How we cite our quotes: (Act.Line)
Quote #7
Tuzenbach: Oh, if only I could sacrifice my life for you! (3.80)
Good grief, another love speech for Irina. And also, alas, a little bit of foreshadowing here. This is in Act III, when Tuzenbach tries to wear Irina down with his gentlemanly devotion—before either of them realizes he will ultimately sacrifice his life for her in his duel with Solyony (the creeper from the love speech in Quote #6).
Quote #8
Masha: My dear sisters, I want to confess something… I'm in love, I'm in love… I love that man, the one you saw just now… Well, that's it: I love Vershinin. (3.107)
Do you think Olga and Irina knew about this affair before Masha confessed it? People are pretty good at figuring out each other's business in this play, after all…
Quote #9
Kulygin: You're my wife, and I'm happy, no matter what happened… Let's start life over again just the way it was before. I'll never say a single word about this, never… (4.142)
Just after Vershinin's departure, Masha's in pieces. Sure, Kulygin's an annoying dude—but the acceptance and devotion he expresses here bring us back over to his side. He wants to keep up appearances to cover over the affair, but there's plenty of real emotion mixed in there, too.