Who Is Sir Percy's True Identity In The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a film that tells the story of an English nobleman known as Sir Percy, a man with a secret heroic identity. To the rest of society, Sir Percy can be known as a witty, almost foolish man. However, only very little people know that Sir Percy is actually The Scarlet Pimpernel, a hero to the French aristocrats who are sentenced to death for the smallest of violations. Throughout the film Sir Percy comes across his rival, Chauvelin, who is determined to find out the Pimpernel’s true identity. Faced with many obstacles, Sir Percy defies all odds and is victorious at the end of the film, escaping from the clutches of Chauvelin and his men, while also reconciling with his wife, Marguerite. It’s a happy ending for the hero of …show more content…
The relationship between Sir Percy (aka The Scarlet Pimpernel) and Chauvelin is a perfect example of one of the many trademarks of superhero comics and films. In this film, Sir Percy is the hero of the story, rescuing those aristocrats who have been unjustly sentenced to death. On the other hand, we have Chauvelin, the villain of the film who is determined to expose and stop The Scarlet Pimpernel. In an attempt to keep his identity a secret, Sir Percy does everything he can to make himself seem less suspicious and more pretentious and foppish in society. This façade that he puts on, is often seen in a lot of superhero comics and films today. A perfect example is Clark Kent, otherwise known as Superman. Clark Kent is an alter ego to Superman, serving as a façade and helping him keep his heroic identity a secret from the rest of society. The same can be said about Sir Percy, an English nobleman who hides his own heroic secret by displaying himself in a different manner from the rest of the world. Nonetheless, as much as Sir Percy does to keep his true identity a secret, it comes to no surprise that one of the people to discover his secret, is none other …show more content…
Immediately after hearing and seeing that the Scarlet Pimpernel was a man who saved French aristocrats from unjustly being sentenced to death, l thought of Robin Hood. Robin Hood is also the story of a heroic man who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, as well as sharing similar characteristics of superhero comics and films. The comparison between Sir Percy and Robin Hood stems from their purpose – Robin Hood is stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, while Sir Percy is metaphorically snatching French aristocrats from the jaws of the guillotine and giving them a chance of survival by letting them escape from the clutches of death. To put it simple, the Scarlet Pimpernel is a man who believes in justice and giving people a chance to let them live the rest of their lives without worrying that they would have to face a sudden unfair death because of a minor violation and corruption. This is the main reason why the hero in this film is defending French aristocrats, because he wants to protect the helpless, just like any other superhero would want to. What this says about superheroes is that they believe in defending the helpless and making society a better place. We often see superheroes as the face of justice, so it does not come as a surprise that the Scarlet Pimpernel is an early superhero that believes in justice and helping those who have been unjustly accused. Just like any other