The Elusive Pimpernel · Character

Robespierre

The Incorruptible's sensuous lips curl into a sarcastic smile as he weighs Chauvelin's florid promises against the guillotine's grim arithmetic.

supporting

Also known as Citizen Robespierre

First appearance: I: Paris: 1793

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

Robespierre sits impassively, polishing his nails, calculating how to turn the new religion to his advantage.

In the storyI: Paris: 1793Open this moment free

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Robespierre presides over the Committee of Public Safety with frigid impatience, reading Chauvelin's letter aloud to Danton, Collot d'Herbois, and the other decemvirs who orchestrate the Terror. He trusts the ex-ambassador's precision but not his nerve, noting drily that Chauvelin asks for help only because he is sure of the quarry yet unsure of the kill. His willingness to unleash Collot's inventive cruelties upon Boulogne raises the stakes of the Pimpernel's gamble and shows how the Revolution's machinery grinds even its most brilliant servants into instruments of butchery.

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See Robespierre in I: Paris: 1793

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Robespierre sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Revolutionary antagonists and targets
Clergy and royalist figures

+9 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 reports to and collaborates with Robespierre as part of the revolutionary… How this plays out →
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin reports to and collaborates with Robespierre as part of the revolutionary… How this plays out →
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin reports to and collaborates with Robespierre as part of the revolutionary… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Robespierre in I: Paris: 1793

In the story

Robespierre appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: Paris: 1793
Robespierre sits impassively, polishing his nails, calculating how to turn the new religion to his advantage.
II: A Retrospect
The ruthless demagogue, pale and thin-lipped, who summons Chauvelin to confront the ongoing threat of the Pimpernel.
III: Ex-Ambassador Chauvelin
Robespierre taunts Chauvelin, grants him resources for his mission, and subtly threatens him with the consequences of failure.
IX: Demoiselle Candeille
Mentioned as the signatory of the note accompanying the diamond necklace, along with Chauvelin.
Triumph
Leads the Committee of Public Safety, reads Chauvelin's letters, and signs the amnesty proclamation.
XXI: Suspense
Referenced in Chauvelin's memory of his interview, where he asked for absolute power.
XXIX: The National Fête
Cited as the authority who sent the order for the amnesty and the decree that 'le bon Dieu has ceased to be,' establishing the religion of Reason.

Chapter companion notes

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See Robespierre in I: Paris: 1793