The Cherry Orchard: Allusions 3 key examples

Earlier in the play, Madame Ranevsky compares Barbara to a nun. In this line, Lopakhin echoes the comparison while alluding to a speech that Hamlet makes to Ophelia. This allusion only makes the situation more awkward.

In the third act of Hamlet, the titular main character is distressed over the chaos unfolding in his life, taking his misery out on his ex-lover Ophelia. Denouncing women and humanity, Hamlet tells Ophelia to enter a nunnery so that she won't be able to betray any more men or to give birth to more sinners. Needless to say, Lopakhin's out-of-place allusion (and the odd use of "Amelia," probably a matter of both Russian wordplay and Russian-English translation) only worsens the already uncomfortable situation, which he reinforces when making the allusion a second time, addressing Barbara as a "nymphlet" and instructing her to "in thine orisons remember me."

Chekhov presents another allusion to Shakespeare in the third act. During a conversation between Madam Ranevsky and Trophimof, the latter says that he does not "wish to be an Adonis." This line contains several allusions in one. First and foremost, Trophimof is alluding to Greek mythology: Adonis is known as the mortal lover of Aphrodite. In addition, Trophimof's line also brings Ovid to mind, as Ovid touches upon the tale of Venus and Adonis in the Metamorphoses. Ovid's telling of the story was influential in the Elizabethan era, and Shakespeare's narrative poem Venus and Adonis was inspired by the Metamorphoses.

Although its telling varies from source to source, the tale of Venus and Adonis is consistently about unrequited love. In both Ovid's version and Shakespeare's version, Venus falls in love with Adonis and tries to seduce him, but he would rather go hunting than talk to her. In the end, he's killed while hunting for a wild boar. When he says that he doesn't wish to be Adonis, Trophimof seems to be saying that he doesn't want to lead Anya on. Through this allusion, he signals that she's more interested than he is—and potentially also signals that he worries that her love may bring his downfall.

Chekhov and Nietzsche were rough contemporaries. When Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard in 1903, he assumed that most of his audience would be familiar with the philosopher, whose work was already influential before his death in 1900.

The vague, inflated diction with which Pishtchik introduces Nietzsche makes it clear that he doesn't know very much about his biography or philosophy. This adds to the humorous effect of the allusion, as Pishtchik is less interested in Nietzsche's overall work and more interested in looking for ways to justify his shady approach to paying off debt. Another factor that makes the allusion funny is that Pishtchik brings up Nietzsche in front of Trophimof, the "eternal student" who seems to have fashioned some of his personal outlook off of Nietzsche's philosophy. While the audience doubts that Pishtchik has actually ready any Nietzsche, it goes without saying that Trophimof is quite familiar with the philosopher. It almost seems as though Pishtchik tailored the reference to taunt Trophimof, as he is likely the only character who would know enough about Nietzsche to check anyone on such a reference.

This allusion, and the humorous atmosphere in which it's presented, gives insight into Chekhov's comedic style in The Cherry Orchard. In much of the play's dialogue, characters exchange lines that make it clear that they're entering conversations from very different places or not fully listening to each other. Pishtchik and Trophimof listen to each other here, but they think in such different ways that it almost seems as though they're participating in separate conversations. By way of the conversation between the two characters, Chekhov both mocks people who misquote philosophy and literature and people who take philosophy and literature too seriously. The exchange is also funny to a modern audience because people continue to quote and misquote cult intellectual figures like Nietzsche today.

The cliched opening simile—"as strong as a horse"—reinforces Pishtchik's comical characterization. So far in the play, he has far from embodied power or sturdiness. Instead, the audience has come to see him as a silly elderly aristocrat who is unwilling and unable to improve upon his circumstances. He contributes a good atmosphere, but he is nothing like a horse.

However, it should be noted that Pishtchik seems aware of the discrepancy between his words and reality. Once he brings in the allusion to Caligula's horse, it becomes evident that he uttered the simile in jest. Caligula was the emperor of Rome from 37 to 41 C.E. Legend has it that he was so fond of his horse Incitatus that he wanted to make it a consul. Pishtchik acknowledges that his father made the claim that their family descends from the horse as a joke. 

Thus, the simile that initially seems to reveal Pishtchik's immense lack of self-awareness becomes a signal to the audience that he sees himself quite clearly. Rather than communicating his actual self-image, the simile is aimed at mocking his own and his father's witty, inflated claims about who they are and where they come from. Anyone familiar with the legend about Caligula's horse knows that it was little more than a legend. And, besides, descending from a horse—no matter how strong or regal it may be—would not be something for a human to genuinely boast about.

After Pishtchik's little monologue ends, Trophimof simply responds "Yes, it’s quite true, there is something horselike about your build." Pishtchik replies that " a horse is a jolly creature ... you can sell a horse." This conversation captures the playful ambience that exists throughout the play. Despite the melancholy mood that underlies the play, it contains many conversations and social interactions that are silly and humorous. The banter between the two men serves as a reminder that Chekhov considered the play to be more of a comedy than a tragedy. 

As the conversation proceeds, Trophimof and Pishtchik occasionally venture into more serious territories, but the overall lightheartedness remains. For example, Trophimof begins to lecture Pishtchik on his spending habits shortly after, turning the conversation serious. Not long after, however, he slaps Pishtchik on the shoulder and calls back to the start of their conversation, saying "You old horse!" The backgrounds and values of Trophimof and Pishtchik differ greatly, but this scene shows that the two men nevertheless keep up friendly, playful banter.