to be possessed by some demon of contradiction, Ivan Vassilievich. First you fancy that the Ox Meadows are yours, then you pretend that Guess is a better hound than Leap. If there's one thing I don't like it's a person who says the opposite of what he thinks. You know perfectly well that Leap is a hundred times better than... than that stupid Guess of yours. Why do you insist on denying it?
LomovYou obviously must think, Natalia Stepanovna, that I'm either blind or mentally retarded. Can't you see that your Leap has a pug jaw?
NataliaThat's not true.
LomovA pug jaw.
Natalia(screaming) That's not true.
LomovWhy are you screaming, Madam?
NataliaWhy are you talking such rubbish? It's exasperating! Your Guess is just about ready to be put out of his misery, and you compare him to Leap.
LomovExcuse me, but I can't keep on arguing like this. My heart's palpitating.
NataliaI've noticed that the sportsmen who argue most don't understand the first thing about hunting.
LomovMadam, pleeease, keep quiet... My heart's bursting... (shouts) Keep quiet!
NataliaI won't keep quiet until you admit that Leap is a hundred times superior to your Guess!
LomovHe's a hundred times inferior. Someone ought to shoot him. My temples... my eyes... my shoulder...
NataliaNo one has to wish that idiotic mutt of yours dead, because he's just skin and bones anyway.
LomovKeep quiet! I'm having heart failure!
NataliaI will not keep quiet!

Scene VII The Final Quarrel — and the Proposal

(Choobookov entering.)

