the bet by anton chekhov what did the lawyer do in prison

The banker and the lawyer decide to enter into a bet, with the banker wagering that the lawyer could not withstand 5 years of imprisonment. The lawyer, young and idealistic, decides to up the ante and makes the bet longer: 15 years. If he could last to the end of his sentence, the lawyer would receive two million rubles for wining the bet.

Full Answer

What does Chekov say about the lawyer’s reaction to the bet?

So the bet also demonstrates the selfishness of man and youth. With nothing to lose, and two million to gain, the lawyer cannot think of a reason to reject the bet. It is very interesting that Chekov does not show the readers the thoughts of the lawyer as he makes this bet.

What is the plot of the bet by Anton Chekhov?

The Bet is the story of two men, a banker and a lawyer who argue over whether life in prison or capital punishment is the worst punishment. To settle the bet, the lawyer agrees to go to prison for... I need a simple summary version of "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov.

Why was part 3 of Chekhov's the BET cut off?

With a new title, "The Bet", revised and cut (part 3 of the original text now has gone) it was included in Volume 4 of Chekhov's Collected Works, published in 1899–1901 by Adolf Marks. "As I was reading the proofs, I came to dislike the end, it occurred to me that it was too cold and cruel," he explained the reason for the omission in 1903.

When was the bet by Chekhov published?

Divided into three parts, it appeared in the 1 January 1889, No. 4613 issue of Novoye Vremya, titled "Fairytale" (Сказка). With a new title, "The Bet", revised and cut (part 3 of the original text now has gone) it was included in Volume 4 of Chekhov's Collected Works, published in 1899–1901 by Adolf Marks.

Is the story the bet the lawyer was imprisoned for?

After a discussion on the death penalty and life in jail, the banker bets that the lawyer couldn't stay in solitary confinement for 15 years. The reward: two million rubles. The lawyer agrees and remains confined to the banker's spare house where he has zero contact with the outside world, except the company of books.

What does the lawyer do at the end of the bet?

The night before the bet is to end, the lawyer paces in his study remembering the terms of the agreement and looking for a solution to end his problem. Chekov's fictional short story uses flashback to inform the reader of the terms of the bet and the events of the last fifteen years since the bet was originally made.

What did the prisoner do in the second year of imprisonment?

In the second year, the prisoner stops playing the piano, and he exchanges the light reading of his first year for the classics. Then, in his fifth year, the prisoner requests wine, and he again plays the piano. During this year, the lawyer mostly eats and drink and lies on his bed.

What happens to the lawyer in the bet by Anton P Chekhov?

At the end of Anton Chekhov's "The Bet", the lawyer survives the 15 years in prison but refuses to take the money.

What does the lawyer do to take solace in his time of imprisonment?

What does the lawyer do to take solace in his time of imprisonment? How does his attention shift over the course of his imprisonment? The lawyer plays the piano, reads a lot of books, and learns several languages. Though he initially shies away from wine and tobacco, he later turns to them for comfort.

What were the rules that the lawyer has to obey during his imprisonment?

Answer. Answer: According to the bet, the lawyer would have to spend the fifteen years of his imprisonment “under the strictest supervision” in a lodge situated in the banker's garden. During this period, he couldn't step beyond the doorstep of the lodge nor meet or see any human beings.

How did the lawyer spend the first two years in captivity?

During the first year, he spent a lot of time with piano. In the second year, he left the piano and spent his time with books.

What does the lawyer stake in the bet?

"Gentlemen, I stake two million!" "Agreed! You stake your millions and I stake my freedom!" said the young man.

How does the lawyer's 15 year imprisonment?

How does the lawyer's 15-year imprisonment affect the banker? The banker wishes that he had required the lawyer to stay imprisoned for longer. The banker comes to realize that he was wrong about his stance on life imprisonment. The banker mourns the life and experiences that he has deprived the lawyer of.

Why does the lawyer renounce the bet?

Answer: The lawyer renounced the two million because in prison, he read a lot and reading of philosophical and religious books gave him wisdom. He realised the futility of money. It was as illusory and deceptive as mirage.

How did the lawyer provoke the banker's decision?

How does the lawyer provoke the banker's decision to place the bet? The lawyer questions whether or not the banker has the money to make a worthwhile bet with him. The lawyer suggests that the banker doesn't have the courage to place such a risky bet against him.

What did the banker realize about the lawyer at the end of the story?

What did the banker realize about the lawyer at the end of the story? The banker was never lonely throughout his long prison sentence. The banker was worried at the beginning of the bet that he would lose the bet. The banker was a desperate man when he planned to kill the lawyer.

What happens to the banker after the lawyer collects on the bet?

Fifteen years later, the banker realizes that he will be ruined if the lawyer collects on the bet. He decides to kill the lawyer. However, the mentally broken lawyer has lost his faith in humanity and gives up on the bet, walking out of his cell five minutes before his sentence ends.

Why does the banker say he will leave prison early?

To prove it, he says that he will renounce the money he once dreamed of because he now despises it too , and he says that he will leave his prison five hours early, so as to officially lose the bet. The banker weeps with relief, but he feels contempt for himself.

Why does the banker try to talk the lawyer out of it?

