SparkNotes: The Idiot: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs and Symbols Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin The hero, protagonist, and title character of The Idiot, Myshkin is a descendant of an old noble line and a distant relative of Madame Yepanchin. He is a fair-haired, blue-eyed epileptic in his late twenties who comes to Russia after four years in a sanitarium in Switzerland. From the onset, Myshkin appears to be an outsider in Russian society: he dresses like a foreigner and acts as if unaware of the societal norms of the Russian aristocracy. Indeed, he is different from the other Russian aristocrats in several regards. First, Myshkin does not follow societal conventions and is not afraid of its sanctions, which mainly come in the form of ridicule. In Part I, he goes to Nastassya Filippovna's even though he has not been invited. He thinks to himself that the worst that could happen would be that the guests would laugh at him and then escort him out. Some of the other characters in the novel, such as Ganya, such shame would be absolutely terrible; for Myshkin, however, it is no big deal.

He is not afraid of being laughed at; in fact, when others laugh at him, he joins in with them. When Myshkin first visits the Yepanchins, the girls indirectly call him an ass and then laugh, but he laughs with them. Furthermore, Myshkin is very open and frank. He tells new acquaintances his personal history—including the bit about living in a sanitarium for several years—right away. He does not believe in societal small talk, instead preferring to immediately jump into a discussion of the issues that are his prime concern. For instance, when Myshkin visits the Yepanchins for the first time, he immediately talks of public executions and the story of Marie. At the "engagement" dinner party at the Yepanchins, he fervently discusses grand subjects such as religion and the future of aristocracy. However, Myshkin's is highly naïve, and he is therefore fooled by members of the high society. He takes their affected friendship for genuine and sincere feeling. Perhaps his innocence is the reason for his special affinity for children. The adult world, however, is too superficial and conventional for him. Myshkin does not take offense at anyone, no matter how horrific the character's action toward him.

After Ganya's slap, Myshkin does not hit back or challenge Ganya to a duel—a common recourse for action at the time. Instead, Myshkin tells Ganya that he should be ashamed of himself and leaves the room. In response to Burdovsky's lie that he is Pavlishchev's son, not only is Myshkin not angry, but he is also still willing to help Burdovsky financially. Even after Keller writes a slanderous and insulting article about Myshkin, the prince still makes Keller the best man at his wedding. Lebedev constantly lies to Myshkin and even tries to commit him to an insane asylum; when Lebedev admits this, Myshkin merely laughs in response. Aglaya constantly mocks and insults the prince, but this only saddens him. When Aglaya expresses any wish for reconciliation, Myshkin is ecstatic with joy. In short, Prince Myshkin does not bear grudges against anyone, even Rogozhin, who almost kills him. In light of Myshkin's seemingly impossible naïveté, virtually all the characters in the novel call him an "idiot." Prince Myshkin is perhaps the ultimate Christian ideal of humble selflessness and giving.

He attempts to help everyone he meets and always holds the needs of others above his own. In the end, he is ready to marry Nastassya Filippovna because he feels it is necessary to save her, even though he is in love with Aglaya instead. Myshkin's compassion toward others knows no boundaries. He is too good for a world corrupted by money, lust, and individual vanity. As a result, he unwittingly adds to the destruction and is destroyed himself. Anastassya Filippovna Barashkov Nastassya's dishonor at Totsky's hands leads to wallow in self-blame and sets in motion her tendency for self-destruction. She is willing to sacrifice her own life to cause pain to her offender. At the end of Part I, Ptitsyn draws the example of a Japanese custom of committing hara-kiri in front of one's offenders. Indeed, this is precisely Nastassya Filippovna's psychology. She is willing to ruin her life—by running away with Rogozhin—in order to prove that she is a shameless woman and that her torrid past is Totsky's fault.

In the end, she even willingly goes to her death, which she knows she will find in Rogozhin. Nastassya cannot overcome her spite and outrage. Although Prince Myshkin tries to help her by offering his love out of pity, she rejects his offer in the end. Not only does she deem herself unworthy of his love, but she also cannot bring herself to be with someone who loves another woman. In short, Nastassya Filippovna represents beauty and talent that has been ruined by the corruption of the world. Parfyon Semyonovich Rogozhin The dark-haired, dark-eyed Rogozhin represents all of the darkness of the novel's world that contrasts with the light that Prince Myshkin brings. Rogozhin's passionate love for Nastassya Filippovna leads to extreme obsession and is characterized by jealousy and violence. He beats her and ultimately stabs her to death. Rogozhin is descended from a long line of merchants, and in keeping with this heritage he tries to woo Nastassya by offering her money. His connection with money is a further sign of the degradation and moral corruption his character represents.

If Prince Myshkin is a Russian Christ, Rogozhin is a version of the Russian devil. Indeed, his last name contains the word "rog," which means "horn" in Russian. Dostoevsky contrasts Rogozhin's devouring passion with Myshkin's compassion. Although the Prince's pity is stronger than Rogozhin's all-consuming love, it is ultimately unable to save Nastassya Filippovna from death. More Help SparkNotes: The Idiot: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin - The hero and protagonist of the novel. Myshkin is a descendant of an old noble line and a distant relative of Madame Yepanchin. He is a fair-haired, blue-eyed epileptic in his late twenties. He comes to Russia after an absence of four years spent in a sanitarium in Switzerland. Myshkin is innocent, naïve, impractical, compassionate, and immensely kind, which leads most characters in the novel to consider him an "idiot." Read an in-depth analysis of Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin.

