Fyodor Karamazov is the wealthy father of four grown sons: Dmitri, an elegant officer, always broke and at odds with his father; Ivan, the intellectual; pious Alexe; and half-brother Smerdyakov. Tensions erupt to a murderous end when libertine father and romantic son find themselves vying for the affections of the same woman, the wild Grushenka. Finding themselves adrift without the dark anchor that held them together, the four brothers must now find peace, each in their own way.