Monologue

Paul Lebedieff Monologue from Ivanoff: A Play

From Ivanoff: A Play by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

male · contemplative · 1:35 min

As you were saying, Avdotia Nazarovna, husbands are hard to find. I don't want to be rude, but I must say that the young men of the present are a dull and poky lot, poor fellows! They can't dance or talk or drink as they should do. (AVDOTIA: Oh, as far as drinking goes, they are all experts. Just give them--give them----) Simply to drink is no art. A horse can drink. No, it must be done in the right way. In my young days we used to sit and cudgel our brains all day over our lessons, but as soon as evening came we would fly off on some spree and keep it up till dawn. How we used to dance and flirt, and drink, too! Or sometimes we would sit and chatter and discuss everything under the sun until we almost wagged our tongues off. But now-- (He waves his hand) Boys are a puzzle to me. They are not willing either to give a candle to God or a pitchfork to the devil! There is only one young fellow in the country who is worth a penny, and he is married. (Sighs) They say, too, that he is going crazy. (MARTHA: Who is he?) Nicholas Ivanoff.

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