Anastassya Filippovna Barashkov - An immensely beautiful femme-fatale in her mid-twenties whom many of the characters call "mad." Nastassya Filippovna was once a ward of Totsky. Later, however, he seduced her and made her his mistress when she was a young woman. She blames herself for her dishonor and, although she loves Prince Myshkin, she considers herself unworthy of marrying him. Nastassya runs to Rogozhin, who later stabs her to death. Read an in-depth analysis of Anastassya Filippovna Barashkov. Parfyon Semyonovich Rogozhin - A dark-haired, dark-eyed twenty-seven year-old who is descended from a long line of merchants. Rogozhin is madly and passionately in love with Nastassya Filippovna. After receiving a large inheritance, he attempts to woo her by bringing her 100,000 rubles. She runs between him and Prince Myshkin until the end, when Rogozhin kills her. Read an in-depth analysis of Parfyon Semyonovich Rogozhin.

Aglaya Ivanovna Yepanchin - A beautiful twenty-year-old beautiful and the youngest daughter of General Yepanchin and Lizaveta Prokofyevna. Aglaya is haughty and childlike in her caprices, but also very romantic and idealistic. She falls in love with Prince Myshkin, but is unable to accept his compassionate love for Nastassya Filippovna. Aglaya ends up running away with a man claiming to be a Polish count, who later abandons her. Gavril Ardalyonovich Ivolgin - A thin, fair-haired, good-looking young man of twenty-eight. Ganya is highly vain and ambitious. Although the epitome of mediocrity, he strives for originality. He is in love with Aglaya, but is willing to marry Nastassya Filippovna—whom he despises—for 75,000 rubles. Ivan Fyodorovitch Yepanchin - A fifty-six year-old general. Yepanchin is a wealthy and respected member of St. Petersburg society. At the beginning of the novel he lusts after Nastassya Filippovna.

Lizaveta Prokofyevna Yepanchin - A distant relative of Prince Myshkin and the wife of General Yepanchin. In her willfulness and eccentricity, Lizaveta is very similar to Aglaya. Her greatest anxiety in life is finding suitable husbands for her three daughters. Alexandra Ivanovna Yepanchin - The oldest daughter of the Yepanchins, who is twenty-five and unmarried. Although Alexandra's parents worry about her marriage, she feels very calm. Highly educated and well read, she has a talent for music. Adelaida Ivanovna Yepanchin - The middle daughter of the Yepanchins, who is twenty-three. Adelaida, like her older sister, is very cultivated and expresses a talent for painting. She is engaged to Prince S. Hippolite Terentyev - A seventeen year-old consumptive. Hippolite is well aware of his approaching death and feels like an outcast of nature. He tries to reassert himself by espousing his own views on life and morality in his "Essential Statement" and then by his suicide attempt, which proves unsuccessful.

In love with Aglaya, Hippolite is a friend of Kolya and the son of Madame Terentyev, the mistress of General Ivolgin. Afanassy Ivanovich Totsky - A rich aristocrat in his middle fifties, he tries to arrange the marriage between Nastassya Filippovna and Ganya to get her off his hands. Several years before the action of the novel takes place, he makes her his mistress for several years. Yevgeny Pavlovich Radomsky - A young and dashing suitor to Aglaya Yepanchin. Radomsky retires from the military just before he takes part in the novel's action. A man of reason, he frequently visits Myshkin in the Swiss sanitarium at the end of the novel. Prince S. - The good-looking and intelligent fiancé of Adelaida Yepanchin, who later on becomes her husband. Prince S. is hardworking, knowledgeable, and very rich. Lebedev - A rogue, drunkard, liar, and recently widowed father of a large family. At the beginning of the novel, Lebedev is part of Rogozhin's gang.

He later rents out several rooms in his summer cottage in Pavlovsk to Prince Myshkin. Ivan Petrovitch Ptitsyn - An ordinary man just under thirty who manages to collect a large fortune by being a usurer (lending money for interest). Ptitsyn is suitor and later husband to Varya Ivolgin. Ardalyon Ivolgin - Ganya's father, an ex-general. General Ivolgin has lost his circle of friends in high society due to constant drinking and lying. Nina Alexandrovna Ivolgin - General Ivolgin's wife. Nina Alexandrovna, a dignified woman of about fifty, is the mother of Varya, Ganya, and Kolya Ivolgin. Despite her husband's lying and keeping of a mistress, she pities him and even helps Hippolite. Varvara Ardalyonovna Ivolgin (later Ptitsyn) - Ganya's dignified twenty-three-year-old sister. Varya is among the characters whom the narrator considers ordinary people. She tries to help her brother's chances with Aglaya by befriending the Yepanchin girls, but to no avail.

Nikolai Ardalyonovitch Ivolgin - Ganya's teenage brother. Kolya is a simple and good-natured boy who becomes friends with Prince Myshkin, whom he respects greatly. Kolya is also friends with Hippolite, whom he visits throughout his illness until Hippolite's death from consumption. Ferdyshchenko - An ugly and insolent lodger in the Ivolgin apartment at the beginning of the novel. Ferdyshchenko strives to be original, yet most people regard him contemptuously as a drunkard and an amoral rogue. Burdovsky - A young man who fraudulently claims to be the son of Pavlishchev, Myshkin's late benefactor. Burdovsky attempts to use the false claim to gain access to a portion of the prince's inheritance.

More Help Book Review: “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky – MuggleNet.com Book Trolley Book Review: “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky March 27, 2014 [button color=”black” size=”big” link=”″ target=”blank” ]Purchase here[/button] Published in a series of magazine issues in 1868-69, this is one of the masterpieces by the author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. It made me laugh a great deal, but it is not a comedy. Its climax is mysterious and chilling, but it is not a thriller. Dickensian in its large cast of vividly colorful characters and satire on the society of its time, it is not quite a picaresque. Tragic to a truly disturbing degree, it is too subtle and complex to make grand opera, too often given to immensely long talky scenes, featuring too many characters, to translate well into film—though the attempt has often been made to adapt it for stage or screen.

It’s a great novel in which a sensitive reader can feel himself totally immersed, only to be shocked out of “willing suspension of disbelief” when its author breaks the fourth wall and begins commenting on his characters as fictional creations. Though it may come as a surprise to those of us who grew up watching a copy of the novel collecting dust in a reverential spot on our parents’ bookshelf, looking so serious and sophisticated that we could hardly imagine trying to read it, it happens to be a vastly entertaining novel. Once you read it, you will not forget it. Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin is the “idiot” named in the title. We first meet this simple-hearted young man on a train to St. Petersburg, returning to Russia after several years under a doctor’s care in Switzerland. In boyhood he had been disabled to the point of idiocy by epilepsy, but the support of a wealthy patron and (later) the generosity of his doctor have at least partially cured him, and provided for his education. Now he has decided to return from abroad, but he really knows nothing about how to get along in Russian society.

Even before he sets foot on the motherland’s soil, his ignorance of the confusing forces in play around him begin to create trouble for the Prince. By the end (mild spoiler, here), his fragile nerves will prove unequal to the strain that arises from the instantaneous love and hate that he excites in the men and women he meets. I’ve been pondering how to boil Prince Myshkin’s story down into a neat, pithy statement. I am loath to say that Myshkin is a Christ figure; that’s probably been said before, and the weaknesses in that thesis have just as likely been pointed out. More tempting is a broader description of Myshkin as the one whole, wholesome, healing person in the world, surrounded by a crowd of sick, sickening people who spread their sickness to one another. But just when I feel ready to go with that thesis, Dosto(y)evsky explodes it by showering his messy, flawed characters with gentle, non-judgmental understanding. In this book, bad people come to some bad ends. But some good people come, arguably, to even worse ends.

And you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry; or, should you settle on doing both, in which order to do them. Poor Lev Nikolayevich finds himself torn between the love of two women, two diametrically opposite women whom he loves for diametrically opposite reasons, and who alternately seem to love and hate him in perversely unpredictable alternation, yet in completely different ways. And so we see a good man—perhaps the good man—forced into a situation where he can only do one evil thing or another. And when, at last, the choice has been made, the evil that results is all that could be expected, and more.

Among the other cast members in this novel’s hypnotically long and complicated scenes—any one of which could be staged by itself as a piece of experimental theater—are: General Yepanchin, a pompous, philandering, yet henpecked husband and gentleman Lizaveta Prokofyevna, his bossy, hot-tempered, but basically tender-hearted wife Their three unmarried daughters Alexandra, Adelaida, and the beautiful but flighty Aglaya Rogozhin, the dangerously unstable heir to a fortune, who is obsessed with a beautiful but troubled woman named Nastasya Filipovna Ganya Ivolgin, a young civil servant who is also torn between Aglaya and Nastasya Filipovna Ganya’s socially climbing sister Varya, his old-for-his-years little brother Kolya, and his father General Ivolgin, who is both a drunk and a compulsive liar Lebedev, a sponging and scheming character whose many lines of work include government clerk, pawnbroker, landlord, and interpreter of biblical prophecy Hippolyte, a consumptive scandal-monger and nihilist who (in one of the book’s most fascinating scenes) publicly reads a manifesto concerning his planned suicide Y

evgeny Pavlovich, another suitor for Aglaya’s hand, who plays an ambiguously sympathetic role in the Prince’s fate These are only the foremost few of a much larger cast that includes an informer, a slanderer, a stammerer, a money-lender, an aspiring murderer (not to be confused with the actual murderer in the story, who has already been named), a child molester, and various representatives of every level of Russian society in all their glories and foibles.

But at the center of it all is a fallen woman who fascinates many men, and who is drawn to destroy herself and those around her; a sheltered and virtuous girl whose happiness is threatened by her own willfulness; and our own dear Prince who, every time you think he’s an idiot, says or does something that makes him seem amazingly wise and clear-headed; only to provoke someone to call him an idiot again in the next paragraph. All this talk of Myshkin being an idiot will affect you as being cruelly unfair. Whatever he is—naive, pure, honest, lacking a sense of proportion, etc.—he is not, you will be sure, an idiot. Up to a certain point, you may think this book is about the injustice of such a man, of whom the world is not worthy, being called an idiot for his pains. At the end, however, it seems to be more about how the world can actually make an idiot of a good man.

