This one-act comic play by Anton Chekhov satirises the customs of marriage and property among the Russian landed gentry. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov, a nervous, hypochondriac landowner, comes to the house of his neighbour Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov to propose marriage to his daughter Natalya. Chubukov is delighted and leaves the two alone, but instead of proposing, Lomov quarrels with Natalya over the ownership of a piece of land called Oxen Meadows. When Natalya later learns that Lomov had actually come to propose, she is upset and calls him back, only for the two to begin another fierce argument, this time over whose hunting dog is better. Lomov, overcome by excitement and his many imaginary illnesses, nearly faints. To resolve the chaos, Chubukov hastily joins their hands in marriage even as they continue to argue. The play humorously shows that the couple’s constant bickering is no obstacle to a marriage driven by practical and material considerations.
The story in 6 beats
1Lomov visits Chubukov in formal clothes because he wants to ask for Natalya's hand in marriage.
2Chubukov gladly approves and leaves Lomov alone with Natalya, but they soon quarrel over Oxen Meadows.
3Lomov leaves angrily, and Natalya learns he came to propose, so she begs her father to bring him back.
4When Lomov returns, he and Natalya start a new argument about whose dog is better, Guess or Squeezer.
5Lomov becomes excited and weak, and Chubukov fears the proposal will fail because of their endless fighting.
6Chubukov quickly joins them in marriage, and the couple continue arguing even after getting engaged.
Comedy and satireMarriage among the landed gentryQuarrels over property and prideCharacter of Lomov and NatalyaChekhov’s humour
Characters & key ideas
LLomovA nervous, quarrelsome landowner who comes to propose marriage.
NNatalyaChubukov’s daughter, who argues with Lomov over trifles.
CChubukovNatalya’s father, eager to get his daughter married.
OOxen MeadowsThe disputed land that triggers the first quarrel.
SSatireThe play’s mockery of marriage and property customs.
HHypochondriaLomov’s habit of imagining himself ill.
Word meanings · शब्दार्थ
sufferings
pains and troubles
palpitations
fast, strong heartbeat
hypochondriac
person always worried about health
implore
beg strongly
lunacy
madness; foolish behaviour
meadows
grassy fields
encroach upon
take another's land unfairly
pedigree
family line of an animal
humpbacked
having a bent back
black beetle
a dark insect
Extra questions & answers (board-style)
Activity
Thinking about the Play
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Who wrote the one-act play “The Proposal”?
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Practice quiz · The Proposal
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The Proposal
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