Thénardiers
| Monsieur & Madame Thénardier | |
|---|---|
The Thénardiers, from the first French-language edition (1862), by Gustave Brion | |
| Created by | Victor Hugo |
| Portrayed by | Alun Armstrong & Susan Jane Tanner Leo Burmester & Jennifer Butt Tom Alan Robbins & Victoria Clark Nick Wyman & Betsy Joslyn Gary Beach & Jenny Galloway Chip Zien & Ann Harada Sacha Baron Cohen & Helena Bonham Carter Cliff Saunders & Keala Settle Matt Lucas & Katy Secombe Adil Akhtar & Olivia Colman |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Innkeepers, criminals, delinquents, swindlers, thieves. |
| Nationality | French |
The Thénardiers, commonly known as Monsieur Thénardier (/təˈnɑːrdi.eɪ/; French pronunciation: [tenaʁdje]) and Madame Thénardier, are fictional characters, and the secondary antagonists in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables and in many adaptations of the novel into other media.
They are unscrupulous working-class people who blame society for their sufferings. Early in the novel, they own an inn and cheat their customers. After they lose the inn in bankruptcy, they change their name to Jondrette and live by begging and petty thievery. They serve, alongside Javert, as one of the two arch-nemeses of the story's protagonist, Jean Valjean. While Javert represents the justice system that would punish Valjean, the Thénardiers represent the lawless subculture of society that would exploit him. The novel portrays them as shameless and abusive figures; some adaptations transform them into buffoonish characters, though sometimes still criminals, to provide comic relief from the generally more serious tone of the story.