It is a novel of disgust with a world where the sanity of the upper, lower, and middle classes alike—of the very religious as well as those fired by political and rationalistic zeal—can destroy the sanity of people like Nastasya Filipovna, Rogozhin, and Myshkin, among others. It is a novel of messed-up people in collision, and of one supremely messed-up individual who almost, for a little while, seems to have a chance to heal them all. It’s a well-known enough book that it’s not really a spoiler when I say things don’t work out that way. I give you fair warning. Why they don’t work out, and how they don’t, will be on your mind for a while. This book was excellent! I highly recommend this book – buy it now! The Idiot The Idiot the performance will have synchronised Russian and English supertitles Performers Stage Director and Set Designer: Alexei Stepanyuk Costume Designer: Tatiana Mashkova Act I Scene 1. The Meeting on the Train Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin is returning to St Petersburg following lengthy medical treatment in Switzerland.

In his compartment he meets Parfyon Rogozhin and Lebedev. Rogozhin has just received an inheritance of two million roubles from his father who recently died. Not long before that, Parfyon had been forced to flee from his furious parent: he had spent ten thousand on a gift for Nastasia Filippovna whom he met and instantly fell in love with. And now he is in a hurry to see her again. At this time, Nastasia Filippovna anxiously awaits the evening in her room – today is her name day and she has to announce whether she will marry Ganya Ivolgin. Afanasy Totsky, whose mistress she used to be, strongly supports this marriage. Being in St. Petersburg, Nastasya Philippovna compromises him, preventing him from getting married. So her marriage would set him free.. Ganya Ivolgin begs her to say if she is prepared to marry him. But she will give her response later when the guests arrive. She gives Ganya her portrait. Scene 2.

At the Epanchins’ In his study, General Epanchin and Afanasy Ivanovich Totsky are discussing the fate of Nastasia Filippovna, Totsky’s kept woman. They are resolved to have her married off to Gavril Ivolgin, for his marriage to the “fallen” woman, Ganya will be generously rewarded – Totsky will advance her a large sum of money. If it happens, he will be able to marry Aglaya, Yepanchin’s daughter Prince Myshkin has arrived to meet his only relatives in St Petersburg, the Epanchin family. The general is little pleased with his visitor who has no plans for the future or means to live. Ganya enters;he shows them a portrait of Nastasia Filippovna which she gave to him. The prince is amazed:“A beautiful and mysterious face, and her destiny is an unusual one.” General Epanchin leaves his visitor with his wife and daughters Aglaya, Alexandra and Adelaida. They are enchanted with Myshkin’s stories about life in Switzerland.

The prince read human faces; he describes the character of each of the Yepanchins, but when it comes to Aglaya, he is silent for a while before saying: “You have a rare beauty ... Almost like Nastasya Philippovna”. Ganya asks the prince to give Aglaya a letter in which he confirms that at one word from her he will break off the engagement. Instead of a response the girl asks the prince to write a phrase in her album – “I don’t stoop to trading” and returns his note. Ganya is furious. Meanwhile Rogozhin borrows a hundred thousand roubles to buy Nastasya Philippovna. Accompanied by a crowd of usurers, he goes to Ganya Scene 3. At the Ivolgins’ The Ivolgins gather in the drawing room. Varya, Ganya’s sister, is horrified – he plans to marry a dissolute woman whom he, moreover, does not love. Nastasia Filippovna herself appears. Her meeting with the prince, whom she initially thought to be a servant, amazes her.

A drunken crowd comes in, led by Rogozhin – he tries to outbid Ganya and then Nastasia Filippovna in order to prevent the marriage. The deal is broken off amid a scene of scandal – Ganya attempts to hit Varya who is incensed at all that has happened but the prince stops him. Scene 4. Day of the Angel General Epanchin, Lebedev, Totsky and Ganya are visiting Nastasia Filippovna. Unexpectedly for all present, the prince appears. The name-day girl asks him whether she should marry Ivolgin – and he says no. “That’s how it should be,” she concludes. It is clear to her that Ganya was led only by self-interest. Rogozhin enters; he has brought the hundred thousand he had promised. The prince proposes that Nastasia Filippovna marry him, stating that her life is not over, that she is guilty of nothing and that, quite the reverse, she is a victim. She is prepared to break up with her past and ‘set Totsky free for nothing’. It turns out that the prince has inherited a great fortune.

Nastasya Philippovna feels happy about the prince’s proposal: she believes that he is the only one to understand her nature. But she cannot agree to the marriage – it seems to her that any such union will destroy the prince. She takes the money from Rogozhin, throws it into the fire and orders Ganya to take it out. He faints.Rogozhin and Nastasia Filippovna depart. Act II Scene 5. At Rogozhin’s Six months later. The prince had an affair with Nastasya Philippovna and then broke up with her. Now she lives with Rogozhin. The prince has come to Rogozhin. Parfyon is convinced that Nastasia Filippovna, who lives with him, is in love with the prince alone. Myshkin convinces him that he is not a rival – he is driven only by pity. The prince and Rogozhin fraternise. In the gateway the prince falls senseless. Scene 6. The Faithful Knight In Lebedev’s country house, the prince recovers from his seizure.The Epanchins arrive to visit him.

