The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel · Character
Citizen Chauvelin
A cold-eyed agent of the Committee of Public Safety who has made the Scarlet Pimpernel his personal obsession, and will trade any scruple for the chance to see him dead.
major
Also known as Chauvelin, V Chauvelin, V
First appearance: I
As a major figure in The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Citizen Chauvelin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Chauvelin, a powerful and pitiless member of the Committee of Public Safety, confronts Molé and orders his arrest after a disturbing moment of recognition.
Chauvelin moves through Revolutionary Paris with the authority of Robespierre's committee behind him and a private hatred burning beneath his calm. He has tasted humiliation at the Pimpernel's hands more than once, and the memory of Calais sharpens every order he gives. His quarrel with colleagues like Tinville over how to stage the kill — quiet batch or public spectacle — shows a man whose vanity and vengeance are inseparable from his politics. He is the engine of the hunt, and the novel's early tension comes from watching him close in.
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Character Web
61 connectionsA slice of how Citizen Chauvelin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Professional
- Psychological
- Other
Character groups
- Protagonist
- Minor characters and aristocrats
- Revolutionaries and mistaken identity
- Aristocrats and revolutionary allies
+56 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this excerpt, the narrative reaches its dramatic climax because the Scarlet Pimpernel, disguised as a patie…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Citizen Rateau
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working… How this plays out →
- Paul Molé
professional · ambivalent
- Simonne Evrard
psychological · negative
- Citizen Lebel
professional · ambivalent
- Jean Paul Marat
rivalry · negative
- Sir Percy Blakeney
rivalry · negative
- Lucile Clamette
psychological · negative
- Madame la Marquise
rivalry · negative
- Esther Vincent
psychological · negative
- The Leridans
professional · ambivalent
- Petite Maman
family · ambivalent
- Citizen Rateau
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Citizen Chauvelin in IIn the story
Citizen Chauvelin appears across 25 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Citizen Chauvelin unlock in the free preview.
See Citizen Chauvelin in I