Alyosha Karamazov

Alyosha is named after Dostoevsky's son of the same name, who was born in 1875 but died in 1878 of epilepsy. Because of this Dostoevsky imbued Alyosha with qualities and characteristics which he sought and most admired, including that of Jesus Christ. 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. == Description ==

Alyosha is physically described as the following: When it comes to his personality, Alyosha is depicted as a positive character - gentle, kind, loving and serene, though not naïve. In his youth, he was introspective and forgiving. During his school years, he was among the best in his class, though not the first, in regard to academics. At all times, he acts as a compassionate, wise and insightful peace-maker, and is loved and trusted by virtually everyone. He is described as the type who, in times of trouble, will either be cared for or will immediately find a way to care for himself. He is a realist, though inclined to believe in miracles, and once he has been convinced that he has witnessed a miracle, he remains certain that such events do occur. Some of his primary desires are equality and love, as seen in the following quote: In creating the personality of Alyosha, Dostoevsky was in large part addressing himself to the contemporary Russian radical youth, showing them this ideal which Alyosha represents as a positive alternative to atheistic socialism that is not divorced from the Russian Orthodox tradition. ==Criticism==

Anna-Theresa Tymieniecka states that Alyosha, like Prince Myshkin, the protagonist in another Dostoevsky novel, The Idiot, is an almost Jesus-like character, who is nevertheless unable to prevent the suffering of those around him. She suggests that as a witness or messenger, Alyosha is not a true moral agent, playing a passive role in the events of the novel. Rufus W. Mathewson, however, argues that Alyosha Karamazov is a more successful hero than Prince Myshkin, due to his success at helping his brother, Dmitri. ==Portrayals==

• Hermann Thimig is the first actor to play Alyosha in film in 1915's The Brothers Karamazov directed by Victor Tourjansky, now a lost film. • Italian actor Carlo Conso portrayed the character in the 1947 Italian film I fratelli Karamazoff • Canadian-American actor William Shatner portrays Alyosha in the 1958 American film adaptation. • Russian actor Andrey Myagkov in the Soviet 1969 adaptation. • Russian actor Aleksandr Golubev portrayed Alyosha in the 2009 Russian TV miniseries Bratya Karamazovy. ==References==