Astrov confesses his deep-seated cynicism and exhaustion to Yelena, mourning the loss of his youthful ideals. He reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty and the crushing weight of a life that has left him feeling spiritually and physically depleted.
ASTROV: When a man has a beautiful face, a beautiful soul, a beautiful mind, he is a joy to behold. But when he is ugly, inside and out, he is a torment. And I, I am ugly. I am old, I am tired, I am cynical. I have lost my faith, my hope, my dreams. I used to be different. I used to be young, and fu
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