Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Irina, Masha, Olga

In case you forgot the title, this really is the story of three sisters. None of them carries the full burden of the protagonist role. Sisterhood is all about sharing, right?

Irina has the clearest tragic journey, from idealistic young thing to resigned working woman. Masha's journey has more like a valley-mountain-valley sort of shape. She's miserable with Kulygin; happy with Vershinin; then abandoned by Vershinin and even more miserable with Kulygin. The eldest sister, Olga, undergoes the least transformation over the time of this play. Disappointed yet steadfast in Act I, she's still disappointed and steadfast in Act IV.

As a group, these women form a picture of the decline of the upper classes in turn-of-the-century Russia. And by functioning as a three-headed protagonist, they show you how varied that decline can be, and how tragic with every variation.