The Elusive Pimpernel · Character

Collot d'Herbois

A brutal ex-actor turned revolutionary butcher, sent from Lyons to make sure Chauvelin's trap finally snaps shut.

supporting

Also known as Collot, Citizen Collot

As a supporting figure in The Elusive Pimpernel, Collot d'Herbois is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Collot d'Herbois boasts of his 'Noyades' in Lyons and suggests similar drownings for Paris.

In the storyI: Paris: 1793Open this moment free

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Collot d'Herbois arrives in Boulogne as the Committee's enforcer, a man who rose from the gutter to invent the mass drownings at Lyons and measures everyone by his own low standard. He has neither Chauvelin's patriotic fervor nor Danton's strange selflessness, only a taste for notoriety and a willingness to wallow. His presence turns Chauvelin's elegant scheme into something coarser and more terrifying, and raises the price of failure for everyone involved.

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Character Web

11 connections

A slice of how Collot d'Herbois sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Revolutionary antagonists and targets
Protagonist
Minor French and English characters

+6 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Marguerite's u…

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Relationships

Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working… How this plays out →
Marguerite Blakeney
rivalry · negative
Sir Percy Blakeney
rivalry · negative
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working… How this plays out →
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working… How this plays out →
Marguerite Blakeney
rivalry · negative
Sir Percy Blakeney
rivalry · negative

Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working together on political matters.
Marguerite Blakeney
Collot d'Herbois is an antagonist to Marguerite, representing the revolutionary threat to her and her husband.
Sir Percy Blakeney
Collot d'Herbois is an enemy of Sir Percy, aligned with Chauvelin in hunting the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working together on political matters.
Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Collot d'Herbois are colleagues in the revolutionary government, working together on political matters.
Marguerite Blakeney
Collot d'Herbois is an antagonist to Marguerite, representing the revolutionary threat to her and her husband.
Sir Percy Blakeney
Collot d'Herbois is an enemy of Sir Percy, aligned with Chauvelin in hunting the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Collot d'Herbois appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: Paris: 1793
Collot d'Herbois boasts of his 'Noyades' in Lyons and suggests similar drownings for Paris.
Triumph
Dispatched to Boulogne with full powers and the amnesty proclamation; rides furiously to arrive within twenty-four hours.
XXI: Suspense
Arrives in Boulogne on the evening of the 22nd, sent by the Committee of Public Safety.
The Hostage
Mentioned as having ridden from Paris to assist Chauvelin in the plot against the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Colleagues
Collot is skeptical of Chauvelin's schemes, preferring summary execution and brutal reprisals. He suggests threatening Boulogne families to prevent Marguerite's escape.
The Unexpected
Mentioned as having just left Chauvelin after their conversation.
XXXI: Final Dispositions
Brutish and anxious, he questions Chauvelin's plan but ultimately agrees, preparing to ride to Paris with the letter.
The English Spy
Assists Chauvelin in overseeing the writing and orders the soldiers to control the crowd, but is thrown into confusion by the sudden darkness.
XXXIV: The Angelus
Mentioned as having left with the decoy letter, now well on his way to Paris.

Chapter companion notes

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