Explain Chekhov's concept of mood and how it is expressed in The Cherry Orchard.

Chekhov's aesthetic of drama, his theory of drama, describes
mood as one of the two most important elements in drama, whether tragedy or
comedy. To understand this, let's put it in perspective with the standard definition of
mood and the standard idea of what is most important is
drama.

The standard literary/dramatic definition of
mood is that it is a dramatic element that gives the viewer (or reader) a
feeling derived from the emotional and psychological aspects of the play. Perhaps the play may be
existentially depressed and depressing. Perhaps it may be overwhelmingly tragic and sorrowful.
Perhaps a comedy may be lighthearted and joyful. These characteristic feelings are the mood of
the play. Additionally, there may be many changes of mood within one prevailing mood.
Mood, according to the standard definition, is less important than plot and
story-line action: mood only sets the emotional and psychological feeling but plot and action
develop the conflict and resolution.

For Chekhov,
mood is also defined as the emotional and psychological feelings that are
represented and developed in a play, but, unlike the standard definition,
mood is more important than plot and action. For Chekhov, it is mood that
develops the conflict and resolution. It is mood that drives the
plot.

To be more accurate, mood and talking, the dialogue, work
together to develop conflict and resolution; to drive plot and action. This is because, for
Chekhov, the text (dialogue) reveals the life that is submerged therein, submerged in the text.
At one point, Tolstoy is reported to have said that Chekhov's tragedies were not real tragedies
because they depended too much upon mood without providing the necessary action that leads to the
tragic end.

Act IV illustrates Chekhov's emphasis on mood, first,
when Gaev and Lubov are lamenting their lost nursery and cherry orchard and, later, when Fiers
lays down on the sofa in despair, ill, forgotten and alone:

readability="22">

GAEV. [In despair] My sister, my
sister....

LUBOV. My dear, my gentle, beautiful orchard! My life, my youth, my
happiness, good-bye!
Good-bye!

[...]

FIERS. It's locked.
They've gone away. [Sits on a sofa] They've forgotten about me.... Never mind, I'll sit here....
And Leonid Andreyevitch will have gone in a light overcoat instead of putting on his fur coat....
[Sighs anxiously] I didn't see.... Oh, these young people! [Mumbles something that cannot be
understood] Life's gone on as if I'd never lived. [Lying down] I'll lie down.... You've no
strength left in you, nothing left at all.... Oh, you...
bungler!

To summarize, while Chekhov's
mood is also defined as emotional and psychological feeling, it differs from
the standard definition of mood in that it is more important than plot and
action because (1) mood drives the play and (2) mood and talk reveal
life.