Marius Pontmercy

Name	Marius Pontmercy
Sex	Male
Birth year	1810
Love Interest	Euphrasie "Cosette" Fauchelevant

Marius Pontmercy (French pronunciation: [maʁius pɔ̃mɛʁsi]) is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when Éponine tricks him into going to the barricade and (since he believes Cosette is lost to him) he resolves to die. As it turns out, Marius is the only one among the rebels at the barricade who does not die there (when Jean Valjean saves him).

Marius in the novel

Marius and his father

Marius first appears in book three of Les Misérables, where he lives with his rich grandfather, Monsieur Gillenormand. Early on, he does not very much like his father, Colonel Georges Pontmercy, because he believes his father has abandoned him to his grandfather. In reality, his grandfather told his father that Marius would be disinherited if his father had any contact with him. Marius is ordered to write his father once a month, but his grandfather pockets all the replies without ever showing them to Marius. Shortly after Marius turns eighteen, Gillenormand tells him to visit the Colonel. Although he could have left that night and taken a public carriage straight there, Marius waits until the morning and takes two connecting public carriages to get there. He arrives seconds after his father's death. Marius isn't really bothered by the death, since he still believes that his father never wanted to see him and never bothered to write to him. Marius discovers a note written by his father instructing Marius to help Thénardier in any way possible, since the Colonel believes that Thénardier saved his father’s life at the Battle of Waterloo.

While visiting church, Mabeuf (the church warden) tells Marius that his father has been coming to mass regularly, hiding behind a pillar so as to not violate the agreement and cause his son to be disinherited. Marius is strongly touched by this proof that it was actually his grandfather who had been keeping them apart. He starts looking up his father in the official military histories and after learning that his father was a highly decorated veteran, intrinsically involved in numerous wars in Napoleon’s army and had been made a baron and a colonel by Napoleon Bonaparte (although neither the baronetcy nor the rank of colonel is recognized by the current regime). As a consequence, Marius develops an idol-worship of his father. After an argument between him and his grandfather, M. Gillenormand, Marius moves out refusing help from his family. His grandfather instructs Marius' aunt (who lives with M. Gillenormand) to send Marius a good amount of money every month, but Marius always mails it back. His aunt never tells his grandfather that she receives the money back each month.

The Friends of the ABC

Marius meets Courfeyrac, a fellow student. Courfeyrac introduces him to a society called the Friends of the ABC, a political society believing heavily in social change. In the very first meeting that he has with the group, Marius argues with Enjolras, an anti-Bonapartist republican, then leaves the group. Despite this, Marius remains on good terms with the group, especially Courfeyrac. Marius descends further into poverty and, despite all his hardships, manages to complete his studies and become a recognized lawyer. On Courfeyrac's advice, he learns German and English in order to work for a publisher translating manuscripts into French.

Valjean and Cosette

Marius regularly goes walking in the Luxembourg Gardens and almost every time he goes he sees Cosette and Jean Valjean. Slowly, he falls in love with her. One day, Jean Valjean purposefully leaves a handkerchief inscribed with the initial "U.F." -- Marius thinks that it must belong to Cosette and that her name must be Ursule (the only female first name with an U). When Cosette sees him kissing it from their bench in the park, she gives him a puzzled expression. Eventually, Marius starts spending more time watching Cosette and eventually follows Jean Valjean and Cosette home, where he asks their doorman about Cosette. Jean Valjean learns of this and, fearing that Marius is a spy working for police inspector Javert, moves away that week.

Éponine

Having not seen Cosette for months, and not knowing where she might have gone, Marius is tormented over trying to locate her. One early February day, he is passed by two ragged and barefooted young girls (Éponine and Azelma) running away from the police. He discovers an envelope dropped by the girls and takes it back to his apartment. He examines the four letters and realizes that even though each letter is from four different people, the handwriting, and stationery are the same, and that each letter has the same misspellings.

The next day, Marius is visited by Éponine at his apartment. She gives him a letter and begs for money. As he reads the letter, he realizes that the handwriting, paper, and words that are misspelled are identical to the four letters he read the previous night. Marius asks her if she can read and Éponine tries to prove that she's literate by reading aloud from one of his books and writing "The cognes (police) are here" on a sheet of paper. She then tells Marius that he is handsome, and also mentions that she has noticed him a number of times before. Changing the subject, Marius hands her back the packet of letters, and she happily takes them. She then reveals to Marius more information about her current life, that she had thought about drowning herself the previous winter and that she sometimes has hallucinations. Feeling sympathetic to her, Marius gives her his last five francs. She takes the money and thanks him in the argot slang.

