Crime and Punishment Characters
Every major character in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, with a portrait, who they are and the chapters they appear in.
Rodion Romanovich RaskolnikovProtagonist · 41 chaptersAn impoverished, brilliant former student whose isolation and theory lead him to murder and then to a painful path toward confession and possible redemption.
Dmitri Prokofych RazumikhinMajor character · 29 chaptersRaskolnikov’s loyal, practical, and warm‑hearted friend who cares for the family and counters Rodion’s isolation.
Avdotya Romanovna RaskolnikovaMajor character · 25 chaptersRodion Raskolnikov’s devoted, strong‑willed sister who refuses compromising offers and protects her family amid scandal and pressure.
Sofya Semyonovna MarmeladovaMajor character · 22 chaptersA impoverished young woman who prostitutes herself to support her family and becomes Raskolnikov’s compassionate spiritual anchor.
Pulcheria Alexandrovna RaskolnikovaMajor character · 21 chaptersRaskolnikov’s devoted, anxious mother whose letters and visit reveal family hopes, pride, and moral anguish.
Nastasya PetrovnaMinor character · 20 chaptersThe landlady’s maid who brings Raskolnikov food, news, and practical bluntness, a steady presence in his chaotic world.
Pyotr Petrovich LuzhinAntagonist · 20 chaptersA prosperous, self‑regarding lawyer whose strategic “benevolence” and vanity aim to secure status through Dounia’s marriage.
Katerina Ivanovna MarmeladovaMajor character · 19 chaptersProud, consumptive wife of Marmeladov and domineering stepmother to Sonia, reduced by illness and destitution.
Porfiry PetrovichMajor character · 18 chaptersThe astute, conversational examining magistrate who probes Raskolnikov with psychological tactics rather than brute evidence.
Lizaveta IvanovnaMinor character · 16 chaptersMeek, devout half‑sister and companion to pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna; innocent victim whose presence triggers key events.
Semyon Zakharovich MarmeladovMinor character · 16 chaptersA dishevelled, alcoholic ex-clerk whose confession and tragic death expose his family's shame, poverty, and moral suffering.
Arkady Ivanovich SvidrigailovMajor character · 14 chaptersWealthy, dissolute former landowner whose menacing charm and ambiguous generosity unsettle Raskolnikov and his circle.
Alyona IvanovnaAntagonist · 13 chaptersAn avaricious, solitary pawnbroker whose stinginess and cold manner crystallize Raskolnikov’s theory and set the murder plot in motion.
Andrey Semyonovich LebezyatnikovMinor character · 13 chaptersA bumbling, self-styled progressive clerk who parrots radical ideas and provides comic relief while intervening in key scenes.
ZosimovMinor character · 12 chaptersA young physician and acquaintance of Razumikhin who examines and monitors Raskolnikov, offering clinical explanations for his behavior.- ZZametovMinor character · 10 chaptersa junior clerk at the investigating office who assists Porfiry and contributes to the atmosphere of official scrutiny
- MMarfa PetrovnaMinor character · 9 chaptersThe late Marfa Petrovna: Svidrigaïlov’s wealthy, scandal-entwined wife whose death and will affect Dounia’s fate.
- IIlya PetrovitchMinor character · 5 chaptersA talkative, officious police clerk—present at the station hearings and the moment of Raskolnikov’s public confession.
- KKochMinor character · 4 chaptersOne of the two men who stop at the pawnbroker’s door and debate whether anyone is at home during the murders.
- PPolenkaMinor character · 4 chaptersA young Marmeladov child who appears at family crises and offers simple, moving gestures of piety and warmth.
- LLidaMinor character · 3 chaptersOne of Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova’s young children, present at their father’s fatal accident and the chaotic household aftermath.
- MMadame ResslichMinor character · 3 chaptersA discreet matchmaker/arranger who facilitates Svidrigaïlov’s betrothal to a sixteen-year-old girl.
- NNikodim FomitchMinor character · 3 chaptersA police superintendent who questions Raskolnikov during a bureaucratic hearing at the police station.
- PPhilipMinor character · 3 chaptersA household footman/servant in Svidrigaïlov’s orbit who appears in tavern and domestic scenes.
- PPraskovya PavlovnaMinor character · 3 chaptersThe strict, money‑minded landlady who pressures tenants about unpaid rent and creates domestic tension in Raskolnikov’s lodging.
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