The banker's financial situation has changed drastically in the fifteen years since he first made the extravagant bet with the lawyer. His wealth was secure at the time of his wager, but now that the bet is almost over,
he stands to become bankrupt if he must pay the two million
.
Did the banker in the bet change throughout the story?
Yes
, the banker changes. He is older and has lost his money over time. He eventually hates himself for it.
Why is the banker afraid that he will be ruined forever when the 15 years is complete?
Why is the banker afraid that he will be ruined forever when the 15 years is complete? He is afraid he will be ruined be
because if the lawyer survives he will take the bankers last 2 million , he is no longer a millionaire
. The banker was going to murder the lawyer, this shows the banker does not live up to his word.
What was the financial condition of the banker after 15 years of the bat?
The banker had been very rich when he had placed the bet fifteen years ago. However, after fifteen years,
desperate gambling on the Stock Exchange and wild speculation had
made him finally unstable to the extent that from a confident millionaire he had become a banker of middle rank.
What happened to the banker's wealth?
The banker loses his fortune
, and ends up mired in debt. … Since he first made the bet, the banker's fallen seriously into debt, so if the loses the wager, then he'll be ruined financially.
Why did the lawyer look terrible and much older than his forty years?
It calls for speculation. For plot purposes, the
lawyer had to be in poor physical condition because he was considerably younger than the banker
. The banker plans to kill him in order to get out of paying him two million roubles.
What does the banker think when he sees the lawyer sleeping at the table?
In “The Bet,” when the banker sees the lawyer sleeping at the table, he thinks
that the lawyer is a pitiful figure
, and he feels sorry for him. This alone, however, does not deter the banker from his plan to kill the lawyer.
Which does the banker consider more human?
The banker values personal pride, power, material possessions, and money. In all things, the banker is
a powerful man
. He would choose the death penalty as being the most humane simply because it would be better than dying by degrees.
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.
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 banker regret his decision to pay two million?
The banker has a number of reasons for feeling this way. Probably most importantly, he is
ashamed of the fact that he had been considering murdering his prisoner in order to get out of paying him
the two million roubles he had won and richly deserved.
How does the lawyers 15 year imprisonment affect the banker?
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 was the old banker recalling to his mind?
He read as though he were swimming in the sea among broken pieces of wreckage, and in his desire to save his life was eagerly grasping one piece after another. The banker recalled all this, and thought: “
To-morrow at twelve o'clock he receives his freedom. Under the agreement, I shall have to pay him two millions.
Why does the prisoner deliberately forfeit the banker's money?
Expert Answers
It was a lucky thing that the prisoner decided not to claim the two million rubles, because
the banker slipped into his room with the intention of murderiing him
. The banker's conduct was proof of the corrupting power of money.
How much money does the banker offer the lawyer for 5 years in solitary confinement?
The banker will pay the lawyer
two million dollars
if he completes five years of solitary confinement.
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.
