One of the former directors of the Paris Opera House with his partner, Debienne, M. Poligny is a superstitious, libertine man who is forced to accept the Phantom’s existence and abide by his demands. As the narrator discloses at the end of the novel, the Phantom exerted particular pressure upon Poligny because he led an immoral life, which allowed the Phantom to blackmail him. Fearful and overwhelmed, both Poligny and Debienne chose to abandon their posts instead of having to deal with the Phantom’s threats.
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M. Poligny Character Timeline in The Phantom of the Opera
The timeline below shows where the character M. Poligny appears in The Phantom of the Opera. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
On the evening of Messrs. Debienne and Poligny’s last night as directors of the Paris Opera House, an overexcited group of ballerinas storm...
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Chapter 3
During the farewell ceremony for outgoing directors Debienne and Poligny in the Ballet Room, Little Jammes suddenly cries out that she has seen the ghost,...
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It is only once the strange man speaks that Debienne and Poligny notice him. The man says that Buquet’s death is not natural. Shocked to learn about...
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Still believing that Debienne and Poligny are joking, Moncharmin and Richard stand up and thank them. However, the ex-directors keep on...
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Chapter 4
...of agreeing to the letter-writer’s demands, they decide to reserve Box Five for Debienne and Poligny, who they assume want it. That night, though, they fail to check whether the ex-directors...
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Chapter 5
...all laugh, but Mme Giry warns them that they must listen to the ghost, because Poligny himself was once his victim. She recalls a night in which Poligny abruptly left the...
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