189:
between Albin and Claude, he figures out the best way to irritate and hurt Claude would be to separate them forever, and he does just that. When Claude asks the
Director why he has done this, the Director replies 'because I felt like it'. Claude takes this very badly, and in the following months he repeatedly asks the Director to bring back Albin to him. As the Director never does it, Claude makes a radical decision: he will kill the Director. So one day, he obtains an axe and a pair of scissors at the prison workshop, and waits there for the Director's night time inspection. When the Director arrives, he asks Claude, who isn't supposed to be in the workshop, 'why are you over here?'. Claude then asks the director one last time to free Albin. Once again, the Director refuses. The Director says 'don't mention it again, stop boring me'. Claude again asks why he did this to him, and the Director once again replies 'because I felt like it'. Claude then slices the Directors skull open with the axe and kills him. Immediately afterwards, Claude tries to kill himself with the scissors by repeatedly stabbing them into his own chest.
196:. He then becomes ill for a few months as a result of his wounds, and when he has fully recovered, he appears before the assize court of Troyes. In court, Claude makes an eloquent speech in which he calmly tells the judge the full details of the events which had provoked him to commit the crime of murder, and he admits his guilt. However, when the King's attorney then states that Claude Gueux had committed the murder unprovoked, Claude becomes angry and he reiterates a long series of acts of extreme provocation on the part of the Director. The president of the court then sums up the case, and in doing so he only mentions the facts about Claude Gueux which are adverse, albeit incontrovertibly true. Claude is then found guilty and
254:
22:
240:
212:
pardons him completely. Then, a coach escorts him to the marketplace of Troyes, where a guillotine has been prepared. Before getting executed, he gives a coin, his only possession, to the priest that has come with him, and asks him to give it to the poor. Then, the guillotine's blade falls upon his neck, and he dies.
211:
Finally comes the day in which he is to be executed, his demand for reconsideration having been refused. He is brought to a
Catholic priest, to which he asks pardon for all his past sins. He sees the man that will bring an end to his life, and declares he does not consider him guilty of anything and
188:
However, the prison is ruled by an avid, presumptuous and simply evil man, referred to as the "Director". He is jealous of Claude's innate ability to inspire friendship and obedience from all other prisoners, although he has many times used him to keep the prison under control. Seeing the friendship
184:
turned into a high-security detention center. There, the prisoners work as tailors in dirty workshops by day, and sleep in musty cells by night. Before going to sleep, they are given small portions of food to be able to survive through the following day. But Claude Gueux is a big eater, and the tiny
203:
Claude declines to appeal, but upon returning to the prison, a nun who had nursed him when he was recovering from his wounds, begs him to reconsider. He agrees out of gratitude, although he knows very well his request won't be listened to. In the following days, he is forbidden to come out from his
185:
quantities of food he is given are not large enough for him. So one of his cellmates, a young and shy criminal named Albin, spontaneously offers to share his food with him. That is the starting point of a long-lasting friendship.
175:
or help from society whatsoever. One day, missing of everything, he steals enough for three days of firewood and bread to feed his mistress and child. But he is caught, condemned to five years and sent to the
603:
147:
in 1834. It is considered an early example of "true crime" fiction, and contains Hugo's early thoughts on societal injustice which thirty years later he would flesh out in his novel
659:
555:
380:
716:
700:
870:
724:
708:
651:
204:
cell or even to go to the workshops. His friends in the prison throw various objects into his room with which he could easily, according to
192:
But Claude does not die, and a judicial inquiry begins in which he admits murdering the
Director and gives the reason as being that
159:
considered the work to be of such great educational value that he arranged for copies to be sent to all the deputies in France.
281:
94:
66:
619:
113:
73:
51:
937:
220:
851:
321:
47:
80:
942:
43:
947:
769:
668:
627:
595:
329:
235:
62:
515:
897:
547:
274:
571:
32:
444:
36:
827:
563:
785:
428:
412:
611:
887:
819:
793:
643:
216:
910:
452:
267:
761:
87:
8:
903:
253:
587:
396:
353:
345:
811:
476:
420:
579:
337:
149:
882:
875:
777:
531:
177:
215:
A lengthy epilogue follows the story, in which Victor Hugo criticizes the lack of
892:
676:
404:
388:
305:
135:
208:, escape from the jail. But Claude just returns those objects to the guardians.
539:
523:
155:
931:
916:
692:
468:
197:
835:
361:
249:
245:
843:
436:
290:
223:. The last part of his speech is directly meant for French legislators.
