Which French Revolutionary Are You?

"Clemency is also a revolutionary measure."

CAMILLE Desmoulins was born in 1760 in Guise, Picardy. At the age of fourteen he gained a scholarship to the prestigious Collège Louis-le-Grand in Paris where he proved an exceptional student, excelling particularly in Classical literature and politics. After graduating he pursued law; however his serious stammer and frequent outbursts of furious emotion meant he was never very good at it. Instead he turned towards writing as an outlet for his talents, his interest in public affairs leading him to a career as a political journalist.

Camille was one one of the original radicals that led the republican movement, delivering the impassioned speech that led to the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. However, as the Revolution took an increasingly bloody turn under the Terror he began to write articles condemning the government's actions, even comparing Robespierre to a tyrannical Roman Emperor. Probably he banked on his past friendship with Robespierre being enough to protect him, however, not everyone shared his sentimentality. On the 5 August 1794 he was executed by guillotine along with Danton, by the order of his once closest friend.

Known by his contemporaries by his first name, Camille's infamous good-looks and sexual ambivalence caused scandal among Parisian society. His erratic genius and incredible sensitivity meant he was prone to fits of emotion, procrastination and regular bouts of depression, leading to whispered rumours of madness. However, he was also incredibly charming, a notorious example being his affair with the married woman Annette Duplessis which ended in his engagement to her daughter, Lucile. Despite the odd circumstances of their marriage, the couple loved each other to their dying days. It was the thought of her in danger that prompted his famous breakdown on the guillotine.

Like Camille, you are fiercely passionate, sensitive, creative and empathetic; however you sometimes have a tendency to feel things too strongly which might get you a little worked up and upset. Chill out, have a glass of wine or a cup of black coffee and remember; suffering makes for the best writing.

"We must dare, and dare again, and go on daring."

GEORGES Jacques Danton was born in 1759 in Arcis to a respectable family. After obtaining a good education he was called to the Bar and practiced as a lawyer. His powerful, dynamic personality and great charisma quickly made him well-known and he was soon made President of the newfound revolutionary Cordeliers Club. However, his rise truly began in April 1792 when he was made Minister of Justice on the National Assembly.

After the king's dethronement and the establishment of a new National Convention, Danton took a prominent role in the workings of the new government. In 1793 he was made the head of the Commitee of Public Saftety, the department mostly responsible for the Terror. However, he was later replaced by Robespierre and as the Revolution began to take an increasingly bloody direction he began to speak out against the government's actions. As a result, in 1794 Danton, along with other "indulgents" against the Terror, was arrested by the Convention. After a brief trial in which he was faced with allegations of treason and corruption, he was executed with Camille Desmoulins on 5 April 1794.

To this day Danton remains a deeply controversial character and is loved and hated in equal measure. He was a majestic figure, described by a biographer as: "Colossal, his make athletic, his features strongly marked, coarse, and displeasing; his voice shook the domes of the halls". Despite the scars that marked his face due to being gored by a bull as a child, Danton was a notorious womaniser, renowned for his powerful personality, leadership skills and sense of humour. While for him the Revolution was really a means to a profitable end and the allegations of bribery and corruption were probably true, he remains a historical legend not least due to to his last words before his execution: "Show them my head. It'll be worth it."

Like Danton, you are strong, dynamic, charismatic and a born leader. Just keep an eye on the people you happen to trample over, or you might have some serious enemies on your hands!

"Pity is treason."

MAXIMILIEN Robespierre was born in 1758 in Arras to an old noble family. At the age of 11 he obtained a scholarship to the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris where he befriended the young Camille Desmoulins. After graduating he practiced as a lawyer and in 1788 stood as a deputy for the Third Estate at the meeting of the Estates General. Later he was also elected to the new National Assembly as a member of the radical Jacobin Club.

Robespierre's legend really takes off in August 1792 after the king's dethronement. Unlike Danton, Robespierre saw no room for mercy in the Terror and in 1793 replaced him as leader of the Committee of Public Safety. The reign of Terror under Robespierre is regarded as perhaps the bloodiest and most violent period of French history.

As the Terror wore on, Robespierre steadily became more ruthless against any opposition. After Danton and Camille spoke against him, criticising the tyranny and humanity of the government's actions, he had them both sentenced to the guillotine. While it caused him great pain to send his once closest friend to death he defended his actions by claiming the two posed a threat to the Republic. While this might have been true, the impassioned statement might have disguised his real intentions. The truth was that Robespierre was becoming increasingly obsessed with the idea of a "virtuous Republic", one where only good citizens were fit to live, and one in which the morally ambiguous Danton and Camille did not belong.

Contemporaries described Robespierre as quiet, shy, anti-social and studious. He was incredibly hard-working and suffered regular bouts of illness and fatigue as a result of his tireless efforts to make a better world. He was scrupulously honest, earning him the nickname the "Incorruptible". As a lawyer he campaigned against slavery and the death penalty, however as the Revolution took a darker tone so did his principles. Blinded by idealism, he became increasingly fanatic and convinced that the Republic was his destiny. His descent into dictatorship and tyranny resulted in his own inevitable execution.

Like Robespierre, you might be a little introverted. But woe upon those who think that means they can walk all over you! You're a living example of the expression "be careful of the quiet ones." Now prove them all wrong and go change the world!