This monologue is at the point where Javert is walking to the bridge. He is having trouble with his thoughts, and as you can see, they are scattered, torn, and driving him crazy. Some of us, who have considered suicide seriously at one point in our lives, will know and understand Javert’s thinking right now. He is extremely depressed, because everything he has told people, written about, and fought for his whole life, has been wrong. He has discovered that he will not be able to live with himself by letting Jean Valjean go, and he really doesn’t want to put him in jail again. This will be added to the page in *.wav format as well, so you can get an idea how he was really feeling emotionally.

JAVERT'S MONOLOGUE


"I don’t know how I could have let him go! I am ordered to arrest him, but he has done so many things to me, kind things, and yet I have treated him like the dirty criminal I thought he was. Jean Valjean is a good man, who has the intent to help others, and I Javert have the nerve to track him down like a fox in a hunting party. I have a lot to think about, the man just had the chance for revenge on me, but he freed me. (much quicker and louder) HE LET ME GO!! I can’t let him run free forever, because someone is going to ask me, "have you found Jean Valjean yet?" And now that I have seen that not all criminals are BAD people, I have not the option to arrest him again. I am scared now, I have no choices. My feelings are torn in to shreds, I have a giant problem on my hands. Monsieur Madeleine did everything to help the poor. He started the factory, so they would have jobs to make money. Then he became the mayor, and used all of his money to help the less fortunate than him. He used barely anything for himself, he gave it all away. (weeping) He even lifted that heavy cart off of Monsieur Fauchelevent, and that was when I suspected him. He had the opportunity to remove me from the law and go free, and yet he left me in power, and I arrested him. Once again, he being Monsieur Fauchelevent, fighting at the barricade, let me free for spying on those rebels. I hate rebels, I have problems giving leave to anything that is rebellious. I am now here in front of this bridge, looking over the depths below. At this time of night, the water seems peaceful. I like the way the dim light gleams on the surface. This river usually looks like a thrashing rapid, and now it is like a peaceful still lake, in which a rock would disturb its stillness. I can’t comprehend the fact that this man, this..... Jean Valjean can go through many different names, and escape the law. Why couldn’t he just have served his sentence. Then he would probably be in a high authority. He would have a good life, he would be able to use the power of maybe even the monarch, to help the poor. These rebels are fighting against the monarch, these "Miserables" fighting for rights of other "Miserables." Jean Valjean could take the head of that band of rebels, and if they win their battle, take the king off his throne for all I care. Then they could do whatever they want, Jean could give money for the poor, he could build more factories and workplaces, and give more and more jobs to the poor. I don’t know what to do any more, should I let this man....... I have been chasing...... for what seems to be an eternity..... this...... Jean Valjean..... should I give him the right to live free..... should I lock him up..... only to watch him escape again...... I cannot let him be free, because then my commanding officer will remove me from my job, which I have worked so hard to establish. But he also saved my life, all while I treated him so very poorly. I can’t give in to this, I can’t arrest him. My instinct tells me to just kill him and then there will be no problems, but my conscience tells me to let him live free, and not look for him again. People would think I am stupid for my emotions right now..... God...... Help me...... please.... (he hits his head on the railing of the bridge and cries) Everything I have supported my whole life, has become nothing to this.... Jean Valjean... He doesn’t care that I hate him for the reason that I think criminals cannot change. I am worthless to this society now. I can’t go on, because I will end up dying in vain by living. I have lost everything I live for because I did not arrest this man that I have chased for so long. I will not allow myself to give in to this man’s kindness. Yet I can’t help but respect him, NO he is a slave to the galleys, I.... respect.... him... I can’t let all of this madness go on, my own mind is playing tricks on me. I am unable to arrest him any longer, he has been too good to me. Setting me free more than once, and yet, every time I catch him, I send him to jail. Then he gets out, only to do good to all of mankind. What kind of a person am I? Wait... the river... it is making a sound.... it sounds like.... like a voice, calling me. I look down, and see nothing but black. And yet, I know there is water down there. I know that there is a whirlpool, and rapids and everything down there, waiting to swallow something, and tear it to pieces. The water alone is vicious without the rocks.... Yet it calls me... It calls me...."(Javert Jumps into the blackness, never to be seen again, by anyone)