Poor old Fyodor Fyodorovitch Sigaev. He is the classic figure of ignominy: the cuckold.
Having caught his wife with another man, he determines to purchase a gun and shoot her, her lover, and then himself.
But as he negotiates with the shopkeeper, he grows ever more uncertain of his plan. In the end, he doesn’t have the stomach for it. The avenger of the title is in fact too cautious (or sensible) to avenge himself.
READ THIS? READ THAT!
Written in 1887, “An Avenger” is fairly typical of the work Chekhov was doing at this point: Longer, and less simplistic than his work in the early 1880s, but still short enough to read quickly (within a the limited space allowed by a popular magazine). And as always, the tale must have a tight little twist at the end. Another tale from 1887 that fits this description is “The Beggar,” which seems to be heading in one direction but takes a satisfying turn at the end.
A Chekhov Circus 