The Brothers Karamazov · Character

Ippolit Kirillovitch

The prosecutor whose long-suppressed ambition finally finds an audience, he turns Dmitri's trial into a sweeping indictment of the modern Russian family.

supporting

Also known as Ippolit, poor Ippolit Kirillovitch

First appearance: part iv book xii a judicial error

As a supporting figure in The Brothers Karamazov, Ippolit Kirillovitch is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The public prosecutor present during the investigation.

In the storyBook IX: The Preliminary InvestigationOpen this moment free

Ippolit Kirillovitch has spent his career unable to command a room, and the Karamazov case hands him the ear of all Russia. Nervous, consumptive, and hungry for vindication, he builds his speech around Fyodor Pavlovitch as a type of cynical modern father and Dmitri as the son shaped by that cynicism. His rhetoric is both genuinely insightful and dangerously self-serving, making the trial a contest not just over guilt but over whose story of the family will be believed.

See Ippolit Kirillovitch in Book IX: The Preliminary Investigation Book page

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Character Web

26 connections

A slice of how Ippolit Kirillovitch sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Trial and Investigation Core
Minor and Background Characters

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it centers on Katerina Ivanovna’s hysterical, guilt-ridden declarati…

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In the story

Ippolit Kirillovitch appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book IX: The Preliminary Investigation
The public prosecutor present during the investigation.
III: The Sufferings of a Soul, the First Ordeal
Prosecutor who participates in the questioning and informs Dmitri that Grigory is alive.
IV: The Second Ordeal
The prosecutor, present during the interrogation, exchanging glances with Nikolay Parfenovitch and making dry remarks.
V: The Third Ordeal
The prosecutor who listens intently and interjects with pointed questions, such as about the open door.
VI: The Prosecutor Catches Mitya
The prosecutor who methodically presents evidence and questions Mitya, revealing Grigory's testimony about the open door.
VII: Mitya's Great Secret. Received with Hisses
The prosecutor who questions Dmitri's motives and the plausibility of his story, showing a mix of skepticism and compassion.
VIII: The Evidence of the Witnesses. The Babe
The prosecutor, is satisfied with Grushenka's evidence and notes psychological details from witness accounts.
I: The Fatal Day
The prosecutor; known for his passion for psychology and nervous temperament; rumored to be anxious about facing Fetyukovitch.
VI: The Prosecutor’s Speech. Sketches of Character
The prosecutor delivers his passionate, sincere speech, viewing it as his chef-d'œuvre and swan-song, genuinely believing in Dmitri's guilt and appealing for societal reform.
VII: An Historical Survey
The prosecutor delivering the indictment, detailing Dmitri's motives and the evidence against him.
VIII: A Treatise on Smerdyakov
The prosecutor delivering a lengthy closing argument, systematically refuting the theory of Smerdyakov's guilt and arguing for Dmitri's conviction.
IX: The Galloping Troika. The End of the Prosecutor's Speech
The prosecutor delivering the concluding speech, using historical method and vivid imagery to condemn Dmitri.
X: The Speech for the Defense. An Argument That Cuts Both Ways
The prosecutor whose psychological arguments are critiqued.
XIV: The Peasants Stand Firm
Rises to object to the defense, accusing Fetyukovitch of romancing and misusing the Gospel; is seen as 'crushed for good' by the ladies.

Chapter companion notes

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See Ippolit Kirillovitch in part iv book xii a judicial error

See Ippolit Kirillovitch in Book IX: The Preliminary Investigation