porfiry petrovich

Porfiry Petrovich (Порфирий Петрович) – The detective in charge of solving the murders of Lizaveta and Alyona Ivanovna, who, along with Sonya, guides Raskolnikov towards confession. Unlike Sonya, however, Porfiry does this through psychological games. Despite the lack of evidence, he becomes certain Raskolnikov is the murderer following several conversations with him, but gives him the chance to confess voluntarily. He attempts to confuse and to provoke the unstable Raskolnikov in an attempt to coerce him to confess.

Characters

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov is the protagonist, and the action is focalized primarily from his perspective. Despite its name, the novel does not so much deal with the crime and its formal punishment, as with Raskolnikovs internal struggle (The book shows that his p...
Porfiry Petrovich

Porfiry Petrovich (Порфирий Петрович) – The detective in charge of solving the murders of Lizaveta and Alyona Ivanovna, who, along with Sonya, guides Raskolnikov towards confession. Unlike Sonya, however, Porfiry does this through psychological games. Des...
Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova

Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova (Russian: Софья Семёновна Мармеладова), variously called Sonia (Sonya) and Sonechka, is the daughter of a drunk, Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, whom Raskolnikov meets in a tavern at the beginning of the novel, and who, Raskoln...
Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova

Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova (Авдотья Романовна Раскольникова) – Raskolnikovs strong willed and self-sacrificial sister, called Dunya, Dounia or Dunechka for short. She initially plans to marry the wealthy, yet smug and self-possessed, Luzhin, to ...
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov

Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigaïlov (Аркадий Иванович Свидригайлов) – Sensual, depraved, and wealthy former employer and current pursuer of Dunya, Svidrigaïlov is suspected of multiple acts of murder, and overhears Raskolnikovs confessions to Sonya. With ...
Dmitri Prokofich Razumikhin

Dmitri Prokofich Razumikhin (Дмитрий Прокофьич Разумихин) – Raskolnikovs loyal friend. In terms of Razumikhins contribution to Dostoevskys anti-radical thematics, he is intended to represent something of a reconciliation of the pervasive...
Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova

Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova (Катерина Ивановна Мармеладова) – Semyon Marmeladovs consumptive and ill-tempered second wife, stepmother to Sonya. She drives Sonya into prostitution in a fit of rage, but later regrets it, and beats her children merci...
Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin

Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin (Пётр Петрович Лужин) – A well-off lawyer who is engaged to Raskolnikovs sister Dunya in the beginning of the novel. His motives for the marriage is rather despicable, as he states more or less that he chose her since she will...
Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov

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Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov

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Andrei Semyonovich Lebezyatnikov

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Alyona Ivanovna

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Lizaveta Ivanovna

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Zossimov

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Nastasya Petrovna (“nastenka” “nastasyushka”)

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Ilya Petrovich (“gunpowder”)

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Alexander Grigorievich Zamyotov

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Nikolai Dementiev (“mikolka”)

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Polina Mikhailovna Marmeladov (“polya” “polenka” “polechka”)

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