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Viscount Raoul de Chagny
The Persian is a mysterious character who appears various times in the novel before being given a clear identity. At the beginning of the novel, it seems as though the Persian might be one of Erik’s allies. The Daroga (the Persian term for “chief of police”) is one of Erik’s longtime friends, having saved Erik from capital punishment during Erik’s early days as an illusionist for the Shah of Persia. However, even though Daroga admires Erik for his talent and ingenuity, he often refers to Erik as a “monstrous fiend,” thus proving highly aware of Erik’s cruel instincts. The Persian’s alliance with Raoul, in which he puts his own life at risk, reveals that Daroga’s main goal is a noble one: to keep Erik from causing harm to others. Although Inspector Mifroid and M. Faure consider Daroga insane, the narrator and Raoul both conclude that he is an honorable man. The reader is thus encouraged to trust the Persian’s testimony, which plays a crucial role in revealing the actions and motives of the titular Phantom of the Opera.
Daroga of Mazenderan / The Persian Quotes in The Phantom of the Opera
The The Phantom of the Opera quotes below are all either spoken by Daroga of Mazenderan / The Persian or refer to Daroga of Mazenderan / The Persian. 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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Chapter 13 Quotes
“Oh, how I hate him!” cried Raoul. “And you, Christine, tell me: do you hate him too? I need to know so that I can listen to the rest of your extraordinary tale with some peace of mind.”
“No, I do not hate him,” said Christine simply.
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Like the Persian, who is also aware of Erik’s crimes, Christine finds herself unable to say that she hates Erik when Raoul asks her. Raoul thus realizes that his hatred stems from jealousy and a feeling of personal harm, whereas Christine has either forgiven Erik or does not believe to have been too horribly harmed by him. Raoul’s question is not disinterested, because he is afraid Christine might be secretly in love with Erik. However, he is unable to realize that, in the same way Christine feels no hostility toward her captor, she is also incapable of other types of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupt
Chapter 24 Quotes
“I don’t express myself like other people. I don’t do anything like other people. But I am very tired of it! Tired of having a forest and a torture chamber in my home! Sick of living like a mountebank, in a house full of tricks! Yes, I am sick and tired of it all! I want a nice, quiet apartment like everyone else, with ordinary doors and windows, and a proper wife.”
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After Erik launches the torture in the torture chamber, where Raoul and the Persian are trapped, he tries to distract Christine from her despair at knowing that her friends will die by launching into a long monologue about marriage and love. He denounces the injustice he has been suffering from, as someone who has been forced to live underground, far from the comforts of social life. However, Erik’s speech cannot be fully trusted, since his goal is not only simply to express his emotions, but to make Christine pity him and, perhaps, want to marry him. For example, despite claiming Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetu
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Daroga of Mazenderan / The Persian Character Timeline in The Phantom of the Opera
The timeline below shows where the character Daroga of Mazenderan / The Persian appears in The Phantom of the Opera. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Prologue
...Raoul and Philippe de Chagny case, the narrator learned that mysterious witness known as “ the Persian ,” once claimed know the Phantom. The narrator was able to meet with the Persian,...
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Chapter 1
...defends their narrative by explaining that Gabriel, the chorus-master, saw the ghost the day before: The Persian , a mysterious man whom everyone believes to have the “Evil Eye,” entered the office...
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Chapter 6
...narrator asserts that Christine’s behavior can be explained by sheer terror, which a letter from the Persian ’s collection confirms.
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Chapter 14
...run away from a pair of frightening eyes and suddenly come across a mysterious man, the Persian , who leads them forward. While they run, wondering if they might both have imagined...
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Chapter 16
...in his ear that Erik’s secrets belong only to him, he turns around and sees the Persian , who silently tells him to keep quiet before disappearing.
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Chapter 19
...Raoul’s idea. However, once in the hallway, Raoul is stopped by a tall, imposing man: the Persian .
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Chapter 20
The Persian tells Raoul that he hopes Raoul has not revealed Erik’s secret, since that could put...
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The Persian tells Raoul that his servant has brought him two pistols so that they might defeat...
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The Persian explains that, in his country, Erik is called “the Master of the Traps” because of...
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Chapter 21
The two men enter a dark passage, and the Persian reminds Raoul to keep his hand raised, with his pistol ready. The Persian then lights...
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Raoul notes that, although he does not actually know the Persian , he fully trusts him, assuming that they both intend to defeat Erik. He concludes...
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...find themselves behind a screen. In front of them, Raoul notices two dead bodies, whom the Persian says must be Erik’s fault. Moments later, they watch as the stage manager finds the...
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As the men leave, Raoul and the Persian keep on walking. The Persian tells Raoul that, if his pistol is too heavy to...
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As the men make their way through different floors, the Persian suddenly tells Raoul to stop and lie down, because a shadow is moving toward them....
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...to guide rats away from the Opera House, where they could cause damage. Raoul and the Persian sigh in relief, as the Persian notes that he thought this was one of Erik’s...
