In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov commits a heinous murder, believing himself above conventional morality, but is soon consumed by the psychological torment and isolation that follow. His intellectual justification crumbles under the weight of guilt, demonstrating how the true punishment lies not just in potential legal consequences but in the profound alienation from human connection and inner peace. Ultimately, Dostoevsky suggests that the self-imposed exile from empathy and love, the very essence of life’s greatest gifts, becomes the most devastating penalty for transgressing against humanity.