Intertextuality of Chekhov's “The Bet” with the <i>Quran</i>

Abstract

The Bet (1889) is one of Chekhov’s short stories that was selected as the corpus of this study. Since a writer’s personal beliefs have influence on her/his works, then, it was normal for Chekhov to be influence by his personal religious beliefs. This story emphasizes the idea that the life of a human is far more valuable than money and it is immeasurable. Moreover, according to the <i>Holy Quran</i> human life is very appreciated. In "The Bet", the prisoner, sleeping as the banker enters, has written a letter stating that he will leave the room just five hours before completing the terms of the bet, thereby forfeiting his right to the fortune. Identifying and understanding intertextuality plays a significant role for a better reading experience which creates new interpretations as it brings another context, idea, story into the text and also offers one way for us to understand texts more properly. Therefore, Chekhov's "The Bet" can be interpreted in the light of intertextuality similar to any written text in the world using intertextual forms such as parody, pastiche, retellings, homage, and allegory. Intertextual elements can be seen in the Bet especially in the lawyer's letter that the lawyer writes abandoning the bet money. The information in the letter demonstrates there is no reason for the murder anymore, because it transfers the lawyer's new found beliefs.