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Despairing at being so far from Christine, Raoul asks the Persian to take him straight to the lake. However, the Persian says that the lake is...
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Finally, they reach the cloth from Le Roi de Lahore. The Persian slips behind it. He presses against a section of the wall and, as a stone...
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The Persian lights the lantern and turns back, shocked to see that the hole they opened is...
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Chapter 22
In the next few chapters, the narrator transcribes Daroga the Persian’s written narrative about his relationship with Erik and the later, mysterious events taking...
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Taking the boat to cross the lake, Daroga suddenly hears enchanting singing all around him. He fears that he might be under the...
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Admitting that Erik is undoubtedly a “fiend,” the Daroga adds that Erik is also proud and arrogant. This leads Erik to show Daroga how...
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From that day on, Daroga gives up on the idea of reaching the inside of Erik’s lair through the lake....
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A few days later, still spying on Erik, Daroga sees him take an unconscious Christine Daaé to his abode, using César the horse to...
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Although Erik is later proven right, since Christine does return to him, Daroga cannot help but feel anguished about Erik’s threats against humanity. After days of trying to...
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On the day on which the newspapers announce Christine’s engagement to Raoul, Daroga considers denouncing Erik to the authorities but concludes that this could lead to further problems....
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When Daroga later found the Punjab cord, he remembers Erik’s talent with it. In particular, he recalls...
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Unwilling to reflect any longer on this distressing topic, the Persian focuses on his role at the Opera. Aware of Erik’s talents, he knows that he...
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When Raoul and the Persian finally enter the torture room, a replica of the torture chamber in the Rosy Hours...
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Chapter 23
The Persian ’s narrative continues. He describes the torture chamber as a room made of six walls,...
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...are only two doors in the room, one of which leads to the torture chamber. The Persian tells her that she must open that door for them, but Christine says that Erik...
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...now hear Erik singing his Requiem, an incredibly moving, furious and powerful Dies Irae. To Daroga, Erik sounds like the God of Thunder. However, all of a sudden, Erik stops and,...
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Chapter 24
The Persian continues his narrative, explaining that they then hear Christine running toward them as Erik interrogates...
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Suddenly, the torture chamber is illuminated with light, and the Persian understands that the torture has now begun automatically. Erik continues to tease Christine aggressively, asking...
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...chamber. He says that he wants a normal life, with a wife and ordinary activities. The Persian concludes that Erik’s long monologue about love and marriage must be meant to divert Christine’s...
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...speak threateningly, from everywhere at once, imitating his own voice as well as Carlotta’s croak. The Persian is amazed to note that it feels as though Erik were speaking to them, right...
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Chapter 25
The Persian then notes that the hexagonal room in which they are trapped is a hall of...
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Used to Erik’s tricks, the Persian knows that he must retain his sanity, so as not to fall prey to the...
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Over time, Raoul and the Persian attempt to battle the heat, although they begin to suffer from thirst and, suddenly, hear...
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Suddenly, the two men notice an oasis in the distance. Although the Persian knows that this is an illusion, he finds it irresistible. They then begin to hear...
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The Persian then feels cold air from underneath and wonders if there might be water below. He...
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Chapter 26
...Persian understands that he plans to destroy the Opera through a grand explosion. Raoul and Daroga panic, realizing that their own lives are not the only ones at risk, and that...
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...her—and that the scorpion might make everything explode. They all suddenly hear footsteps approaching, and Daroga tries to talk to Erik, who tells him to keep quiet. Erik explains to her...
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...she has chosen the scorpion. After everyone waits in silence to see what will happen, the Persian suddenly perceives a hiss of water flooding the basement. At the same time, the water...
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Chapter 27
After transcribing the Persian ’s narrative, the narrator explains that Christine’s elevated sense of self-sacrifice saved both Raoul and...
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Daroga recalls waking up next to Raoul on a sofa in a small, well-decorated room. Erik...
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...learned that Count Philippe was dead, having been found by the lake under the Opera. Daroga concluded that Count Philippe must have remembered Raoul’s stories about Erik and searched for him,...
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...series of events, the Persian contacted the authorities. However, the examining magistrate, M. Faure, believed Daroga to be mad. Daroga thus resolved to write down his memories, hoping that the press...
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Although Erik looked extremely weak, Daroga immediately attacked him, accusing him of murdering Count Philippe. Erik replied that that was why...
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...marry in the North, where they would stay. Three weeks later, according to Erik’s wishes, Daroga posts an announcement in a newspaper saying that Erik was dead.
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Epilogue
...Phantom could steal from Richard’s coat. When he asked the Persian about Erik’s financial motives, Daroga simply explained that Erik probably needed money, and used his tricks to obtain it, since...
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...However, concluding that Erik now knew too much, the Shah resolved to execute him. The Daroga, who enjoyed Erik’s amusements, decided to save his life. Because of this, the Daroga himself...
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