Skip to the content
The Library
of Alexandria
Sign inTry 3 months free3 months free

The Brothers Karamazov, Part 4, no. 86, Chapter 7 summary

Part 4, no. 86, Chapter 7 of 96 · 9 min to read the chapter

In Chapter 7, Ippolit Kirillovitch argues that Mitya acts from jealousy rather than insanity, presenting his threats, letter, and attempts to borrow money as evidence of a planned murder. He reconstructs the approach to Fyodor Pavlovitch’s house, rejects the prisoner’s account of withdrawing, and turns to the suspicion surrounding Smerdyakov.

What happens

  1. Ippolit Kirillovitch rejects insanity as an explanation and identifies jealousy over Grushenka as the prisoner’s driving motive.
  2. He traces the rivalry between father and son and recalls the prisoner’s public threats and violent conduct.
  3. He treats the drunken letter presented in court as decisive evidence that the murder is planned beforehand.
  4. He recounts Mitya’s unsuccessful search for money and his discovery that Grushenka has left Samsonov’s.
  5. He interprets the seized pestle and garden visit as deliberate actions, then examines the suspicion against Smerdyakov.

Free for 3 months

Get the full summary of The Brothers Karamazov, free

  • 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
  • Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.

In this chapter

Fyodor PavlovitchSmerdyakovGrushenka

What to notice

The prosecutor refuses to let drunkenness weaken the letter’s force. He treats it as a disclosure of an existing intention.

Quick check

What makes the prosecutor claim certainty about premeditation?

Free for 3 months

Get the full summary of The Brothers Karamazov, free

  • 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
  • Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold

15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.

Try 3 months free