# VII explained — The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel

> Chapter companion for The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.

## What happens

Paris erupts in joy after Robespierre's fall. Marguerite and Sir Percy remain hidden in their lodgings, cared for by Rateau and his mother. At evening, they escape the city disguised as a market gardener and his wife.

## Themes in this chapter

### Revolution and Tyranny

The chapter depicts the collapse of Robespierre's tyranny and the populace's ecstatic reaction, highlighting the cycle of revolutionary violence and liberation.

### Deception and Disguise

Marguerite and Sir Percy escape by disguising themselves as a market gardener and his wife, using false passports to slip through the gates.

## Character check-ins

### Marguerite Blakeney

Concealed with her husband in the Rue de l'Anier, she hears the jubilant city but remains hidden.

### Sir Percy Blakeney

Occupies the quiet lodgings in the Rue de l'Anier, planning their escape.

### Citizen Rateau

Waits on the Blakeneys with his mother, now enriched for their service.

## Key lines

> The tyrant was a fallen, broken man, maimed, dumb, bullied and insulted.

The dictator was now a shattered, helpless figure, physically broken and subjected to abuse.

_Describes Robespierre's state in the tumbril after his jaw was shattered by a gunshot._

> The end came at four in the afternoon, in the midst of acclamations from a populace drunk with gladness.

The execution occurred at four o'clock, amid cheers from a crowd intoxicated with joy.

_Marks the moment of Robespierre's execution and the public's celebration._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_triumph_of_the_scarlet_pimpernel_se/chapters/vii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_triumph_of_the_scarlet_pimpernel_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_triumph_of_the_scarlet_pimpernel_se/chapters