# Father Agaric — Penguin Island character guide

> Father Agaric in Penguin Island by Anatole France.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Agaric, the Reverend Father Agaric, the pious Agaric, The Reverend Father Agaric, The pious Agaric

**First appearance:** 0041-i-the-reverend-fathers-agaric-and-cornemuse

## Snapshot

A pious schemer in a cassock who orchestrates royalist cabals and public agitation while murmuring prayers and directing others to do his dirty work.

## Who they are

Father Agaric moves through Penguinia's salons and back rooms, disclosing his projects to princes and using the devout Viscountess Olive as his instrument of persuasion. He organizes public meetings to keep agitation alive and prefers to let others—soldiers, lovers, noblemen—carry out the compromising acts. His serene hypocrisy and talent for indirect action make him the quiet engineer of the restoration plot.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_psychological_

The narrator closely observes Father Agaric's scheming and religious manipulations, often with critical detachment.

### [Conils](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/conils)

_friendship_

Conils and Father Agaric are co-conspirators in religious and political schemes, bound by shared ambition.

### [Father Cornemuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/father_cornemuse)

_friendship_

Father Agaric and Father Cornemuse are fellow clergymen who collaborate in manipulating religious doctrine for power.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_psychological_

The narrator closely observes Father Agaric's scheming and religious manipulations, often with critical detachment.

### [Father Cornemuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/father_cornemuse)

_friendship_

Father Agaric and Father Cornemuse are fellow clergymen who collaborate in manipulating religious doctrine for power.

### [Conils](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/conils)

_friendship_

Conils and Father Agaric are co-conspirators in religious and political schemes, bound by shared ambition.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_psychological_

The narrator closely observes Father Agaric's scheming and religious manipulations, often with critical detachment.

### [Father Cornemuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/father_cornemuse)

_friendship_

Father Agaric and Father Cornemuse are fellow clergymen who collaborate in manipulating religious doctrine for power.

## In the story

### [Book V: Chatillon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/book-v-chatillon)

A clerical figure who becomes entangled in Chatillon's political schemes.

### [I: The Reverend Fathers Agaric and Cornemuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/i-the-reverend-fathers-agaric-and-cornemuse)

A monk who runs a school and plots to overthrow the Republic, seeking to restore Prince Crucho.

### [Prince Crucho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/ii-prince-crucho)

Disguised as a cattle merchant, travels to Porpoisea to recruit Prince Crucho for a coup.

### [III: The Cabal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/iii-the-cabal)

Discloses his restoration projects to Prince Boscénos and organizes the royalist cabal.

### [IV: Viscountess Olive](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/iv-viscountess-olive)

The austere monk who orchestrates the plot to recruit Chatillon for the monarchist cause.

### [V: The Prince des Boscénos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/v-the-prince-des-bosc-nos)

Organizes public meetings to agitate for Chatillon.

### [VI: The Emiral's Fall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/vi-the-emiral-s-fall)

The pious Agaric works to win partisans for the Pretender, meets with union workers, and seeks to reform the Republic.

### [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/vii-conclusion)

Endures the new laws and plans new political designs; visits the Wood of Conils to speak with Cornemuse.

### [Book VI: The Affair of the Eighty Thousand Trusses of Hay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/book-vi-the-affair-of-the-eighty-thousand-trusses-of-hay)

Religious figure complicit in the political manipulation surrounding the affair.

### [V: The Reverend Fathers Agaric and Cornemuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/v-the-reverend-fathers-agaric-and-cornemuse)

Manages a school for young nobles, remains faithful to Prince Crucho, and seeks to use the Pyrot affair to restore the monarchy.

### [VIII: The Colomban Trial](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/chapters/viii-the-colomban-trial)

Leader of the Anti-Pyrotist Association, present among the crowd at the trial.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters/father_agaric
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/penguin_island_se/characters