UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

DEPARTMENT OF LITERATURE

(Based from the

I.CHARACTER (30points) direct and implied (Character’s) (Character’s)
description in the Your Personal insights about the
(Discuss at least 3 story.) Pathos Hubris/Hamartia character. Be mindful of your POV.
characters (Major/Minor) Characterization
from your selected story (2pts each) (2points each) (2points each) (4 points each)

Stories: The Bet,

Runaway, The Killers

The banker is I believe that the I think that his greatest One thing that I had conclude on his
characterized by his Banker’s test is by flaw would be his character is, by the end of the story, the
1. The Banker insurmountable taking his side of the overconfidence with his Banker: to whom had all the riches in his
wealth, bet. own wealth and assurance youth, has learned the perils of life,
competitiveness and that nothing would ever losing wealth and on the verge of
drive in proving his With all of his wealth change. From undervaluing bankruptcy and the life that the Lawyer
point to his guests. lost from his his wealth by impulsively experienced. In a way, he juxtaposes the
Even going to misfortunes betting it for a simple Lawyer’s conclusion at the end of the
extremes as to make throughout the years, argument, to his own stand story. That wisdom is as equally as a
a bet with the other he is left cornered with on the argument. And this valuable treasure as his wealth, that by
main character, the debt that equally overindulgence in wealth the end of the story, is needed and the
Young Lawyer, to values the same as the has left him blindsided in reason of his inner conflict.
experience a 5-year promised reward for life.
imprisonment all the Lawyer when he I think that his character is a
because of a simple succeeds to the bet. His representative of the people who
disagreement. I pathos is this dilemma experience this kind of situation. I think
could characterize of killing the Lawyer in that one reason that the author didn’t
him that he’s easily order to save his name the characters is because of this
consumed by his wealth, but to a cost of universal relation to what we may
emotions. losing the bet. experience as a human.

Title: Name: Jomes Aldrin M. Aunzo Date Submitted: May 10,

WS 3 - The Bet by Anton Analysis of the Short story “The 2022
Chekhov Bet” by Anton Chekhov Section: 3AD-5 Total points: 60
 He is characterized The Young Lawyer’s His greatest flaw would be In the end, I believe that the Lawyer learned
mainly by his youth pathos is his own his own idealism with the the value of life from all the books and
and his indelible experience throughout world. And this was being readings he’s been immersing throughout
2. The Young Lawyer the years, but at the cost of it, he’s on the
decisions during the the 15 years of solitary challenged along the story.
verge of death and decrepit state due to
bet, which portrays confinement and This young idealism
intense isolation, which probably affected
an idealistic person. partaking with the however transforms into a his own well-being while only at the age of
With a positive extreme bet that the more mature, yet bitter 40 years old. But in a way, I think that what
outlook and hope Banker proposes to take of the reality, as he the author portrays the character of the
through life. But this him. calls it. Lawyer is it encapsulates the life of a person,
comes with his compressing a personal life story into a
youth, that shortened form.
throughout the
story, is tested by In a way, the moral lesson that the young
the voluntary lawyer expresses are much more than what
the story portrays. I believe he deals with
imprisonment of 15
the capacity of change that a person would
years. get, but was concluded in a different manner
as to what the Banker had. And this change
transforms him into a contented person that
is even willing to renounce his reward at the
nearing end of the bet.
3. The Guests While being the They only served as a On their character flaw, I While being a part on only the first part
background background character find that the crowd in the of the story, I believe that there is still an
character/s of the in the first half of the short story doesn’t have important role that the guests have
story, the guests on story. So, there hasn’t any notable flaws that they through the whole picture of the story.
the Banker’s party been any “pathos” that portray in the first part.
serves as the static centered around their I think that they describe the common
characters that characterization. While they are the opinions of the reader’s take on the
provide the setting character that started the argument. Since both the main
ground for the bet to path of The Banker characters of the Banker and the Lawyer
happen. towards the conflict, one take the extreme sides of the coin, the
flaw that I could say to guests serve as the setting ground for
them would be that their the readers to gauge in their insights on
side leans on what a the story.
normal person would have.

