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Setting
Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... 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—Comet:
In Chapter 6 of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy provides some backstory for Marguerite St. Just, who is now known as Lady Blakeney. Marguerite, the audience learns, was a celebrated actress in Paris and is referred to as "the Cleverest Woman in Europe." Her decision to marry Sir Percy, who is regarded as shallow and unintelligent, Orczy tells us, came as a great shock to intellectual society. The passage contains a revealing simile, in which Marguerite is compared to a comet:
[S]he glided through republican, revolutionary, bloodthirsty Paris like a shining comet with a trail behind her of all that was most distinguished, most interesting, in intellectual Europe.
In one respect, this simile emphasizes Marguerite's passionate temper and the "shining" magnetism of her wit and beauty, which was capable of pulling many people into her social orbit. But this comparison also hints at her vindictive nature, which led to the execution of the Marquis de St. Cyr and his family and which Orczy likens to the destructive path of a comet. The image of Marguerite "gliding" through the extreme violence of the French Revolution, in addition to illustrating her grace and carefree personality, also makes her appear somewhat cold and uncaring.
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 7: The Secret Orchard
Explanation and Analysis—Serpents:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language relating to snakes and serpents. She first introduces the image in Chapter 7, where it is associated with Marguerite:
The gentle sea-breeze blew Marguerite's hair about her face, and sent the ends of her soft lace fichu waving round her, like a white and supple snake.
This reference to snakes is likely a Biblical allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a figure associated with treachery. The allusion calls to mind the fate of Eve, who disobeyed God and brought about the fall of mankind after being deceived by the serpent. By using this allusion in relation to Marguerite, Orczy signals that she has committed acts of treachery in the past—most notably her role in the execution of the Marquis de St. Cyr and his family. Orczy also foreshadows events that occur later in the novel, in which Marguerite unwittingly betrays her husband after being blackmailed by Chauvelin.
Orczy explicitly links Chauvelin with the image of snakes in Chapter 9:
A figure had emerged from under one of the benches; with snakelike, noiseless movements it crept closer and closer to the two men, not breathing, only gliding along the floor, in the inky blackness of the room.
The biblical serpent, in addition to its traditional association with treachery, is also sometimes interpreted as Satan in animal form. At other points in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy explicitly likens Chauvelin and his men to demons from hell. These comparisons, along with this allusion to the biblical serpent, align Chauvelin—and, by extension, the French Republic—with the forces of ultimate evil.
Snake-related imagery makes another appearance in Chapter 16, when Marguerite and Sir Percy are on their way home from Lord Grenville's ball:
The river wound in and out in its pretty delicate curves, looking like a silver serpent beneath the glittering rays of the moon.
This and the earlier simile from Chapter 7 are both visually appealing, representing the contrast between Marguerite's beauty and apparent innocence and her past misdeeds. This simile also reminds the reader that Marguerite, on orders from Chauvelin, has just committed another act of treachery at Lord Grenville's ball.
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 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 9: The Outrage
Explanation and Analysis—Serpents:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language relating to snakes and serpents. She first introduces the image in Chapter 7, where it is associated with Marguerite:
The gentle sea-breeze blew Marguerite's hair about her face, and sent the ends of her soft lace fichu waving round her, like a white and supple snake.
This reference to snakes is likely a Biblical allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a figure associated with treachery. The allusion calls to mind the fate of Eve, who disobeyed God and brought about the fall of mankind after being deceived by the serpent. By using this allusion in relation to Marguerite, Orczy signals that she has committed acts of treachery in the past—most notably her role in the execution of the Marquis de St. Cyr and his family. Orczy also foreshadows events that occur later in the novel, in which Marguerite unwittingly betrays her husband after being blackmailed by Chauvelin.
Orczy explicitly links Chauvelin with the image of snakes in Chapter 9:
A figure had emerged from under one of the benches; with snakelike, noiseless movements it crept closer and closer to the two men, not breathing, only gliding along the floor, in the inky blackness of the room.
The biblical serpent, in addition to its traditional association with treachery, is also sometimes interpreted as Satan in animal form. At other points in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy explicitly likens Chauvelin and his men to demons from hell. These comparisons, along with this allusion to the biblical serpent, align Chauvelin—and, by extension, the French Republic—with the forces of ultimate evil.
Snake-related imagery makes another appearance in Chapter 16, when Marguerite and Sir Percy are on their way home from Lord Grenville's ball:
The river wound in and out in its pretty delicate curves, looking like a silver serpent beneath the glittering rays of the moon.
This and the earlier simile from Chapter 7 are both visually appealing, representing the contrast between Marguerite's beauty and apparent innocence and her past misdeeds. This simile also reminds the reader that Marguerite, on orders from Chauvelin, has just committed another act of treachery at Lord Grenville's ball.
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—Serpents:
At several points throughout The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy uses figurative language relating to snakes and serpents. She first introduces the image in Chapter 7, where it is associated with Marguerite:
The gentle sea-breeze blew Marguerite's hair about her face, and sent the ends of her soft lace fichu waving round her, like a white and supple snake.
This reference to snakes is likely a Biblical allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a figure associated with treachery. The allusion calls to mind the fate of Eve, who disobeyed God and brought about the fall of mankind after being deceived by the serpent. By using this allusion in relation to Marguerite, Orczy signals that she has committed acts of treachery in the past—most notably her role in the execution of the Marquis de St. Cyr and his family. Orczy also foreshadows events that occur later in the novel, in which Marguerite unwittingly betrays her husband after being blackmailed by Chauvelin.
Orczy explicitly links Chauvelin with the image of snakes in Chapter 9:
A figure had emerged from under one of the benches; with snakelike, noiseless movements it crept closer and closer to the two men, not breathing, only gliding along the floor, in the inky blackness of the room.
The biblical serpent, in addition to its traditional association with treachery, is also sometimes interpreted as Satan in animal form. At other points in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy explicitly likens Chauvelin and his men to demons from hell. These comparisons, along with this allusion to the biblical serpent, align Chauvelin—and, by extension, the French Republic—with the forces of ultimate evil.
Snake-related imagery makes another appearance in Chapter 16, when Marguerite and Sir Percy are on their way home from Lord Grenville's ball:
The river wound in and out in its pretty delicate curves, looking like a silver serpent beneath the glittering rays of the moon.
This and the earlier simile from Chapter 7 are both visually appealing, representing the contrast between Marguerite's beauty and apparent innocence and her past misdeeds. This simile also reminds the reader that Marguerite, on orders from Chauvelin, has just committed another act of treachery at Lord Grenville's ball.
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 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:
