The Brothers Karamazov [Jimcin Recordings Edition] characters

Also known as Alyosha

Appears from the start

The youngest acknowledged Karamazov brother, a gentle novice living at the local monastery under Elder Zosima's guidance. He is trusted across the divided family and repeatedly acts as listener, messenger, and peacemaker without sharing his father's cynicism or his brothers' extremes.

Appears from the start

The wealthy and disreputable Karamazov patriarch. Vulgar, theatrical, and neglectful of his sons, he has accumulated money while avoiding responsibility. His dispute with Dmitri concerns both an unsettled inheritance and their rivalry for Grushenka's attention.

Also known as Mitya

Appears from the start

Fyodor's passionate eldest son, a former army officer whose appetites, generosity, jealousy, and rages follow one another rapidly. He believes his father has withheld money due to him and is engaged to Katerina while consumed by desire for Grushenka.

Appears from the start

The intellectually formidable middle brother, educated and skeptical, who has returned to the town amid the family dispute. Ivan wrestles with moral responsibility, suffering, and belief while maintaining an outward reserve that makes his intentions difficult for others to read.

First appears in chapter 3

A servant in Fyodor's household, raised there after his mother died giving birth to him and widely suspected of being Fyodor's unacknowledged son. Intelligent, resentful, and prone to epileptic seizures, he cultivates cooking and listens closely to Ivan's philosophical arguments.

First appears in chapter 2

A revered monk and Alyosha's spiritual teacher. Elderly and gravely ill, he emphasizes active love, personal responsibility, and honest engagement with the world. Families and townspeople seek his counsel, though his authority also attracts resentment within the monastery.

Also known as Grushenka

First appears in chapter 7

A young woman living under a merchant's protection who has become the focus of both Fyodor's and Dmitri's desire. She is known for wit, pride, and a willingness to play her rivals against one another, while guarding the injuries and hopes beneath that public role.

Also known as Katya

First appears in chapter 8

Dmitri's proud and wealthy fiancée. Their bond began when he gave her money during a family crisis, and she later repaid him and committed herself to him. Her gratitude, wounded pride, and intense sense of duty complicate the brothers' relationships.

First appears in chapter 5

An ambitious seminarian associated with the monastery and the Karamazov household. He is clever, worldly, and alert to scandal, often carrying information between people while masking envy and self-interest beneath familiarity.

First appears in chapter 13

An impoverished former army captain whom Dmitri publicly humiliates. Fiercely protective of his family's dignity, he is torn between desperate material need and refusal to accept charity under degrading terms.

First appears in chapter 12

Captain Snegiryov's school-age son, a proud and sensitive boy who defends his father's honor against classmates. His hostility toward Alyosha grows from having seen Dmitri disgrace the captain in public.

Also known as Lise

First appears in chapter 10

Madame Khokhlakov's spirited teenage daughter, who uses a wheelchair and shares an affectionate, teasing bond with Alyosha. Her emotional volatility and fascination with suffering contrast with the simple future she sometimes imagines with him.

First appears in chapter 30

An intelligent, self-possessed schoolboy admired by the younger boys around him. He values independence and modern ideas, but his pride conceals deep concern for his sick friend Ilyusha and anxiety about repairing their quarrel.

First appears in chapter 3

Fyodor's longtime servant and former soldier, married to Marfa and loyal to the household despite his master's behavior. He helped raise the neglected Karamazov boys and remains a stubborn defender of the house.