Crime and Punishment Characters Analysis

Raskolnikov -

The protagonist of the book, he murders an old pawnbroker to rob her. However, the guilt of the murder drives him into a delirious state and he battles his desire to confess and to evade the police throughout the plot of the book.

Dunya -

She is Raskolnikov's sister, and experiences many hardships as she works for Svidrigailov and his wife Marfa Petrovna. Her betrothal is fixed with a relative of Marfa Petrovna, but she eventually marries Raskolnikov's friend Razumikhin.

Pulcheria Alexandrovna -

Raskolnikov and Dunya's mother. It is through her pension that Raskolnikov can survive in the capital, and her love for her firstborn is so strong that she fails to understand how Dunya is sacrificing her life for the sake of their happiness.

Sonya Marmeladov -

She is the daughter of Marmeladov, the man Raskolnikov meets in the tavern. Her father's drinking has driven the family to deplorable conditions, she witnesses her step-siblings starving to death, and chooses to become a prostitute to feed her family.

Razumikhin -

He is the closest friend of Raskolnikov and is perhaps even poorer than Raskolnikov but he chooses to remain optimistic and relates positively to his environment. He ends up marrying Raskolnikov's sister Dunya.

Peter Petrovich -

He is one of the main antagonists of the book. He is betrothed to Dunya due to the influence of Marfa Petrovna but treats both Dunya and her mother verypoorly. He attempts to frame Sonya for theft when his betrothal with Dunya is severed and does so to break Raskolnikov's relationship with his family.

Svidrigailov -

to the plot of the novel. He is obsessed with Dunya and attempts to blackmail her into marrying him when he first discovers the crimes of Raskolnikov.

Porfiry Petrovich -

He is a sharp criminal lawyer, who begins to suspect Raskolnikov for the murders of the two women very early on. He can do so by closely observing Raskolnikov's psychology.