Teacher Guide

Uncle Vanya Lesson Plan

Introduction to Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya, Scenes of Country Life in Four Acts (1897) is one of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s most notable dramas and a mainstay of the theater. The play is set at the estate of the first wife of Professor Serebryakov, where he and his second wife are temporarily forced to stay. Their stay throws the house into turmoil: there is unrequited love, an attempted murder, disillusionment and despair, and ruminations on old age and the meaning of life.

Chekhov composed the work at the end of his life and published it in 1896, a year before it was actually staged. It was a reworking of an earlier play, The Wood Demon (1888); one of the main shifts in Uncle Vanya is from Astrov as the...

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2368 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11018 literature essays, 2792 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in