Crime and Punishment Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Part 1: Chapter 1 | Part 1: Chapter 2

1. How seriously is Raskelnikov thinking about his unnamed idea?

2. What does the first chapter say about Raskolnikov's character?

Short Essay Question - Part 1: Chapter 3 | Part 1: Chapter 4

3. What does the letter show about Raskolnikov's relationship with his family?

4. What does Raskolnikov think of his sister's fiance Luzhin?

Short Essay Question - Part 1: Chapter 5 | Part 1: Chapter 6

5. What do you think the horse symbolizes in Raskolnikov's dream?