Who Prince Lev Myshkin is
Prince Lev Myshkin comes home after years of treatment for epilepsy, carrying little money and no settled plan. He speaks as openly to servants as to generals and believes what other people tell him. Some people mistake this trust for foolishness, while others recognize his unusual attention to their suffering.
What Prince Lev Myshkin wants
Myshkin wants to ease other people's pain rather than gain wealth or social standing. When he sees Nastasya Filippovna's photograph, he notices suffering beneath her beauty and pride. His compassion draws him toward her, even as her shame makes accepting his gentleness painful.
Prince Lev Myshkin and the others in the story
Parfyon Rogozhin meets Myshkin on the train to Petersburg, and the two men quickly speak with surprising openness. Their feelings for Nastasya reveal a contrast between Myshkin's pity and Rogozhin's jealous desire.
Aglaya Epanchin mocks Myshkin but also values his honesty, and affection grows between them. She wants a wholehearted choice, while his sense of duty pulls him toward more than one suffering person.
Questions
Why is Prince Lev Myshkin called an idiot?
People call him an idiot because his honesty and trust seem naive in their society. The novel also connects him with the holy fool, whose apparent simplicity can reveal deeper understanding.
What illness does Prince Lev Myshkin have?
Myshkin has epilepsy and returns to Russia after receiving treatment in Switzerland.
Is Prince Lev Myshkin a good person?
He is kind and deeply compassionate, but he is not presented as faultless. His difficulty making clear choices can hurt the people he wants to help.