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The Proposal - Anton Chekhov

'The Proposal' by Anton Chekhov is a humourous one act play. It has three characters. Natalia, Lomov and Chubukov.

Lomov is 35 years old unmarried landlord. Chubukov if his neighbour who have twenty five years old daughter, Natalia. Lomov wants to marry her and so go to her house with marriage proposal. Chubukov warmly welcomes him. He tells why he is there. He says that he has come for marriage proposal to Natalia. Chubukov is very happy to hear that and kisses him. He goes to call his daughter. Lomov starts to think about him and Natalia. He thinks that if he will not marry now then he will never get married. He has weak heart and suffers from palpitation. And Natalia is a good housekeeper, not bad looking and well educated.

Natalia comes and they begin to talk. Chubukov had not told Natalia that Lomov has come for marriage proposal. Lomov was very nervous and he can not speak about his intention. Instead he speaks of the old relations of the Lomovs and the Chubukovs. He tells her that his late aunt and his late uncle had a great regard for her father and her late mother, and furthermore his property adjoins hers; his Oxen meadows touch her birch woods. Natalia is shocked to hear that the Oxen Meadows belong to Lomov. She claims that the meadows are hers, and not his. They quarrel on that. Chubukov comes and he takes his daughter's side. The both yell on Lomov. Lomov starts to palpitate and like he will faint. He runs out of the house and Chubukov warns him to never come again.

When Natalia come to know that Lomov had came for marriage proposal, she blames her father for not telling her that and asks to bring him back. Chubukov brings Lomov back and they start conversation. Again they starts quarrel. This time on their dog. Lomov says that his dog Guess is best while Natalia says that her dog Leap is far better than Guess. Again Chubukov enters and yell on Lomov. Lomov starts to faint and like he is dead. Natalia starts crying and asks to call doctor. Meanwhile Lomov starts to recover and Chubukov thrusts Natalia's hand into Lomov's hand. Both kiss and Chubukov gives them blessing. They still argue in dig but Chubukov starts shouting champagne, champagne.

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