The Bishop (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Anton Chekhov
- First Published: 1902
- Type of Plot: Philosophical realism
- Time of Work: The late 1890's
- Setting: A nameless Russian provincial capital
- Principal Characters: Bishop Pyotr, Marya Timofeevna, Katya, Father Sisoy
- Genres: Short fiction, Philosophical realism
- Subjects: Death or dying, Loneliness, Clergy, Diseases, Isolation
- Locales: Russia
The Story
Against the solemn background of Holy Week, the most important week in the liturgical year, Anton Chekhov recounts the last days in the life of the protagonist, Bishop Pyotr, including his illness, the accompanying crisis and “awakening,” and death.
Bishop Pyotr officiates at vespers as the story opens on the eve of Palm Sunday. To the bishop, who is unwell, the congregation is an indistinguishable blur with “all faces alike,” “heaving like the sea.” That the congregation seems shrouded in mist suggests his isolation from his flock. Even as his own...
[The entire page is 1635 words long]
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