Ippolit Terentyev Character Analysis in The Idiot

Ippolit is a 17-year-old boy who is dying of tuberculosis. An ardent nihilist, he yearns to be taken seriously and attempts to dramatically leave the world. He delivers rambling, self-absorbed, nihilistic speech entitled “A Necessary Explanation” to Myshkin, Nastasya, and Rogozhin, and many others at a party at Lebedev’s dacha. After this, he attempts to commit suicide by shooting himself with the gun he’s had since he was a child. This entire plan backfires, as everyone grows bored with his speech, and when it comes time to kill himself he fails to do so because there is no cap in the gun. After this incident, Ippolit’s illness progress and he eventually dies.

Ippolit Terentyev Quotes in The Idiot

The The Idiot quotes below are all either spoken by Ippolit Terentyev or refer to Ippolit Terentyev . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

He is either a doctor or indeed of an extraordinary intelligence and able to guess a great many things. (But that he is ultimately an “idiot” there can be no doubt at all.)

Related Characters: Ippolit Terentyev (speaker), Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin

Page Number and Citation: 389

Explanation and Analysis:

Nature appears to the viewer of this painting in the shape of some enormous, implacable, and dumb beast, or, to put it more correctly, much more correctly, strange though it is—in the shape of some huge machine of the most modern construction, which has senselessly seized, crushed, and swallowed up, blankly and unfeelingly, a great and priceless being—such a being as by himself was worth the whole of nature and all its laws, the whole earth, which was perhaps created solely for the appearance of this being alone! The painting seems precisely to express this notion of a dark, insolent, and senselessly eternal power, to which everything is subjected, and it is conveyed to you involuntarily.

Related Characters: Ippolit Terentyev (speaker)

Related Symbols: Holbein’s “The Dead Christ”

Page Number and Citation: 408

Explanation and Analysis:

Ippolit Terentyev Character Timeline in The Idiot

The timeline below shows where the character Ippolit Terentyev appears in The Idiot. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...the wrong direction the whole time. Kolya says he’d first like to introduce Myshkin to Ippolit, the widow’s eldest son, who is bedridden with tuberculosis. He mentions that Ippolit is “the... (full context)

Social Hierarchy, Authority, and Rebellion Theme Icon

...is about 22 years old, with a speech defect. The next of the four is Ippolit, whose illness has made him skeletal, and who probably has only a few weeks to... (full context)

...pride” after Doktorenko’s speech. When Myshkin begins to speak about the “slander” in the article, Ippolit goes flustered and insists that it was Keller who wrote it. Keller confirms that he... (full context)

...his treatment, and thus plans to give this money directly to Burdovsky. After hearing this, Ippolit cries out indignantly: “Only ten thousand!” Burdovsky himself refuses the offer. (full context)

...he gained from Burdovsky’s mother’s dowry, leaving the family “destitute.” As Ganya speaks, Doktorenko and Ippolit grow still more furious, demanding that he stop reciting this “novel.” Yet Ganya continues, concluding... (full context)

...being atheists who have been “eaten up by vanity and pride.” She then points to Ippolit and accuses him of corrupting Kolya. (full context)

Passion, Violence, and Christianity Theme Icon

On seeing that Ippolit is grinning at her, Mrs. Epanchin runs up to him and grabs him by the... (full context)

...corrected the first half of the article, and left the second half as it was. Ippolit now says that he purposefully mentioned the correction because he knew it would infuriate Mrs.... (full context)

Ippolit turns to Evgeny and demands to know why Evgeny has laughed at him every time... (full context)

Ippolit suddenly bids everyone farewell and invites them to his funeral. Mrs. Epanchin takes his arm,... (full context)

The group discusses what should be done with Ippolit, and Myshkin offers for him and his friends to stay at Lebedev’s. Now Mrs. Epanchin... (full context)

...Burdovsky recently apologized and now “believes more in the prince.” Kolya then informs everyone that Ippolit has moved into Lebedev’s dacha on Myshkin’s invitation. Myshkin reprimands Kolya for telling the others... (full context)

Kolya says that Ippolit’s health is better than it’s been in months, but the other still express their disapproval... (full context)

...conversation with him, but this isn’t the right place for it. Myshkin then speaks to Ippolit, who says that he’s glad that today is Myshkin’s birthday. Seeing Ippolit’s liveliness, Myshkin suggests... (full context)

