The Proposal

Take a look at the punctuation and stage directions in the following quotes. How does Lomov feel when speaking to Chubukov, and why does he feel that way?

"LOMOV. I’m well thank you. (Pause) And how are you getting on?"

"LOMOV. Well, you see, it's like this. I’m sorry to trouble you .... I've come to you, honoured Stepan Stepanovitch...with a request."

• Lomov feels nervous about asking for Natalya's hand in marriage.

• Lomov feel nervous about talking to Chubukov because he's a respected landowner.

• Lomov feels confident in his ability to persuade Natalya to marry him.

• Lomov feel confident about speaking to Chubukov.

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Choose the best answer to indirectly characterize Chubukov based on the following quote.

"CHUBUKOV. Oh my dear boy... I'm so glad, and so on.... Yes, indeed, and all that sort of thing. (Embraces and kisses LOMOV) I've been hoping for this for a long time. You have always been like a son to me. God bless you both and so on and all that. Look at me, I'm blabbering like an idiot! Such happiness! (Squeezes Lomov’s cheeks)! Oh, you rascal! ... I'll go and call Natasha, and all that."

• Chubukov is careless

• Chubukov is dramatic

• Chubukov is an idiot

• Chubukov is respectable

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What do you learn about Lomov's character from his spoken thoughts based on the quote below? Select all answers that apply.

"LOMOV. It's cold... I'm trembling all over.... I must resolve myself. I need steely determination. If I hesitate, I’m finished. If I take time to look for an ideal wife, or for real love, then I'll never get married.... (Shivers)... It's so cold! Natalya Stepanovna is an

excellent housekeeper. She’s not bad-looking... and she went to school! .... What more do I want? Oh I'm getting that ringing in my ears again!. (Drinks) In any event, I need to marry. It’s a simple as that. I'm already 35— I ought to lead a quiet and regular life with no upsets. I’m suffering from palpitations, I'm far too excitable."

• Lomov is in love with Natalya and can't wait to make her his wife.

• Lomov is too old to get married because he should've been married when he was 25 and not 35.

• Lomov is only interested in a wife, not Natalya herself.

• Lomov care more about his social standing rather than his relationships.

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What is ironic about Natalya and Lomov arguring over Oxen Meadows? (Select 2 answers.)

• They are fighting over ownership. Chubukov promised Lomov his daughter's hand without asking her. It highlights and reflects Lomov and Natalya's relationship and how women are treated as property in late 1800s Russia.

• If they get married, the land will still belong to Lomov because he has the court papers that prove the land is his.

• They are fighting over ownership. Chubukov promised Lomov his daughter's hand without asking her. It highlights and reflects Lomov and Natalya's relationship and how women are treated as property in the United States during the late 1800s.

• If they get married, the land will belong to both of their families.

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Which of the following is an example of dramatic irony that appears in "The Proposal"?

• We know that Lomov is trying to propose to Natalya when they are arguing over Messer and Guesser, but she does not.

• We know that Lomov is trying to propose to Natalya when they are arguing over Oxen Meadows, but she does not.

• We know that Chubukov is over the top, but Natalya and Lomov do not.

• We know that Oxen Meadows really belongs to Lomov, but Natalya and Chubukov do not.

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Take a look at the stage directions in the scene below.

"LOMOV. If it wasn't for the excruciating palpitations and these throbbing murmurs ripping through me and my temples near bursting point, I'd talk to you in a different way! (Yells) Oxen Meadows are mine!"

What irony is created in this scene?

• Lomov claims to be talking calmy, but he is actually yelling. This is dramatic irony.

• Lomov claims to be talking calmy, but he is actually yelling. This is situational irony.

• Lomov claims to be talking calmy, but he is actually yelling. This is verbal irony.

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What do the stage directions best reveal about Natalya's personality and behavior?

"NATALYA STEPANOVNA. He came to propose to me? Oh my God! (Falls into a chair and wails) Bring him back! Oh my God! Get him back. Oh my God! Please make him come back!!"

• Natalya is a hopeless romantic. She has been pining over Lomov for a long time, so the thought of losing him is almost too much for her to take.

• Natalya is melodramatic. It's only after she finds out about the proposal that she is actually upset about anything.

• Natalya is upset. She loves Lomov, so when she realizes her mistake of arguing with him, she begs to bring him back.

• Natalya is passionate. She's been promised to Lomov, so she wants to become a dutiful wife to him. This is why she falls into the chair and wails.

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How does Chekov’s use of humor contribute to the play?

• Chekov's use of humor contributes to the play by making the series of events more believable. Audiences are able to identify with the characters and get a better understanding of what's going through their heads as they are watching "The Proposal."

• Chekov uses humor to make the scenes more dramatic, giving the effect that Natalya doesn't love Lomov and Lomov doesn't love Natalya.

• Chekov uses humor to contribute to the play by making it more entertaining and alluding to the absurdity of the situation. It also draws on the irony of so many arguments happening during a proposal.

• Chekov's use of humor is to persuade the audience to be retrospective in their own relationships and understand the nuances of marriage in late 1800s Russia.

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Lomov's "death" is foreshadowed by ​ (a)  

• his nervouseness.
• his confidence.
• his laughter.
• his calm demeanor.
• his attitude.
• his melodrama.

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Lomov is a(n) ​ (a)   individual. Natalya is a(n) ​ (b)   individual. Chubukov is a(n) ​​ (c)   individual. We can characterize Lomov and Chubukov's relationship in the beginning of the play as ​ ​ (d)   , while Lomov and Natalya's relationship is ​ (e)   .

• anxious
• hotheaded
• melodramatic
• coridal and polite
• toxic and dramatic
• calm, collected, and rational
• friendly and supportive
• indifferent and distant

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