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Irony
Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Chapter 1: Paris: September, 1792
Explanation and Analysis—"Savage Creatures":
At multiple points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy utilizes metaphor and simile to compare the supporters of the French Revolution to animals.
Chapter 1 opens with a crowd of French peasants gathering around the guillotine to watch the execution of aristocrats:
A surging, seething, murmuring crowd, of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.
In this passage, French citizens are dehumanized and compared to “savage creatures.” From Orczy’s perspective, they are “human only in name,” appearing as animals to the eye and ear. Orczy also portrays the French peasantry as a mindless, bloodthirsty mob, rather than a group of free-thinking individuals. And although the real-life leaders of the French Revolution were motivated by a genuine desire for justice and social equality, Orczy dismisses these motivations as “the lust of vengeance and hate.”
Throughout the novel, Orczy contrasts this perceived mob mentality with The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, whose members are motivated by a strong devotion to their leader and their cause but are still capable of independent thought and action.
In Chapter 28, Marguerite uses metaphor and simile to compare Chauvelin and his lackeys to wolves:
She thought of the ravenous beasts—in human shape—who lay in wait for their prey, and destroyed them, as mercilessly as any hungry wolf, for the satisfaction of their own appetite of hate.
Interestingly, although Marguerite describes Chauvelin’s men as animals, she ascribes attributes to them that are only found in human beings. Animals are, by nature, amoral. Their behavior is motivated by an innate instinct to survive, and they are incapable of feeling human emotions like hate.
Also, although Marguerite’s comparison is intended to be disparaging, Chauvelin uses similar language later in the same chapter when he speaks to his men:
"But remember that you must be as silent as the wolf is at night, when he prowls around the pens."
In this instance, animal-like behavior is depicted as something worthy of emulation. Chauvelin, it seems, is fully comfortable embracing his identity as a predator.
Related Themes:
Chapter 6: An Exquisite of ‘92
Explanation and Analysis—Dogs:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language to compare certain characters and concepts to dogs. This language is most frequently applied to Sir Percy, whom society views as intellectually inferior to his wife. In Chapter 6, Orczy describes him as oblivious to Marguerite's disdain for him:
But then Blakeney was really too stupid to notice the ridicule with which his clever wife covered him, and if his matrimonial relations with the fascinating Parisienne had not turned out all that his hopes and his doglike devotion for her had pictured, society could never do more than vaguely guess at it.
By describing Sir Percy as "doglike," Orczy emphasizes his seemingly unquestioned devotion to his wife, who treats him almost like a pet.
In Chapter 7, Marguerite recalls how Sir Percy's love for her dissipated shortly after their wedding:
Then suddenly that love, that devotion, which throughout his courtship she had looked upon as the slavish fidelity of a dog, seemed to vanish completely.
This simile illustrates the shallow nature of Marguerite's initial affection for Sir Percy. She enjoyed his "slavish fidelity" and viewed him as a devoted dog rather than an intellectual equal.
In Chapter 16, Sir Percy acknowledges the view his wife has of him:
"Do you wish to see me once more a love-sick suppliant at your feet, so that you might again have the pleasure of kicking me aside, like a troublesome lap-dog?”
By sarcastically likening himself to a lapdog, Sir Percy shows how lowly and unappreciated Marguerite's behavior has made him feel. His use of simile also hints that Sir Percy is not as foppish and inane as he appears—he is well aware of how his wife and the rest of society perceive him, and his pride makes it difficult to maintain the act.
Orczy also uses the motif of dogs to represent the French Revolution. In Chapter 8, Marguerite recalls how her brother Armand was treated after he developed an affection for the Marquis de St. Cyr's daughter:
"[T] he next night he was waylaid just outside Paris by the valets of the Marquis de St. Cyr, and ignominiously thrashed—thrashed like a dog within an inch of his life—because he had dared to raise his eyes to the daughter of the aristocrat."
