In this fast-paced play of dialogue-based action and situational comedy, Ivan Vassilievich Lomov, a long-time neighbor of Stepan Stepanich Chubukov, has come to propose marriage to Chubukov’s 25-year-old daughter, Natasha. After he has asked and received joyful permission to marry Natasha, she is invited into the room, and he tries to convey to her the proposal. Lomov is a hypochondriac and, while trying to make clear his reasons for being there, he gets into an argument with Natasha about Meadowland, a disputed piece of land between their respective properties, which results in him having “heart murmurs” and numbness in his leg. After her father notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then sends Ivan out of the house. While Stepan rants about Lomov, he expresses his shock that “this fool dares to make you (Natasha) a proposal of marriage!” She immediately starts into hysterics, begging for her father to bring him back. He does, and Natasha and Ivan get into a second big argument, this time about the superiority of their respective hunting dogs, Messer and Guesser. Ivan collapses from his exhaustion over arguing, and father and daughter fear he’s dead. However, after a few minutes he regains consciousness, and Chubukov all but forces him and his daughter to accept the proposal with a kiss. Immediately following the kiss, the couple gets into another argument.
