the bet by anton chekhov why is the lawyer takes the bet and what does it say about his life

by Preston Powlowski 6 min read

The essential idea in Chekhov's ironic and thought-provoking story " The Bet " is that the fifteen years the lawyer spent in solitude changed his character so drastically that he came to despise money and all worldly things.

1 Expert Answer
The lawyer states that the life sentence would be preferable, but the banker calls his bluff, saying that he couldn't stand five years in prison. The decision by the lawyer to raise the stakes is meant to prove his point that a life sentence would be preferable to a death sentence.
Sep 12, 2019

Full Answer

What is the plot of the bet by Anton Chekhov?

The banker notes that the lawyer is so emaciated by the end of his sentence that he is hard to look at, prematurely aged, and appears ill. This outward appearance contrasts with the lawyer’s own belief that he has bettered himself. He ultimately renounces the bet by escaping his cell just five hours before he would be awarded his winnings.

Does the lawyer change in the bet by Anton Chekhov?

The essential idea in Chekhov's ironic and thought-provoking story " The Bet " is that the fifteen years the lawyer spent in solitude changed his character so drastically that he came to despise...

What is the bet in the book The BET?

Chekhov’s intellectual was a man who combined the deepest human decency of which man is capable with an almost ridiculous inability to put his ideals and principles into action; a man devoted to moral beauty, the welfare of his people, the welfare of the universe, but unable in his private life to do anything useful; frittering away his provincial existence in a haze of utopian …

Where does true happiness lie according to Anton Chekhov?

Nov 21, 2015 · Books become a big part of his life because they can serve as companions, acquaintances, even friends. In other words, they are serving the lawyer as substitutes for interaction with real people ...

Why does the lawyer accept the bet?

The lawyer wants to prove that life imprisonment is more human than the death penalty and collect $2,000,000. What is the lawyer's motivation for accepting the bet? The lawyer decides not to take the money. During his confinement, he learns that money and possessions aren't the most important things in life.

What is the bet between the lawyer and the banker?

In Chekhov's short story "The Bet," the terms of the bet are that the lawyer will stay in prison for fifteen years and the banker will "wager two million" (92). While the lawyer is in prison, he can have no human contact, but he can have "anything necessary--books, music, wine--" and anything else he requests (92).

Why does the lawyer surrender the 2 million dollars?

Because he had lost a lot of money in the past 15 years through gambling and the Stock Exchange, so giving the lawyer $2 million would ruin him. What kind of writing technique does Chekhov use at the ends of the story when the lawyer leaves the prison early?

How does the lawyer decide to conclude the bet and why?

How does the lawyer decide to conclude the bet, and why? At the end of the fifteen years, five hours before he would have gotten the 2 million rubles, the lawyer chooses to run away and revoke his right to the money, leaving a letter explaining himself. He has come to hate people and rejects the money on principle.Dec 16, 2021

What happened to the lawyer at the end of the story the bet?

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

How did the lawyer change in the bet?

In The Bet by Anton Chekhov, the lawyer voluntarily accepts to stay in prison for 15 years, instead of the original agreed upon 5 years.

Who won the bet in the story the bet?

The bankerThe banker wins the bet. The attorney escapes the night before he is to win the bet.

How does the lawyer change from the beginning of the bet to the end of his sentence?

What is one way the lawyer has changed from the beginning of the story to the end? He has lost his wealth. He has learned how to do complex math equations. He does not change in the story.

Why does the lawyer extend the term of the bet from 5 to 15 years?

The lawyer states that the life sentence would be preferable, but the banker calls his bluff, saying that he couldn't stand five years in prison. The decision by the lawyer to raise the stakes is meant to prove his point that a life sentence would be preferable to a death sentence.Sep 12, 2019

Why did the lawyer say he despised all wisdom and blessings of this world?

- The reason the lawyer says that in his letter is because, according to the lawyer, he realizes through the wisdom he has gained through the books he has read that the blessings of the world are “worthless,” and “illusory,” and that the banker prefers to follow those earthly blessings rather than heaven, “so I marvel ...

How does the lawyer spend his 15 years of imprisonment in the bet by Anton Checkhov?

The terms of the wager state that if the lawyer can live in solitary confinement for 15 years, he will be given 2 million rubles. The lawyer spends his time in confinement reading books. In the meantime, the banker's fortune declines and he realizes that he will be unable to pay off the bet.

What were the activities of the lawyer during his imprisonment in the short story the bet by Anton Chekhov?

During this year, the lawyer mostly eats and drink and lies on his bed. But, at times he writes all night; afterwards, however, he tears up what he has written, crying. Then, in the sixth year, he begins to study languages, history, and philosophy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 is the purpose of the monologue in Chekhov's play?

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