Anger and Hatred

Recognizing that he has wasted his life furthering the professor's scholarship, Vanya responds in anger, a new and unaccustomed emotion for him. Although Vanya's displeasure simmers throughout the play, it erupts into violence after Serebryakov announces his plan to sell the estate so that he and Yelena can buy a villa in Finland. Vanya then attempts to shoot the professor, only to miss, emphasizing the futility of his rebellion. Vanya's full name, Voynitsky, hints at his potential for belligerence (the Russian word for "war" is "voyna").

Appearances and Reality

Vanya rails against Serebryakov's intellectual posturing, knowing that the professors's claims of intelligence are a fraud. "You were to us a creature of the highest order and your articles we knew by heart," says Vanya. "But now my eyes are open! I see everything! You write about art, but you understand nothing of art! All your works...