Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” is one of Broadway’s biggest hits. Its titular character is a deeply troubled musical genius who haunts the halls of Paris’s Opera Garnier after he is ostracized from society for his disfigured face. After years of hiding, he becomes obsessed with the beautiful young soprano Christine and sets off a series of strange events at the opera in order to make her his own. But despite its breathtaking duets, “The Phantom of the Opera” is not a love story – it’s a frightening tale of a young woman struggling to free herself from a possessive abuser and find happiness in a healthy relationship after experiencing stalking and manipulation.
While some of the Phantom and Christine’s interactions are presented as romantic, their relationship is inherently predatory. Christine’s father told her on his deathbed that he would send an Angel of Music to watch over her after he passed away. When the Phantom learns of this, he begins speaking to Christine by posing as the Angel of Music. He preys on her fragile mental state following her father’s death and lies to her so she will rely on him for emotional support.
The musical never explicitly states Christine’s age, but in the 2004 film adaptation, she is played by 17-year-old Emmy Rossum, while the Phantom is played by 34-year-old Gerard Butler. Even if we assume that Christine is of legal age, the power imbalance between a young woman in mourning and an older man who is actively deceiving her in order to gain her affections is undeniable.
The Phantom’s obsession with Christine is also deeply unsettling. In his underground lair, he keeps a mannequin that closely resembles Christine and dresses it in bridal clothes. He also writes an entire musical based on their relationship and strangles the lead actor so he can replace him onstage and act out his fantasy with Christine. While his isolation and desperate loneliness are largely to blame for his inability to form healthy relationships, his creepy fixation on Christine makes her uncomfortable and he constantly projects his romantic and sexual fantasies onto her without her consent.
Throughout the musical, the Phantom also displays dangerous levels of jealousy towards Christine’s childhood friend Raoul after he learns that Christine and Raoul have started courting. He attempts to kill Raoul in a swordfight, and when Raoul spares his life and leaves with Christine, the Phantom declares, “Let it be war upon you both.” At the end of the musical, the Phantom threatens to murder Raoul if Christine does not marry him.
Christine suffers greatly at the hands of the Phantom, and critics often reduce her to the passive object of the Phantom’s desires. However, she actually shows great courage and resilience in the face of hardship, and her subtle strength helps her survive the harrowing events of the musical.
When Christine begins singing at the Opera Garnier, she is an orphaned Swedish child who has just lost her beloved father. Her grief and depression prevent her from achieving her full potential as a singer, but she perseveres through several years as a chorus girl at Paris’s most prestigious opera house. Although she does fall prey to the Phantom’s manipulation, the beginning of the musical demonstrates the quiet determination that carries her to her happy ending.
Christine is often dismissed as childish and naïve because she hesitates to condemn the Phantom even after she witnesses his horrific crimes. However, her reaction is not a sign of personal weakness; it is a normal defense mechanism given the trauma and manipulation he has put her through. She admits several times that he frightens her, but she views his actions as isolated incidents because she finds it too overwhelming to comprehend all his transgressions at once.
While Christine’s mixed feelings towards the Phantom are a trauma response, her compassion towards him is a result of her good nature. She acknowledges that the Phantom is dangerous, but unlike most of the characters in the musical, she also recognizes his humanity. She realizes that since society has wrongfully deemed the Phantom a monster due to his disfigured face, he has grown furious and turned into the monster they fear because he knows they will never see him as a man. By treating him as a fellow human, Christine brings out the Phantom’s decency and breaks through his vengefulness.
Christine’s ability to see the best in people makes her less fearful of the Phantom than the other characters. In the first act, Christine pulls off the Phantom’s mask out of innocent curiosity and discovers his disfigured face. Horrified, he pushes her to the ground and curses her. However, she hands him his mask and averts her eyes until his face is covered again because she respects his desire to be unseen. While she is initially startled by his appearance, she does not find him disgusting or think him less deserving of decency.
At the musical’s dramatic climax, the Phantom delivers his ultimatum to Christine: marry him or watch Raoul die. While Raoul sees no way out and begs Christine to run and let him die, Christine recognizes that the Phantom’s mad obsession with her stems from extreme loneliness and ostracization. She kisses him gently – not out of sexual desire, but to show him that she still sees him as a man and not a monster. Shocked by her empathy, the Phantom breaks down and lets Christine and Raoul go. Christine’s compassionate, brave heart saves Raoul’s life and frees her from the Phantom’s clutches, making her the true hero of the story.
Christine’s character arc in “The Phantom of the Opera” displays a rare type of strength for a musical theater heroine. While many stories define bravery as a willingness to confront the enemy with force, Christine demonstrates that practicing kindness and maintaining a deep faith in humanity are inherently courageous acts that can repair a damaged society and provide personal liberation.