...to sit by Rogozhin. Myshkin, meanwhile, is in a jolly mood. Evgeny expresses annoyance about Ippolit’s presence. (full context)

During Lebedev’s speech, Ippolit fell asleep on the sofa, but he now suddenly wakes up and looks alarmed. He... (full context)

Ippolit rather dramatically asks if he should read the article, and everyone tells him not to.... (full context)

Ippolit begins reading his article, which is included in full in the novel. It begins with... (full context)

Ippolit says he was surprised that Myshkin guessed that he has nightmares, and that coming to... (full context)

At this point, Ippolit woke up and Myshkin came in. The people gathered begin to object that Ippolit is... (full context)

When Ippolit became very ill about eight months ago, he cut himself off from his friends, and... (full context)

At first, the drunk man was angry that Ippolit came into his house, but when Ippolit showed him the wallet and explained that he... (full context)

Ippolit told the man that he knew the nephew of the state councilor who would be... (full context)

In response, Ippolit told Bakhmutov about an old state councilor in Moscow who always went to visit prisoners... (full context)

Ippolit was also struck by Rogozhin’s gloomy house. After the visit, he felt very unwell, and... (full context)

Ippolit says these thoughts came to him in pieces, and asks: “Can something that has no... (full context)

Ippolit now describes a small pistol he has owned since he was a child, and first... (full context)

Recently, Ippolit realized that if he committed a terrible crime (such as murdering several people), he would... (full context)

Ippolit says he wants to make clear that he is not committing suicide because his final... (full context)

Vera is the only person worried that Ippolit seems to be about to commit suicide, and rushes to him. Several others grumble, “He... (full context)

Ippolit speaks briefly to Myshkin, who tries to comfort him and urges him to drink a... (full context)

Keller, meanwhile, threatens anyone who dares to imply that Ippolit left the cap out on purpose. Evgeny and Myshkin discuss whether Ippolit is capable of... (full context)

...shocks Aglaya. He then realizes that it was just a dream. He tells her about Ippolit’s failed suicide attempt, along with all the other events of the night. Aglaya then says... (full context)

...his dacha and tells Vera that he needs to sleep. She begs him to allow Ippolit to stay, and Myshkin agrees. Just as Myshkin tries to sleep, Kolya arrives. He praises... (full context)

...same reason as usual. Ganya curses their parents and promises that he will throw “him” (Ippolit) out of the house. When he begins to calm down, Varya tells him that it’s... (full context)

Before Varya leaves the room, Ganya suggests it was Ippolit who told Nina about General Ivolgin’s visit to the Epanchins’. Ganya believes Ippolit considers him... (full context)

Ippolit has been living at the Ptitsyns’ house for five days. Rogozhin had started visiting him... (full context)

...Kolya bring his bag and announces that he’s leaving. An argument ensues between Ganya and Ippolit, in which Ippolit mocks Ganya and announces that he was planning to leave the Ptitsyns’... (full context)

Ippolit enthusiastically lists all of Ganya’s bad traits until Varya begs him to stop, at which... (full context)

Later, Myshkin runs into Ippolit by chance in the park. Ippolit points out that he was correct back when he... (full context)

...He wakes up with a headache and an inexplicable desire to see Rogozhin, and then Ippolit. That morning Lebedev comes to see him, looking ragged and dirty. Lebedev tearfully tells an... (full context)

Half an hour after the Epanchins’ visit, Ippolit comes in and collapses straight into a chair. Myshkin tries to speak to him, but... (full context)

Ganya was humiliated, and Varya had to drag him away. Ippolit himself was there to arrange a meeting between Aglaya and Nastasya. He says that the... (full context)

...see that he has already been warned about what’s happening, and guesses that it was Ippolit who told him. She insists that he accompany her, and he follows “like a slave.”... (full context)

...by stories of Myshkin’s treatment in Switzerland, as well as more recent occurrences such as Ippolit’s attempted suicide. In the end, the doctor concluded that there was no reason for Myshkin... (full context)

Ippolit also spends a lot of time with Myshkin in the days leading up to the... (full context)

...on living as before. The narrator notes, “We have almost nothing to tell about them.” Ippolit dies two weeks after Nastasya is killed. Traumatized by everything, Kolya becomes extremely close to... (full context)

The Idiot

Ippolit Terentyev Character Analysis

Ippolit Terentyev Quotes in The Idiot

Part Three, Chapter Five Quotes

Part Three, Chapter Six Quotes

Ippolit Terentyev Character Timeline in The Idiot