The simile "thrashed like a dog" demonstrates how, prior to the revolution, French peasants were mistreated and dehumanized by the aristocracy.
In Chapter 16, by contrast, Sir Percy metaphorically compares the French Revolution itself to a dog:
"[T]he murderous dog of the revolution is turning upon the very hands that fed it?"
This metaphor thematically aligns Sir Percy's plight with that of the French peasantry, implying that both have been unfairly mistreated. But by comparing revolutionaries to dogs, Orczy also seems to imply that they are at least partially deserving of such treatment.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Turkey and the Bantam:
In Chapter 6 of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Marguerite metaphorically compares Sir Percy and the Vicomte de Tourney to the poultry being served for dinner at "The Fisherman's Rest":
“Lud, Sir Andrew,” said Marguerite, with one of her merry infectious laughs, “look on that pretty picture—the English turkey and the French bantam.”
The simile was quite perfect, and the English turkey looked down with complete bewilderment upon the dainty little French bantam, which hovered quite threateningly around him.
Their companions view the comparison as "quite perfect" because it aptly sums up Sir Percy and the Vicomte's differences in nationality, size, and perceived intellectual ability. Sir Percy, who is English, tall, and generally regarded as stupid, is compared to the English turkey, a large bird with a reputation for being rather unintelligent. The Vicomte, who is French, young, and physically slight, is compared to the French bantam, a small variety of chicken or duck.
Even though turkeys are generally considered to be unintelligent fowl, the image of Sir Percy and the Vicomte as the turkey and the bantam is rather ironic, since it places a physically small bird in a position of power over a much larger one. The metaphor is also ironic because, at several other points in the novel, Marguerite compares the Scarlet Pimpernel to an eagle, a perceptive and powerful bird of prey. Marguerite is unaware that the Scarlet Pimpernel is actually Sir Percy, whom she disparagingly likens to a turkey.
Related Themes:
Chapter 7: The Secret Orchard
Explanation and Analysis—Dogs:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language to compare certain characters and concepts to dogs. This language is most frequently applied to Sir Percy, whom society views as intellectually inferior to his wife. In Chapter 6, Orczy describes him as oblivious to Marguerite's disdain for him:
But then Blakeney was really too stupid to notice the ridicule with which his clever wife covered him, and if his matrimonial relations with the fascinating Parisienne had not turned out all that his hopes and his doglike devotion for her had pictured, society could never do more than vaguely guess at it.
By describing Sir Percy as "doglike," Orczy emphasizes his seemingly unquestioned devotion to his wife, who treats him almost like a pet.
In Chapter 7, Marguerite recalls how Sir Percy's love for her dissipated shortly after their wedding:
Then suddenly that love, that devotion, which throughout his courtship she had looked upon as the slavish fidelity of a dog, seemed to vanish completely.
This simile illustrates the shallow nature of Marguerite's initial affection for Sir Percy. She enjoyed his "slavish fidelity" and viewed him as a devoted dog rather than an intellectual equal.
In Chapter 16, Sir Percy acknowledges the view his wife has of him:
"Do you wish to see me once more a love-sick suppliant at your feet, so that you might again have the pleasure of kicking me aside, like a troublesome lap-dog?”
By sarcastically likening himself to a lapdog, Sir Percy shows how lowly and unappreciated Marguerite's behavior has made him feel. His use of simile also hints that Sir Percy is not as foppish and inane as he appears—he is well aware of how his wife and the rest of society perceive him, and his pride makes it difficult to maintain the act.
Orczy also uses the motif of dogs to represent the French Revolution. In Chapter 8, Marguerite recalls how her brother Armand was treated after he developed an affection for the Marquis de St. Cyr's daughter:
"[T] he next night he was waylaid just outside Paris by the valets of the Marquis de St. Cyr, and ignominiously thrashed—thrashed like a dog within an inch of his life—because he had dared to raise his eyes to the daughter of the aristocrat."
The simile "thrashed like a dog" demonstrates how, prior to the revolution, French peasants were mistreated and dehumanized by the aristocracy.