Aglaya sings a ballad about “The Poor Knight”, but the proposal that she might marry Prince Myshkin drives her furious. The prince is forced to explain that he had no intention to ask for Aglaya’s hand.Mrs Epachkin laments – how hard it is to be the mother of grown-up daughters! Scene 7. Two Meetings Aglaya has appointed a meeting with the prince in the park. She wants to elope from home and begs his assistance. Yet the notion that the prince has lived with Nastasia Filippovna perturbs her – and now this unknown woman is writing her letters, persuading her to marry the prince. In disarray, Aglaya flees. Nastasia Filippovna appears. All is decided – she will marry Rogozhin and only wishes to know if prince Myshkin is happy. Scene 8. Lebedev’s Confession The Epachins are in disarray: they have received news that the prince is Aglaya’s fiancé. At their request to provide a definite answer if he has asked her hand the prince confirms all. Lebedev informs the prince that Aglaya is meeting Nastasia Filippovna.

“Evil rules the world. And gold as well,” he confirms in response to the prince’s past musings. The prince and Aglaya go to Nastasya Philippovna. Aglaya wants to take her rival down a peg. Scene 9. The Rivals The prince and Aglaya are with Nastasia Filippovna. Being determined to protect the prince from Nastasya Philippovna, Aglaya asks her to stop writing letters and trying to interfere in their lives. ‘You’re a coward! You’re jealous! You’re afraid of me!’ Nastasya Philippovna replies. Now the prince has to make a choice – and the prince, unable to overcome his suffering, remains with Nastasia Filippovna. But their marriage never truly took place: the bride flees from the ceremony to Rogozhin. Scene 10. Reconciliation Nastasia Filippovna is dead, Rogozhin has killed her. The prince who has come to see him learns of the murder.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION It’s not so long ago that the music by Mieczysław Weinberg (1919–1996) first appeared on theatres’ repertoire. The first concert performance of The Passenger, his first opera (1968), whose protagonists are a former concentration camp prisoner and her female guard, took place in 2006 in Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre. A festival dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the composer was held in England in 2009, featuring his instrumental pieces, the one-act opera Lady Magnesia and the Requiem. One year later Teodor Currentzis conducted the first performance of The Passenger at Bregenz Festival. After that, several opera theatres showed interest in Weinberg scores, especially The Passenger, The Portrait and The Idiot. Music by this "previously unknown Soviet composer" was a real revelation for Europe, while the author was soon announced to be the third greatest composer after Shostakovich and Prokofiev. A younger contemporary of Shostakovich and an older contemporary of Schnittke, Mieczysław Weinberg was born in Warsaw.

In 1939 he managed to escape and get to the Soviet Union while his entire family perished in the ghetto. The composer’s life changed greatly after meeting Shostakovich who became his friend, promoted his works and pleaded for his release when Weinberg was arrested in connection with "the Doctors' plot" in 1953. Weinberg always considered himself to be a disciple of Shostakovich, although formally he never took a single lesson from him, nor imitated his style despite the obviously strong influence of his senior colleague. While authoring more than 20 symphonies and 7 operas, he was better known to the general public for his numerous works in films and animation, including soundtracks for the famous film The Cranes Are Flying and for Winnie the Pooh cartoon series. The composer died in 1996, gaining no world fame and convinced that his music that was hardly ever performed in his lifetime, would be totally forgotten after his death. The Idiot (1986) is the last opera by Weinberg.

Four parts of the novel by Dostoevsky were transformed into four hours of music with intense symphonic development, catchy melodies and leitmotif-based structure. The story line of the opera reflects almost every twist and turn of the novel, but Prince Myshkin's disease is left in the past (the scenes showing his paroxysms, as well as the final, were not included in the libretto). Since the protagonist is preaching the composer’s own ideals, the monologues of Prince Myshkin are the only fragments of Alexander Medvedev’s libretto, that are not based on the original Dostoevsky’s text. World premiere (abridged version): 19 December 1991, Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre World premiere (full version): 9 May 2013, Nationaltheater, Mannheim Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 6 July 2016 Running time: 3 hours 30 minutes The performance has one interval Age category 12+ The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Search eText, Read Online, Study, Discuss. Is there a society suitable for Myshkin?

The Idiot by Dostoevsky was my first run in with Dostoevsky and his works and it certainly won't be my last. I was interested by the complex messages that were in the book and reflecting upon it this question came to me. Is there a society that Myshkin could live in without being treated as an outcast such as he was throughout The Idiot? He seemed to be mixed within the Russian upperclass of the time where money alone could buy a woman's heart but Myshkin's own good nature did not seem to fit in. Whenever he expressed his opinions he was laughed at and passed off as an idiot when what he was saying was completely legitimate. Perhaps in a middle or lower class his personality would be more suited. Instead of the two women he was torn between he could find someone kind and uneducated such as himself in a different level of society. Posted By Big Dante at Sun 10 Apr 2011, 9:21 AM in The Idiot || 2 Replies The superiority of the idiot. I have finished reading the idiot. An absolutely stunning masterpiece,and vastly superior to the brothers karazamov.

(which was also great.) From begining to end this book was full of incident and packed with psychological insights. Far more realistic in terms of the characters than TBK,and the speeches by ippolit and myshkin were better than the grand inquisitor equivalent. I really struggle to see why this book is not referred to more. Ive just started 'demons' and im very curious to see if it can match the idiot. Posted By Theunderground at Mon 14 Feb 2011, 6:34 PM in The Idiot || 8 Replies Glad I read this translation of The Idiot I'm not a very literary guy. I started reading it because it was mentioned over and over in a book my wife bought me for my birthday, "Last Night in Twisted River" is Updike or Irving, I can't remember who wrote it, sheesh. Parts of this book were gripping (The Idiot) other times, I slogged along for the sake of self-improvement. I damn near ran aground when I got to thinking about how much Constance Garnett might have woven her own little web in the translation.

