Final answer:
In Chekhov's 'The Bet', the lawyer accepts the challenge of fifteen years in isolation to prove that life imprisonment is less humane than the death penalty.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Anton Chekhov's short story The Bet, the lawyer agrees to fifteen years of isolation to prove that life imprisonment is less humane than the death penalty, countering the banker's assertion.
The premise is that the banker believes the death penalty is more humane than life imprisonment, thereby setting the bet where he pledges two million rubles should the lawyer prove him wrong and sustain fifteen years in isolation.
This narrative explores deep themes of human life value, freedom, and the moral implications of capital punishment versus life imprisonment in a manner that is both philosophical and emotional.