In Chapter 16, by contrast, Sir Percy metaphorically compares the French Revolution itself to a dog:
"[T]he murderous dog of the revolution is turning upon the very hands that fed it?"
This metaphor thematically aligns Sir Percy's plight with that of the French peasantry, implying that both have been unfairly mistreated. But by comparing revolutionaries to dogs, Orczy also seems to imply that they are at least partially deserving of such treatment.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8: The Accredited Agent
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Dogs:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language to compare certain characters and concepts to dogs. This language is most frequently applied to Sir Percy, whom society views as intellectually inferior to his wife. In Chapter 6, Orczy describes him as oblivious to Marguerite's disdain for him:
But then Blakeney was really too stupid to notice the ridicule with which his clever wife covered him, and if his matrimonial relations with the fascinating Parisienne had not turned out all that his hopes and his doglike devotion for her had pictured, society could never do more than vaguely guess at it.
By describing Sir Percy as "doglike," Orczy emphasizes his seemingly unquestioned devotion to his wife, who treats him almost like a pet.
In Chapter 7, Marguerite recalls how Sir Percy's love for her dissipated shortly after their wedding:
Then suddenly that love, that devotion, which throughout his courtship she had looked upon as the slavish fidelity of a dog, seemed to vanish completely.
This simile illustrates the shallow nature of Marguerite's initial affection for Sir Percy. She enjoyed his "slavish fidelity" and viewed him as a devoted dog rather than an intellectual equal.
In Chapter 16, Sir Percy acknowledges the view his wife has of him:
"Do you wish to see me once more a love-sick suppliant at your feet, so that you might again have the pleasure of kicking me aside, like a troublesome lap-dog?”
By sarcastically likening himself to a lapdog, Sir Percy shows how lowly and unappreciated Marguerite's behavior has made him feel. His use of simile also hints that Sir Percy is not as foppish and inane as he appears—he is well aware of how his wife and the rest of society perceive him, and his pride makes it difficult to maintain the act.
Orczy also uses the motif of dogs to represent the French Revolution. In Chapter 8, Marguerite recalls how her brother Armand was treated after he developed an affection for the Marquis de St. Cyr's daughter:
"[T] he next night he was waylaid just outside Paris by the valets of the Marquis de St. Cyr, and ignominiously thrashed—thrashed like a dog within an inch of his life—because he had dared to raise his eyes to the daughter of the aristocrat."
The simile "thrashed like a dog" demonstrates how, prior to the revolution, French peasants were mistreated and dehumanized by the aristocracy.
In Chapter 16, by contrast, Sir Percy metaphorically compares the French Revolution itself to a dog:
"[T]he murderous dog of the revolution is turning upon the very hands that fed it?"
This metaphor thematically aligns Sir Percy's plight with that of the French peasantry, implying that both have been unfairly mistreated. But by comparing revolutionaries to dogs, Orczy also seems to imply that they are at least partially deserving of such treatment.
Related Themes:
Chapter 10: In the Opera Box
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
Chapter 15: Doubt
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
Chapter 16: Richmond
Explanation and Analysis—Dogs:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language to compare certain characters and concepts to dogs. This language is most frequently applied to Sir Percy, whom society views as intellectually inferior to his wife. In Chapter 6, Orczy describes him as oblivious to Marguerite's disdain for him:
But then Blakeney was really too stupid to notice the ridicule with which his clever wife covered him, and if his matrimonial relations with the fascinating Parisienne had not turned out all that his hopes and his doglike devotion for her had pictured, society could never do more than vaguely guess at it.
By describing Sir Percy as "doglike," Orczy emphasizes his seemingly unquestioned devotion to his wife, who treats him almost like a pet.
In Chapter 7, Marguerite recalls how Sir Percy's love for her dissipated shortly after their wedding:
Then suddenly that love, that devotion, which throughout his courtship she had looked upon as the slavish fidelity of a dog, seemed to vanish completely.
This simile illustrates the shallow nature of Marguerite's initial affection for Sir Percy. She enjoyed his "slavish fidelity" and viewed him as a devoted dog rather than an intellectual equal.
In Chapter 16, Sir Percy acknowledges the view his wife has of him:
"Do you wish to see me once more a love-sick suppliant at your feet, so that you might again have the pleasure of kicking me aside, like a troublesome lap-dog?”
By sarcastically likening himself to a lapdog, Sir Percy shows how lowly and unappreciated Marguerite's behavior has made him feel. His use of simile also hints that Sir Percy is not as foppish and inane as he appears—he is well aware of how his wife and the rest of society perceive him, and his pride makes it difficult to maintain the act.
Orczy also uses the motif of dogs to represent the French Revolution. In Chapter 8, Marguerite recalls how her brother Armand was treated after he developed an affection for the Marquis de St. Cyr's daughter:
"[T] he next night he was waylaid just outside Paris by the valets of the Marquis de St. Cyr, and ignominiously thrashed—thrashed like a dog within an inch of his life—because he had dared to raise his eyes to the daughter of the aristocrat."
The simile "thrashed like a dog" demonstrates how, prior to the revolution, French peasants were mistreated and dehumanized by the aristocracy.
In Chapter 16, by contrast, Sir Percy metaphorically compares the French Revolution itself to a dog:
"[T]he murderous dog of the revolution is turning upon the very hands that fed it?"
This metaphor thematically aligns Sir Percy's plight with that of the French peasantry, implying that both have been unfairly mistreated. But by comparing revolutionaries to dogs, Orczy also seems to imply that they are at least partially deserving of such treatment.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Pride and Beauty:
In Chapter 16 of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses metaphor and personification to dramatize the marital conflict between Marguerite and Sir Percy. After arriving at their estate in Richmond, the couple argues, and Orczy frames the argument as a conflict between Sir Percy's extreme pride and Marguerite's extreme beauty:
His pride and her beauty had been in direct conflict, and his pride had remained the conqueror.
The metaphorical battle between the personified forces of beauty and pride represents the larger conflict between the values of the French Republic and those of the English aristocracy. Marguerite's beauty represents what Orczy views as the inherent shallowness of the French, which leads Chauvelin and his men to be constantly duped by the Scarlet Pimpernel. Percy's pride, meanwhile, represents what Orczy believes to be the English aristocracy's strong commitment to duty, which inspires him to perform acts of heroism.
In this scene, Percy's pride remains "the conqueror," foreshadowing how traditional English morals emerge victorious at the end of the novel, with Marguerite fully rejecting her French Republican sensibilities. With her use of personification and metaphor, Orczy elevates the private marital conflict in Marguerite and Sir Percy's to the level of international and even universal importance.
Related Themes:
Chapter 25: The Eagle and the Fox
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
Chapter 26: The Jew
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
Chapter 28: The Père Blanchard’s Hut
Explanation and Analysis—"Savage Creatures":
At multiple points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy utilizes metaphor and simile to compare the supporters of the French Revolution to animals.
Chapter 1 opens with a crowd of French peasants gathering around the guillotine to watch the execution of aristocrats:
A surging, seething, murmuring crowd, of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.
In this passage, French citizens are dehumanized and compared to “savage creatures.” From Orczy’s perspective, they are “human only in name,” appearing as animals to the eye and ear. Orczy also portrays the French peasantry as a mindless, bloodthirsty mob, rather than a group of free-thinking individuals. And although the real-life leaders of the French Revolution were motivated by a genuine desire for justice and social equality, Orczy dismisses these motivations as “the lust of vengeance and hate.”
Throughout the novel, Orczy contrasts this perceived mob mentality with The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, whose members are motivated by a strong devotion to their leader and their cause but are still capable of independent thought and action.