ChoobookovWhat's going on now?
NataliaPapa, tell me, honestly and sincerely: which is the better dog — our Leap or his Guess?
LomovStepan Stepanovich, I beseech you, just tell me one thing: is your Leap pug-jawed or isn't he? Yes or no?
ChoobookovSo what! Who cares? He's still the best hound in the country, and what not.
LomovAnd my Guess isn't better? Tell the truth.
ChoobookovDon't get all worked up, old boy... Let me explain... Your Guess does have a few good qualities... He's pure-bred, he's got solid legs, he's well put together, and what not. But if you must know, my good man, your dog's got two basic faults: He's old, and his muzzle's too short.
LomovExcuse me; my heart's racing madly... Let's examine the facts... Please, don't forget that when we were hunting in the Mapooksin Fields, my Guess ran neck and neck with the count's dog Waggy, while your Leap lagged behind by half a mile.
ChoobookovThat was because the count's assistant struck him with his riding crop.
LomovNaturally. All the other dogs were chasing the fox, but yours started running after sheep.
ChoobookovThat's a lie! My dear boy, I fly off the handle easily, so, please let's stop arguing. The man whipped him because people are always envious of everyone else's dogs. Yes, they're all filled with spite! And you sir, are no exception. Why, the minute you notice that anyone else's dog is better than your Guess, you instantly start up something or other... and what not. I've got the memory of an elephant!
LomovAnd so do I.
Choobookov(mimicking him) "And so do I"... and what does your memory tell you?
LomovMy heart's palpitating... My foot's paralysed... I can't anymore...
Natalia(mimicking) "My heart's palpitating..." What kind of hunter are you anyway? You ought to be home in bed catching cockroaches instead of out hunting foxes. Palpitations!...
ChoobookovThat's right, what kind of hunter are you? If you've got palpitations, stay home; don't go wobbling around the countryside on horseback. It wouldn't be so bad if you really hunted, but you only tag along in order to start arguments or meddle with other people's dogs, and what not. We'd better stop, I fly off the handle easily. You, sir, are not a hunter, and that's that.
LomovAnd you are, I suppose. The only reason you go hunting is to flatter the count and carry on your backstabbing little intrigues... Oh, my heart!... You schemer!
ChoobookovMe, a schemer. (shouting) Shut up!
LomovSchemer!
ChoobookovUpstart! Pipsqueak!
LomovYou old fog! You hypocrite!
ChoobookovShut up, or I'll blast you with a shot gun like a partridge.
LomovThe whole country knows that — Oh, my heart! — your late wife used to beat you... My leg... my temples... I see stars... I'm falling, falling...
ChoobookovAnd your housekeeper henpecks you all over the place!
LomovThere, you see... my heart's burst! My shoulder's torn off... Where's my shoulder?... I'm dying! (collapses into armchair) Get a doctor! (faints)
ChoobookovPipsqueak. Weakling. Windbag. I feel sick. (drinks some water) I feel sick.
NataliaWhat kind of hunter are you anyway? You don't even know how to sit in a saddle! (to her father) Papa! What's the matter with him? Papa! Look, Papa! (screams) Ivan Vassilievich! He's dead!
ChoobookovI feel sick!... I can't breathe!... Air!
NataliaHe's dead! (tugs at Lomov's sleeves) Ivan Vassilievich! Ivan Vassilievich! What've we done! He's dead. (collapses into easy chair) Get a doctor. (She becomes hysterical.)
ChoobookovOh!... What is it? What's wrong?
Natalia(moaning) He's dead... He's dead!
ChoobookovWho's dead? (glancing at Lomov) He really is dead! Oh, my God! Get some water! Get a doctor! (holds a glass to Lomov's mouth) Go ahead and drink!... He won't drink... I guess he's dead and so on... Why does everything have to happen to me? Why didn't I cut my throat? What am I waiting for? Give me a knife! Give me a gun! (Lomov stirs.) He's reviving, I think... Drink some water!... That's right.
LomovStars... fog... where am I?
ChoobookovYou two'd better hurry up and get married... Dammit! She accepts... (joins Lomov's hand with Natalia's) She accepts... My blessings and so forth... Just do me a favour and leave me in peace.
LomovWhat? (getting up) Who?
ChoobookovShe accepts. Well? Kiss her and... the two of you can go straight to hell.
Natalia(moaning) He's alive... I accept, I accept...
ChoobookovKiss and make up.
LomovWhat? Who? (kisses Natalia) Enchante... Excuse me, but what's going on? Oh yes, I remember... My heart... stars... I'm very happy, Natalia Stepanovna. (kisses her hands) My leg's paralysed...
NataliaI... I'm very happy, too...
ChoobookovThat's a load off my back... Whew!
NataliaBut... all the same, why don't you finally admit that Guess isn't as good as Leap.
LomovHe's much better.
NataliaHe's worse.
ChoobookovThe launching of marital bliss! Champagne!
LomovHe's better.
NataliaWorse! Worse! Worse!
Choobookov(trying to outshout them) Champagne! Champagne!
That's a load off my back... Whew! — Choobookov, at the end of the play
Quick Revision

Key Themes — A Marriage Proposal

Six ideas that shape Chekhov's comic one-act play.

😂 Comedy of Human Weakness

The play is a comedy based on recognizable human weaknesses — nervousness, stubbornness, argumentativeness, and the inability to focus on what really matters. Chekhov laughs at his characters without cruelty.

💍 Marriage as a Practical Arrangement

Lomov doesn't propose out of love. He decides to marry because he is thirty-five, "a critical age," and needs a "steady and regular life." Natalia accepts because she wants to be married. Love is never mentioned.

🤬 The Futility of Argument

The Ox Meadows quarrel and the dog quarrel are absurd. Neither Lomov nor Natalia really cares about the land or the dog — they argue for the sake of arguing. Arguments for the sake of argument lead to nowhere.

🏥 Lomov's Hypochondria

Lomov imagines he is constantly ill — palpitations, twitching, numbness, stabbing pains. His nervous temperament makes him his own worst enemy. He causes his own discomfort, as the play's introduction says.

🎭 The Elite and Their Behaviour

Chekhov shows a comic attitude towards the behaviour expected from the elite of his time. Landowners are supposed to be dignified, but these characters descend into name-calling and fainting fits.

