Bishop Myriel
Encyclopedia
Bishop Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, referred to as Bishop Myriel or Monseigneur Bienvenu (c. 1739–1821), is a fictional character
in Victor Hugo
's Les Misérables
. Myriel is the Bishop
of Digne
. Bienvenu was the name of the factual contemporary Bishop of Digne that formed the basis of Myriel.
through a chance encounter with Napoleon; he is like a common, compassionate country priest. That is how he earned the name "Monseigneur Bienvenu" ("Bienvenu" meaning "welcome"). His acts and words are lengthily described in the novel. For example, he moved into the small town hospital, so that the episcopal palace
could be used as a hospital; he keeps only a tenth of his salary for himself, spending the rest on alms; he once accompagnied a condemned man to the scaffold, after the village priest had refused to do so. One night Jean Valjean
shows up at his door, asking a place to stay the night. Bienvenu graciously accepts him, feeds him, and gives him a bed. Valjean, unable to sleep in a comfortable bed after years of sleeping on boards in Toulon
, sneaks away, taking most of Bienvenu's silver with him. Valjean is taken back to face Bienvenu by the police and the police inform Bienvenu of their findings: namely, a load of silver in his knapsack. Bienvenu tells the police that he, indeed, had given them to Valjean as a gift and informs Valjean that he was a fool for not taking the candlesticks as well, as they are worth much more. After the police leave, Bienvenu tells Valjean to use the silver to become an honest man. After this, Bienvenu is referenced at least twice more: In 1821, while Valjean serves as a mayor under the name Monsieur Madeleine, he reads of his death in a local paper. The other is just before Valjean’s death, when a portress asks him if he wanted a priest, he replies "I have one," and points upward.
.
Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven: This is the bishop's solo which is sung directly after the song Valjean Arrested where two policemen arrest Valjean for trying to steal the bishop's silver plates. The bishop misleads the policemen by saying he gave them to Valjean as a gift to save him from arrest, and further aids Valjean by giving him two additional sliver candlesticks to sell. He tells Valjean his pity is for a greater cause — he instructs Valjean to use the silver "to become an honest man," and states that he has bought Valjean's soul for God.
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
A parallel quote from the musical
, the Bishop sings:
But remember this, my brother
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God!
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
. Myriel is the Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of Digne
Roman Catholic Diocese of Digne
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Digne, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. Erected in the 4th century as the Diocese of Digne, the diocese is now known as the Diocese of Digne, Riez and Sisteron, since 1922. The diocese comprises the entire department of...
. Bienvenu was the name of the factual contemporary Bishop of Digne that formed the basis of Myriel.
Bishop Myriel in the novel
He earned the title of BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
through a chance encounter with Napoleon; he is like a common, compassionate country priest. That is how he earned the name "Monseigneur Bienvenu" ("Bienvenu" meaning "welcome"). His acts and words are lengthily described in the novel. For example, he moved into the small town hospital, so that the episcopal palace
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
could be used as a hospital; he keeps only a tenth of his salary for himself, spending the rest on alms; he once accompagnied a condemned man to the scaffold, after the village priest had refused to do so. One night Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
shows up at his door, asking a place to stay the night. Bienvenu graciously accepts him, feeds him, and gives him a bed. Valjean, unable to sleep in a comfortable bed after years of sleeping on boards in Toulon
Bagne of Toulon
The Bagne of Toulon was the notorious prison in Toulon, France, made famous as the place of imprisonment of Jean Valjean, the hero of Les Misérables, the novel by Victor Hugo...
, sneaks away, taking most of Bienvenu's silver with him. Valjean is taken back to face Bienvenu by the police and the police inform Bienvenu of their findings: namely, a load of silver in his knapsack. Bienvenu tells the police that he, indeed, had given them to Valjean as a gift and informs Valjean that he was a fool for not taking the candlesticks as well, as they are worth much more. After the police leave, Bienvenu tells Valjean to use the silver to become an honest man. After this, Bienvenu is referenced at least twice more: In 1821, while Valjean serves as a mayor under the name Monsieur Madeleine, he reads of his death in a local paper. The other is just before Valjean’s death, when a portress asks him if he wanted a priest, he replies "I have one," and points upward.
Bishop Myriel in the musical
The bishop is also featured in the stage musical based on the novel of the same nameLes Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
.
Differences in the musical
- All of Myriel's history is cut, and he is not mentioned or referenced at all after his encounter with Valjean.
- Myriel's name is not mentioned in the musical. The playbill for the musical lists him as the "Bishop of Digne."
