War and Peace · Chapter
The Death of Count Bezukhov explained
Count Bezukhov suffers his final stroke.
What happens
Count Bezukhov suffers his final stroke. As he lies dying, the house fills with officials, clergy, and family awaiting the end. Prince Vasili, desperate to secure the inheritance, pressures the eldest princess to reveal the location of a will that leaves everything to Pierre, the illegitimate son.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Legacy
The central drama revolves around the Bezukhov legacy, pitting direct heirs against an illegitimate son, exposing familial greed and conflict.
Corruption and Morality
Prince Vasili's manipulation and the princess's bitterness highlight the moral decay beneath the surface of propriety during a time of mourning.
Characters to notice
- Count Pyotr Kirílych Bezúkhov
The illegitimate son and rumored heir, absent but central to the inheritance intrigue.
- Prince Vasíli Sergéevich Kurágin
Agitated and scheming, pressures the princess to find and destroy the will leaving the estate to Pierre.
- Anna Pávlovna
Mentioned indirectly as a target of the princess's venom for her alleged role in influencing the count.
- Prince Borís Drubetskóy
His mother, Anna Mikháylovna Drubetskáya, is accused by the princess of intrigue and turning the count against the family.
Key passages
“"I knew that I could expect nothing but meanness, deceit, envy, intrigue, and ingratitude—the blackest ingratitude—in this house…"”
The eldest princess expresses her deep disillusionment and bitterness towards her family, believing them capable only of base actions.
Reveals the toxic atmosphere and long-standing resentments within the household.
“"It’s in the inlaid portfolio that he keeps under his pillow,"”
The princess reveals the hiding place of the contested will after being pressured by Prince Vasili.
The climax of their tense negotiation, providing the key to the inheritance plot.
“"Tonight, not later," said he in a low voice, and he moved away with a decorous smile of self-satisfaction…”
Dr. Lorrain authoritatively predicts the count's imminent death, taking professional pride in his prognosis.
Highlights the clinical, almost detached medical perspective amidst the emotional and financial suspense.