The attack at Gorbeau House

After Éponine exits Marius' apartment, he takes interest in her family, the Jondrettes (who are also his neighbors). Peering through a crack in the wall, Marius sees Valjean and Cosette talking with Jondrette about returning to give a donation. After Valjean and Cosette leave, Marius tries to follow them but doesn't have enough to pay for a cab (since he'd give five francs to Éponine and only had a few sous). He sullenly returns to his room, only for Éponine to stop him at his door. Noticing his petulant mood, she asks him if she can assist him in any way. Marius then asks her to find Valjean and Cosette's address. Realizing that Marius has an interest in Cosette, Éponine reluctantly agrees to find it, but only if he agrees to do something for her. Marius agrees that if she finds Cosette's address, he will do whatever she wants. After she leaves, Marius overhears Jondrette talking about killing Valjean. Distressed, Marius visits Javert, who gives him two pistols and instructs him to fire them when the robbery reaches its peak.

When Valjean returns to Jondrette’s house, Jondrette and Patron-Minette attack and bind Valjean. Jondrette reveals that his name is actually Thénardier, a fact that shocks Marius. He does not want Valjean to die, but does not want to betray the man that "saved" his father at Waterloo. Eventually, Marius throws the slip of paper Éponine had written on earlier (the one that said "The police are here") through a crack in the wall. Thénardier reads the note and recognizes Éponine’s handwriting immediately. The Thénardiers and Patron-Minette throw a rope ladder out the window and are about to flee when Javert (who had become tired of waiting for the pistol shots) intervenes and arrests them all, except Valjean who escapes through the window. Marius then moves out of the Gorbeau tenement, due to the violence he witnessed and also so that he cannot testify against Thénardier.

Marius and Cosette

After her release from prison, Éponine finds Marius in a park called "The Field of the Lark." She tells him she found Cosette's address and leads him to the house. After spying on the house from the street for a few days, and leaving a diary (kept every day about his love for Cosette) on the bench in the garden, Marius finally jumps the fence and surprises Cosette in the dark. They end up professing their feelings for each other, sharing their first kiss, then learning each others' names. Their love blossoms for about six weeks, but Valjean shatters that bliss when he announces that he and Cosette will leave for England in a week. Marius goes to M. Gillenormand to try to reconcile and to get permission to marry Cosette. However, after Gillenormand suggests that Marius make Cosette his mistress, Marius storms out of the house, insulted because he loves and respects Cosette too much. Marius returns to Cosette’s house, but finds the house no longer occupied. Advised by a voice (Éponine) that his friends are waiting for him, he goes to the barricades that the Friends of the ABC have set up, deciding to fight with them.

The barricades

Marius drives away troops by threatening to blow up the barricade. A young boy, who is actually Éponine in disguise, saves Marius’s life by placing her hand and body in front of the musket of a soldier who fires at him. As she lies dying, Éponine confesses to Marius that it was she who told him to go to the barricades, and hands him a letter from Cosette. She asks Marius to kiss her on the forehead after she dies. He fulfills his promise and goes inside the tavern that the barricade is built around to read it (thinking it would have been inappropriate to read it beside her body). The letter reveals Cosette’s whereabouts. Marius writes a letter back to Cosette, saying since she left again with no forwarding address, he would fulfill his promise and die for her. He gives the letter to Gavroche, to deliver the next day to Cosette (thinking that this would get Gavroche out of the barricade before it was too late), but Gavroche delivers it that night to a "servant" at Cosette's address (who is actually Jean Valjean).

Rescue

As the barricade falls, Marius has multiple head wounds and is shot in the collarbone. He falls back, but Valjean grabs him and carries him away from the soldiers, around a corner to the back part of the barricade. The only way out is through the sewers, so Valjean carries Marius for a few miles through the sewers, including a spot of deep quicksand. He gets to the outside gate, which is locked, and runs into Thénardier, who offers to go "halves" with Valjean (Thénardier believes that Valjean murdered Marius for his money and wants half of it). While looking through Marius' pockets, Thénardier secretly cuts a piece of Marius' jacket off. Valjean unlocks the gate and runs into Javert, who had been waiting to apprehend Thénardier. Valjean asks Javert to help him carry Marius home and Javert summons his carriage to take them to M. Gillenormand’s house. As it turns out, Marius is the only survivor from that particular barricade (there were other barricades in Paris at that time).

