The Grand Inquisitor
In chapter 5 of The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan Karamazov describes his poem to his brother Alyosha. It is set in Seville, Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. It imagines Jesus returning, being arrested by the inquisition and a monologue by the Grand Inquisitor to Jesus.
Plot[edit]
As Jesus walks the streets, people are irresistibly drawn towards his power and compassion. A blind man calls out to Jesus and is healed. When he comes to Seville cathedral, he resurrects a dead girl when her mother appeals to Jesus. At that moment, the Grand Inquisitor is passing by the cathedral with his attendants and sees Jesus. The Inquisitor's face darkens when he sees the miracle.
- "[The inquisitor] holds out his finger and bids the guards take Him. And such is his power, so completely are the people cowed into submission and trembling obedience to him, that the crowd immediately makes way for the guards, and in the midst of deathlike silence they lay hands on Him and lead him away."
Jesus is imprisoned during the day. At night, the Grand Inquisitor visits Jesus in his cell alone. He asks Jesus "Why, then, art Thou come to hinder us?" and tells Jesus "Thou hast no right to add anything to what Thou hadst said of old" (echoing Galatians 1:8 
). Regardless of his identity, he will be burned tomorrow as "the worst of heretics". The Inquisitor points out that if Jesus continued teaching, he would remove people's freedom to have faith. But that freedom granted by Jesus had lead to many heresies, which the inquisition has crushed, so people have no freedom yet still believe they have. The Inquisitor claims that Jesus made human happiness impossible - "how can rebels be happy?" - but the inquisition has continued their work and made happiness possible. Jesus does not answer, but kisses the Inquisitor, who lets him go, saying he should never return.
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