⏰ The Absurdity of It All

The proposal finally happens only because Lomov faints and Choobookov, exhausted, joins their hands and gives his blessing. Even then, the couple resume their dog argument immediately. The absurdity is the point.

Assessment

Test Your Understanding

Multiple choice · Fill in the blanks · Short answer. Everything is drawn from the text above.

🧠 Part A — Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer for each question. Click Check Answers at the end to see your score.

Score: — / 0

✏️ Part B — Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence on the basis of the text. Type your answer, then click Check Answers.

Score: — / 0

📝 Part C — Short Answer Questions

Think through your answer first, then click Show Model Answer to compare.

Textbook Exercises

Complete Exercise Bank

All questions from the Bihar Board Class 12 English Prose textbook — with answers and model responses.

B.1.1 Write T for True and F for False

Read the following sentences and write T for true and F for false. Click to reveal the answer with explanation.

iLomov is a neighbour of the Choobookovs.
True (T). Lomov is described as "their neighbour, a healthy and well-fed, but terribly hypochondriac landowner."
iiHe wore the morning coat to attend a party.
False (F). Choobookov asks, "Are you off on a visit, old boy?" and Lomov replies, "No, I'm just calling on you, my esteemed neighbour." He wore it to propose.
iiiMr Choobookov becomes angry to know Lomov's desire.
False (F). Choobookov is overjoyed. He hugs and kisses Lomov, sheds a tear, and says "I've been yearning for this for ages."
ivLomov is a man of nervous temperament.
True (T). Lomov admits, "my nerves are in a terrible condition," "I've got an awful temper and I'm always getting terribly wrought up."
vNatalia is a quiet and peace-loving lady.
False (F). Natalia is argumentative and stubborn. She screams, refuses to keep quiet, and calls Lomov names.
viThe ownership of Ox-meadows is disputed.
True (T). Both Lomov and Natalia claim ownership. Choobookov says the Meadows belong to them, but Lomov insists they are his.

B.1.2 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1How is Lomov greeted by Choobookov?
Choobookov greets Lomov warmly: "Why, of all people! My old friend, Ivan Vassilievich! How nice to see you!" He shakes his hand, says it's a surprise, invites him to sit, and playfully scolds him for neglecting his neighbours.
2How does Choobookov react when he comes to know that Lomov wants to marry Natalia?
Choobookov is overjoyed. He calls Lomov his "oldest and dearest friend," hugs and kisses him, sheds a tear, and says he has been yearning for this for ages. He says he has always loved Lomov like a son and it has been his most fervent wish.
3Why does Lomov think that his is a critical age?
Lomov thinks his is a critical age because he is already thirty-five years old. He feels it is time to settle down, lead a steady and regular life, and get married.
4Why does Lomov feel nervous before proposing to Natalia?
Lomov feels nervous because he is a hypochondriac with a nervous temperament. He says "It's so cold... I'm shaking all over, like before a final exam." He has palpitations, his lips tremble, his right eyelid twitches, and he hears buzzing in his ears.
5Why is Natalia afraid that all her hay may rot?
Natalia is afraid that all her hay may rot because she was "so greedy" that she had the whole meadow mown. She now regrets it because if it rains, the hay will rot. She says, "I should have waited."
6What, according to her, is the real worth of Ox-meadows?
According to Natalia, the Ox Meadows are not worth much — the whole area probably doesn't come to more than forty acres, and is worth about three hundred rubles. But she is "terribly upset by the injustice of it all."
7Who, according to Lomov, had let the meadows and to whom?
According to Lomov, his aunt's grandmother had lent the Ox Meadows to Natalia's paternal great-grandfather's peasants for an indefinite period and free of charge, in return for their firing her bricks.