The wedding and afterwards

After six months of raging fever, Marius regains full consciousness. Gillenormand gives Marius permission to marry Cosette and the two men reconcile. The wedding day is a happy one.

After the wedding, Valjean visits Marius and tells him his past. Marius, who had had a shaky relationship with Valjean before the wedding, but had accepted him as a father afterward, is horrified. Shocked, Marius agrees with Valjean that it would be best if Valjean never sees Cosette again. Valjean wishes not to be permanently separated from Cosette, so Marius grants him one visit per evening. Marius starts to think of Valjean as a criminal, and slowly pushes Valjean out of Cosette’s life, with her best interests at heart. A few weeks later, a disguised Thénardier comes to Marius's residence to visit the Baron Gillenormand, attempting to blackmail Valjean. Marius sees through the disguise and asks what Thénardier wants. Thénardier tells Marius the proof about Valjean, that Valjean had earned all his money honestly (albeit under an assumed name) and that Javert committed suicide -- Valjean didn't kill Javert. Thénardier tries to convince Marius (whom Thénardier thinks is the Baron Gillenormand) that Valjean killed a man named Marius, related to the Baron Gillenormand, showing Marius the piece cut off the coat as proof. Pulling out the old bloodied coat that he had been saving in a safe, Marius accurately matches the piece of cloth to that of the coat he wore in the barricades and announces that he is the man who Valjean supposedly murdered. He then throws thousands of francs at Thénardier and orders him to leave France and travel to America (with a bank draft for 20,000 more francs, paying the debt to Thénardier that Marius' father believed he had). Realizing that Valjean had lived a completely honest life for years and years and that Valjean was his savior at the barricade and not a murderer, Marius and Cosette rush to reconcile with Valjean. They arrive at Valjean's and apologize just a few minutes before Valjean says he forgives them and dies.

Marius in the musical

Marius is featured in the stage musical based on the novel of the same name and is one of the major characters in it.

Differences in the musical

Marius' role in the musical is notably different.

• The subplot involving Thénardier and Marius’ father is left out of the musical (even though it is mentioned that Thénardier was at "the field of Waterloo," where in the novel he met Marius’ father). Therefore, Marius is not indebted to Thénardier and his family.

• In the musical, Éponine and Marius are established as friends. He mourns her death. In the novel, Marius pays little attention to Éponine, except to obtain her help in finding Cosette.

• Marius’ grandfather M. Gillenormand is left out of the musical and no references to Marius’ early life are made, as he is already a student and a member of the Friends of the ABC when he is first introduced.

• In the novel, Marius breaks with the ABC society after only a few meetings, and he and Enjolras do not get along until Marius saves the barricade by threatening to blow it up with a gunpowder keg. In the musical, Marius and Enjolras are depicted as friends, and the "powder keg" incident does not occur, though Enjolras does admonish Marius for letting his romantic thoughts distract him from the revolutionary movement.

• In the novel, Marius' closest friend among the students is Courfeyrac. In the musical, he appears to be closer to Enjolras, and exchanges in teasing with Grantaire, although he still seems to be good friends with Courfeyrac as he is the first to notice Marius' dreamy appearance and asked what's wrong with him.

• Marius' political opinions play a larger role in the novel. He describes himself as a "Bonapartist democrat", which sets him in opposition to the rest of the ABC society, who are republicans. His Bonapartism is influenced by his devotion to his dead father.

• Marius does not resent Valjean as he does in the novel, though he still tells Éponine not let Cosette’s father know that he is trying to find her, indicating that he is wary of Valjean. Marius and Valjean also show a more sympathetic attitude toward each other in the musical, and Valjean seems genuinely concerned for Marius' life outside his relationship with Cosette.

• Marius' romance with Cosette progresses more rapidly, and it appears that he first sees Cosette, meets her, and prepares to leave for the barricade in the space of one day. In the novel, his feelings for Cosette develop more gradually, and he is separated from her for about six months before he finds her again. In both, he eventually is helplessly in love with her.

• Marius’ motive for participating in the uprising (he cannot bear to live without Cosette) is the same as in the novel, but the musical does not mention the fact that he does not have enough money to follow Cosette to England. The musical focuses more on his heroic, loyal nature in that aspect.

• Marius' lodging at the Gorbeau House is not mentioned in the musical and the scene in which he spies on the Jondrettes (Thénardiers) is omitted, but he is a witness when they try to rob Valjean (see song list for information).

