From the very beginning of the novel, the reader is informed of the "extraordinarity" of the accidental acquintance of the two contrasting young passengers in a third-class compartment of the Warsaw train approaching Petersburg in a thawing November. Within the conversation between the two, Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin and Parfion Semyonovich Rogozhin, with the addition of a petty official, Lebedyev, the later developments of the novel and the characters are present in the form of seeds to be observed.

Mystery of the mutual attraction between characteristically antithetical Myshkin and Rogozhin in the first chapter leads the reader to direct special attention to the further development of their relationship. Myshkin's attire and stories suggest that despite of his ancient family lineage, he is entirely alien to Russia. Without any reserve Myshkin shares his story of how he has spent last four years in a mental institution in Switzerland; he does not take a least offence at the sarcastic tone of his new acquintances' inquiries and even laughs wiith them. As Rogozhin confirms, before anything Myshkin reveals the character of a holy-fool.

In turn, Rogozhin relates his story with tumbling emotion. Some months ago Rogozhin stole a great sum of money from his father to buy some earrings to the town beauty with whom he had passionately fallen in love, and barely escaped his father's wrath before falling ill at an aunt's house in another city; he recovered just to be informed of his father's death and the completion of the funeral. Thus, Nastasya Fillipovna makes her debut in the first chapter and hints her central role to the development of the story. Also, in Rogozhin's story lies another motif of the novel: money. The motif of money indeed opens up for the reader the gate to the stage of action. When the heroes arrive at Petersburg, Rogozhin invites Myshkin by money; failing to do so, he takes Lebedyev, who is diminished to a slave of money.

The stage then moves to the house of the Yepanchins, the family of the emerging Russian bourgeoisie. General Yepanchin is presented as a person of capability, but of pretention hidden under the manners and niceties. In contrast, this time through his own actions, Myshkin proves to the reader his otherworldly selflessness and sincerity versing on childlike naivete. Myshkin lets the general understand that his purpose of the visit to his distant relatives lies not in request for financial help; however, he is interrupted from explaining what real "business" he has in mind. He earns trust of the member of the family through these rare qualities. Disinterested though he is in his own affair, Myshkin repeatedly displays his great concern with guillotining and capital punishment and condemns them as inpermissible.

While Myshkin is fulfilling the general's request to write various speciments of calligraphy, he overhears Nastasya Fillipovna's name in the conversation between the general and Ganya, his secretary. The two men anxiously awaits the coming evening party where Nastasya is expected to announce her decision on whether or not she will leave Mr. Totsky and marry Ganya. Myshkin's knowledge of the lady and the news of Rogozhin's return cause a startle of the hosts.

The reader soon learns of the calculative collaboration among the general, Ganaya, and Totsky for preparation of this marriage. Totsky yearns for a respectable marriage free from Nastasya; the general is interested in marrying off his first daughter to this successful man; and Ganya is tempted to make a financial capital from his marriage with Nastasya. The reader finds that she has been wronged by just such self-motivated deeds of Totsky in her adolescence. Her pride did not remain silent when she realized that Totsky, whom she had admired as her savior from the unfortunate life of an orphant, turns out to have merely abusing of her sexuality. As Myshkin observes in her portrait, Nastasya is a sufferer; she suffers most from her pride and contempt for herself. Her initial revengeful passion with which she arrived at Petersburg five years ealier has been gradually replaced by self-contempt, and only apathy fills her heart.

General Yepanchin introduces Prince to his wife, Myshkin's distant relative, and successfully escapes the wife's inquiris about the pearl necklace he recently presented to Nastasya. Mme Yepanchin is disturbed to find that the last of her family is a penniless "idiot;" the wife and her three daughters are fascinated by the eccentric guest and invite him to the drawing room.

Sorrounded by the sharp-tongued, yet enthusiastic audience, Myshkin shares two stories: one about capital punishment and the other about compassion. The first story is about a man who was sentenced to be hanged, but repreaved at the last moment. Myshkin tells this story with detailed depictions of the psychology of the sentenced, and attacks such treatment of a man as the worst deed on the earth. The story full of author's personal impressions from the show trial at Semyonovsky Square Myshkin abruptly breaks off with some interesting remarks on how this former convict was living. He, then, moves to the second story about Marie, outcast of the village where Myshkin stayed in Switzerland. As it is repeatedly emphasized through the novel, Myshkin prior to the story tells that he has never been in love; the story of Marie is about his compassionate Christian love, not about the love of eros. The story goes as thus: Marie was ostracized from the village community including her own mother for having once fallen to captive to sensuality (she was seduced and wronged by a traveling salesman); Myshkin alone took pity on the unfortunate consumptive and made efforts to restore the village children's love and respect for her; though the girl eventually had to face her death, she was by then sorrounded by the boundless love of the children. The story of redemption of Marie plays a role of a measure of comparison in the novel. Will Myshkin's compassion save Nastasya, another victim of seduction and sufferer, from the abyss of destructive pride and apathy?

Before leaving, the prince briefly describes what qualities he sees in each of the Yepanchin girls' faces. His comparison of Aglaya's beauty with Nastasya's beauty preludes their rivalry later in the novel, and it gives rise to yet another incident. Ganya, summoned by Mme Yepanchin to explain the truth about the marriage of Nastasya, asks Myshkin to deliver Aglaya a secret note. Ganya is interested in money; if the endorsed Aglaya would marry him, he would not risk marrying Nastasya. Aglaya replies to the Ganya's request for sympathy, "I don't make bargains" by directing Myshkin to write this calligraphically. This response raises Ganya's anger toward both Aglaya and Myshkin.

The stage moves to the residence of the Ivolgins, Ganya's empoverished family, from whom Myshkin plans to rent a room. Motifs of money and revenge are especially abundant in the events of this stage. The reader becomes acquinted with Ferdyshtchenko, a fellow boarder, who immediately warns Myshkin not to lend him money; soon Nina Alexandrovna, Ganya's mother, warns him the same thing about her husband, General Ivolgin, who throughout the stage seeks to gain respect by telling absurd fictitious stories. Pretentious Ganya is ashamed not only of his father, but of the entire household, which has to take in boarders. Moreover, he is cold towards his mother and his sister, Varya, who oppose his marriage with Nastasya for financial reason. The mother, daughter, and son again start quarreling about the planned marriage around the portrait of Nastasya.

Thus, to such setting Nastasya Fillipovna makes her first appearance to the reader as well as to Myshkin. Their first encounter is quite symbolic; mistaking Myshkin as a servant, Nastasya flings off her coat to him, castigates him for his ineptness, and demands him to announce her immediately. Also, later Myshkin mentions Nastasya of his former acquintance with her; the reader knows the author is alluding Nastasya to Marie. In the room Nastasya politely, yet cruelly tramples Ganya's dignity by asking about lodgers and laughing at General Ivolgin, who comes in later to tell stories. In fact, it is one of his fictitious stories (though this turns out to be not of his original) that simbolyzes Nastasha's revengeful acts against Ganya; this is the story of a lapdog that he threw out of the window of a fast-moving train as a revenge for his cigar which was earlier thrown out of the window by the lady owner of the dog. Nastasya is not letting Ganya's secret contempt for her pass without a revenge.

With the loud ringing of the doorbell another unexpected visitor arrives: Rogozhin with his loud and vulgar friends. Here, the three main characters of the novel come together. Rogozhin is initially taken aback by the presence of Nastasya; however, he resumes to execute his plan of buying off Ganya, whom he correctly accuses for doing anything for money. What's more, Rogozhin claims, Nastasya herself can be bought and promises her 100,000 rubles by the evening.

As if to conclude the sequence of acts each of which is assigned to a character, the author gives a chance to exhibit his character to Myshkin as well. Myshkin gets a slap from Ganya by standing before Varya who condemns Nastasya for her actions. Myshkin acts quixotically as the peacemaker between Varya's verval violence and Ganya's physical violence. This self-sacrificing act of Myshkin arouses the company's general sympathy toward him. Even Nastasha, who attempts to maintain a sarcastic attitude, breaks this composure and kneels to kiss Nina Alexandrovna's hand, when Myshkin reveals her good nature and superficiality of her haughtiness. Then Nastasha rushes away forbiding Ganya to follow, yet inviting him to the evening party. Rogozhin and his band leave as well taunting Ganya that he has lost the game and calling Myshkin "a sheep."

When Nastasya and Rogozhin leave, Myshkin retreats to his room soon to receive Varya and Kolya, who have taken a great liking to him. Then comes their brother Ganya to ask for apology from Myshkin. However, it is obvious that this apology does not come from repenting of his wrong-doing; though he envies and even dislikes Myshkin, Ganya is merely compromising himself to the utility of having an ally who can gain intimacy of Aglaya and interest of Nastasya. The apology is followed by the rebuilding of his pride. Ganya boasts with confidence that though she may exhibit flutterings of vanity, Nastasya is going to submit to fate and to marry him. Moreover, he despises her from total misperception of her character. Ganya thinks that Nastasya is deceived to imagine that he is madly in love with her; and he makes his objective of getting married with her clear: money. To such proud Ganya Myshkin tells honestly and without malice that he is one of the most ordinary of men and even a trifle weaker than most. Insulted, Ganya makes a statement representative of what the author perceived of his contemporary Russia: with money, he will become an "original" man. He teases Myshkin about his admiration for Nastasya, then leaves in high spirits.

Myshkin goes to a tavern to meet General Ivolgin, who turns out to need Myshkin for some money to return his debt. The drunk general promises Myshkin to take him to Nastasya's flat, but without success he falls into a stuper at the Trentyevs where Myshkin finds Kolya. Kolya mentions of the name of his consumptive frined, Ippolit, with whom the reader will be acquinted later. Kolya takes Myshkin to Nastasya's house where the long-waited evening party has already begun.

Myshkin is admitted with ease to Nastasya's residence, the last stage prepared for a catastrophe. Here takes place an unusual petit-jeu: public confession of the worst of all the evil acts one has committed. Note that in this game, unlike religious confession, one is to confess not to be forgiven but merely to expose oneself. This is neither game nor truely confession; it is a mad inverseness, a reflection of Nastasya herself and the entire evening. Ferdyshtchenko first confesses a robbery that he committed; it was a small anount he stole but a maid was accused of the crime and was dismissed. After Ptitsyn's decline General Yepanchin confesses yet another theft. The general had a pot stolen from him and, in his anger, he rushed to an old woman who he believed to be guilty. He later found that the silent woman was dying when he was raving at her. He ends his story about his donation of a large sum of money to charity to rid of his unbearable sense of guilt. Though Ferdyshtchenko comments that the general has told an act of goodness, the general's story is in a sense the most horrifying for it proves the incredible power of money even to buy redemption. Then, finally Totsky tells his story of a nasty joke he played on a friend in love. Totsky's friend told him that he finally found a merchant who raised camellias and that now he could present his beloved with a bouquet of camellias. Totsky mischievously went to the merchant and purchased the entire red camellias to be sent to the woman. This drives his crushed friend into delirium and convulsions; though he eventually recovered, he was killed during his service in the Caucasus.

Nastasya then calls a halt to the game and says that she will entertain. In contrast to all the more or less artificially decorated stories of the past told in the game, something far more shocking and real unfolds. Nastasya tells Myshkin that General Yepanchin and Totsky wish her to marry Ganya; she asks him to determine whether or not to do so. To this stunning request Myshkin answers negatively and Nastasya consents to follow this dicision. Moreover, Nastasya announces that she is rejecting Totsky's dowry of 75,000 rubles and that she is leaving Petersburg. In her growing hysteria, Nastasya starts her rebel against the world corrupted by money.

The story increases its amplitude with another sudden arrival of Rogozhin's band with his promised 100,000 rubles. With the bundle of notes before her, Nastasya reminds her audience how she has always been equated with money and how she is disgusted by money, which brings out the basest element in all men. With awareness that she is seen as a fallen woman and being the first to contempt herself, Nastasya finds only her fierce pride as her weapon against the harsh world. She announces to begin a new life without a penny. To this desparate woman Myshkin offers his hand; he says that he loves and will love her for her true character. When is ridiculed by snickers, he stops and reveals that he has been promised a large inheritance. After a momentarily loud conguratulations by the guests to the prince, Nastasya accepts Myshkin's offer. Myshkin says that he dismisses all her past and that he will always respect her.

Despite of her temporarily acceptance of Myshkin's offer, for she cannot forgive herself and fears to ruin Myshkin by her sensuality, she turns to Rogozhin. She says that she is corrupt and low; to remain comlete with her sensuality and her sin, with a painful awareness of its destructiveness she turns to Rogozhin, who passionaltely and selfishly desires her row sensuality itself. She readies herself to leave, then makes one, last grand gesture of rebellion against General Yepanchin, Totsky, and Ganya. She tosses in Rogozhin's bundle of 100,000 rubles into the fire and dares Ganya to expose his greed: if he removes the money from the fire with his hands the money is his. Ganya eventually faints at the absurdity of this trial. Then Nastasya leaves the money for Ganya anyway and takes off with Rogozhin. Myshkin follows after the bells of their troikas.