Bishop Myriel

Won't you say? Will you tell?

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Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel

Biographical information
Also Known As	Bishop Myriel Monseigneur Bienvenu Bishop of Digne
Gender	Male
Eye Color	Blue (film)
Hair color	White
Born	1739
Died	1821 (aged 82)
Cause of Death	Old Age
Family	Unnamed General (brother) Unnamed Prefect (brother) Baptistine (sister)
Relationships	Unnamed (wife)
Job	Priest
Behind the scenes
Portrayer	see list

"Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God."

—Myriel to Valjean^[1]

Bishop Myriel (also known as Monseigneur Bienvenu) is the Bishop of Digne. His great kindness serves as a main driving force behind Jean Valjean's change of heart.

Appearance[]

According to the novel, the Bishop is short in stature and somewhat plump, though he exercises frequently by taking long walks around his gardens, so he is in good shape. In his later years, he does not look visibly aged despite his having white hair. At the very end of his life, he is blind.

Personality[]

Throughout the novel, the Bishop is portrayed as being a holy man whose only purpose in life is to better the lives of those around him. Willing to put his life at risk for the good of others, the Bishop hardly ever expresses worry, as demonstrated when he is quite content with walking through a bandit-ridden forest in order to spread the good word. He does, however, care very deeply for those who worry about him and does his best to comfort their fears.

Songs[]

Act I[]

Prologue: Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven

Act II[]

Valjean's Death (2012 film only)
Finale (silent)

Trivia[]

The actual Bishop of Digne during the time period in which Myriel's appearance in the novel is set was Bienvenu de Miollis (1753-1843). He served as Victor Hugo's model for Myriel.

In the 2012 film, he replaces the spirit of Éponine in Valjean's Death.
This also happened in Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette
It is quite possible that Jean Valjean uses the same values as Myriel when he is known as Monsieur the Mayor

"Bienvenu" in French means "welcome."^[2]
In the musical, Bishop Myriel is usually credited as "Bishop of Digne."
Wilkinson, who portrays the Bishop, played Valjean in the musical at the West End and Broadway, and reprised his role as Valjean at the 10th Anniversary Concert.