The Right to Kill

By Igor Khomenko

Drama "The right to kill" based upon the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky "Crime and Punishment".
A protagonist of the drama is Raskolnikov, the pauper student. He gets information that his sister decides to marry an unloved but rich man, to give education to Raskolnikov.
By incomprehensible logic of the "Russian soul" Raskolnikov considers that pawnbrokers are a source of people's poverty. He kills and robs an old woman — pawnbroker. In his opinion, if he quickly getting rich he will be able to dissuade his sister from an unequal marriage. To quiet his conscience he lines up chainlet of reasonings, which justifies this crime and allows him to carry the sin of murder. But a situation is folded so, that he kills the witness of crime — sister of old woman.
It's paradoxically that he was able to realize his guilt only on the example of other killer — Svidrigailov, landlord. Neither investigators, neither his relatives can convince him to repent. Even information that an innocent man will be responsible for the murder doesn't correct Raskolnikov.
The drama keeps the main storyline of "Crime and Punishment" novel. The internal Raskolnikov's soliloquies are converted in appearance Ego — his subconscious. I made twenty illustrations for the drama.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Igor Khomenko
• Release date: Dec 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310306136

Igor Khomenko

I'm 43 years old. I'm a writer.

Book preview

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Rodion Raskolnikov, student

Ego, Raskolnikov's unconscious

Raskolnikov's mother

Dounia, Raskolnikov's sister

Razumikhin, Raskolnikov's friend

Sofia, a girl

Svidrigailov, landlord

Luzhin, clerk

Porfiry, first detective

Ilya, second detective

Zamyotov, detectives' assistant

Mikolka, painter

Nastya, servant of Raskolnikov's landlady

Old woman

Lizaveta, old woman's sister

Worker

Waiter

PART I: The crime

1. The letter from mother

The room rented by Raskolnikov.

There is some food on the table.

Water is dripping from the washstand.

Raskolnikov sleeps on the bed.

Shadow is detaching from his body.

Ego (looks at Raskolnikov and laughs softly)

Hi, human's body!

Neither your bones nor your brain

failed to keep me in your prison.

Free heroes:

the week of hunger,

the enmity of known people,

and the familiar's woes

have given me the freedom!

Viva! I am on air!

I am your subconscious Ego,

the seventh human's sense

the eighth marvel of world.

But body, where are your watching dogs?

Why don't your eyes see my hostile pose?

Why don't your ears hear the beat of cosmic drums?

The haughty, short-sighted mind!

You hope to manage human's body

with help of the prostitute whose name is ethic!

Get along with you!

I'll manage human's bones!

(Ego pushes Raskolnikov. He swoops and awakes)

Raskolnikov (he doesn't notice Ego)

The nightmare was coming in my head.

The victim's outcry sings in my ears!

Ego

Don't worry,

It was a stallman.

Shouting, he was selling his goods.

Raskolnikov

And blood was leaking from her neck!

Ego

It's just the kaput washstand.

He is waiting for repair.

(Raskolnikov closes tap and looks at his hands)

Ego

No blood. It's just water.

Towel!

Raskolnikov (sits at the table)

What a foxy soup!

I didn't pay for bread to my landlady.

Ego

The cost of bread is nothing,

Remember debt of rent.

You have not been paying

for two months.

Raskolnikov

Today I'll give paid lessons to my pupil.

With the money

I would pay for my life's week

in this invidious kennel.

Ego

Don't forget to pay for wood!

Its coals are reminding about themselves,

flashing and splitting in an old fireplace.

Raskolnikov

I'll give my father's watch in pawnshop.

Its silver would be a good patch

on the gaping holes of my budget!

Ego

The old woman, estimating things,

is an unimpressible bird.

The light of silver watch

does not bedazzle her eyes.

God grant, if with her money

you'll be able to patch

the gaping holes on your suit! 

Raskolnikov

I'll tell her about my toil!

About that as it's formidably

to get respect of world

without money!

Ego

She will become a deaf at once

and say Goodbye!.

Raskolnikov

In this case

she'll lost her own life!

Ego

These words are your!

Your mind clothes your thoughts

in dress of words!

I'm just a witness of your evil's birth!

Raskolnikov

Get away!

Now I'll shave

and become a normal man!

(He comes to the mirror and begins to shave)

Ego (pushes his hand)

Heh, what you are klutzy!

You've done slight motion

and clean blood is dewing

into the dirty washstand.

Try to move blade in your neck.

In this case you will be able

to say ‘Goodbye' to vile world!

Raskolnikov

The world is vile in the kennel.

Men, living in palaces, don't think about world so badly!

(Enter Nastya, the servant of Raskolnikov's landlady)

Nastya

Why do you cry!

I've brought a letter from your mother

and a cap of tea from me.

Raskolnikov

Thanks, Nastya.

Please, take my money's rest

to buy a little bread to me.

(Exit Nastya)

Raskolnikov (is reading out)

My dear son, my hope!

I heard that you

had given up the university

some months ago.

I know that my money

was little help for you.

The sum just was enough

to buy your dress. 

Ego

Ha-ha!

No, it was enough

to buy some bread and tea!

Raskolnikov (is reading