In Chapter 28, Marguerite uses metaphor and simile to compare Chauvelin and his lackeys to wolves:
She thought of the ravenous beasts—in human shape—who lay in wait for their prey, and destroyed them, as mercilessly as any hungry wolf, for the satisfaction of their own appetite of hate.
Interestingly, although Marguerite describes Chauvelin’s men as animals, she ascribes attributes to them that are only found in human beings. Animals are, by nature, amoral. Their behavior is motivated by an innate instinct to survive, and they are incapable of feeling human emotions like hate.
Also, although Marguerite’s comparison is intended to be disparaging, Chauvelin uses similar language later in the same chapter when he speaks to his men:
"But remember that you must be as silent as the wolf is at night, when he prowls around the pens."
In this instance, animal-like behavior is depicted as something worthy of emulation. Chauvelin, it seems, is fully comfortable embracing his identity as a predator.
Related Themes:
Chapter 29: Trapped
Explanation and Analysis—The Eagle and the Fox:
Throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses the motif of animal-related metaphors and similes to dramatize the rivalry between Chauvelin and Sir Percy. When Chauvelin is first introduced in Chapter 8, Orczy compares him to a fox and calls attention to his intelligence:
Chauvelin was then nearer forty than thirty—a clever, shrewd-looking personality, with a curious fox-like expression in the deep, sunken eyes.
In Chapter 10, Orczy likens Chauvelin to a cat, which, like the fox, is an animal known for its dexterity, perception, and ability to track its prey:
He paused for a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done.
Although these traits could be characterized as positive, Orczy specifically calls attention to Chauvelin's capacity for cruel behavior. Like a cat with a mouse, she suggests, he takes pleasure in toying with his victims.
In Chapter 15, Orczy again compares Chauvelin to a fox:
[L]ike the fox he so resembled, Chauvelin would be prowling round, thinking to find her alone.
Here, the emphasis is not on Chauvelin's intelligence but on his tendency to sneak around, a trait associated with cowardice and deceit.
When Chauvelin is placed in comparison to Sir Percy, he is described alternately as a rat or a ferret, while Sir Percy is compared to an eagle or a lion. In Chapter 15, Marguerite worries that Chauvelin will succeed in capturing the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel:
[T]he irony of that fate seemed so cruel which allowed the fearless lion to succumb to the gnawing of a rat!
The image of the lion conjures up notions of monarchy, physical power, and pride, all traits that Marguerite associates with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Rats, meanwhile, are associated with filth, disease, and treachery.
In Chapter 25, after Marguerite has realized that the Scarlet Pimpernel and her husband are one and the same, she uses a similar metaphor:
"[T]he brave eagle would have fallen in the ferret's trap!"
Eagles, like lions, are traditionally viewed as regal and powerful, while ferrets are prey animals often eaten by raptors. A ferret trapping an eagle represents an ironic inversion of nature. This is not simply a rivalry between two men, Orczy suggests, but a struggle to preserve the natural order of the universe.
Near the end of the novel, however, these metaphors and similes undergo a reversal. As it becomes more likely that Chauvelin will emerge victorious, he becomes more identified with the image of the eagle—in Chapter 29, his hands are described as "talon-like." In the same chapter, meanwhile, Sir Percy is compared to a fox:
"[A] warning to the cunning fox, which I have been at such pains to track to his lair."
This metaphor highlights the similarities between Chauvelin and Sir Percy, both of whom are known for their intelligence. But while Chauvelin is depicted as a sly hunter, when Sir Percy is likened to a fox, he is depicted as prey. In Chapter 26, Chauvelin suggests that his men have sadistic plans in mind for Sir Percy after he is captured:
"[O]ur men will enjoy a bit of rough sport there with the wounded fox."
This line is likely a reference to the sport of fox hunting, which is controversial and has been banned or restricted in several areas as the result of its perceived cruelty. Ironically, fox hunting is a popular aspect of British aristocratic tradition, which Orczy spends much of the novel idealizing. Here, however, she portrays this particular aristocratic practice as ghastly and inhumane.
Related Themes:
