Alyosha Karamazov
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Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov (), usually referred to simply as Alyosha, is the protagonist in the 1880 novel ''
The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' ( rus, Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy, ˈbratʲjə kərɐˈmazəvɨ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly ...
'' by
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...
. He is the youngest of the Karamazov brothers, being nineteen years old at the start of the novel. The preface and the opening chapter proclaim him as the hero. Dostoevsky intended to write a sequel, which would detail the rest of Alyosha's life, but died shortly after the publication of ''The Brothers Karamazov''. At the outset of the story Alyosha is a
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
in the local
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
. In this way Alyosha's beliefs act as a counterbalance to his brother Ivan's atheism. He is sent out into the world by his Elder and subsequently becomes embroiled in the sordid details of his family's life. He becomes acquainted with, and later engaged to, a young girl named Liza (or Lise) Khokhlakov, daughter to a confidante of Katerina Ivanovna's. Later on in the novel, Lise sinks into depression and self-hatred, spurning her lover and crushing her finger in a door. Alyosha is also involved in a side story in which he befriends a group of school boys whose fate adds a hopeful message to the conclusion of an otherwise tragic novel. Alyosha's place in the novel is usually that of a messenger or witness to the actions of his brothers and others. He is very close to Dmitri. Alyosha is depicted as a positive character, kind, loving and sensitive. Predrag Cicovacki states that Alyosha, like
Prince Myshkin Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is the titular main protagonist of Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1869 novel ''The Idiot''. Dostoevsky wanted to create a character that was "entirely positive... with an absolutely beautif ...
, the protagonist in another Dostoyevsky novel, ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...
'', are almost
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
-like characters, who are nevertheless unable to prevent the suffering of those around them. He suggests that as a witness or messenger, Alyosha is not a true
moral agent Moral agency is an individual's ability to make moral choices based on some notion of right and wrong and to be held accountable for these actions. A moral agent is "a being who is capable of acting with reference to right and wrong." Development ...
, playing a passive role in the events of the novel.


Concept and creation

Alyosha is named after Dostoevsky's son of the same name, who was born in 1875 but died in 1878 of
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. Because of this Dostoevsky imbued Alyosha with qualities and characteristics which he sought and most admired, including that of
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. Dostoevsky is believed to have based the character of Alyosha on his friend, Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian philosopher and poet who led a generous life, to the point of giving away his clothes to people in the street.Zouboff, Peter, ''Solovyov on Godmanhood: Solovyov’s Lectures on Godmanhood'', Harmon Printing House, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1944; see Czeslaw Milosz’s introduction to ''Solovyov’s War, Progress and the End of History'', Lindisfarne Press, Hudson, New York 1990


Portrayals

*
Hermann Thimig Hermann Thimig (3 October 1890 – 7 July 1982) was an Austrian stage and film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1916 and 1967. Biography Thimig came from a famous family of actors. His father, Hugo Thimig, was an actor, director and ...
is the first actor to play Alyosha in film in 1915's ''The Brothers Karamazov'' directed by Victor Tourjansky, now a
lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...
. *Italian actor Carlo Conso portrayed the character in the 1947
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
film '' I fratelli Karamazoff'' *Canadian-American actor
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
portrays Alyosha in the 1958 American film adaptation. *Russian actor
Andrey Myagkov Andrey Vasilyevich Myagkov (; 8 July 1938 – 18 February 2021) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theater director and writer. He is best known for his roles in famous films directed by Eldar Ryazanov, such as ''The Irony of Fate'' ...
in the
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
1969 adaptation. *Russian actor Aleksandr Golubev portrayed Alyosha in the 2009 Russian TV miniseries ''Bratya Karamazovy''.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karamazov, Alyosha The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoyevsky characters Fictional Christian monks Fictional Russian people in literature Male characters in literature Literary characters introduced in 1880 Christ figures in fiction