I actually got a hold of a copy of the book in the original Russian. Talk about slogging through! It got me interested in Russian, and I wasn't very able to corroborate (or refute) any of Ms. Garnett's work. It's interesting how no sexual innuendo wafted off this work at all. There was that place at the end when Nastasia was said to be on her knees, hugging his legs. I hate to tell you folks, that would be enough for me! Obviously Russian people mate, copiously I'm sure, (it's cold there, right?) And it's certainly not necessary to go into details about this and that. I did sort of wonder though about the princes sexual orientation or his virility, a couple of times. Actually, I wish I could be more like Muishkin . He reminded me of the character Elwood P. Dodd, portrayed in that play Harvey. A Gandhi like figure, it's appealing. But the fits and all, I wouldn't care for that. I didn't really follow a lot of the interrelationships between many of the characters. One thing, I wasn't aware of the notion of family members having different names.

Here in America, most women take the name of their spouse -- apparently that's not what happens in Russia. I imagine my saying this will reveal my ignorance -- well have a good look. Now it's on to Anna Karenina... Posted By Captain Pike at Thu 8 Jul 2010, 4:59 PM in The Idiot || 2 Replies I've seen it cited as being "Lyov" and sometimes as "Lev". Has anyone read the original Russian and can comment on this? Posted By modestblues at Mon 7 Dec 2009, 7:15 PM in The Idiot || 2 Replies Self-Loathing in The Idiot I'm only 200 pages into it, but I've noticed the self-abuse and self-loating common among all of its characters except Myshkin. Almost every character is overly self-conscious (just like the Underground Man) and are aware of their impurity and immorality, and have accepted it. They even take pride in it, but never cease to let go of a chance to criticize themselves.

*SPOILERS* It seems that Nastya ran off with Rogizn simply out of spite of herself, believing that she deserves punishment and enjoys punishment. Nastya in particular is so self-conscious that she is able to laugh at herself just as easily as she can at others. Myshkin, on the other hand, is like a little child (as he is called many times in the novel) and does not posess the hyper-consciousness of characters like the Underground Man or Hamlet, and thus is never self-loathing or self-abusive. He seems to live as if in an eternal state of meditation, of inner-calmness. It seems that through Myshkin, Dostoyevsky sees the religious experience as blissful unknowingness. As the Underground Man admitted himself in Notes from the Underground, that knowledge is the "root of all suffering". Myshkin doesn't seem to suffer, for he lives in blissful ignorance and innocence. It seems that Dostoyevsky is pessimistic of the view that the whole world can once again become this innocent child like Myshkin, for nobody really takes Myshkin seriously.

Posted By DanielBenoit at Mon 14 Sep 2009, 1:53 AM in The Idiot || 4 Replies How aware is Myshkin? The prince seems to appreciate that: Nastasya and Roghozin are in imminent danger, from themselves. And less so Aglaya. The probability of him averting, or even forestalling, disaster is small, and that his best efforts may be ineffectual. His selfless actions endanger himself, physically and mentally. Onlookers would have little sympathy for his noble self-sacrifices. His own fate matters little if he can be neighbour to one in need. Prince Myshkinï¿½s always acted for the good of Ippolit, Keller, Burdovsky and Lebedev. More surprisingly, textual evidence confirms that the prince behaves in the best interests of Nastasya, Roghozin and Aglaya, throughout. The prince bears no responsibility for the disasters that eventually befall the three, and his actions probably forestall disaster, for a time. Prince Myshkin acts out of love (agape), and surely would do nothing different a second time.

Despite the unfortunate outcome, his self-sacrifice for friends is admirable and heroic; and especially so considering the outcast status of Nastasya and Roghozin. John 15:13___Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Posted By Gladys at Tue 14 Jul 2009, 11:30 AM in The Idiot || 0 Replies What themes could be surrounding Hippolite? I see and hear about many themes surrounding the main character Prince Myshkin, but rarely any with Hippolite. He is dying and starts to notice the significance of the world and the environment around him. So what exactly, are the themes surrounding the character Hippolite? Posted By staka at Wed 20 May 2009, 2:17 AM in The Idiot || 1 Reply What could the most important or interesting paragraph (or set of paragraphs) in the novel be.. or the most interesting scene?

Posted By staka at Wed 29 Apr 2009, 10:56 PM in The Idiot || 6 Replies The prince a "holy fool?" I know from my studies, independant, of Russian Orthodox spirituality that one category of saints are refered to as holy fools. This is not a minor or obscure aspect of their haigiography. The great cathedral of St. Basil in Moscow is not named after the famous St. Basil who was a wise ancient scholar who was foundational to Orthodox liturgy, but of St. Basil the Holy Fool who terrorised Ivan the Terrible with his preaching. It seems to me that the Prince is clearly a member of this school of people, except for that shocking ending which at some level does not seem saintly to me. The fools may seem simple but the are portayed as stronger than the powerful forces of corruption they confront. I am sure that the princes character comes from holiness, his lack of defensiveness, his direct honesty, his giving freedom to those around him and finnally that he does not judge the souls of the people around him. Thoughts?

