Popova:
popova was a young and beautiful woman. Her husband was a richh and landord of Russia. He died all of a sudden. His death shocked her greatly. She wore the black mourning dress and confined herself into the four walls of her house. She decided to remain in black clothes till the end of her life. She was determined not to see anybody. She used to look at the photograph of her dead husband. She seemed to be a sentimental woman. She spent her time in weeping, crying and singing. She was a woman of idealistic thinking. She decided never to marry anybody till the last moment of her life. She expressed her sincerity of feelings in these words.
"My love will die out with me, only when this heart ceases to beat."
Luka:
Luka was an old fellow. He was a faithful and sincere servent of Popova. He served Popova sincerely and selflessly. He was and an experienced person of mature thinking. He did not want that his mistress should shut herself up in the fourwalls of the house after the death of her husband. He advised her to come out of the four walls of the house and enjoy life outside her hoiuse, but she refused to accept his advice. She told Luka that that she had decided not to forget her dead husband throughout her life.
He advised her to come out of her house and enjoy the company of the army officers who had camped near their town. Hie advice was partical and based on common sense but Popova did not accept his advice.
Smirnov:
smirnov ws rich landlord and retired army officer. He told Popova that he had come to get back his 1200 Roubles which he had lent to her husband. Popova told him that she was unable to pay him the money because her steward was away. She requested him to come to him two days later. But smirnov insisted that he should be paid money at that moment, as he needed it bady. Popova too remained firm in her stand. A serious situation was created. Both began to criticise each other. Their discussion dwelt on the weakness of human nature, marriage and money matters. During the course of discussion, Popova called him "a bear and Bourbon". She called him so several times in the play. Smirnov criticized all women and called them insincere and ungrateful.
Popova accused that men were insincer and unloyal to their wives. She quoted the example of her dead husband who loved other women and enjoyed their company in her presence. When he died, her desk had a drawer full of love latters. This led to a serious clash between them. They challenged each other to fight a duel. Popova did not know how to fire a pistol. Smirnov offered his service to trained her. They came to the ground. The play took a turn. When the servents came to beat smirnov, they were surprised to see Smirnov and Popova embracing each other.