‘The Bet ‘Reference to the Context English Literature Class 9 and 10

The Bet -Anton Chekhov

The Bet by Anton Chekhov is the story of a bet that stakes a banker’s two million roubles against fifteen years of a younger lawyer’s life.In fact, it is a tragedy of these two people: the banker, who flaunts his money and the lawyer, who hankers for it. The story brings out the vanity of human wishes and the worthlessness and illusory quality of material life.

Reference to the context 1:

1.

“It was a dark autumn night.The old banker…….unsuitable for Christian States. “

Question a):Who hosted the party?What type of people attended the party?What does the extract given above tell us about the mood of the host?

Ans: The old banker hosted the party. the people who attended the party included a generalist intellectual a lawyer and a Banker. The host was in a depressing mood.

Question b):What was the topic of discussion at the party? What alternative was suggested for the topic being discussed?

Ans: Capital punishment was the topic of discussion at the party. life present was the alternative suggested at the place of capital punishment.

Question c):What was the opinion of the majority of guests present at the party on the topic being discussed?

Ans: The majority of the guests at the party were against giving that penalty as they consider it out of date immoral and unsuitable for the Christian States.

Question d):What was the host’s view on capital punishment? How did he justify his point of view?

Ans: The host’s view was that capital punishment was more moral than life imprisonment.

He justified his view by stating that capital punishment kills a man at once where is life imprisonment kills a man slowly.

Question e)What were the young lawyer’s views on the topic? What are your views on capital punishment? Give two reasons to justify your point of view?

Ans: According to the young lawyer, both capital punishment and life sentences were immoral. According to him, capital punishment achieves nothing but revenge it also does not reform him but eliminates him.

Reference to the context 2:

2

“And this world, senseless bet was carried ……..I am sorry for you.”

Question a): State in one sentence what the bet was.Why was it described as wild and senseless?
Ans: The best stipulated that the lawyer would remain in solitary confinement for a period of 15 years.
It was wild and senseless because of accepting it the lawyer would lose his freedom.
Question b):The banker was delighting at the bet. What does it tell about the character of the banker?
Ans: It tells us that the banker was a mean and heartless fellow who shot to ruin the youth and the life of the lawyer by setting in human and unreasonable conditions for the bet.
Question c):Why did the lawyer accept the bet?What trait of the lawyer is revealed from his accepting the bet?
Ans: The lawyer accepted the bet as a challenge and for the sake of getting two million rubbles. The lawyer’s act of accepting such a bet shows him to be a daring but greedy fellow.
Question d): How did the banker warn the lawyer at supper? Why did he feel sorry for the lawyer?
Ans: The banker wants the lawyer to think again about it because by undertaking such a way he would lose the best years of his life in prison.
Question e): What question did the banker ask himself after warning the lawyer at supper? Ultimately what was his motive in risking so much money on a bet?
Ans: The banker questioned himself about the object of the bad the good involved in lawyers losing fifteen years of his life and his throwing away two million robles. The banker’s desire to prove his point that capital punishment is better than life imprisonment.
Question f): What were the views of the banker and the lawyer about the bet after 15 years?
Ans: The banker cursed the debate he undertook fifteen years ago because his fortune had declined and he was himself in the loss. By paying the lawyer 2 million rubbles he would be ruined, on the other hand, he decided to feed the bet he had undertaken 15 years ago.
Question g): What are your views on the bet? Whom of the two-the banker or the lawyer staked more on the bet?
Ans: The bet between the lawyer and banker was unreasonable and inhuman because it put aside the freedom and youth of a man for 15 years long just to prove which of the two options is better.

Reference to the context 3:

3

“In the second year the piano…….he could be heard crying.” “

Question a): What was the prisoner’s attitude to music in the second year? Why?
Ans: In the second year of his confinement, the prisoner did not play any music and no piano was heard. This was because he wanted to study only the classics.
Questionb): What difference in the reading habits of the prisoner occurred in the second and in the fifth year of his confinement?
Ans: In the second year, the prisoner asked for classics whereas, in the fifth year of his confinement you altogether gave up reading books.
Questionc): The prisoner asked for wine in the fifth year. What was his attitude to fine in the fifth year? Why?
Ans: In the first year of his confinement, the prisoner refused to take the wine because he believed that wind exide the desire and desires are the worst enemies of a prisoner.
Question d): What were the activities in which the prisoner indulged himself in the fifth year? Why?
Ans: In the fifth year of his confinement, the prisoner indulged in music and writing in night and tearing up in the morning .
Question e): What would the prisoner do with his writings in the morning? Why?
Ans: The prisoner used to clear up all he had written at night in the morning. He did so to spend the time and avoid depression.
Question f): The prisoner was heard crying in the fifth year. What does it tell us about his mental state?
Ans: The prisoner’s act of crying tells us that he was in a state of depression, restlessness and frustration.

Reference to the context 4:

4

“Let them read them…… to be fired in the garden.”

Question a): To whom does the first ‘them’ in the first line of the extract refer to?What does the prisoner want them to read?
Ans: The first ‘them’ in the first line refers to the people who knew 6 languages in which the prisoner had written a letter to the banker. The prisoner wanted them to read the letter.
Question b): How does the given extract show that the prisoner developed a great interest in learning languages from the sixth year of his confinement? When the prisoner took interest in different languages, what difficulties did the banker face?
Ans: The prisoner took great interest in learning languages, is hinted from the fact that the procured 600 volumes of book related to language. The banker had the difficulty in getting the books in which the prisoner wanted to become proficient.
Question c): Give the meaning of the same flame burns in them all.
Ans: It means that all the people belonging to different plants speak different languages but their feelings and their thoughts are the same.
Question d): Which desire of the prisoner as referred to in the extract was fulfilled? Why did the banker ordered two shots to be fired in the garden?
Ans: The prisoner wanted the banker to fire a shot in the guard in the experts in different languages could not find a single mistake in the letter c had written in 6 languages the banker order to shots to be fired Hindi gardens to recognize the proficiency the prisoner had acquired in different languages over the years.
Question e): The prisoner read different types of books in the last two years of confinement.WHat does this fact show about the character of the prisoner?
Ans: it shows that traditional was the speaker of knowledge who wanted to understand the reality of life through books.