B.2.1 Write T for True and F for False

iChoobookov supports Lomov's claim over Ox-meadows.
False (F). Choobookov says, "Why, the Meadows belong to us, old friend." He supports his own claim, not Lomov's.
iiHis peasants used the land for forty years.
True (T). Lomov says, "Your great-grandfather's peasants used the Meadows free of charge for some forty years."
iiiIt is Natalia who threatens to take the matter to court.
False (F). It is Lomov who says, "We'll see about that! I'll prove to you in court that they're mine." Natalia says, "Go to court! Sue us! Just wait and see!"
ivShe does not use abusive language for Lomov.
False (F). Natalia calls Lomov "Vermin! Liar! Brute!" and describes him as "the worst crook" and "the monster."
vShe feels delighted to have behaved decently with Lomov.
False (F). When she learns Lomov had come to propose, she wails, "What've we done? Bring him back!" She is distressed, not delighted.

B.2.2 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1What is Lomov's explanation of Ox-meadows becoming a disputed piece of land?
Lomov explains that his aunt's grandmother lent the Ox Meadows to Natalia's paternal great-grandfather's peasants for an indefinite period and free of charge, in return for their firing her bricks. The peasants used the Meadows for forty years and began to regard them as their own. After the Emancipation, when a statute was passed, the dispute arose.
2What does Choobookov say about Lomov's father and grandfather?
Choobookov says Lomov's grandfather drank like a fish, and his father was a gambler who ate like a pig. He also says Lomov's youngest aunt, Nastasia, ran off with an architect, and that every last one of the Lomovs was insane.
3Why does Lomov refer to the land settlement?
Lomov refers to the Land Settlement because it was after the Emancipation, when a statute was passed. He uses it to support his claim that the Ox Meadows are his — because his aunt's grandmother's loan to the peasants was only temporary.
4Why does he complain all the time of palpitation and veins throbbing?
Lomov complains of palpitation and throbbing veins because he is a hypochondriac. He imagines he has a heart condition, numbness, twitching and stabbing pains. His nervous temperament makes him overreact to every quarrel and stress.
5Why does Natalia cry and weep to know that Lomov has come to propose to her?
Natalia cries and weeps because she realises she has driven away a suitor without even knowing he had come to propose. She wants to be married, and she is horrified at the thought that she may have lost her chance. She hysterically demands that her father bring Lomov back.

B.3.1 Write T for True and F for False

iLomov refuses to come back to Natalia.
False (F). Lomov does come back. He appears at the French doors in Scene V and eventually proposes.
iiThe name of Lomov's dog is Leap.
False (F). The name of Lomov's dog is Guess. Leap is Choobookov's dog.
iiiChoobookov bought his dog for eighty-five rubles.
True (T). Natalia says, "Papa bought his dog Leap for eighty-five rubles."
ivAccording to Lomov, Leap is pug-jawed.
True (T). Lomov says, "he's pug-jawed, which makes him a poor hunting dog."
vLomov claims to have the memory of an elephant.
True (T). Choobookov says, "I've got the memory of an elephant!" and Lomov replies, "And so do I."
viChoobookov thinks that Lomov is possessed by some 'demon of contradiction'.
False (F). It is Natalia who says, "You seem to be possessed by some demon of contradiction, Ivan Vassilievich."
viiLomov faints when he realises that he will not succeed in marrying Natalia.
True (T). Lomov faints after the dog quarrel, crying, "My heart's burst! My shoulder's torn off... I'm dying! Get a doctor!"
viiiChoobookov takes the lead to settle the marriage of his daughter with Lomov.
True (T). When Lomov revives, Choobookov joins their hands and says, "She accepts... My blessings and so forth."

