ABSTRACT
The third act starts with the entrance of Professor Serebryakov, Sonia, Telegin and Marina. The third act takes place ‘in a drawing-room of Serebryakov’s house’. The exact time is a quarter to one. It is a month after the second act. During that time Astrov, contrary to his custom, had been visiting the family every day. The second theme of the play — Uncle Vanya’s conflict with his brother-in-law which reaches its dramatic climax at the end of the act — is only hinted at in the opening scene of the third act. Uncle Vanya’s rather forced sarcasm shows that he had not the slightest idea what the professor’s communication was about. Helen apparently has no idea, either, of what her husband is up to. Sonia had agreed that Helen should talk to Astrov, but she was not sure that her present state of uncertainty was as dreadful as Helen suggested.
