The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel · Character

Citizen Rateau

A wheezing, quarrelsome patriot who schemes with his cronies over an heiress's fortune, a small man whose bluster hides how little he controls.

supporting

Also known as Rateau, the man Rateau

First appearance: I

As a supporting figure in The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Citizen Rateau is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Backs Merri in the game; a cadaverous man with a bad cough.

In the storyIOpen this moment free

Rateau is the kind of revolutionary the Terror produced in quantity — loud, self-important, and quick to remind his comrades that they owe their chances to his cleverness. He coughs and splutters in the cold air, clings to a stronger man for support, and argues that his lottery scheme saved them all from broken heads. His petty plotting over the ci-devant millionairess shows how the Revolution's grand ideals curdle into squalid opportunism, and he gives the novel its grubby, human texture.

See Citizen Rateau in I Book page

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Character Web

45 connections

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

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Minor characters and aristocrats
Protagonist
Aristocrats and revolutionary allies
Minor revolutionaries and victims

+40 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
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.

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Relationships

Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working… How this plays out →
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working… How this plays out →
Citizen Chauvelin
professional · ambivalent
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working… How this plays out →

Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working together on surveillance and arrests.
Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working together on surveillance and arrests.
Citizen Chauvelin
Chauvelin and Rateau are close colleagues in the revolutionary secret police, working together on surveillance and arrests.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Citizen Rateau in I

In the story

Citizen Rateau appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Backs Merri in the game; a cadaverous man with a bad cough.
Chapter II
A wretched, coughing accomplice who claims credit for suggesting the drawing of lots and demands a share of the spoils from Merri.
IV
Rateau is a consumptive, cadaverous accomplice of Merri who assists in the raid and knocks Kennard unconscious with a weighted stick.
V
Consumptive ruffian who guards Esther, taunts Kennard, and expertly binds him.
VI
The execrable brigand who forces Lucienne to fetch eau-de-vie and later carries Esther away.
III
Found asleep and drunk in the tavern, described as a bloated wretch.
II
One of the recruited ruffians who disappears with a heavy bundle, suspected of stealing the diamonds.
III
The thief being pursued; he is tall, stooping, has a consumptive cough, and carries a cumbersome bundle.
IV
The quarry, a consumptive giant who uses evasive tactics to elude his pursuers.
V
The quarry being followed; carries a bundle, whistles, and eventually throws it into a boat before being captured without resistance.
VII
A workman who left five gold pieces at the cabaret before disappearing, never to be seen again.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Citizen Rateau unlock in the free preview.

See Citizen Rateau in I