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The Logician
Berenger’s boss at the law publication office. He’s in his 40s, is well dressed, and is a very proper man. His offense when Botard insults religion as being an “opiate of the masses” suggests that he’s a religious individual, while his badge from the French Legion of Honor indicates that he served in the military. Despite his interest in arguing about the rhinoceroses with his employees, he’s far more interested in making sure that everyone gets their work done, to the point that after the rhinoceros Mr. Bœuf destroys their staircase, he focuses on figuring out how to continue working rather than how to get everyone out of the second floor office safely. Though his behavior and mannerisms otherwise suggest that he’s a levelheaded and dutiful individual, he becomes a rhinoceros a few days after the office closes. This offends Berenger in particular, as Berenger believes that as an authority figure, Mr. Papillon had a duty to resist and set a good example for others.
Mr. Papillon Quotes in Rhinoceros
The Rhinoceros quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Papillon or refer to Mr. Papillon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes
Botard: You call that precise? And what, pray, does it mean by “pachyderm”? What does the editor of a dead cats column understand by a pachyderm? He doesn’t say. And what does he mean by a cat?
Dudard: Everybody knows what a cat is.
Botard: Does it concern a male cat or a female? What breed is it? And what color? The color bar is something I feel strongly about. I hate it.
Papillon: What has the color bar has to do with it, Mr. Botard? It’s quite beside the point.
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Act 3 Quotes
Berenger: A rhinoceros! […] Mr. Papillon a rhinoceros! I can’t believe it. I don’t think it’s funny at all. […] Why did’t you tell me before?
Dudard: Well, you know you’ve no sense of humor. I didn’t want to tell you. […] I didn’t want to tell you because I knew very well you wouldn’t see the funny side, and it would upset you. You know how impressionable you are.
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Mr. Papillon Character Timeline in Rhinoceros
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Papillon appears in Rhinoceros. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 2
Botard, Daisy, Dudard, and Mr. Papillon enter their office from a trapdoor in the floor. Botard is elderly and looks knowledgeable,...
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...breed or color it is. Botard declares that he strongly hates the color bar (segregation). Mr. Papillon points out that the color bar is beside the point, but Botard insists that it’s...
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...imagination and suggests that people are making too much of this. To settle the matter, Mr. Papillon asks Dudard if he saw a rhinoceros firsthand. Daisy says that she did, and Dudard...
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This offends Mr. Papillon , but Botard assures him that despising religion doesn’t mean that he doesn’t think highly...
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...Botard declares that he fights against ignorance everywhere he finds it, even in printing offices. Mr. Papillon says that this is going too far—neither he nor Dudard are ignorant. Daisy puts her...
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Berenger greets his coworkers and Mr. Papillon asks if he saw the rhinoceros. Botard digs at Dudard’s ribs and says that the...
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...one horn, and Botard scoffs. Dudard says that he heard it had two horns, but Mr. Papillon tells them to get to work. Berenger can’t say if he saw one or two...
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Botard stubbornly declares that the rhinoceros is a myth, just like flying saucers, and ignores Mr. Papillon . Dudard insists that a cat was trampled in front of witnesses and motions to...
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...part of an underground organization. Berenger and Daisy try to calm the angry men as Mr. Papillon rushes back in with the timesheet. Everyone takes a seat silently and Mr. Papillon confirms...
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Just then, Mrs. Bœuf comes through the trapdoor. She’s teary and out of breath. Mr. Papillon asks where her husband is and Mrs. Bœuf says that he’s out of town and...
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Botard, Dudard, and Mr. Papillon look down as Berenger comforts Mrs. Bœuf. Botard insists it’s an illusion and Dudard calls...
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Mr. Papillon notes that they’re in a horrible place without stairs and Daisy asks how they’ll get...
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Mr. Papillon grouses that work will be delayed and asks if the post is delayed, too. Daisy...
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...of the fire department as Berenger says he agrees that Mrs. Bœuf’s choice was moving. Mr. Papillon laments that he has to replace an employee, and Daisy says that the firemen have...
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Dudard asks Botard if he still denies that there are rhinoceroses about. Botard berates Mr. Papillon about violating union contracts and tells Dudard that he never denied that there are rhinoceroses—he...
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...someone gets hurt on the stairs. The firemen help Daisy down through the window and Mr. Papillon calls after her to come to his house to type tomorrow. He turns to Dudard...
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Act 3
...a stone staircase. Berenger grumbles about how the company refuses to change and suggests that Mr. Papillon isn’t happy about this. Dudard says that Mr. Papillon retired to the country and became...
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Berenger laments Mr. Papillon ’s transformation and that Mr. Papillon gave up such a good job. Dudard says that...
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...Botard’s a rhinoceros. Daisy says that he protested, but he changed within 24 hours of Mr. Papillon . Berenger says anxiously that anything can happen and says that someone may have lied...
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...rings. Daisy fearfully tells Berenger not to answer, but Berenger suggests that it might be Mr. Papillon , Botard, Jean, or Dudard saying they’ve had second thoughts, or the authorities asking for...
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