Gwynplaine

E255118

Gwynplaine is the disfigured, perpetually grinning protagonist of Victor Hugo’s novel "The Man Who Laughs," whose tragic appearance inspired later characters like the Joker.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Gwynplaine canonical 2

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
literary character
protagonist
adoptedBy Ursus
appearsIn L'Homme qui rit
The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
surface form: The Man Who Laughs
associatedWith Dea
Ursus
authorNationality French
countryOfOrigin France
creator Victor Hugo
fictionalUniverse The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
surface form: The Man Who Laughs universe
firstAppearance The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
surface form: The Man Who Laughs
firstPublicationDate 1869
gender male
guardian Ursus
hasAdaptation The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
surface form: 1928 film The Man Who Laughs
hasBackstory abandoned by Comprachicos
mutilated as a child
hasEmotionally tragic outlook
hasPhysicalCharacteristic disfigured face
permanent grin
scarred cheeks
hasTheme class inequality
exploitation of children
social injustice
influencedBy 19th-century interest in deformity and spectacle
inspired The Joker in The Dark Knight
surface form: Batman franchise character The Joker

The Joker
languageOfName French
literaryMovement Romanticism
loveInterest Dea
medium novel
nameMeaning roughly "white joy" or "pure joy" in archaic French spelling
narrativeRole symbol of social cruelty
tragic hero
notableWork The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
surface form: The Man Who Laughs
occupation actor in a traveling show
clown
performer
originalLanguage French
portrayedBy Conrad Veidt
rescues Dea as a baby
setInCountry England
setInPeriod late 17th century
symbolizes the contrast between inner nobility and outer monstrosity
the suffering of the marginalized

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Conrad Veidt playedCharacter Gwynplaine
L'Homme qui rit mainCharacter Gwynplaine