The Symbolism Realized in Anton Chekhov"s The Seagull

The high artistic and aesthetic quality of Chekhov"s plays derives from the fact that they are situated at the transition between the two schools of the realism and the symbolism at the end of the century and the beginning of the next, transforming one and foreshadowing the next. However, the transitional nature of Chekhov"s plays, the overlap between the old and the new, or the duality of the overcoming of the old and the introduction of the new, has not been fully explored as Chekhov"s plays are discussed primarily in terms of their overcoming of the naturalistic realism. The symbolism, which emerged as a powerful new artistic movement in the late 1890s, when Chekhov"s dramatic aesthetic matured and his four main plays began to be written, and shaped the cultural era of the Russian Silver Age, is obviously the other half of Chekhov"s dramatic aesthetic. The principles and themes of the symbolist aesthetics went beyond the symbolism to become pan-cultural themes that permeated the art and culture of the time, and Chekhov"s plays are no exception. As an artistic school, the symbolism was always a school in formation, constantly evolving and developing, as it constructed its own aesthetics through debates about the topical issues in the art of the time, but also as a school in itself. Therefore, in order to fully understand the influence of the symbolism as one half of Chekhov"s plays, it is necessary to examine the ways in which the principles and themes of the symbolist aesthetics are embraced and reinterpreted in Chekhov"s plays. This article attempts to provide a balanced interpretation of the relationship between Chekhov"s plays and the symbolism by focusing on the first play of Chekhov"s four plays the Seagull and pointing out the symbolism realized in it. The Seagull clearly shows the influence of the symbolism embraced by Chekhov, who wanted to think about art and move towards new art forms. It is the figure of the seagull as the "symbol" of the symbolism and the subject of the "lifecreation(жизнетвор чество)" surrounding the symbol of the seagull.