B.3.2 Complete the Sentences

aIt is not very nice of you to ____________ your neighbours.
neglect
bDo you think I may ____________ on her accepting me?
count
cI'm always getting terribly ____________ up.
wrought
dI was so greedy that I had the whole meadows ____________.
mown
eI have had the ____________ of knowing your family.
honour
fYour Leap ____________ behind by half mile.
lagged
gYou only tag along in order to ____________ with other people's dogs.
meddle

B.3.3 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1Why does Natalia want to talk about something else?
Natalia wants to talk about something else because she realizes Lomov has come to propose and she doesn't want to lose the opportunity by continuing to argue about the Ox Meadows. She is trying to change the subject to something pleasant so the proposal can happen.
2What, according to Lomov, is the main defect of Leap?
According to Lomov, Leap's main defect is that he is pug-jawed — his lower jaw is shorter than his upper jaw, which makes him a poor hunting dog, especially for retrieving.
3How does Natalia describe her own pet dog, Leap?
Natalia describes Leap as vastly superior to Lomov's Guess. She says he is a pedigreed greyhound, the son of Harness and Chisel, and that for points and action, not even Volchanietsky has a better dog.
4'That's a load off my back.' What is this 'load'? Why does Choobookov say so?
The 'load' is the burden of having an unmarried grown-up daughter and the exhausting quarrels that surrounded the proposal. Choobookov says "That's a load off my back... Whew!" after he joins Lomov's and Natalia's hands and gives his blessing — he is relieved that the marriage is finally settled.

C.1 Long Answer Questions

Prepare detailed answers. Click to reveal model responses.

1On the basis of your reading of Scene I, do you think that Lomov and Choobookov are cordial neighbours?
Yes, in Scene I, Lomov and Choobookov appear to be cordial neighbours. Choobookov greets Lomov warmly — "Why, of all people! My old friend, Ivan Vassilievich!" He shakes his hand, invites him to sit, playfully scolds him for neglecting his neighbours, and is overjoyed when Lomov proposes to Natalia. However, this cordiality is superficial, as later scenes show — when their interests clash over the Ox Meadows, they quickly descend into insults and threats.
2Write a short note on the character of Lomov on the basis of his self-revelation in Scene II.
In Scene II, Lomov reveals himself to be a nervous, hypochondriac, and indecisive man. He is thirty-five years old and feels this is a "critical age" for marriage. He admits he has "a heart condition, with palpitations all the time," an "awful temper," and that he gets "terribly wrought up." His lips tremble, his eyelid twitches, and he suffers from stabbing pains when he tries to sleep. He is not marrying for love but for practical reasons — Natalia is a good housekeeper, not bad-looking, and educated.
3Are Lomov and Natalia really interested in laying claim to Ox-meadows?
No, neither Lomov nor Natalia is genuinely interested in the Ox Meadows. Natalia says, "Those Meadows don't mean a thing to me. The whole area probably doesn't come to more than forty acres, it's worth about three hundred rubles." Lomov says, "I don't need the Meadows, Natalia Stepanovna, but it's the principle of the thing." Both of them argue for the sake of arguing — it is a matter of pride and stubbornness, not real economic interest. The quarrel is absurd, and that is Chekhov's comic point.
4Do you think that Natalia was also interested in marrying Lomov? What makes you think so?
Yes, Natalia was interested in marrying Lomov. When she learns from her father that Lomov had come to propose, she collapses into an armchair and wails, "Bring him back. Get him. Ohh! Get him!" She becomes hysterical and says, "I'm dying! Bring him back!" This reaction shows that she was eager to be married and horrified at the thought of having lost her suitor. Later, when Lomov returns, she quickly changes the subject away from the quarrel.
5Despite his heated arguments with Lomov, Choobookov in the last scene shows haste in finalising the marriage. What could be the reason of his haste?
Choobookov is hasty in finalising the marriage because he is exhausted and desperate to get the whole affair over with. He has a grown-up unmarried daughter, and the quarrel with Lomov has worn him out. When Lomov faints and revives, Choobookov seizes the moment to join their hands and give his blessing, saying, "She accepts... My blessings and so forth... Just do me a favour and leave me in peace." He wants relief from the burden of an unmarried daughter and the exhausting drama.
6Do you think the title of the drama is suitable? Give reasons in support of your views. Suggest a different title for the drama.
Yes, the title "A Marriage Proposal" is suitable because the entire action of the play revolves around Lomov's attempt to propose to Natalia. Everything that happens — the arrival, the quarrels, the fainting, the reconciliation — is part of the proposal process. The irony is that the proposal is almost forgotten in the midst of the quarrels. A suitable alternative title might be "The Ox Meadows" or "The Quarrel" — but the original title captures the central event with simplicity and irony.
7Natalia and Lomov would be an ideal couple. Do you agree? Give reasons.
Yes, in a comic sense, Natalia and Lomov would be an ideal couple — they are perfectly matched in their stubbornness, argumentativeness, and inability to let go of a quarrel. They argue about the Ox Meadows and then about the dogs, and even after they are engaged, they continue arguing about whose dog is better. Their marriage will likely be a continuous argument, which is Chekhov's comic vision. They deserve each other.