Title: Name: Jomes Aldrin M. Aunzo Date Submitted: May 10,

WS 3 - The Bet by Anton Analysis of the Short story “The 2022
Chekhov Bet” by Anton Chekhov Section: 3AD-5 Total points: 60
 II. Conflict (15points) 1. Man vs. Man
The whole story of “The Bet” centers around the different sides of the Banker and the Lawyer regarding the
A. Discuss 3 prominent topic of capital punishment, for the Banker, he states that the death penalty is the morally justifiable option,
types of conflict in while the Lawyer opts for life imprisonment due to the implications of killing people. Both characters have
the story. Justify it by their inner conflicts between themselves, but in the end, we can see that both characters’ storyline meets up
identifying the at the climax as the Banker is seemingly losing the bet due to his monetary issues and the Lawyer’s nearing
character/s who completion of 15 years in solitary confinement. I think that this is the most important conflict with the story
exemplify the as it clashes both the differing ideologies of the characters and creates a unique situation where the readers
conflict and like me would be captivated with how would the story would end.
incorporating your
personal perspective 2. Man vs. Self
about the conflict. I believe that both the Banker and the Lawyer have experienced a conflict between their selves in the form of
their old ideologies in regards to the position they took in their bet. The “Man vs. Self” type of conflict best
(5 points each) describes this kind of situation as it provides a test for both characters in proving their own choices
throughout the whole story. For the Banker, it would become prominent with his conflict of bankruptcy and
downfall during his bet with the Lawyer. At the height of his conflict, he is left with a decision to attempt the
murder of the Lawyer. For the lawyer, however, it was a more prominent conflict as he is spent his whole
time.

3. Man vs. Society

While there is no contested issue that both the first and second conflicts that I had provided were the center
part of the story, I believe that the underlying conflict that the story expresses as a whole is the whole
argument about capital punishment. In a way, I can classify it as a conflict between man’s views on the death
penalty; like the ones that the Banker and the Lawyer had, and the general view of the public that both
choices are as immoral regardless of which choice to make, as to what one of the guests expresses. This
opinion is a characterization of the Societal view of Capital punishment, in my humble opinion. And the story
is about both sides taking their answers against this narrative of immorality in the topic of “The Bet”.

Title: Name: Jomes Aldrin M. Aunzo Date Submitted: May 10,

WS 3 - The Bet by Anton Analysis of the Short story “The 2022
Chekhov Bet” by Anton Chekhov Section: 3AD-5 Total points: 60
 III. Theme (15points) 1. Capital Punishment
Of course, the whole narrative of the story runs through this topic that both the characters had at the
Discuss 3 themes from beginning of the story. And through the “bet” that both the Lawyer and the Banker had participated, their own
the story underscoring choices manifest in their conclusion, with the Lawyer valuing the freedom (which is the ultimate desire for
your personal “take” on people with lifetime imprisonment) more than the monetary gain that he’ll eventually get if he stayed a bit
these themes. longer, and the Banker resorting to “killing”, akin to his stand for the death penalty, to not lose in the bet. Of
course, If I would choose between the two choices, I would opt for.
(5 points each)
2. The Vanity of Betting
Both characters gamble for the bet that they had impulsively partaken in. For the Banker, he gambled all his
wealth. For the Lawyer, he bets on the opposite side in exchange for his youth. This, in the eyes of a normal
person, is a very foolish undertaking to be a part of. The vanity of betting can be seen in our reality, where
people would opt to achieve their desires in exchange for time, effort, and worth. I read the short story as a
commentary on the obsession with gambling. Wherein both characters have their ego on the line, which was
the reason why the bet happened in the first place. However, the story provided us with a solid conclusion in
regards to this theme, as the Lawyer’s own experience has led him to overcome this bet, leaving behind the
previous reason that he had for participating and in turn becoming a wiser man.

3. The Value of Money and Wisdom

The story uses both the reward and the book as a way to move the story forward. This is visibly seen through
the lawyer’s journey of confinement. As a part of the agreement, he can read books during his isolation. Both
the value of the character's years of life through money. his whole reason for sacrificing 15 years of his life is
to win the money. While this was his desire at first, we later knew that his time in isolation became
unbearable, and only reading books saves him from insanity. In a way, this became his outlet for experiencing
life outside the walls. Valuing wisdom more than material possessions like money as time goes on.

Title: Name: Jomes Aldrin M. Aunzo Date Submitted: May 10,

WS 3 - The Bet by Anton Analysis of the Short story “The 2022
Chekhov Bet” by Anton Chekhov Section: 3AD-5 Total points: 60