The main conflict in Crime and Punishment is the internal development of Raskolnikov's character. In Raskolnikov's mind are two contrasting personalities, each demanding control over him. One side, highlighted by poverty and selfishness, is the murderer who kills the pawnbroker. The other side, inspired by the love of others and his inner goodness, is his benevolent conscience which desires to help those around him. The conflict rages throughout the novel, and in the end, Raskolnikov's good side prevails when he accepts his guilt, admits his wrongs, and entrusts his life to Sonia and God. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky attempts to describe the complexity of Raskolnikov's mental evolution. One of the main vehicles for this task is his use of literary irony. Irony is the contrast between what is said and what is thought, or between what happens and what is expected. Through verbal irony, the characters say the opposite of what they mean. Ironically, the unexpected happens. Crime and Punishment is full of both verbal and situational irony, as it triggers the critical turning points in Raskolnikov's development, and thus allows Dostoyevsky to convey his message that even a murderer can be reformed and purified through guilt and unconditional love of others. no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the Original Essay Irony is first used in Marmeladov's ramblings. Marmeledov said: "Crucify me, O judge... It is He... He will forgive my Sonya." This statement is ironic, because Marmeladov, although drunk, introduces a primary Christian message of the novel. He also explains the irony of his daughter Sonia. Although she is a prostitute, which is considered rather low, she will be "forgiven by God" because she is a very holy person and the embodiment of innocence and purity in the novel. These two concepts are essential to Raskolnikov's transformation later in the novel. They also convey Dostoyevsky's strong belief in Christianity and reveal his value system towards certain humans. The irony of the situation first becomes a key element of Raskolnikov's plot to murder the pawnbroker. Raskolnikov hesitates on his decision. For a moment he said to himself: “I would like to try something like that. » After saying this, he turned around and said, “I knew I could never bring myself to do it. » Raskolnikov clearly hesitates between committing the murder or not. However, his indecision is eliminated by the occurrence of two ironic events. First, immediately after his dream, when he declares: “My God! I couldn't bring myself to do it... I couldn't do it... I couldn't do it! he hears Lizaveta say: "Tomorrow at seven o'clock... I will come (to the apartment)." This ironic twist of fate makes the murder of the pawnbroker the next day ideal, since his sister Lizaveta would be gone at seven. hours, and the "old lady would be left alone." Raskolnikov decides that this is a golden opportunity, revealing a substantial attitude change in Raskolnikov, beginning the development of his dark character. Then Raskolnikov hears a man at the bar say: "I could kill that damn old woman and run away with her money, I assure you, without the slightest pangs of conscience." This ironic statement surprises Raskolnikov, because he had "exactly the same idea." This provides another justification for murder, since Raskolnikov believes that the crime will benefit others. This ironic event is key to Raskolnikov's development because it has "an immense influence on him in his subsequent action." These ironic eventsallow Raskolnikov to commit the murder of the pawnbroker and begin his long journey of conversion. The irony is apparent from the early stages of Raskolnikov's guilt. First, the irony of the situation occurs when Raskolnikov is in the pawnbroker's apartment and he hears someone knocking on the door and saying: "Are they sleeping or are they murdered ?This causes panic in Raskolnikov and arouses his guilt. A similar case occurs when Raskolnikov receives a "summon to the police station." Immediately, Raskolnikov panics and suffers extreme guilt. He does not feel remorse because he believes his murder was wrong, but because he did not commit it perfectly. The summons is ironic, because it is not a question of murder, but of the fact that Raskolnikov is a "beautiful bird" who has not paid his debts. When Raskolnikov discovers this, he is relieved and reassured that his murder was justified. This ironic event reveals Raskolnikov's extreme mental disorder. More importantly, the guilt that Raskolnikov suffers is felt by his selfish and cold side, and the guilt is eliminated when he realizes that he is not caught. This form of guilt recurs throughout the book until the very end, confirming Dostoevsky's message that guilt is only constructive when the benevolent side feels that it is wrong. Dostoyevsky uses the ironic discussion between Raskolnikov and Zametov to reveal Raskolnikov's duality as well as the mental illness caused by the crime. At the bar, after asking Zametov insane questions about the murder, Raskolnikov asks him: "What if it was me who murdered the old woman?" This is ironic, because Zametov has no idea that Raskolnikov committed the murder, and now Raskolnikov risks being arrested for disclosing his information. Dostoyevsky uses this irony to show that guilt causes great pain in Raskolnikov, creating in him the need to confess. This also reinforces the battle of duality within Raskolnikov and creates enormous suspense for the end of the novel. Another important ironic event is Nikolai's confession of the murder. Porifry fights Raskolnikov and gets him about to confess when Nikolai bursts into the room and shouts, "I'm guilty...I'm the murderer!" Dostoyevsky thus creates suspense and gives Raskolnikov time to prepare his confession by discussing with Dounia and Sonia. Otherwise, Raskolnikov would have confessed and never been reformed. Furthermore, Raskolnikov shows no guilt for Nikolai's confession, thus revealing the dominance of Raskolnikov's evil side. Irony is present in the conversation between Sonia and Raskolnikov in Part Four, Chapter Four. In this scene, Raskolnikov verbally attacks Sonia for her religious beliefs, calling her "crazy", suggesting suicide, and stating, "But maybe there is no God at all." This example of verbal irony shows that Raskolnikov is deeply troubled, as he had previously decided not to commit suicide and is generally referred to as "crazy". However, he is intrigued by her deeply held beliefs and begins to ask her questions about the murder of the pawnbroker and Lizaveta. He explains to her that he has “completely broken up with (his family)”. This dramatic irony confuses Sonia, because she is unaware that Raskolnikov is the killer. However, Dostoyevsky uses this to allow Raskolnikov to realize that Sonia is a forgiving person and to develop his interest in Sonia's religion. This leads to Raskolnikov's confession and also his conversion to Christianity. Next, Dostoyevsky uses irony in Svidriagaiolov's description of his love for Dounia to reveal his.