C.2 Group Discussion

Discuss the following in groups or pairs.

  • Arguments for the sake of argument leads to nowhere.
  • Marriages are settled in heaven but are solemnised on the earth.

C.3 Composition

Write on the following.

  • Write a short essay in about 150 words on the role and responsibility of parents in marriage.
  • Write a short essay in about 150 words on the social relevance of marriage.
  • Write a letter to your friend describing the marriage ceremony that you attended recently in your family.

D.1 Dictionary Use

Ex 1Correct the spelling of the following words: interupt, weged in, impertinant, embegelment, kolossal, retrive, palpitation, intrigue, twitching.
Corrected spellings:
interrupt · wedged in · impertinent · embezzlement · colossal · retrieve · palpitation · intrigue · twitching

D.2 Word-formation

Compound words are made by joining two words. Make at least five similar words, using the following: air, college, night, cyber, young.

QForm compound words from the given words.
air → airport, airmail, airhostess, airconditioner, airfield
college → collegeground, collegegate, collegefriend, collegehostel, collegefee
night → nightgown, nightingale, nightmare, nightwatch, nightlife
cyber → cyberspace, cybercafe, cybercrime, cybersecurity, cyberbullying
young → youngster, youngman, youngblood, younghood, younglady

D.3 Word-meaning

Fill in the blanks with suitable phrases given in the box: call on · make up · count on · carry on · run after · talk about · superior to · envious of · accustomed to

aSnigdha's intelligence made her ____________ to her classmates.
superior
bIn time of crisis, you may ____________ your friends.
count on
cWe must ____________ the glorious tradition of the past.
carry on
dI advised Ankita to ____________ a doctor.
call on
eYou should ____________ your mind before joining the army.
make up
fShylock was ____________ Antonio's popularity.
envious of
gWe were asked to ____________ our aim in life.
talk about
hPriya is not ____________ such severe cold.
accustomed to

E. Grammar — Past Participles as Adjectives

Use each of these words both as verb and adjective in sentences of your own: esteemed, delighted, inherited, maintained, mistaken, disputed, paralyzed, accustomed, abused, insulted, twisted.

QUse each word as a verb and as an adjective.
esteemed: (v) Tendulkar is esteemed as the best batsman. (adj) He is my esteemed neighbour.
delighted: (v) The news delighted everyone. (adj) She was delighted to receive the prize.
inherited: (v) He inherited the property from his uncle. (adj) The inherited wealth made him lazy.
maintained: (v) He maintained a good relationship with his neighbours. (adj) The well-maintained garden was beautiful.
mistaken: (v) I mistaken him for his brother. (adj) You are mistaken about the facts.
disputed: (v) They disputed the ownership of the land. (adj) The disputed territory caused tension.
paralyzed: (v) The accident paralyzed his left leg. (adj) His paralyzed leg made walking difficult.
accustomed: (v) She accustomed herself to the new environment. (adj) He was accustomed to hard work.
abused: (v) He abused his power. (adj) The abused child needed care.
insulted: (v) She insulted him in public. (adj) The insulted guest left the party.
twisted: (v) The rope twisted around the pole. (adj) He had a twisted ankle.