205:
144:
140:
313:
735:
172:
21:
460:
753:
635:
239:
168:
259:
181:
219:
as between education and criminal punishment, and the cruel
684:
871:
Association Littéraire et
Artistique Internationale
929:
153:. Charles Carlier, merchant, and editor of the
275:
167:Claude Gueux is a poor, hungry inhabitant of
50:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
282:
268:
252:
114:Learn how and when to remove this message
732:Œuvres d'enfance et de jeunesse, 1814-20
221:French society of the nineteenth century
930:
263:
134:
48:adding citations to reliable sources
15:
13:
14:
959:
604:Les Chansons des rues et des bois
226:
238:
20:
322:The Last Day of a Condemned Man
289:
1:
852:Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo
696:(1888, 1893, 1897, 1935-1937)
660:Les Quatre Vents de l'esprit
7:
330:The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
236:Claude Gueux, audio version
10:
964:
898:Avenue Victor-Hugo (Paris)
863:
804:
745:
505:
487:
384:(1820; published in 1863)
372:
297:
572:Les Rayons et les Ombres
556:Les Chants du crépuscule
516:Odes et poésies diverses
938:Non-fiction crime books
620:L'Art d'être grand-père
445:Angelo, Tyrant of Padua
162:
786:The History of a Crime
669:La Légende des siècles
628:La Légende des siècles
596:La Légende des siècles
548:Les Feuilles d'automne
171:, who has received no
888:Maison de Victor Hugo
794:Religions et religion
717:Océan, Tas de pierres
456:(1836; libretto only)
132:French pronunciation:
943:Works by Victor Hugo
911:La Soeur de la reine
828:François-Victor Hugo
564:Les Voix intérieures
44:improve this article
904:Bust of Victor Hugo
770:William Shakespeare
725:Le Verso de la page
701:Les Années funestes
948:1834 short stories
588:Les Contemplations
354:The Man Who Laughs
346:Toilers of the Sea
198:sentenced to death
925:
924:
856:
848:
840:
832:
824:
816:
762:Napoléon le Petit
124:
123:
116:
98:
955:
883:Hauteville House
876:Berne Convention
854:
846:
838:
830:
822:
814:
778:Actes et Paroles
644:La Pitié suprême
612:L'Année terrible
532:Odes et Ballades
284:
277:
270:
261:
260:
256:
242:
234:
178:Clairvaux Prison
138:
136:[klodɡø]
133:
119:
112:
108:
105:
99:
97:
56:
24:
16:
963:
962:
958:
957:
956:
954:
953:
952:
928:
927:
926:
921:
893:Juliette Drouet
859:
847:(granddaughter)
812:Léopoldine Hugo
800:
765:(1852 pamphlet)
741:
677:La Fin de Satan
631:(Part Two 1877)
599:(Part One 1859)
507:
501:
483:
429:Lucrezia Borgia
413:Marion de Lorme
368:
306:Hans of Iceland
293:
288:
232:
229:
217:proportionality
194:he felt like it
165:
131:
120:
109:
103:
100:
57:
55:
41:
25:
12:
11:
5:
961:
951:
950:
945:
940:
923:
922:
920:
919:
914:
907:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
879:
878:
867:
865:
861:
860:
858:
857:
849:
841:
833:
825:
817:
808:
806:
802:
801:
799:
798:
790:
782:
774:
766:
758:
749:
747:
746:Other writings
743:
742:
740:
739:
729:
721:
713:
709:Dernière Gerbe
705:
697:
689:
681:
673:
666:Final part of
664:
656:
648:
640:
632:
624:
616:
608:
600:
592:
584:
580:Les Châtiments
576:
568:
560:
552:
544:
540:Les Orientales
536:
528:
524:Nouvelles Odes
520:
511:
509:
503:
502:
500:
499:
491:
489:
485:
484:
482:
481:
473:
465:
457:
449:
441:
433:
425:
421:Le roi s'amuse
417:
409:
401:
393:
385:
381:Inez de Castro
376:
374:
370:
369:
367:
366:
358:
350:
342:
338:Les Misérables
334:
326:
318:
310:
301:
299:
295:
294:
287:
286:
279:
272:
264:
258:
257:
243:
228:
227:External links
225:
164:
161:
156:Revue de Paris
150:Les Misérables
122:
121:
63:"Claude Gueux"
