Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

In Crime and Punish handst, Raskolnikov concocts a theory All men are divided into &8216ordinary&8217 and &8216extraordinary&8217. The extraordinary man should have the right to eliminate a few people in order to advert his idea cognise to all humanity however, the ordinary man has no right to transgress the law. Because he believes this theory is an idea that must be known to all humanity, he considers himself extraordinary however, there is a legion of events that prove that Raskolnikov is not extraordinary.One can be sure that Raskolnikov believes himself to be extraordinary when Porfiry says, &8220...surely you couldn&8217t have helped...fancying yourself...an &8216extraordinary&8217 man, uttering a new word in your sense.... That&8217s so, isn&8217t it? to which Raskolnikov replies, &8220Quite possibly (247).Raskolnikov was strongly prompted to murder Alyona when he recalled a conversation that took station between two ordinary men in a bar. One declared I could kill that da mned old woman and make murder with her money without the faintest conscious-prick.... For one life, thousands would be saved from corruption and decay.... Besides, what value has the life of that sickly, stupid, ill-natured old woman in the balance of existence? (63)Raskolnikov reasoned that it would be honorable to kill Alyona since it would supposedly benefit humanity, but the fact that &8220...