F. Activity

Ex 1Organise an inter-class debate on: Dowry system and the role of the youth in its eradication.
(Suggested approach) Organise a class debate on the dowry system, its harmful effects on society, and the role that young people can play in eradicating it. Discuss legal provisions (Dowry Prohibition Act), social awareness, education, and changing attitudes.
Ex 2Rewrite dialogues between Natalia and Lomov, making the latter propose to the former according to your own choice and views.
(Creative activity) Students can rewrite the dialogues in a modern setting, or imagine a version in which Lomov proposes directly and confidently, without the quarrel.
Ex 3Select some interesting dialogues from the drama, rewrite them and make a stage presentation of them with the help of your teacher.
(Suggested approach) Select the quarrel scenes (Ox Meadows quarrel, dog quarrel) and the proposal scene. Assign roles to students and present the play in class.
Ex 4Observe how marriages are settled in different religions and make a note of different customs and rituals.
(Suggested approach) Research the marriage customs of different religions — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist. Note the rituals: engagement, mehndi, nikah, church wedding, Anand Karaj, etc.
Ex 5Select a humorous story in Hindi or in any other language, on the theme of marriage and tell it in the class.
(Creative activity) Students can select a humorous story or anecdote about marriage from Hindi, Urdu, or regional literature and narrate it in class, developing storytelling skills.

📚 Glossary & Notes

Key words from the play with their meanings.

  • hypochondriac (adj): a person who has extreme worries about his health, while there is nothing wrong with him
  • country house (n): villa, cottage
  • esteemed (adj): respected, honoured
  • beat about the bush (phr): talk about a thing for a long time without coming to the main point
  • yearning (v): craving, longing
  • fervent (adj): keen, ardent
  • blockhead (n): a stupid person
  • dumbstruck (adj): speechless
  • palpitations (n): quick and irregular beating of heart
  • wrought up (v. phr.): worked up, aroused
  • twitching (v): contracting, convulsing
  • merchandise (n): goods, commodities
  • shelling (v): removing the shell or covering from nuts
  • mown (pp): cut or trimmed
  • dolled up (v): embellished, given a face-lift (here, well dressed)
  • interrupting (ger): stopping by saying or doing something
  • wedged in (v.phr): squeezed in, jammed
  • statute (n): law, formal rule
  • impertinent (adj): rude, impolite
  • land grabber (n): a person who acquires land in any way possible
  • disputed (pp): in question
  • accustomed to (phr): familiar with, used to
  • robber baron (n.phr): a robber in the guise of a nobleman, controlling estate
  • litigate (v): to begin a court case, sue
  • quibbler (n): a person who argues
  • embezzlement (n): stealing money, misappropriation
  • sue (v): make a claim against somebody in court
  • colossal (adj): huge, very big
  • upstart (n): insignificant person, nonentity
  • yelling (ger): shouting
  • numb (adj): unfeeling, without sensation
  • jabbing (v): strong hitting with a pointed object, punching
  • grouse (n): complaint
  • hound (n): a variety of dog, used in hunting
  • retrieving (ger): getting back, recovering
  • pedigreed (adj): coming from a family of the same breed
  • exasperating (adj): annoying, infuriating
  • fly off the handle (phr): lose temper, blow up
  • spite (n): malice
  • mimicking (v): imitating
  • wobbling (adv): moving in an unsteady way
  • meddle with (phr): play about with, fidget with
  • intrigues (n): schemes, secret plans
  • henpecks (v): dominates
  • windbag (n): a person who talks too much but does not say anything important
  • launching (ger): beginning, initiation
  • marital bliss (n.phr): conjugal pleasure or harmony (said sarcastically)