Les Miserables Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The musical "Les Miserables" has music by Claude-Michel Schonbergand and lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. It is based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo.

This sweeping epic covers 17 years with many characters and multiple themes throughout. I thought I would take a brief look today at one of the main recurring themes concerning justice, forgiveness and redemption in relation to the main character Jean Valjean.

The musical begins with the release of Valjean from prison after serving 20 years for stealing a loaf of bread and then trying to escape. Originally attempting to work hard and go straight, he finds his parole status leads to him being paid only half of the others' wages and he is unable to find lodgings.

The kindly Bishop of Digne takes him in for the night, but after he has gone to bed Valjean reverts to form, steals some silver and runs. He is caught by the police and bought back to the Bishop.

This is a crucial moment in the story - the Bishop tells the police that it was not stolen and that he had given them to Valjean and then gives him even more, telling him to use them to become an honest man and that he has "bought his soul for God." His mercy and forgiveness sets Valjean on a path of redemption.

He skips his parole and becomes a mayor of another town and runs a large factory there. His actions unwittingly lead to Fantine being fired and turning to a life of prostitution to take care of her illegitimate daughter Cosette. Once he realises his mistake he rescues Fantine and promises her, on her deathbed, that he will take care of Cosette.

He admits who he really is to Javert to save an innocent man from prison and only leaves to keep his promise to Fantine. The story follows with his numerous acts of compassion and kindness.

He brings Cosette up as promised and then, when she falls in love with Marius, he goes to fight at the barricade to try and keep him safe. His famous song "God On High" is sung here, where he basically asks God to save Marius and take him instead. When all the revolutionaries are shot, he manages to save Marius from death and take him home. He then sacrifices his own happiness by leaving him and Cosette to get married without him around so his past cannot harm them.

Valjean's famous act of forgiveness towards Inspector Javert is also pivotal. Instead of taking his life when he is given the opportunity to kill him as a traitor, thus ending his own problems, he absolves him and sets him free. Unfortunately Javert's sense of justice cannot live with the notion that Valjean can have been redeemed and he commits suicide.

At the end of his life, and the musical, Valjean faces his death with peace knowing he has transformed his life from a criminal to a compassionate and selfless man who has done his best to serve God.

The other characters mentioned are the Thenardiers, Gavroche, Bamatabois and the Students of the ABC Café.

The Thenardiers are actually a family. Monsieur and Madame Thenardier are the trues villains in the story but also the comic relief. They never miss an opportunity to rob, cheat or blackmail someone for their benefit.

In Act 1 they own an inn in the country and are the ones taking care of Cosette, but have no qualms giving her up to Valjean once he pays enough. In Act II they have fallen on harder times and are living on the streets in Paris and, by several small acts, are instrumental in big changes in Valjean's life.

Eponine is their daughter, she is a tough, streetwise young girl whose unrequited love for Marius is central to her character and the choices she makes.

In the book Gavroche is also a Thenardier, but the musical has him as just another street urchin, orphaned by the many failed revolutions.

Bamatabois is the wealthy customer who taunts Fantine into attacking him which is what leads to her arrest by Javert. This is the point where Valjean meets her again - when he comes to her defense.

The other characters are all students of the ABC, the young revolutionaries of the show. They are all university students from wealthy backgrounds and are choosing to fight for the freedom of the underdogs.

Enjolras is the handsome, charismatic, brave leader of the group who inspires the others to fight; his death at the barricade is one of the dramatic highlights of the show.

Marius is his second in command, stuck between his revolutionary ideals and his love for Cosette.

Grantaire is the only other student that is singled out more than the others. Apart from the fact that he is always drunk, his cynical outlook on life is in stark contrast to the other friends' idealism, but he is extremely loyal to Enjolras and is with him in the end when it counts.

If you happen to be wondering where you know the names of the wrong choices: Balzac, Voltaire, Dumas, Maupassant and Moliere are all French writers while D'Artagnan, Candide, Gaston, Quasimodo, Raoul de Chagny are characters from French novels.