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
960:
949:
946:
944:
941:
939:
936:
935:
933:
918:
917:Hugo (crater)
915:
913:
912:
908:
906:
905:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
877:
874:
873:
872:
869:
868:
866:
862:
853:
850:
845:
842:
837:
834:
829:
826:
821:
818:
813:
810:
809:
807:
803:
796:
795:
791:
788:
787:
783:
780:
779:
775:
772:
771:
767:
764:
763:
759:
756:
755:
751:
750:
748:
744:
737:
733:
730:
727:
726:
722:
719:
718:
714:
711:
710:
706:
703:
702:
698:
695:
694:
693:Toute la Lyre
690:
687:
686:
682:
679:
678:
674:
671:
670:
665:
662:
661:
657:
654:
653:
649:
646:
645:
641:
638:
637:
633:
630:
629:
625:
622:
621:
617:
614:
613:
609:
606:
605:
601:
598:
597:
593:
590:
589:
585:
582:
581:
577:
574:
573:
569:
566:
565:
561:
558:
557:
553:
550:
549:
545:
542:
541:
537:
534:
533:
529:
526:
525:
521:
518:
517:
513:
512:
510:
504:
497:
493:
492:
490:
488:Short stories
486:
479:
478:
474:
471:
470:
469:Les Burgraves
466:
463:
462:
458:
455:
454:
450:
447:
446:
442:
439:
438:
434:
431:
430:
426:
423:
422:
418:
415:
414:
410:
407:
406:
402:
399:
398:
394:
391:
390:
386:
383:
382:
378:
377:
375:
371:
364:
363:
359:
356:
355:
351:
348:
347:
343:
340:
339:
335:
332:
331:
327:
324:
323:
319:
316:
315:
311:
308:
307:
303:
302:
300:
296:
292:
285:
280:
278:
273:
271:
266:
265:
262:
255:
251:
247:
244:
241:
237:
231:
230:
224:
222:
218:
213:
209:
207:
201:
199:
195:
190:
186:
183:
179:
174:
170:
160:
158:
157:
152:
151:
146:
142:
137:
129:
118:
115:
107:
96:
93:
89:
86:
82:
79:
75:
72:
68:
65: –
64:
60:
59:Find sources:
53:
49:
45:
39:
38:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
909:
902:
820:Charles Hugo
792:
784:
776:
773:(1864 essay)
768:
760:
752:
731:
723:
715:
712:(1902, 1941)
707:
699:
691:
688:(1891, 1941)
683:
675:
667:
658:
650:
642:
634:
626:
618:
610:
602:
594:
586:
578:
570:
562:
554:
546:
538:
530:
522:
514:
496:Claude Gueux
495:
475:
467:
459:
453:La Esmeralda
451:
443:
435:
427:
419:
411:
403:
395:
387:
379:
362:Ninety-Three
360:
352:
344:
336:
328:
320:
312:
304:
250:Open Library
246:Claude Gueux
214:
210:
202:
193:
191:
187:
166:
154:
148:
128:Claude Gueux
127:
125:
110:
101:
91:
84:
77:
70:
58:
42:Please help
30:
844:Jeanne Hugo
508:collections
437:Marie Tudor
397:Amy Robsart
291:Victor Hugo
233:(in French)
145:Victor Hugo
143:written by
141:short story
932:Categories
839:(daughter)
836:Adèle Hugo
815:(daughter)
477:Torquemada
314:Bug-Jargal
206:the writer
74:newspapers
736:juvenilia
180:, an old
173:education
104:July 2023
31:does not
855:(father)
498:" (1834)
461:Ruy Blas
389:Cromwell
754:Le Rhin
738:, 1964)
636:Le Pape
405:Hernani
139:) is a
88:scholar
52:removed
37:sources
864:Others
805:Family
797:(1880)
789:(1877)
781:(1875)
757:(1842)
728:(1960)
720:(1942)
704:(1898)
680:(1886)
672:(1883)
663:(1881)
655:(1880)
647:(1879)
639:(1878)
623:(1877)
615:(1872)
607:(1865)
591:(1856)
583:(1853)
575:(1840)
567:(1837)
559:(1835)
551:(1831)
543:(1829)
535:(1828)
527:(1824)
519:(1822)
506:Poetry
480:(1882)
472:(1843)
464:(1838)
448:(1835)
440:(1833)
432:(1833)
424:(1832)
416:(1831)
408:(1830)
400:(1828)
392:(1827)
365:(1874)
357:(1869)
349:(1866)
341:(1862)
333:(1831)
325:(1829)
317:(1826)
309:(1823)
298:Novels
169:Troyes
90:
83:
76:
69:
61:
831:(son)
823:(son)
652:L'Âne
373:Plays
182:abbey
95:JSTOR
81:books
685:Dieu
163:Plot
67:news
35:any
33:cite
248:at
130:" (
46:by
934::
200:.
734:(
494:"
283:e
276:t
269:v
126:"
117:)
111:(
106:)
102:(
92:·
85:·
78:·
71:·
54:.
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.