• When Valjean tells Marius of his true past as a convict, Marius is shocked, but more at the fact that Valjean insists he must go away. He seems to focus more on the good Valjean has done and how it would affect Cosette. Marius even tries to convince him to stay, but reluctantly agrees to Valjean's request that he never tell Cosette. In the novel, Marius is rather shrewd and cruel, saying that Valjean would only embarrass both Cosette and himself and tells him to go, granting him a little time with Cosette each night.

Songs

Marius is featured in the following songs in the musical:

Look Down

Marius along with Enjolras shows hatred for how the government treats the poor of Paris and says that General Lamarque is the only man in the government who "speaks" for the poor.

The Robbery/Javert's Intervention

Marius talks with Éponine in the street and becomes suspicious of her father Thénardier who is trying to con people out of money. He asks Éponine what he’s doing but she runs away. When he tries to chase her he runs into Cosette and instantly falls in love with her. Thénardier suddenly recognizes Valjean and he and his gang attack him. The attack stops when Éponine shouts out that Javert is coming. Javert enters and saves Valjean, not knowing who he is. When Javert asks "Was there a witness to this?" Marius is the one who steps forward, but does not say anything.

Éponine’s Errand

Marius tells Éponine, who is in love with him, to find Cosette for him. He offers her money to do so, but she refuses it.

ABC Café/Red and Black

Enjolras and the other students make their plans for a revolt against the government, Marius shows up late for the meeting and the students soon find out that he is in love. When Grantaire sings the colors "Red" and "Black," Marius sings of his desire for Cosette and his despair if he can not have her. Eventually Enjolras tells him he is no longer a child and that they have to think of the revolt

In My Life

Éponine leads Marius to Cosette’s house. Marius sings of his love for Cosette, and the ecstasy it brings him.

A Heart Full Of Love

Marius enters Cosette’s garden and the two admit their feelings for one another while Éponine sings of her love for Marius.

The Attack On Rue Plumet

Éponine’s father gathers his gang again to attack Valjean’s house, but Éponine screams, scaring them away. Marius rushes out of the garden followed by Cosette. He realizes it was Éponine who saved them all then he hears Valjean coming and runs into hiding.

One Day More

This song is sung by all the characters in the show. In Marius' part, he sings with Cosette about how they will be parted, then he sings of whether or not he should join the other students at the barricade. In the end, with Éponine's persuasion, he decides he should join them. Marius' role in this song is the largest, and perhaps the most pivotal because he's the only character who has to choose his position in the revolution. Like the novel, he is the only survivor from the barricade.

At The Barricades (Upon These Stones)

Marius sees Éponine disguised as a boy among the students as they plan to build their barricades. He gives her a letter to hand to Cosette in which he says goodbye to her and declares his love once again. The letter ends up in Valjean's hands, and he tells Éponine that Cosette will read the letter.

A Little Fall Of Rain

Éponine returns to the barricade and is shot by the attacking government troops. She dies happily in Marius’ arms after she tells him that she delivered the letter to Valjean. Marius prays Éponine will stay alive but in the end he realizes that she is dying and he gently tells her that he will stay with her 'till she is "sleeping."

Night Of Anguish

Marius tells Enjolras about Éponine after he sees Marius desolately holding her dead body. Enjolras, Courfeyrac and Feuilly comfort Marius and tell him they will fight at the barricades in her name.

The First Attack (silent)

Marius is one of the students fighting in the attack.

Drink With Me

The students rest for the night and sing of their old lives, while Marius decides that he might as well die at the barricades now that Cosette is gone from his life. He wonders if she'd mourn for him if he died.

Bring Him Home (silent)

This song is a solo by Valjean, who is at the barricades to save Marius after reading his letter. While Marius sleeps, Valjean prays to God to save Marius from being killed.

The Second Attack (Death Of Gavroche)

The students are running low on bullets. Marius offers to go out into the streets and get some from the dead army officers’ bodies, but Enjolras refuses to let him go, saying there’s too much of a chance that he’ll be killed, supported by Valjean, who offers to go instead. In the end the street urchin Gavroche goes and he gets shot by the army troops.

The Final Battle (silent)

Marius is shot but only wounded in the students’ final battle with the government troops. All the other students die; only Valjean remains conscious. He realizes Marius is still alive and brings him into the sewers to try to bring him away from the battle field to a doctor.

Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

Marius is recovering from his wounds but still deeply misses his dead friends. He returns to the now empty ABC café and sings of how he feels guilty that he’s the only one living out of the students. His words are of the fate of his friend's souls, and he wonders how he lived when the rest perished.

