The Bishops Candlestick

Introduction: The one-act play “The Bishop’s Candlesticks” is McKinnel’s adaptation of the opening chapter of Victor Hugo’s celebrated novel Les Miserable. The play is based on the concept that no man is a born offender. It is the embodiment of a true Christian. The Bishop has all the virtues which a bishop ought to have −− he is selfless, kind, generous and charitable. He has a childlike innocence and does not understand any ‘dupe’. His absolute faith in God has made him fearless. The convict’s treats to kill him fail to unnerve him. He hates sin but loves sinners. The way he restores the convict’s faith in Christianity is remarkable. Even the convict recognizes his goodness towards the end of theplay, “… but somehow I −− I … know you are good…” He is the most adorable character in the play. No wonder person calls him the best man in the whole of France.

Love and Compassion: The play dramatically depicts how the love and the compassion of the Bishop brought about a change of heart in a convict and turned him into a man of promise for a good life. The Bishop was a kind-hearted man who followed the teachings of Jesus Christ in the true spirit. Besides being a true Christian he was also an ardent humanist. He was ready to sacrifice everything to help the needy people. Even after selling all, he had, for others, he felt sorry that he could do so little whereas the world had so much suffering. He sold his saltcellars and gave the money to Mere Gringoire so that the latter might pay his rent to the bailiff. His sister. Persome was how ever a worldly woman, neither as self-less as her brother nor so noble. She did not like her brother to live for others and not for himself. She thought that people took an unfair advantage of his charitable nature. But the Bishop thought that if the people pretended to be in distressed and deceived him, then they are the poorer in spirit and not he. His door was never shut and it was opened for everybody.
A man is what we think him