Posted By paul8th at Sun 1 Mar 2009, 9:55 PM in The Idiot || 2 Replies The Idiot (novel) : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on The Idiot (novel) Wikis The Idiot (novel): Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics (Redirected to The Idiot article) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the novel. For the Iggy Pop album, see The Idiot (album) . For films and other uses, see The Idiot (disambiguation) . The Idiot Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of The Idiot Author The Possessed The Idiot ( Russian : Идиот, Idiot) is a novel written by 19th century Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky . It was first published serially in Russky Vestnik between 1868 and 1869.

The Idiot is ranked beside some of Dostoevsky's other works as one of the most brilliant literary achievements of the Russian "Golden Age" of Literature. It was not translated into English until the 20th century. [2] Contents 6 External links Plot 27-year-old Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin returns to Russia after spending several years abroad. He suffers from epilepsy (just like Dostoyevsky himself did) and is prone to seizures, though they had been treated with some success in Switzerland by a Dr. Schneider. The Myshkin family line is said to end with him and his cousin, Lizaveta Prokofyevna, who is the wife of Ivan Fyodorovitch Epanchin, and mother to Adelaida, Alexandra and Aglaya. On the train to Saint Petersburg Myshkin meets and befriends Rogozhin and the quasi-lawyer Lebedyev.

Rogozhin tells the prince about his passion for Nastasya Filippovna , a beautiful, but suffering woman with a dwindling reputation, having been once kept as a concubine by the wealthy Afanasy Ivanovitch, who, along with General Ivan Epanchin, later attempt to marry her to Gavril "Ganya" Ardalionovitch. Myshkin arrives in Petersburg and goes to the home of General Epanchin in order to meet Lizaveta Prokofyevna, a quest in which he is successful. Myshkin sees a portrait of the infamous Nastasya Filippovna and resolves to go to her party later that evening, even though he hasn't been invited. At Nastasya's name day party, having told her she was "perfection," Myshkin goes into the living room and finds a group of people including General Epanchin, Afanasy Ivanovitch, Ferdyschenko and Darya. During this awkward occasion, Rogozhin, along with a drunken scandalous party arrives drunk and ultimately offers the beautiful Nastasya 100000 rubles to follow him to their equal fates.

She takes the money and throws it into the fire, beckoning Ganya to grab the money out of the fire, and it would be all his, provoking his lust for money. However, Ganya does not satisfy her, only to end up fainting from the sight of the burning notes. The prince perceives the despair of Nastasya and proposes to her in order to save her from her situation. Simultaneously, hearing Myshkin is to inherit a fortune, she accepts him. However, perhaps believing the Prince's offer stems from pity, or that she is not worthy of his love, she flees with Rogozhin. This scene ends with Myshkin chasing Nastasya and Rogozhin in their carriages, to which Afanasy refers to Nastasya as an "uncut diamond"—ending part one. Having returned to St. Petersburg from Moscow, Myshkin goes searching for Nastasya and meets up with Rogozhin. At this point, the Prince learns from Rogozhin that Nastasya loves him (Myshkin), but left him because she feels she will ruin him.

Later, after devoting his friendship to Myshkin, Rogozhin tries to kill him with a knife, but is foiled when Myshkin falls into an epileptic seizure. (Despite this, Myshkin later forgives Rogozhin.) This painting of the dead Christ in the tomb, by Hans Holbein the Younger , had an unsettling effect on the character Rogozhin, and later on the consumptive Hippolite, and Myshkin says the painting might have a crushing effect on any man's faith. Over the course of the novel, Myshkin grows closer to the General's daughter, Aglaia, but Nastasya's actions culminate in a final meeting between the two women at Darya Alexeyvna's home. In this scene, Aglaia attempts to get the upper hand versus Nastasya, but when the latter threatens her that Myshkin will always be hers, to which Myshkin cannot argue, Aglaia flees the house in hysterics. When Myshkin attempts to chase Aglaia, Nastasya faints in his arms. He makes arrangements to marry Nastasya for fear she will return to Rogozhin.

On the day of the marriage, however, Nastasya again runs away with Rogozhin, only to have the prince chase them, once again. Eventually, in St. Petersburg, Myshkin finds Rogozhin, who takes him to his room and shows Myshkin the body of Nastasya, murdered by Rogozhin. The scene ends with Myshkin and Rogozhin lying outside the room where Nastasya lay dead. Myshkin, like a child, comforts the raving Rogozhin who has been in a fit for a few hours. Ultimately, the police, along with several other characters, burst through the door, and to their horror, Nastasya is dead, and their precious prince has succumbed to a complete mental breakdown; Myshkin is, once again, an "idiot". Eventually, Lizaveta and the two older Epanchin sisters go to see the convalescent prince, having been kept informed by Yevgeny Pavlovitch hitherto. She leaves, and so ends the story.

Major themes An imperfectly perfect man, for although physically flawed and as gullible as a babe, Dostoevsky's Myshkin possesses all of the qualities which affirm Man's greatness, and the ultimate assurance of doom when placed in a frivolous, and unjust environment; a transcending Christ. —T. Reid Dostoyevsky's motives for writing The Idiot stem from his desire to depict the "positively good man". This man is naturally likened to Christ in many ways. Dostoyevsky uses Myshkin's introduction to the Petersburg society as a way to contrast the nature of Russian society at the time and the isolation and innocence of this good man. This is highlighted by his conflicts and relationship with Rogozhin. Indeed, Myshkin and Rogozhin are contrasted from the outset. Myshkin is associated with light, Rogozhin with dark. For example, in their initial descriptions on the train, Myshkin is described as having light hair and blue eyes, while Rogozhin has "dark features". Rogozhin's house is submerged in darkness, with iron bars on the windows. He is not only an embodiment of darkness, but surrounded by it.