Every Day

Cosette tells Marius that she will never leave his side and that he will eventually feel whole again, while Marius wonders who brought him from the barricade.

A Heart Full Of Love (Reprise)

Marius and Cosette sing of their love for each other while Valjean sings of how he could have never kept Cosette for himself and how Cosette and Marius deserve to be happy together. The song is pivotal in their relationships, as Cosette and Marius comfort one another and accept their love as genuine and adult while Valjean finally gives Cosette up.

Valjean’s Confession

After Marius joyfully thanks Valjean for Cosette, Valjean tells Marius that he is a convict who stole a loaf of bread to save his sister’s child from starvation, and that he must leave for if he is caught it would be embarrassing for Cosette, whom he never told because she had enough of tears. Marius tries to get him to stay, saying whatever he tells Cosette she will not believe. Valjean tells Marius to tell her he’s gone on a journey "a long way away" and that his heart is too full for farewells. Finally Valjean makes Marius swear he will keep his promise; Marius does and says for the sake of Cosette it must be this way.

The Wedding Chorale

Marius and Cosette are married but their celebration is cut short when Thénardier and Madame Thénardier show up and try to blackmail Marius. Thénardier claims that Valjean is a murderer and as proof shows Marius the ring he stole from him. Marius realizes it his own ring and realizes that Valjean saved him from the barricades. In anger he punches Thénardier and then leaves with Cosette to find Valjean.

Epilogue

Marius and Cosette find Valjean, who is dying. Marius asks Valjean to forgive him for being thankless as he explains to Cosette that it was Valjean who saved him from the barricades. After that Valjean is taken up to heaven by the spirits of Fantine and Éponine.

Do You Hear The People Sing? (Reprise)

This reprise is sung by the entire company (except Javert and the Thénardiers).

Adaptations

Musical

• Richard Dewitte, 1980 Original French Concept Album
• Gilles Bulhmann, 1980 Original French Musical
• Michael Ball, 1985 London Musical, 10th Anniversary Concert
• David Bryant, 1987 Broadway Musical
• David Malek, 1989 Original Canadian Cast
• Jérôme Pradon, 1991 Paris Revival
• Danny de Munk, 1991 Original Dutch Cast
• Carlos Marin, 1992 Original Spanish Cast
• Zenón Recalde, 2000 Original Buenos Aires Cast
• Adam Jacobs, 2006 Broadway Revival
• Gary Watson, 2007-2008 London Production
• Carl Poliquin, 2008 Quebec City Production
• John Lloyd Young, 2008 Hollywood Bowl Concert
• Jamai Loman, 2008-2009 Dutch Revival
• Jon Robyns, 2008-2009 London Production
• Jesper Tydén 2010 Graz Production
• Alistair Brammer, Current London Production
• Gareth Gates, 25th Anniversary production
• Nick Jonas, 2010 limited West End run, 25th Anniversary Concert
• Marcin Mroziński, 2010 Original Polish Cast - Roma Musical Theatre, Warsaw (Poland)
• Justin Scott Brown, Current 25 Anniversary US Tour 2011
• Craig Mather, Current London Production
• Guido Balzaretti, Current Spanish 25th Anniversary Production Cast

Film and television

• Gabriel de Gravone, 1913 Adaptation
• Harry Spingler, 1917 Adaptation
• François Rozet, 1925 Adaptation
• Jean Servais, 1934 Adaptation
• John Beal, 1935 Adaptation
• Aldo Nicodemi, 1948 Adaptation
• Cameron Mitchell, 1952 Adaptation
• Giani Esposito, 1958 Adaptation
• Roberto Bisacco, 1964 Adaptation
• François Marthouret, 1972 Adaptation
• Luis Torner, 1973 Adaptation
• Christopher Guard, 1978 Adaptation
• Frank David, 1982 Adaptation
• Hans Matheson, 1998 Adaptation
• Enrico Lo Verso, 2000 Adaptation
• Eddie Redmayne, 2012 Musical Adaptation

Informal Sequels

• In 1995, HarperCollins published an informal sequel novel entitled Cosette: The Sequel To Les Misérables by author Laura Kalpakian. It continues the story of Cosette and Marius' lives after the end of Les Miserables. The novel is mostly a sequel to the musical than to Hugo's novel.

• In 2001, Plon released their own informal sequels to Hugo's novel entitled Cosette or the Time of Illusions and the follow-up novel Marius or The Fugitive. Both were by author François Cérésa.

External links

• Marius at the Internet Movie Database
• Search for Marius at the Internet Broadway Database