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Camille
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Byname of:
Marguerite Gautier
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Camille

fictional character
Also known as: Marguerite Gautier
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History

Camille, fictional character, the protagonist of La Dame aux camélias (1848; staged 1852) by Alexandre Dumas fils.

Camille made her way in life as a courtesan, and her byname referred to the camellias she carried as a signal of her availability. Camille gives up her way of life after falling in love with a young man but selflessly returns to it (even knowing that she is mortally ill and that he is her last chance for happiness) rather than ruin his life by her association with him. Her protracted death scene has been much parodied.

The story is enduring; it was used by Giuseppe Verdi as the basis for his opera La traviata (1853), and Greta Garbo portrayed the character in a memorable film (Camille, 1936).

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This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.