Summary
Anton Palovich Chekhov was a Russian playwright, physician and author. As a playwright he defied conventional patterns and created new dimensions in the the theatre. He focusses on the inner conflicts of his heroes. 'The Swan Song ' portraits the experiences, dreams and desperate moments of an actors life.

The protagonist of the play is 68 year old Vasili Svietlovidoff. He has just completed his final act on stage. This is the Swan Song of his acting career. He talks about his life to the prompter of the theatre Nikitha Ivanitch, who is even an old man. As an actor, Vasili was the limelight for many years and jad given his life to the glory of drama. Now he has become old and lonely, who evokes a variety of emotions in the audience.
Late at night after performing his swan song as Calchas, the father of Cressida in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida"Svietlovidoff falls into a deep drunken sleep. He was left behind when the theatre was shut down for the night. When he wakes up, he gets the company of Nikitha Ivanitch, the prompter of the theatre. Vasili laments about his old age, lonliness and his career in which he has performed only the roles of low comedians. As an actor, Svietlovidoff was proud of his historic talents. He recreates the glory of characters like Boris Godunoff, King Lear, Hamlet and Othello. Nikitha, the prompter suffers from alienation and poverty. He does not even have a place to sleep after so many years dedicating his life to the theatre. A prompter is never allowed to come into the limelight and his skills are concealed behind the stage. But Svietlovidoff realises that old age is not at all a barrier for flair. Shakespeare was his favourite.

Svietlovidoff was very successful as an actor but a failure in real life. He belonged to an aristocratic family and had wanted to be an artillery officer. He took into acting out of sheer passion. In the early days of his career a women fell in love with him. She insisted that Svietlovidoff leave the stage inorder to accept his marriage proposal. But he couldn't do it so she left him. Noe he doesn't have anyone and he belongs to no one. For him, art now seems to be all fallacy and acting mere buffoonary. Nothing lies before him, but to wait foe the final departure. Once he was a great artist, little by little, he threw away his talents by playing the roles of buffoons and motely fools. He bids adieu to his life as an actor with the words of Othello.

The play is remarkable for the portrayal of the agony and disillusionment of an extremely talented actor who was doomed to be a failure in real life.

Questions
Which short story, Chekhov was adapted in the play?
Kalkhas

Last role played by Svietlovidoff?
Calchus, the father of Cressida in "Troillus and Cressida "

Which play is regarded as Chekhov's Swan song?
The Cherry Orchard

According to Svietlovidoff, two things cannot exist together. What are they?
Old age and genius

Comment on the character of Nikitha?
(refer summary )

How does Svietlovidoff realise that old age is no more a burden?
He realises that there were art and genius, there cannot be the things such as old age or sickness. This realisation makes him aware that old age is no more a burden.

How did the audience bid farewell to the actor?
The audience call him sixteen times. They brought him three wreaths and lots of other things. The people are very enthusiastic to bid farewell to him.

Significance of the title?
The play presents the experiences, dreams and desperate moments in the life of an actor. He has just completed his final act on the stage. This is hus Swan song of his acting career.From this Swan Song he recreates the glory of his great talents.

Use of dramatic irony in Swan Song?
The irony in the play is that the protagonist show his historic talents by enacting the characters of Shakespeare in front of his prompter. But at the same night, he has performed his Swan Song, which should actually be witnessed by many people. Here he recreates the glory of his great roles. Actually he wasted his career by playing the parts of low comedians and buffoons.