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Erik eavesdrops on their conversation, and comes up
with another one of his ingenious plans of action. He
abducts Christine from the stage during her final
performance at the Opera Garnier as Marguerite in
Gounod's Faust, at the point where Christine, as
Marguerite, is appealing to the angels to carry her soul
to heaven (the aria is best known as "Anges purs, anges
radieux").
Raoul follows them down into the depths of
the cavern beneath the opera house, and is guided to
Erik's house by a character known as the Persian.
Unfortunately for both of them, the route they take to
Erik's house leads instead to a torture chamber (a
catoptric cistula), where they are captured by Erik.
Raoul and the Persian listen helplessly as Erik rages at
Christine, accusing her of lying to him and betraying
him. He threatens that should Christine not marry him,
he will destroy the Opera Garnier. Christine, already on
the brink of suicide, sadly accepts his proposal at 11pm
the next night, Erik's "deadline".
Eventually, Christine shows Erik genuine sympathy and
displays her love for him by being kind to him despite
his extreme ugliness, not running away when he takes off
his mask, and even kisses him on the forehead. This
grants Erik a happiness he never thought possible. In
despair, Erik releases Raoul and Christine and gives
them his blessings to marry. He asks only that Christine
come back after his death, and bury him with the ring he
gave her. Erik dies three weeks after he lets Christine
and Raoul go.
Right before his death, Erik delivers a dramatic
monologue expressing his grief, in which he describes
how Christine was the only woman to let him kiss her,
his brief euphoria when she kissed him, his despair at
having the love of his life betrothed to another, and
his gratitude to the Persian daroga (Persian for "chief
of police"), who once saved his life.
The Phantom of the Opera - Illustrations
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