Summary
Crime and Punishment follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a destitute and intellectually gifted former student living in 19th-century St.
Petersburg.
Convinced that certain extraordinary individuals have the moral right to commit crimes for the greater good, Raskolnikov murders a corrupt old pawnbroker. But instead of liberation or affirmation, he descends into paranoia, guilt, and spiritual torment.
As the net closes in, Raskolnikov faces psychological unraveling, persistent police scrutiny, and the redemptive presence of Sonya, a self-sacrificing young woman driven to prostitution to support her family.
Their relationship—and Raskolnikov’s eventual confession—becomes a meditation on morality, justice, suffering, and salvation.