Marriage (play)

In the opening scene, a civil servant named Ivan Kuzmich Podkolyosin sits alone in his room smoking a pipe and contemplating marriage.

Presumably, Fyokla has just made the rounds of the town in hopes of beating out Kochkaryov and Podkolyosin, as she will not receive any money if the marriage should occur without her help.

The third, Zhevakin, a retired navy lieutenant, has a detailed story about the time his squadron spent in Sicily, where, amazingly enough, no one speaks Russian.

Once they are alone Kochkaryov tries to scare off the other suitors by calling Agafya ugly, unable to speak French and her dowry worthless.

Kochkaryov later pays Agafya a visit in her room and convinces her to choose Podkolyosin over the others (she herself was indecisive about who she liked best).

Kochkaryov insists that the wedding must take place immediately as he has already ordered all of the food and the guests are waiting at the church.

If the grooms escapes through the door the wedding can still be put back on track, she says, but if he jumps out the window it is all over.