The novel tells the story of the Karamazov family, focusing on the conflict between the immoral father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, and his three sons: Dmitri (Mitya) who is passionate, Ivan who is intellectual and Alyosha who is kind-hearted.
Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor former student in St. Petersburg, believes that some people have the right to commit crimes if it benefits humanity. To test this theory, he murders an old pawnbroker and her innocent sister.