What is a scarlet pimpernel? Why has it become the symbol for the man who rescues doomed aristocrats from execution? How does this symbol reveal to French officials that their enemy is English? Why is this man considered a villain in France but a hero in England?

Why are French aristocrats being executed? Why does the English government not help these people? What does the English government think of the Scarlet Pimpernel? Would the English government be able to assist the Scarlet Pimpernel if he were ever caught by the French agent? Why or why not?

Who is Lord Percy Blakeney? Why does his wife believe him to be an idiot? Is he an idiot? What significance does his mother's mental illness play his wife's opinion of him? How does his wife's opinion of her husband's intelligence affect their marriage? Is their marriage a...