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Crime and Punishment · Character

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov

A destitute ex-student in stifling Petersburg who theorizes that extraordinary men may transgress, then finds his own conscience the harshest interrogator of all.

major

Also known as Raskolnikov, Rodya, Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov

First appearance: I

As a major figure in Crime and Punishment, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The protagonist, introduced in a state of extreme poverty, psychological distress, and intellectual arrogance as he plans the murder.
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Raskolnikov haunts the Hay Market in shabby clothes, too proud to work, too poor to eat, feverishly rehearsing a theory that divides humanity into ordinary and extraordinary. His contempt for the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna collides with flashes of impulsive tenderness — he gives his last kopecks to strangers, then recoils from his own weakness. His inner war between grandiosity and guilt drives the novel's central descent, making every knock at his door feel like a verdict.

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Character Web

28 connections

A slice of how Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

DUDushkinSSSofya Semyonov…AIArkady Ivanovi…DPDmitri Prokofy…PPPorfiry Petrov…RRRodion Romanovich Ra…

Relationship types

  • Psychological
  • Friendship
  • Other

Character groups

  • Protagonist
  • Minor Plot Catalysts
  • Central Characters

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This is the emotional peak where Katerina Ivanovna's desperate, final appeal for respect and protection is pub…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

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In the story

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov appears across 45 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov in I