The two characters are clearly antithetical. If Myshkin should be seen as Christ, Rogozhin could easily be seen as the Devil . "Rog", in Russian, means horn, adding credence to such an assertion, although the primary association of his name is with rogozha ("bast"), possibly hinting at his humble origins. Despite their difference, they are both after Nastasya Filippovna —good and bad (and mediocre, in the image of Ganya) strive for the same thing. Love itself is shown in various manifestations, spurred by various motives. While vain Ganya wishes to marry Nastasya in order that he might, through acquisition of a large dowry, spark some of the individuality which he senses he lacks, Rogozhin loves Nastasya with a deep passion. Myshkin, however, loves her out of pity, out of Christian love . This love for her supersedes even the romantic love he has for Aglaia. It is important to note that Aglaia developed a great appreciation for Myshkin's purity of heart and capacity for empathic love, even that he felt for Nastasya.

Aglaia and her sisters came to identify Myshkin with the protagonist of a famous Russian poem by Pushkin , "The Poor Knight", because of the Prince's quixotic , tragic quest to defend the honor of Nastasya in the face of the ridicule, and at times contempt, he faced from all his acquaintances. And she grew to love him not in spite of this, but even more so because of it. At a gathering at the Prince's home that included her family and several of the Prince's friends, Aglaia flushes hotly when Kolya enigmatically and ironically declares "There's nothing better than the Poor Knight!" Though the comment is partially mocking him, in the depths of Aglaia's heart she agrees with this fully. In the end, though, Aglaia cannot completely eradicate her jealousy of Nastasya, and cannot measure up to the heights of the Prince's sympathetic love when he apparently scorns her in a final effort to save Nastasya. There is a parallel between Rogozhin and the Russian upper-class society.

The materialistic society which praises the values Myshkin represents and professes itself to be "good", cannot accommodate Prince Myshkin; Rogozhin, though he truly loves Nastasya, commits murder in the end. Nastasya herself has been corrupted by a depraved society. Her beauty and initial innocence have led Totsky (perhaps the most repugnant of characters in the novel) to keep her as a concubine and she falls into a quasi-madness. Adaptations Several filmmakers have produced adaptations of the novel, among them L'idiot (Georges Lampin 1946), a 1951 version by Akira Kurosawa , a 1958 version by Russian director Ivan Pyryev , and Mani Kaul 's 1992 Hindi version Christian Bale 's character in The Machinist is seen reading The Idiot in the opening minutes of the film In 2003 Russian State Television produced an 10-part, 8-hour mini-series of the work, which is available with English subtitles.

In 1999 Czech director Saša Gedeon produced a modern cinematic reinterpretation of The Idiot entitled The Return of the Idiot (Návrat idiota). The Polish director Andrzej Wajda adapted the last chapter of The Idiot as the feature film Nastasja in 1994. The Russian composer Nikolai Myaskovsky planned an opera on The Idiot during World War I , but did not complete it. The Harlan Ellison short story Prince Myshkin and Hold the Relish features a friendly debate on Dostoevsky and The Idiot between the narrator and a vendor at Pink's Hot Dogs in Los Angeles. In 2008, the theatre director Katie Mitchell premiered "...some trace of her", [3] a multimedia exploration of the novel's central themes. The famous Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky planned an adaptation after The Idiot [4] , but had died before it was realized. The German novelist Hermann Hesse wrote in 1919 a short piece about the book called Thoughts on The Idiot of Dostoevsky, later released in a compilation of essays called My Belief: Essays on Life and Art.

In Act 1, Scene 2 of Mel Brooks ' musical The Producers , Max Bialystock jokingly addresses Leo Bloom as "Prince Miskin." This also occurs in the original film . In the 1998 pilot episode of T.V. show "Seven Days," Frank Parker (played by Jonathan LaPaglia) has a copy of The Idiot on his desk inside the insane asylum. In 2009 Lithuanian theatre director Eimuntas Nekrošius directed "Idiotas", performance in 4 parts. In 1985, Polish director Andrzej Zulawski directed the feature film "L'Amour Braque" (Limpet Love), as an homage to Dostoevsky's "The Idiot". Its end credits state that "The film is inspired by Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot" and intended as a homage to the great writer". It stars Sophie Marceau as what most likely is the part of Nastasja Philipovna.

Translations to English Since The Idiot was first published in Russian, there have been a number of translations to English over the years, including those by: Frederick Whishaw (1887) Revised by Anna Brailovsky (2003) Eva Martin (1915) David McDuff (2004) John W. Strahan (1965) The Constance Garnett translation has for many years been accepted as the definitive English translation, but more recently it has come under criticism for being dated. The Garnett translation, however, still remains widely available because it is now in the public domain . Some writers, such as Anna Brailouvsky, have based their translations on Garnett's. Since the 1990s new English translations have appeared that have made the novel more accessible to English readers. The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation (2000) states that the Alan Myers version is the best currently available [5] , though since then, new translations by David McDuff and Pevear & Volokhonsky have also been well received. References

Question: Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin is the title character in which famous novel?
Answer: The Idiot