Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” is one of my favourite classics. I have read it a couple of times and never get sick of it. The novel tells a complex tale of morality, psychology, and philosophy, challenging readers to explore the intricate facets of the human condition. The narrative is indeed a profound exploration of the struggle between good and evil within the human soul.
One of the most striking aspects of “Crime and Punishment” is its rich tapestry of quotes that resonate deeply with readers, each offering a unique lens through which we can examine life.
In today’s post, I am sharing with you a compilation of some of the most popular quotes from Crime and Punishment. These quotes capture the main themes of the novel including suffering, sorrow, grief, morality, justice, redemption, among others.
Related: Crime and Punishment Summary and Characters
Crime and Punishment Quotes
Here is a collection of some popular Crime and Punishment Quotes:
“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“And the more I drink the more I feel it. That’s why I drink too. I try to find sympathy and feeling in drink…. I drink so that I may suffer twice as much!” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“A hundred suspicions don’t make a proof. “― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“When reason fails, the devil helps!” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“The fear of appearances is the first symptom of impotence.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Do you understand, sir, do you understand what it means when you have absolutely nowhere to turn?” Marmeladov’s question came suddenly into his mind “for every man must have somewhere to turn…” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Man has it all in his hands, and it all slips through his fingers from sheer cowardice.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“We’re always thinking of eternity as an idea that cannot be understood, something immense. But why must it be? What if, instead of all this, you suddenly find just a little room there, something like a village bath-house, grimy, and spiders in every corner, and that’s all eternity is. Sometimes, you know, I can’t help feeling that that’s what it is.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Truly great men must, I think, experience great sorrow on the earth.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it … one must have the courage to dare.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“People with new ideas, people with the faintest capacity for saying something new, are extremely few in number, extraordinarily so, in fact.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Existence alone had never been enough for him; he had always wanted more. Perhaps it was only from the force of his desires that he had regarded himself as a man to whom more was permitted than to others.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Man grows used to everything, the scoundrel!” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Don’t be overwise; fling yourself straight into life, without deliberation; don’t be afraid – the flood will bear you to the bank and set you safe on your feet again.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Break what must be broken, once for all, that’s all, and take the suffering on oneself.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
“Through error you come to the truth! I am a man because I err! You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
Final thoughts
Dostoevsky’s insightful quotes from Crime and Punishment, woven seamlessly into the fabric of the narrative, serve as poignant reminders of the struggles and triumphs inherent in the human journey. They challenge us to think deeply about our own actions, beliefs, and the very nature of right and wrong. Each quote is a thread in the larger tapestry of the novel, highlighting the intricacy of human emotions and the often-painful path towards self-awareness and redemption.
