“ There is nothing left for people with no talent and mighty pretensions to do but to criticise those who are really gifted. ”
Anton Chekhov, The Seagull (1896). copy citation
| Author | Anton Chekhov |
|---|---|
| Source | The Seagull |
| Topic | talent pretension |
| Date | 1896 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | The Seagull, Act III |
| Note | Translated by Marian Fell |
| Weblink | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Seagull/Act_III |
Context
“I have the greatest respect for that man, and I must ask you not to speak ill of him in my presence.
TREPLIEFF. I have no respect for him at all. You want me to think him a genius, as you do, but I refuse to lie: his books make me sick.
ARKADINA. You envy him. There is nothing left for people with no talent and mighty pretensions to do but to criticise those who are really gifted. I hope you enjoy the consolation it brings.
TREPLIEFF. [With irony] Those who are really gifted, indeed! [Angrily] I am cleverer than any of you, if it comes to that! [He tears the bandage off his head]”
source
