The Grand Inquisitor

What it is

'The Grand Inquisitor' is a story told within Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. It is recited by the character Ivan Karamazov to his brother Alexei, imagining Christ returning to Earth during the Spanish Inquisition and being confronted by a church official who argues that freedom is a burden people cannot bear.

Why it matters

Though spoken by a fictional character, the tale is one of the most discussed passages in modern literature for its ideas about human nature, authority and freedom. It is often read and taught separately from the rest of the novel because it distills Dostoevsky's philosophical concerns so sharply.

Look closer

• Why does Dostoevsky give this argument to a fictional character rather than stating it directly as the author?
• Why does Christ remain silent throughout the Inquisitor's speech, and what might that silence mean?
• What does the Inquisitor's argument assume about ordinary people, and do you agree?