Question

Is the play, The proposal, a farce? Justify your answer with close reference to the text.

Answer 1

Anton Chekhov's play "The Proposal" is a farce because the plot has all the elements of farce.  

• Farce is a type of comedy with the deliberate use of absurdity. It provides a dramatized version of comedy that is exaggerated for the audience to enjoy. The actions and situations in the plot are absurd to cause laughter.
• Such absurd situations occur in the play when Lomov comes with a proposal but he is insulted in a quarrel with Natalya and Chubukov. They mock him for the way he dressed and Lomov is driven out.
• Later Lomov comes back but again ends up in a quarrel with Natalya after which he faints. The play is full of absurd farcical situations that enhance the comic element of the play.
• Thus, the play is considered to be a farce because the author also criticizes human nature through these comical situations.

Answer 2

Explanation:

The proposal is a farcical satire. The elements of humorous, comedy, absurdity, miscommunication could be seen in act. It exposes the bitter truth behind a relationship. It reveals that nowadays marriage is not because of love but a matrimonial alliance.