Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Родион Романович Раскольников, Rodión Románovich Raskólʹnikov, rədʲɪˈon rɐˈmanəvʲɪtɕ rɐˈskolʲnʲɪkəf) is the fictional

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of the 1866 novel '' Crime and Punishment'' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The name Raskolnikov derives from the Russian '' raskolnik'' meaning "schismatic" (traditionally referring to a member of the Old Believer movement). The name '' Rodion'' comes from Greek and indicates an inhabitant of Rhodes. Raskolnikov is a young ex-law student living in

extreme poverty Extreme poverty, deep poverty, abject poverty, absolute poverty, destitution, or penury, is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, includi ...

in Saint Petersburg. He lives in a tiny garret which he rents, although due to a lack of funds has been avoiding payment for quite some time. He sleeps on a couch using old clothes as a pillow, and due to lack of money eats very rarely. He is handsome and intelligent, though generally disliked by fellow students. He is devoted to his sister (Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova) and his mother (Pulkheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova).

Plot

An impoverished student with a conflicted idea of himself, Raskolnikov (Rodya as his mother calls him) decides to kill a corrupt pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, with whom he has been dealing, with the idea of using the money to start his life all over, and to help those who are in need of it. It is later revealed that he also commits the murder as justification for his pride, as he wants to prove that he is "exceptional" in the way Napoleon was. He commits the murder, but is so nervous during the crime that he makes a few mistakes, and is afraid that he will be caught. Raskolnikov finds a small purse on Alyona Ivanovna's body, which he hides under a rock without checking its contents. After he confesses to the destitute, pious prostitute Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova, she guides him towards admitting to the crime, and he confesses to the police. Raskolnikov is sentenced to exile in Siberia, accompanied by Sofya Semyonovna, where he experiences a mental and spiritual rebirth.

Cinema and television

In film, Raskolnikov was portrayed for the first time by

Gregori Chmara Gregori Mikhailovich Chmara (Ukrainian: Григорій Михайлович Хмара, Russian: Григорий Михайлович Хмара; 29 July 1878 – 3 February 1970) was a Ukrainian-born stage and film actor whose career spanned ...

in the silent adaptation ''

Raskolnikov Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Родион Романович Раскольников, Rodión Románovich Raskólʹnikov, rədʲɪˈon rɐˈmanəvʲɪtɕ rɐˈskolʲnʲɪkəf) is the fictional protago ...

'', directed by

Robert Wiene Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a film director of the silent era of German cinema. He is particularly known for directing the German silent film ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' and a succession of other German Expressionism, ...

(1923). He was portrayed by Peter Lorre in

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...

's Hollywood film version (1935), by

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in ...

in a 1979 BBC mini-series adaptation, by Patrick Dempsey in a 1998 television movie, and by Georgy Taratorkin (1969), John Simm (2002), Crispin Glover (2002). The character of Michel in Robert Bresson's '' Pickpocket'' (1959) is based on Raskolnikov.

Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first received widespread recognition through his screenplay for Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collabo ...

, who wrote '' Taxi Driver'' (1976), was in turn inspired by Bresson's Michel character to create Travis Bickle,

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

's antihero. Woody Allen's 2005 British psychological thriller '' Match Point'' is partly intended as a debate with ''Crime and Punishment'': protagonist Chris Wilton ( Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is seen early on reading the book and identifying with Raskolnikov.Goyios, Charalampo
Living Life as an Opera Lover: On the Uses of Opera as Musical Accompaniment in Woody Allen's ''Match Point''
''Senses of Cinema'', Issue 40. Retrieved 21 January 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raskolnikov, Rodion Romanovich Crime and Punishment Fictional murderers Fictional nihilists Fictional people from the 19th-century Fyodor Dostoyevsky characters Fictional Russian people in literature Literary characters introduced in 1866 Male characters in literature