Chekhov’s, “The Seagull,” should neither be single handedly considered a comedy or a tragedy. The plot's end result is a mix of both comedy and tragedy. The plethora of pressure Treplev puts on himself to gain his mother’s approval is tragic. Throughout the play he demonstrates the lengths to which he will go, to win her affection. It becomes comical; he seems more and more like a petulant child, instead of the impressive writer he longs to be seen as. His mother, Arkidina, who is self-centered, selfish, and wishes to be perceived as royalty by her peers. Her behaviors are that of an insecure child, believing that belittling others will help her rise in esteem. Many of her actions are ludicrous, such as being disruptive at Treplev’s play, in order to cause him shame. The play reveals bits and pieces of both comic and tragic characteristics, in every single character. The persona of the protagonists in provide a basis for what is seen in all the other characters, for the duration of this comically tragic play. Masha is a character very similar to Treplev in her tragically comic self-pity. The scene where Treplev picks the flower and contemplates whether, “she loves me, she loves me not,” in reference to his mother, and the scene where Masha justifies wearing black clothing because, “I’m in mourning for my life,” both reflect the shared self-pity each character owns. Treplev desperately wants his mother’s approval, and actually kills himself in the end because he concludes he simply cannot. The suicide is the final number in his drowning of self-pity. Although the suicide is tragic, the insanity behind Trepleve’s dying desire to win the approval of his helplessly egomaniac of a mother, is comedic. Masha has a similar tragically comic trait. Masha is in love with Treplev, but we are never sure why. Treplev loves Nina, and doesn’t really want anything to do with Masha. Treplev is hopelessly depressed, insane,