Reference to the context 5:

5

“Desperate gambling on the Stock Exchange……..let me you.”

Question a): What led to the decline in the banker’s fortune? How did this charge affect the banker’s character?
Ans: The banker’s fortune decline because of wild expectations and gambling on the stock exchange. As a result of declination, this Banker used to be a proud, fearless and self millionaire.
Question b): Why did the old man describe the bet as ‘cursed’?What did he do that shows his despair?
Ans: The old man described it as cursed because following the conditions, he would go bankrupt if he had to pay 2 million equals to the lawyer.
The Banker cursed it for the miserable condition in which he was at present.
Question c): Who did the old man wish should have died? Why?
Ans: the old man wished the prisoners to have died.
He wished so because he would be spared of paying 2 million roubles to the prisoner.
Question d): What would the prisoner do with the money he would take from the old man?
Ans: the prisoner would take the money from the banker and use it to get married enjoy life and gamble on the stock exchange.
Question e): Why did the old man say that he would look at the prisoner with envy? What does this show about the character of the old man?
Ans: The old man said that he would look at the prisoner with the angry because by paying him 2 million the old man would be reduced to the state of a pauper.
This shows that the banker was a jealous low and selfish man who could not tolerate the success of another person.
Question f): What solution did the old man devise to save himself from paying money to the prisoner? How does the solution devised by the old man create suspense in the story?
Ans: The old man decided to unlock the garden house door, kill the prisoner and throw The blame on The Watchman. The banker was resolved to kill the prisoner. This creates surprise in the story by arousing anxiety among the readers about the outcome of the banker’s resolution and the consequences for both the prisoner and the banker.

Reference to the context 6:

6

“Fifteen years imprisonment had taught him………made up his mind to go in.”

Question a): What was the impact of fifteen years of confinement on the prisoner, as mentioned in the above extract?Why didn’t the prisoner respond to the banker’s tapping at the window?
Ans: 15 years of solitary confinement in the prison, made him a calm and peaceful man so that he could sit still perhaps in a state of meditation. The prisoner did not respond at all to the bankers tapping at the window because he was fast asleep.
Question b): What was the banker’s state of mind when he broke the seal of the door? Why was he in such a state of mind?
Ans: The bank was in a state of despair when he broke the disease of the door because a final day was left for the accounting of the stipulated 15 years of the bat and he would have to pay the money.
Question c): What does the author want to convey by using the expression ‘rusty lock’,’grating sound’ and ‘creaking door’?
Ans: The author wants to create suspense in the story by using expressions like rusty, lock, grating sound, and cracking the door.
Question d): Whose footsteps did the banker expect to hear? Why?
Ans: The banker expected to hear the footsteps of the prisoner. As per his expectations, he thought the latter would rush towards the door and give a cry of amazement on knowing that somebody had opened the door for him.
Question e): Where did the banker finally make up his mind to go? Why?
Ans: The bank of finally decided to enter the large. He made up his mind to go inside and kill the prisoner to put an end to the bet.
Question f): What did the banker think that the prisoner would be dreaming of?
Ans: The banker thought that the prisoner would be dreaming about 2 million roubles he was likely to get after completing the challenge.
Question g): What is your attitude towards the prisoner? Give a reason in support of your answer.
Ans: The prisoner is to be pitied for the condition in which he landed himself for his greed of money state his liberty and youth for 15 years only for his greed of money.
He staked his liberty and youth for fifteen years only for two million roubles.

Reference to the context 7:

7

“The banker went at home…..in the fireproof safe.”

Question a): Who informed the banker about the disappearance of the prisoner from the lodge? How long did the prisoner stay in confinement?

Ans: The watchman of the lodge informed the banker about the disappearance of the prisoner from the lodge.

 He stayed for 5 hours.

Question b): The prisoner could have won two million roubles but he renounced them. Why?

Ans: The prisoner renounced two million roubles because of 15 years of his confinement in the present during which he moved from one enthusiasm to another live music eating drinking sleeping smoking and reading books.

Question c): What was the effect of the prisoner’s note on the banker?

Ans: The banker after reading the prisoner’s note undergoes a transformation of the heart. He wept and felt great content for himself when he reached home and try to sleep he could not do so because his tears and emotions kept him awake for hours.

Question d): Why did the banker keep the note in the safe? What does it tell about the character of the banker?

Ans: the Banker kept the note in the safe to avoid arousal of unnecessary suspicion among the people regarding the debate and the prisoner. This act of the bank suggests that he was a self protective man who does not want to land himself in any trouble because of the prisoner note.

Question e): What lesson did the prisoner and the banker learn at the end of the story?

Ans: At the end of the story, the prisoner realized the worthlessness of the material world and rejected all the pleasures he has experienced and renounced 2 million roubles he could have won as stipulated in the bet.

Question f): Do you think ‘The Bet’ is an appropriate title for the story? Give two reasons to justify your answer.

Ans:  the best is an appropriate title for the story because the entire story revolves around a bet between two people.

It also symbolizes human life is a bet where we stake everything to achieve material possessions.