Tragedy or comedy? Imagine my surprise when I learned that Chekov originally intended The Cherry Orchard as a work of comedy. The plight of the Gayev family, from the perspective of my 21st century eyes, was more disheartening than any of the amusing qualities its members had. Each of their quirky mannerisms not only served to make us laugh, but to endear us to their character, no matter how flawed they may be. Chekov's misjudgment turned out a blessing in disguise, as the family's symbolic fall from grace had more to do with it becoming a classic than any satire ever did. The sentimentality evoked by the trees being chopped down at the end is the strongest emotion the play reveals, to my mind anyway. To a Russian serf living in 1903, it might have been something else. The debate is legendary: tragedy or comedy? I'd say it's a little of both.
