Essay - Crime and Punishment Introduction Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov Is One of...

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

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Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov is one of the most emotionally and intellectually tormented characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime ***** Punishment. What is ***** fascinating about Raskolnikov is that he would sometimes act in one manner and then suddenly act in a manner that was completely contradictory. Throughout Crime and Pun*****hment, it is as if Raskolnikov is facing an internal struggle reminiscent ***** ***** of Dr. Jekyll ***** Mr. Hyde. One side of Raskolnikov's personal*****y is his cold, intellectual, premeditated, and detached, emphasizing power and self-will. The other facet to ***** personality is his warm, humane compassionate side which implies meekness and self-submissiveness.

In this paper, several theories of an extraordinary or superman are analyzed and discussed. First, Raskolnikov's ***** of the differences between extra*****dinary ***** ordinary men ***** examined. Next, Hegel's theories regarding a superman are outlined. Lastly, Nietzsche's conceptions of what makes an individual a ***** are analyzed.

RASKOLNIKOV'S THEORY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN

According to Raskolnikov, *****s were divided in***** two categories, extraordinary ***** and ordinary men. Ordinary ***** are inferior ***** may do nothing but reproduce their own kind. The ordinary man has to live in submission and has no right to transgress the law.

Extraord*****ary men have ***** right ***** commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way. ***** makes an ********** is extraordinary is that he has ***** gift or talent ***** utter a new word. It is the extraordinary men who forge civilization onward to new heights of achieve*****ts. Since these achievements are important and ultimately benefit all *****kind, the extraordinary man has this inner right to decide in his ***** conscience whe*****r or not to overstep the law ***** any obstacle ***** stands in ***** ***** ***** the practical fulfillment of ***** idea.

Raskolnikov constantly used Napoleon as a point of reference, implying that ***** was above the common laws of humanity because he had the daring to ***** various acts in order to complete his plans. In committing the murder of the old pawnbroker, Raskolnikov was attempting to prove himself to be a man by proving that his will ***** strong, i.e., that he was a re*****l man of power. From ***** premise, Raskolnikov reasoned that a ***** may commit a ***** if it served a noble end.

THE HEGELIAN SUPER*****

Raskolnikov's v*****ws about t***** ordinary man versus the extraordinary man were influenced by two prominent philosophers, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and ***** Wilhelm Nietzsche. Under ***** theory, a superman is an individual ***** ***** ***** the ordinary man, but works for noble purposes, i.e., ***** the ********** of all mankind. In the context of Raskolnikov's murder of the old *****, Hegel's theories may be used to justify ***** actions.

*****, the old pawnbroker ***** be viewed an evil person who is actually harming society ***** her vile and cynical grasp on ***** poor citizens who come to her for pawning. According to Hegel, any harmful segment ***** society should be removed. There*****e, Raskolnikov reasoned that