A man marries a rich Jewess, thinking her to have a large dowry - but when Sarah converts to Catholicism her parents disown her and she is given nothing. Ivanov is disappointed and soon becomes bored and dissatisfied. Slowly Sarah dies of consumption, unhappy, unloved and alone, while Ivanov turns his mercenary sights to Sasha. After Sarah's death and a borderline respectable time of mourning, Ivanov is about to be married to Shasha. Before the wedding he feels unable to destroy Sasha's youthful purity with his base calcultions and money grubbing and shoots himself...
S: (screams) I know what he's going to do! Nikolai, for God's sake!
I: I've been going down hill long enough - now I'll stop! There's a limit to everything! Stand aside! Thank you Sasha!
S: (shrieks) Nikolai, for God's sake! Stop him!
I: Leave me alone! (Runs aside and shoots himself)
You've got to hand it to Chekhov...he knows how to pile on the pepper...
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