Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov
Impoverished former student who commits murder
Core Belief
"Raskolnikov initially believes that extraordinary individuals are above conventional morality and have the right to transgress laws for the sake of a greater good. However, his experience forces him to confront the inherent flaws in this belief."
Worldview
Raskolnikov sees the world as a deeply unjust and oppressive place, divided between the powerful and the powerless. He believes that individual will and intellect can overcome these injustices, but ultimately struggles with the limitations of his own power and the consequences of his actions.
Personality
Intelligent, proud, and alienated, Raskolnikov is driven by a complex mix of poverty, intellectual arrogance, and a desire to test his own limits. He is prone to intense introspection, rationalization, and swings between arrogance and self-loathing. He struggles with the moral consequences of his actions and seeks a justification for his crime.
In Their Own Words
"“I want to attempt a thing _like that_ and am frightened by these trifles,” he thought, with an odd smile. “Hm... yes, all is in a man’s hands and he lets it all slip from cowardice, that’s an axiom."
"“I simply did it; I did the murder for myself, for myself alone, and whether I became a benefactor to others, or spent my life like a spider catching men in my web and sucking the life out of men, I couldn’t have cared at that moment....”"
"“Freedom and power, and above all, power! Over all trembling creation and all the ant-heap!... That’s the goal, remember that! That’s my farewell message.”"
Discussions with Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov
Other Characters from Crime and Punishment
Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova
Prostitute and daughter of a drunkard, a source of compassion and redemption
Porfiry Petrovitch
The shrewd and insightful investigating magistrate
Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
Raskolnikov's intelligent, strong-willed, and virtuous sister
Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin
Raskolnikov's loyal and boisterous friend
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