Songs in the musical
On Parole: In this song he welcomes the starving and tired Valjean into his house and offers him food, wine and a "bed to rest till morning."Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven: This is the bishop's solo which is sung directly after the song Valjean Arrested where two policemen arrest Valjean for trying to steal the bishop's silver plates. The bishop misleads the policemen by saying he gave them to Valjean as a gift to save him from arrest, and further aids Valjean by giving him two additional sliver candlesticks to sell. He tells Valjean his pity is for a greater cause — he instructs Valjean to use the silver "to become an honest man," and states that he has bought Valjean's soul for God.
Quotes
As written by Hugo, the Bishop tells Valjean:Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
A parallel quote from the musical
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, the Bishop sings:
But remember this, my brother
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God!
Musical
- Ken Caswell, 1985 London Musical
- Norman Large, 1987 Broadway Musical
- Frank Moore, 1989 Original Canadian Cast
- Paul Monaghan, 10th Anniversary ConcertLes Misérables - The Dream Cast in ConcertLes Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert a.k.a. Les Misérables in Concert is a concert version of the musical Les Misérables, produced to celebrate its 10th anniversary. It was filmed in October 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall and released on DVD, VHS and LD in 1998 and re-released on DVD in North...
- James Chip Leonard, 2006 Broadway Revival
- Bertin St-Onge, 2008 Québec City Production
- Earl Carpenter, 25th Anniversary Concert
Film and television
- George Moss, 1917 Adaptation
- Paul Jorge, 1925 AdaptationLes Misérables (1925 film)Les Misérables is a French silent film based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo.-Cast:* Gabriel Gabrio as Jean Valjean* Paul Jorge as Monseigneur Myriel* Sandra Milowanoff as Fantine & Cosette* Andrée Rolane as Cosette...
- Henry Krauss, 1934 AdaptationLes Misérables (1934 film)Les Misérables is a 1934 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. It was written and directed by Raymond Bernard and stars Harry Baur as Jean Valjean and Charles Vanel as Javert...
- Cedric HardwickeCedric HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was a noted English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years...
, 1935 AdaptationLes Misérables (1935 film)Les Misérables is a 1935 American drama film based upon the famous Victor Hugo novel of the same name. It was adapted by W. P. Lipscomb and directed by Richard Boleslawski... - Massimo Pianforini, 1948 AdaptationLes Misérables (1948 film)Les Misérables is a 1948 Italian drama film directed by Riccardo Freda. It is based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name.-Cast:* Gino Cervi – Jean Valjean* Valentina Cortese – Fantina / Cosetta* Hans Hinrich – Javert...
- Edmund GwennEdmund GwennEdmund Gwenn was an English theatre and film actor.-Background:Born Edmund John Kellaway in Wandsworth, London , and educated at St. Olave's School and later at King's College London, Gwenn began his acting career in the theatre in 1895...
, 1952 AdaptationLes Misérables (1952 film)Les Misérables is a 1952 American film adapted from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. It was directed by Lewis Milestone, and featured Michael Rennie as Jean Valjean, Robert Newton as Javert, Sylvia Sidney as Fantine, Debra Paget as Cosette, Edmund Gwenn as the bishop, Cameron Mitchell as... - Fernand Ledoux, 1958 AdaptationLes Misérables (1958 film)Les Misérables is a film version of the Victor Hugo novel released in France on March 12, 1958. Written by Michel Audiard and René Barjavel, the film was directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois...
- Aldo SilvaniAldo SilvaniAldo Silvani was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 112 films between 1934 and 1964.He was born in Turin, Italy and died in Milan, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Four Steps in the Clouds...
, 1964 Adaptation - François Vibert, 1972 Adaptation
- Ángel Garasa, 1973 Adaptation
- Claude DauphinClaude Dauphin (actor)Claude Dauphin was a French actor. He appeared in over 130 films between 1930 and 1978.He was born in Corbeil-Essonnes, Essonne. His father was Maurice Étienne Legrand, a poet who wrote as Franc-Nohain, and who was the librettist for Maurice Ravel's opera L'heure espagnole.Dauphin married...
, 1978 AdaptationLes Misérables (1978 film)Les Misérables is a TV film based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The film was written by John Gay and directed by Glenn Jordan.-Differences from the novel:... - Louis Seigner, 1982 AdaptationLes Misérables (1982 film)Les Misérables is a 1982 French drama film directed by Robert Hossein. It is one of the numerous screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo.-Plot summary:...
- Peter VaughanPeter VaughanPeter Vaughan is an English character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. He has worked extensively on the stage, becoming known for roles such as police inspectors, Soviet agents and similar parts...
, 1998 AdaptationLes Misérables (1998 film)Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes.... - Otto SanderOtto SanderOtto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
, 2000 Adaptation