Crime and Punishment Lesson Plan

Is Porfiry foolish to let Raskolnikov go free, even after accusing him of murder? How does this decision prove his theory of crime?

Some may argue that Porfiry is being clever by letting Raskolnikov go free, but many will see it as foolishness. Others may also argue that Porfiry doesn’t arrest Raskolnikov because of a convention of the novel—that is, the story needs him to feel guilt. However, by letting Raskolnikov go free, Porfiry not only has an opportunity to demonstrate the soundness of his own theory, but he also rejects the idea of an extraordinary man. Instead of transgressing morals, Raskolnikov increasingly finds himself weighed down by morals.

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