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| “ | Well, father is dead, Raoul, and I have been visited by the Angel of Music. | „ |
| ~ Christine Daaé |
Christine Daaé is the female protagonist in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, the many film adaptations, the musical adaptation and its musical sequel Love Never Dies. She is the young singer with whom the titular protagonist Erik (the Phantom) falls in love with. In the sequel Love Never Dies, she is the wife of her childhood friend, Raoul, but also Erik's lover, and she has a son with the Phantom named Gustave.
Biography[]
The Phantom of the Opera[]
Christine Daaé was born just outside of Uppsala, Sweden. Her mother died when she was six years old, and she was brought up by her father whom the novel refers to as "Daddy Daaé", traveling to fairs where he played the violin and she sang. They were discovered there by Professor Valérius, who took them to Gothenburg and then to Paris, providing for Christine's education. Christine was extremely close to her father, who told her Scandinavian fairy tales. A story featuring an "Angel of Music" was her favorite. Christine's father passed away a few years after her mother, leaving her grief stricken despite the loving care of her "adopted" mother Madame Valérius.
She enters the Paris Conservatory and trains for four years to become a professional singer to honor her dead father and please Madame Valérius, but has lost all passion for singing.
When Christine arrives at the Opera Garnier, she becomes one of the numerous singers at the Palais de Garnier. Although considered by many, because of her lack of passion for singing, as "sounding like a rusty hinge," one person finds the beauty still hidden in her tone: Erik, known and feared as the mysterious opera ghost.
When Erik begins to tutor Christine, he tells her that he is the Angel of Music that her father had spoken of. Christine believes him, and he inspires her soul back into her voice. Christine debuts at a gala at the opera, after the singer Carlotta falls ill and she is asked to take her place, her singing is described as "seraphic".
Since the murder of Joseph Buquet, Christine and the others attend a special occasion called the Masquerade Ball.
Love Never Dies[]
Ten years have passed since Christine's marriage with Raoul. She has borne a son whom they decided to name Gustave after her departed father. Christine has become very successful and is now a famous singer thanks to her singing talent. Her family gains a lot of money because of her music, but Raoul developed gambling habits and lost most of their money. Needing money to pay Raoul's debts, Chistine accepts an invitation to perform at the Opera House in the Coney Island, America. When they came to Coney Island in as a family of three, Erik arranges for them to be transported to Phantasma, his current show house. Later, when Gustave is sad after failing to get Raoul's attention, Christine plays a motherly role and she tells her son to "look with his heart, not with his eyes".
At Phantasma, she reunites with Erik again, and becomes surprised as she thought that he was dead. Erik and Christine recall the single night that they met 10 years ago, not long after that he left the Opera House in Paris. Remorseful by her own choice, Christine had gone after Erik and found where he was hidden. They had spent a night together and made love with each other, however, she accuses him of leaving her in the following morning, confessing that she genuinely loved him and was left heartbroken. Erik claims that he left out of shame for what he was and could not look at her after what they did. The Phantom gives her another difficult choice: to sing or not for him, a song called "Love Never Dies" which Erik said is a song composed by himself. So, she had no choice but to make up her mind.
Shortly after Erik met Gustave and heard him singing and playing piano, he speaks with Christine again. He accuses her of hiding the boy's true parentage from him, as he believes Gustave to be actually his son. Christine confirms this to Erik, saying that Gustave was born from the same night they shared their love years before. Ashamed of himself and fearing that the boy might fear him, Erik asks Christine to never tell Gustave that he is his real father. Christine gives her word to him that she will never tell Gustave and then tells Erik that his music will live again, as she decided to sing for him.
Before her first and only performance in that place, Raoul begs Christine not to sing for the Phantom, but she refuses this request as she determined to fulfill her promise to Erik. On stage, she calmed down and started singing "Love Never Dies" while being watched by Erik. Afterwards, Erik compliments her performance, and they embrace and kiss each other. But then she finds a red rose and a message from Raoul saying that he had left her. Christine soon notices the absence of her son and starts to worry as Erik tries to calm her down. At first, she thinks that Raoul took Gustave with him, but she and Erik discover that it was actually Meg who took their son.
Moved by her jealousy of Christine's talent and of her relationship with Erik, Meg took Gustave as an act of revenge and to lure the Phantom's attention to herself. Christine and Erik find Meg when she is about to drown their son. They manage to convince Meg to let go of Gustave, but she then reveals that she is armed with a gun which she points to her own head, threatening to commit suicide. As Erik tries to convince Meg not to kill herself, he mentions that there is beauty underneath in everyone, including Meg, but is not always seen because not everyone is like Christine. Upon hearing him mentioning Christine's name, Meg becomes furious and fires the gun at random, resulting in Christine being shot and fatally injured.
As Meg escapes from the scene, Erik and Gustave run to Christine. Erik gathers Christine in his arms, and she then decides to break her promise and tell Gustave that Erik is his real father. Despite Erik pleading her not to, she explains that he is now all that is left to their son and reminds him to "look with his heart". Scared by the revelation, Gustave runs away as Christine spends her last moments with Erik due to the pain she suffers from a bullet when she tries to get up. Christine declares to Erik that her love for him will never die before they embrace and share a last kiss as she dies in his arms. Shortly after Christine's death, Gustave returns accompanied by Raoul who finds her too late. Gustave joins Erik in embracing and mourning over the lifeless body of Christine. While Raoul is taking Christine's body away, Gustave touches Erik's face before hugging him, recognizing him as his father.
Trivia[]
- In the original novel and some versions of the play and film adaptations, she is blonde.