Throughout literature, round, developed characters possess multiple qualities. Often these traits come into conflict with each other and sometimes one character can possess qualities which seem to contradict each other. This duality is exemplified in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment by the protagonist, Rodion Romanych Raskolnikov. In one pivotal conversation with Sonia, Raskolnikov reveals both his compassion and his malevolence.

There is one specific moment which clearly shows Raskolnikov's compassion. First, he notices that while he is seated, Sonia remains standing. "Why are you standing"" he asks, in "soft and gentle" tone of voice. By asking Sonia to sit, Raskolnikov demonstrates his respect for her, regardless of her social class or proffesion.

Then, Raskolnikov looks at Sonia "kindly, almost compassionately." Genuinely worried for her health, he is troubled by Sonia's skinniness and "fingers like a corpse's" (302). This concern, this desire to ease others' suffering before his own, is...