The Scarlet Pimpernel Lesson Plan

What does the escape of the Scarlet Pimpernel through the Paris barricade right under Sargent Bibot's nose reveal about their methods?

The Scarlet Pimpernel's suspenseful excape through the barricade in Paris reveals several important aspects of about the turmoil of the time period and the ingenuity of the Scarlet Pimpernel as a spy and escape artist. First, the Scarlet Pimpernel dresses up as an old woman -- a particularly unassuming figure that the police are unlikely to examine as carefully as they would someone who seemed younger or more able-bodied. Second, the woman claims that her grandson is infected with smallpox in the back of the cart. As smallpox is an...