He wants to become an important figure such as Napoleon. He believes that certain superior people in a society stand above the ordinary human and moral law. Based on his theory he believes that the murders he commits would make him a part of this high class. To test his thesis, he murders an old woman that is a greedy moneylender. He feels her death is no great loss to society because she preys upon the misery and poverty of her fellow humans. Next, Raskolnikov overhears a man at the bar, "I could kill that damned old woman and make off with her money, I assure you, without the faintest conscience-prick" Raskolnikov had "the very same idea." It provides another good reason for the murder, as Raskolnikov believes the crime will benefit others. However, once he realized that he had made mistakes, he began to question his theory. After all the frustration, he decided to go to the scene of the crime. This gave him a rush that made him feel invincible. He believed that this would prove if he was truly "super". Once he realized that he wasn't part of this class, he suffered a mental breakdown. .
Raskolnikov's suffering has a direct relationship with his guilt over his crimes. It is also due to his recognition of his failure to meet his theory. However another controlling idea behind his punishment is a result of his dual personality and his obsession to prove his theory. He is best represented as being either cold, intellectual and isolated from society, or as being warm and compassionate. The murder is the result of his intellectual side, trying to determine whether or not he fits his "extraordinary man" theory. It was this side of his personality that develops the crime and carries out his plan, forcing the humane side to suffer for his actions. Both Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov are headed down the same path throughout the novel. They share the same goal of redemption. Dunya was the same objective to Svidrigailov as the "superman" theory to Raskolnikov.
