Key Facts
full title ·
The Idiot
author · Fyodor Dostoevsky
type of work · Novel
genre · Aristocratic drama; character study; tragedy
language · Russian
time and place written · 1867–1869; Europe (Baden, Dresden, Geneva, Milan, Florence)
date of first publication · 1868–1869 in several issues of the Russian Messenger
publisher · Katkov
narrator · Anonymous narrator; loses his omniscience as the novel progresses
point of view · Third person, selectively omniscient
tone · At times removed but usually psychologically intense
tense · Past
setting (time) · 1860s
setting (place) · Primarily St. Petersburg and Pavlovsk; interludes in and references to Yekaterinhof, Moscow, and Switzerland
protagonist · Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin
major conflict · Myshkin is torn between his romantic love for Aglaya Yepanchin and his compassionate love for Nastassya Filippovna
rising action · Myshkin proposes to Nastassya Filippovna; he realizes he does not love her; she leaves him for Rogozhin; Myshkin proposes to Aglaya
climax · The meeting of Aglaya and Nastassya Filippovna
falling action · Aglaya runs away and breaks all relations with Myshkin, who almost marries Nastassya Filippovna; Rogozhin kills Nastassya Filippovna; he and the Prince keep vigil next to her dead body
themes · The ideal human being; the clash between good and the real world; Russian Christianity and redemption
motifs · Beauty; light and dark; love
symbols · Money; Rogozhin's house; the monster in Hippolite's dream
foreshadowing · Myshkin says that if Rogozhin does marry Nastassya Filippovna, Rogozhin will likely kill her
