Philip Lombard

Philip Lombard is a morally ambiguous adventurer and mercenary who arrives on Indian Island under mysterious circumstances, carrying a revolver and a past that includes abandoning twenty-one men to die in East Africa. He is one of the ten guests summoned by the unknown U. N. Owen, and his survival instincts, sharp intelligence, and ruthless pragmatism make him both a suspect and a survivor until the final confrontation with Vera Claythorne.

Identity and Background

Philip Lombard is a tall man with a brown face, light eyes set rather close together, and an arrogant, almost cruel mouth. He moves like a panther, smoothly and noiselessly, and there is something of the panther about him altogether—a beast of prey, pleasant to the eye. He is a man who has knocked about the world, and his reputation is that of a good man in a tight place. He was approached by Isaac Morris, a little Jewish man, who offered him a hundred guineas to travel to Indian Island and hold himself at the disposal of the client, with no further information given. Lombard, down to his last square meal, accepted the offer. He admits that he has sailed pretty near the wind once or twice and that there isn't much he draws the line at really. He carries a revolver habitually, having been in some tight places, and he is a first-class liar, as Blore later observes.

Life and Plot Trajectory

Lombard arrives at Oakbridge station and meets Vera Claythorne, with whom he waits for the slow train from Exeter. He is immediately attracted to her, thinking her quite attractive and a cool customer who could hold her own in love or war, but he suppresses this impulse, reminding himself that this is business. On the boat to the island, he is the first to move when the gramophone record plays its accusations, leaping to the door and finding Mrs. Rogers collapsed outside. He takes the initiative throughout the evening, discovering the gramophone in the next room and later, after Anthony Marston's death, helping to carry the body. When the search of the island is proposed, he is the one who suggests using a rope to examine the cliff face, and he climbs like a cat, thoroughly searching every possible hiding place. He is the first to realize that the island is a trap and that Mr. Owen is a homicidal lunatic. He admits to the others that he was paid a hundred guineas to come, but now believes he is in the same boat as the rest of them.

Key Actions and Objectives

Lombard's primary objective is survival. He is the most proactive of the guests, constantly assessing threats and taking action. He leads the search of the island, he is the one who suggests that the three of them—himself, Armstrong, and Blore—should search the house, and he is the one who, after the judge's death, takes charge of the situation. He is also the one who, after the seaweed scare, fetches a new bottle of brandy to reassure Vera. He is the only one who keeps his revolver, and he uses it to hunt Armstrong when he believes the doctor is the murderer. He is a man of action, not of inaction, and he is determined to survive.

Relationships and Conflict

Lombard's relationships with the other guests are marked by suspicion and conflict. He is immediately suspicious of Blore, calling him a first-class liar and later, after the search, accusing him of being a bad hat. He is also suspicious of Armstrong, and he is the one who, after the judge's death, suggests that Armstrong is the murderer. He forms a temporary alliance with Vera Claythorne, confiding in her his suspicions and his belief that the judge is the most likely murderer. He is also the one who, after the discovery of Armstrong's body, realizes that he and Vera are the only two left, and that one of them must be the murderer. He is a man who trusts no one, and his relationships are defined by this fundamental distrust.

Change and Ending

Lombard's arc ends in a final confrontation with Vera Claythorne. After the discovery of Armstrong's body, he and Vera are the only two left on the island. He realizes that she must be the murderer, and he prepares to kill her. However, she outwits him, picking his pocket while they are moving Armstrong's body, and then shoots him with his own revolver. He is shot through the heart, and his body crashes to the ground. He dies as he lived—a man of action, but ultimately outmaneuvered by a more cunning adversary.

Narrative Role and Evaluation

Lombard serves as a foil to the other characters, particularly the more passive and law-abiding ones. He is a man who lives by his own code, and his presence on the island highlights the theme of justice and the question of who has the right to judge. He is a survivor, but his survival instincts are ultimately his undoing. He is a complex character, both charming and ruthless, and his death is a fitting end to a life lived on the edge. His confession to abandoning his men is a key moment, revealing his moral ambiguity and his willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. He is a man who is both a victim and a perpetrator, and his story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the pursuit of self-preservation at all costs.