what happens to the lawyer in the bet by anton chekhov

The final outcome of the story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov is that the lawyer intentionally leaves moments before the time limit for his confinement expires, denouncing society’s “worldly” desires. The banker hides the lawyer’s letter, preserving his own public image. Which statement best expresses the theme of the story the bet?

Full Answer

What is the plot of the bet by Anton Chekhov?

Aug 19, 2015 · In the end of the story, " The Bet ," the lawyer despairs of life, and he reneges on the wager with banker. In their bet about which is crueler, live-long imprisonment or capital punishment, the...

What happens at the end of Chekhov’s lawyer?

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.

What happens to the lawyer at the end of the bet?

He declares that he will leave five minutes before the wager ends; his self-contempt is too great to see the bet through to completion. While the banker, too, feels self-contempt, he …

What does Leo Tolstoy say about Anton Chekhov’s “the bet”?

The lawyer enters this bet as a young man, debating capital punishment and life imprisonment at a party. (It might be worth noting that this topic isn't one most party-goers would find a light...

What happens with the banker in the bet?

The host of the party where the death penalty vs. life imprisonment debate happens, the banker bets the lawyer two million dollars to stay in solitary confinement for fifteen years.

What do you believe happens to the lawyer at the end of the story?

In the end of the story, "The Bet," the lawyer despairs of life, and he reneges on the wager with banker. In their bet about which is crueler, live-long imprisonment or capital punishment, the banker and the lawyer wager their futures.Nov 22, 2018

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.

What will happen to the banker if the lawyer wins the bet?

If he pays the lawyer for winning the bet, he will be ruined. His only escape from his tragedy would be to kill the lawyer. When the banker opens the door into the cell, he discovers the lawyer now looking like a skeleton. He discovers a letter and reads it, but soon realizes the lawyer plans to lose.

Why did the lawyer break the bet?

The banker, on the other hand, has misused his money; and now if he pays off the bet, the banker will lose everything. After much inner turmoil, the banker decides to kill the lawyer before the end of the bet to keep from having to pay the loan. He sneaks into the guest house.Sep 9, 2020

Who wins the bet in the story the bet?

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

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

How did the lawyer change in the bet?

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.

How do lawyers spend their imprisonment?

The lawyer was allowed to have anything in his confinement except The Human Companionship. He was given books and piano. He was allowed to write letters. He was allowed to smoke and drink.Nov 23, 2018

What did the banker decide to do with the lawyer at the end?

The banker decides to end the BR by killing the lawyer. As he goes to see the lawyer he finds and reads a letter written by him. The banker doesn't kill the lawyer because the lawyer leaves early and ends the bet.

What thought bothers the banker 15 years after the bet is made?

Answer: The bet shouldn't have happened.May 11, 2020

Who won the bet between the banker and the lawyer?

On the face of it, the banker wins the bet, because the lawyer leaves his cell five minutes before midnight—the time of his release—thereby violating the terms of the bet. In doing so, the lawyer lets go of the two million that would have been given to him had he stayed in his cell until the very last minute.

The Lawyer Quotes in The Bet

The The Bet quotes below are all either spoken by The Lawyer or refer to The Lawyer. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).

The Lawyer Character Timeline in The Bet

The timeline below shows where the character The Lawyer appears in The Bet. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

What is the Bet by Anton Chekhov?

Anton Chekhov was writing this short story for the magazine “Novoe Vremya”. Initially, it had been entitled “The Fairy Tale”, since a described situation was clearly fictional. Its characters and their actions had little in common with a real life.

What did Anton Chekhov try to do?

By writing this story, Anton Chekhov tried to make people think about the point of their life and the meaning of money. His story points a certain moral and therefore resembles Russian fairy tales. However later, the title “The Fairy Tale” was replaced by “The Bet”. The first edition of this satirical story had another ending.

Who wrote the book The Bet?

Yet, Leo Tolstoy gave a good review of “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov. He wrote, “… his story is full of life.”. The story also reveals Chekhov’s attitude towards death penalty as something utterly immoral. At the end of the 19 th century, there was a heated dispute on the abolition of capital punishment in Russia.

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.

What happened 15 years ago?

Fifteen years ago, a party was thrown at a banker's home, where many intellectuals such a journalists and lawyers attended. During that party, the group in attendance had many lively discussions, ultimately turning to the topic of capital punishment.