The Idiot Part 4, Chapter 10 Summary

  • Nothing much happens to disrupt the wedding plans, after Radomsky fails to convince the prince to just cut it out already. 
  • General Ivolgin finally dies.
  • Myshkin wonders where Rogozhin has been all this time, since he hasn't seen him at all since the big night.
  • Keller, who is one of Myshkin's groomsmen, comes to see him and swears his loyalty in the face of whatever adversity this wedding will bring. He also tells the prince that Lebedev has been scheming and planning something against him.
  • Later, Lebedev comes by the day of the wedding to apologize. It turns out he really has been scheming something—his idea was to get a doctor to declare Myshkin insane and have him forcibly committed. He even managed to get the doctor to come by and chat with Myshkin, who was so charming and interesting for two hours that the doctor was like, well, that guy is nothing but sane.
  • Myshkin spends some time visiting Ippolit and his siblings. Ippolit seems like he really is pretty much about to die at this point.
  • Yeah, yeah, we've heard that one before. Ippolit warns Myshkin about Rogozhin, saying that Rogozhin is the kind of guy who'll get his way no matter what. Obviously this stresses the prince out a bit.
  • The day before the wedding, Nastasya, who has been pretty calm and normal for the whole time, flips out. Like, really way the heck out, locking herself in her room and refusing to come out and screaming that she won't do this to him (you know, marry him and make him a huge laughingstock and disgrace). Eventually Myshkin calms her down and everything is cool again.
  • The day of the wedding itself everything seems to be going fine. Myshkin gets to the church and waits for his bride.
  • When Nastasya is ready to come out of the house to go to the church, a huge crowd has gathered by the door, and everyone is yelling stuff at her. Mostly the comments vary from "dude, she's way hot" to "not hot enough to marry." Yes, very insightful—but also pretty much skirting the book's theme, no?
  • Just before she is about to get into the carriage, Nastasya suddenly jumps to the side, right into the arms of Rogozhin. Who is just standing there waiting for her.
  • She tells him to take her anywhere he wants, and they make for the train station.
  • Keller and the gang pursue them for a while, but it's obviously no use.
  • The prince and all the guests go back to Myshkin's house, and have some awkward conversation and snacks.
  • After they all leave, Myshkin asks Vera Lebedev to wake him up early tomorrow. He assumes Rogozhin and Nastasya went to Petersburg, and he will take the first morning's train there. He swears her to secrecy about this.