The banker is thrilled with the bet and has plenty of money to spend in such a frivolous way, but, over dinner, he tries to talk the lawyer out of it because the lawyer will lose years of his life. He also feels that submitting to voluntary imprisonment will be more difficult than mandatory imprisonment.

What does the banker remember about the lawyer?

It proves nothing. He remembers when it was decided that the lawyer would actually be imprisoned in one of the lodges in the banker's garden.

How long does a lawyer spend in prison?

An idealistic lawyer and a prominent banker bet that the lawyer can't survive fifteen years in prison. His prize if he wins will be two million rubles. The lawyer is imprisoned in the banker's garden house. Fifteen years later, the banker realizes that he will be ruined if the lawyer collects on the bet. He decides to kill the lawyer.

What does the lawyer in the letter say about the banker?

In the letter, the lawyer says that he has acquired great wisdom in these years and that he has learned to despise everything that others think is great about the world.

Did the lawyer have wine and music?

It was agreed that the lawyer could have books and wine and music but no human interaction, and he could pass notes out a small window, asking for whatever he wanted. From his notes, he seemed to have been very depressed during the first year, and he played the piano a lot. He read books of a "light character.".

What does the note on the lawyer's head reveal?

A note written by the lawyer reveals that he has chosen to abandon the bet, having learned that material goods are fleeting and that divine salvation is worth more than money. Shocked and moved after reading the note, the banker kisses the lawyer on the head and returns to bed.

What is the short story about the death penalty?

14 January 1889. The Bet (short story) " The Bet " ( Russian: "Пари", romanized : Pari) is an 1889 short story by Anton Chekhov about a banker and a young lawyer who make a bet with each other following a conversation about whether the death penalty is better or worse than life in prison.

What does the weak character of the banker mean?

This also signifies the weak character of the banker. He is very attached to the materialistic luxuries of life and values human life less than his luxuries as he plans on killing the lawyer. He plans on killing the lawyer for money and nothing but money changes his mind.

What happens if the banker loses the bet?

The banker realizes that if he loses, paying off the bet will lead to bankruptcy. In the early hours of the day when the fifteen-year period is to expire, the banker resolves to kill the lawyer, but finds him greatly emaciated and sleeping at a table.

Who was the editor of Novoye Vremya?

Suvorin, the Novoye Vremya ' s editor, took it almost as an insult, so Chekhov promised to produce a similar kind of fable for this newspaper before the New Year Eve. He started writing it on 22 December, and on the 30th sent the story by post.

Who are the main characters in the Bet?

Characters. There are two major characters featured in "The Bet": the lawyer and the banker, neither of which have official names in Chekhov's short story.

Who wrote the Cobbler and the Devil?

On 17 December 1888 Nikolai Khudekov asked Chekhov to write a story for Peterburgskaya Gazeta which he was an editor of. Chekhov came up with "The Cobbler and the Devil" (published on 25 December) and informed Alexey Suvorin of that. Suvorin, the Novoye Vremya ' s editor, took it almost as an insult, so Chekhov promised to produce a similar kind of fable for this newspaper before the New Year Eve. He started writing it on 22 December, and on the 30th sent the story by post.

What does the story of the lawyer show?

The story also shows the toll that separation from human society can take on a person. Whereas at first the lawyer was full of virtue, eschewing wine and tobacco, he later gives himself in to his vices, drinking and smoking constantly.

What does the lawyer believe?

The lawyer believes that any life is better than none, and that life cannot be taken away by the government, since life cannot be given back if the government realizes that it made a mistake. The banker and the lawyer decide to enter into a bet, with the banker wagering that the lawyer could not withstand 5 years of imprisonment.

Why did the banker go broke?

The banker, by this time, has gone broke due to his own recklessness and gambling. He begins to worry that the lawyer's bet with him will ruin him financially. The banker begins to hope against all hope that the lawyer will break his vow and lose the bet.

What does the banker confirm?

The banker acquiesces and confirms the lawyer's suspicion that he has mastered languages. As the years go by, the lawyer reads virtually every genre under the sun. He makes his way from the lighter reading of the early years, to the dense text of the Gospels and Shakespeare.

How long does the lawyer live on the banker's property?

Nevertheless, the lawyer decides to stick to his word and the bet is carried out. For fifteen years, the lawyer lives on the banker's property, in a small lodge, and has no human contact. He can have any item that he desires. At first, the lawyer does not comfort himself with any liquor or tobacco, confining himself to playing the piano.

Does Chekov show the reader the thoughts of the lawyer?

With nothing to lose, and two million to gain, the lawyer cannot think of a reason to reject the bet. It is very interesting that Chekov does not show the readers the thoughts of the lawyer as he makes this bet. The only time that we see the thoughts of the lawyer clearly is later in the story, through a letter.

Does Chekov set up a bet?

In order to do this, he sets up a bet that would likely never take place in real life. This is typical of Chekov, who likes to examine philosophical questions (against the backdrop of a simple plot) as they might play out in real life, with real consequences, rather than simply examining them in the abstract.

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• The banker and the lawyer decide to enter into a bet, with the banker wagering that the lawyer could not withstand 5 years of imprisonment. The lawyer, young and idealistic, decides to up the ante and makes the bet longer: 15 years. If he could last to the end of his sentence, the lawyer would receive two million rubles for wining the bet.

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