Final answer:
In Anton Chekhov's 'The Bet,' the lawyer takes the bet to prove his intellectual superiority and moral beliefs, rather than just to win the money, undergoing a transformative experience that leads him to renounce the prize.
Step-by-step explanation:
In "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov, the lawyer takes the bet primarily to prove his intellectual superiority. The lawyer and the banker argue about the death penalty versus life imprisonment, with the lawyer asserting that life imprisonment is far more humane and preferable. In the heat of the moment, he accepts a bet to stay in solitary confinement for fifteen years to demonstrate the strength of his convictions. The large sum of money at stake, although significant, serves more as a catalyst for the challenge rather than as the primary reason for his action.The motivation behind the lawyer's decision to take the bet can be understood as a combination of pride, the desire for moral vindication, and intellectual arrogance, wanting to prove a point about human endurance and the value of solitary introspection.
The story reveals that despite the harsh conditions of his confinement, the lawyer undergoes a profound transformative experience, ultimately renouncing the money and what he sees as the superficial concerns of the world.In Anton Chekhov's 'The Bet', the lawyer takes the bet to prove his intellectual superiority over the banker.central theme of the story revolves around the lawyer's belief that solitary confinement is a better form of punishment than the death penalty. By accepting the bet and spending fifteen years in solitary confinement, he aims to showcase his moral beliefs and challenge the banker's stance on capital punishment.Therefore, the correct answer is d) To showcase his moral beliefs.