I: Plans for Mitya's Escape explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Love and Self-Sacrifice

  Ivan's self-sacrifice in planning Dmitri's escape and Katerina's internal conflict between pride and compassion highlight the theme.

• Suffering and Redemption

  Katerina's confession of her 'treachery' and Dmitri's desire for reconciliation reflect the struggle for redemption through suffering.

Characters to notice

• Alyosha Karamazov

  Visits Katerina Ivanovna to discuss Dmitri's escape and urges her to visit Dmitri.

• Katerina Ivanovna

  Confesses her guilt and suffering to Alyosha; reveals Ivan's escape plan and money; struggles with the idea of visiting Dmitri.

• Ivan Karamazov

  Lies unconscious with a fever; had prepared an escape plan for Dmitri and left money with Katerina.

• Dmitri Karamazov

  In prison, asking for Katerina; the escape plan is being arranged for him.

Key passages

• “He brought me a sealed envelope, which I was to open at once, if anything happened to him. Oh, he foresaw his illness! He told me that the envelope contained the details of the escape, and that if he died or was taken dangerously ill, I was to save Mitya alone.”

  Ivan gave Katerina a sealed envelope with escape instructions for Dmitri, to be opened if Ivan fell ill or died.

  Katerina reveals Ivan's foresight and the escape plan.

• “I am the cause of it all, I alone am to blame!”

  Katerina takes full responsibility for the events at the trial.

  Katerina's confession of guilt and self-blame.

• “He talks about some hymn, some cross he has to bear, some duty; I remember Ivan Fyodorovitch told me a great deal about it, and if you knew how he talked!”

  Dmitri speaks of a hymn, a cross to bear, and a duty, which Ivan recounted to Katerina.

  Reference to Dmitri's spiritual struggle and Ivan's account of it.