what is the bet between the lawyer and the banker

by Dr. Vivienne Goodwin Jr. 6 min read

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).

They agreed to a bet: if the lawyer could spend fifteen years in total isolation, the banker would pay him two million rubles. The lawyer would have no direct contact with any other person, but could write notes to communicate with the outside world and receive whatever comforts he desired.

Full Answer

Did the lawyer or the banker win the bet?

The banker himself would acknowledge that he had lost the bet, and the lawyer would probably assert that he had won it, although he disdained to collect the money. The bet itself is hard to understand. Initially the two men were arguing about the relative cruelty of capital punishment versus life imprisonment. This is the pertinent dialogue.

What does the banker say about the lawyer at the end?

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 does the banker seem to be acknowledging he lost the bet?

The banker seems to be acknowledging that he lost the bet by his thoughts and behavior on the night before the term of imprisonment expired. He sneaks into the prisoner's room for the first time in fifteen years with the intention of murdering him after keeping him in solitary confinement for all that time.

How old was the lawyer at the Banker’s party?

Just 25 years old when he attends the banker’s party at the beginning of the story, the lawyer initially asserts that life-imprisonment is far preferable to capital punishment. He proves as reckless as the banker in agreeing to the bet and foolish in lengthening his sentence for the sake of some misplaced pride.

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What is the bet between the lawyer and the banker Commonlit answers?

The lawyer suggests that the banker doesn't have the courage to place such a risky bet against him. The lawyer offers to give the banker two million if he cannot stay in solitary confinement for the agreed upon years. The lawyer proposes that he will remain in solitary confinement even longer than the banker suggests.

What is the total bet between bankers and lawyers?

The banker hypothetically bets the lawyer two million dollars/rubles that he could not stay in solitary confinement for five years. The lawyer inexplicably raises it to fifteen years for the same amount of money. They set the terms of the bet. The lawyer must remain in his prison for fifteen years.

Why do the lawyer and the banker make a bet?

The banker wants to prove his point that the death penalty is more humane than life imprisonment. What is the banker's motivation for suggesting the bet? The lawyer wants to prove that life imprisonment is more human than the death penalty and collect $2,000,000.

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.

What was the bet in the story the bet?

This short story portrays a situation in which the banker and lawyer wages a bet based on the idea of the death penalty and life imprisonment. The banker puts on the line two million dollars compared to the lawyer's life worth of fifteen years.

Who won the bet answer?

The banker wins the bet. The attorney escapes the night before he is to win the bet. He writes a letter to the banker in which he explains his...

What is the bet between the lawyer and the banker Quizizz?

What was the bet between the lawyer and banker? The lawyer bet that he could stay in solitary confinement for 15 years if the banker paid him 2 million dollars.

How much money the lawyer will receive after winning the bet?

Taking this idea as the bet, it was shown at the end of the story that the lawyer lost the bet. The rule was clearly stated, “The slightest attempt on his part to break the conditions, if only two minuets before the end, released the banker from the obligation to pay him two millions” (2).

What happens 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.

What does the banker value in the bet?

Anton Chekhov's “The Bet” sets up a seemingly simple bet about the nature and value of life. The banker, who believes that the death penalty is more humane and moral than life imprisonment, argues that experiences, pleasures, and relationships are what make life worth living.

Who in your opinion won the bet between the banker and the lawyer?

The banker certainly wins the bet in terms of the money that he put up. Because the lawyer left the house before the 15 years were up, he loses and the banker keeps his money.

What was the bet what things were at stake?

Answer. Explanation: Explanation:Definition of 'Stake': Money or property risked on the result of a horse race, card game, match outcome, etc.

What does the banker note about the 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.

How old is the lawyer in The Banker's Party?

The Lawyer Character Analysis. The Lawyer. Just 25 years old when he attends the banker’s party at the beginning of the story, the lawyer initially asserts that life-imprisonment is far preferable to capital punishment.

Why is the banker distraught in Part 2?

Part 2. It is fifteen years later and the eve of the lawyer ’s release. The banker is distraught because he cannot afford to pay the two million rubles. ... (full context) The old banker fears that the lawyer will, having won the bet, become wealthy, marry, and enjoy life the same way he... (full context)

What does a lawyer read in the sixth year?

(full context) In the tenth year, the lawyer reads only the New Testament. In the next two years, he reads haphazardly and randomly,... (full context)

What is the lump in the lawyer's skull?

All the wisdom from the books, writes the lawyer, is condensed into a little lump in his skull. He has become cleverer than almost... (full context) The lawyer has come to hold people who appreciate earthly things in contempt, and as such he... (full context) The banker has begun to cry.

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