Character Relationship Map: Mata Hari

Characters

• Mata Hari (played by Greta Garbo) — protagonist

  Mata Hari is a celebrated exotic dancer who secretly works as a spy. Ordered by Andriani to obtain military information, she arranges the theft and copying of Rosanoff's dispatches, kills Shubin to pr...

• General Serge Shubin (played by Lionel Barrymore) — supporting

  General Serge Shubin is Rosanoff's superior and a powerful Russian military officer. He initially dismisses Dubois' suspicions about Mata Hari, but secretly gives her information and becomes her jealo...

• Andriani (played by Lewis Stone) — supporting

  Andriani is the spymaster directing Mata Hari's espionage work. He orders her to learn the contents of Rosanoff's dispatches from Shubin and later informs her that Rosanoff has crashed and is seriousl...

• Dubois (played by C. Henry Gordon) — supporting

  Dubois heads the French spy bureau and suspects Mata Hari of espionage from the beginning. He manipulates Shubin's jealousy, helps confirm Mata Hari's identity as a spy, arrests her, and uses the thre...

• Carlotta (played by Karen Morley) — supporting

  Carlotta is connected to Mata Hari's espionage activities and secretly directs her to report to Andriani. Her instruction places Mata Hari under the spymaster's authority and initiates the mission to...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Dubois → General Serge Shubin (Professional Intelligence Counterpart) — The two officials exchange intelligence about Mata Hari.

  Dubois tells Shubin about his suspicions concerning Mata Hari and later receives Shubin's confirmation that she is a spy.

• Carlotta → Andriani (Professional Operational Intermediary) — Carlotta helps route assignments to Andriani's operation.

  Carlotta tells Mata Hari to report to Andriani, thereby linking Mata Hari with the spymaster.

• Carlotta → Mata Hari (Professional Operational Contact) — Carlotta passes espionage instructions to Mata Hari.

  Carlotta secretly instructs Mata Hari to report to Andriani.

• Mata Hari → Andriani (Professional Spy Handler) — Andriani directs Mata Hari's espionage assignment.

  Andriani orders Mata Hari to discover the contents of General Shubin's dispatches.

• Mata Hari → General Serge Shubin (Romantic Lover) — Their romantic relationship is entangled with espionage and secrecy.

  General Shubin has passed secret information to his lover Mata Hari and expects her for a private dinner.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Dubois → Mata Hari (Conflict Suspected Spy) — Dubois is the principal investigator pursuing Mata Hari.

  Dubois suspects Mata Hari, investigates her activities, and later arrests her after Shubin's death.

Story Analysis

A celebrated spy struggles between covert duty, dangerous jealousy, and love that cannot survive wartime justice.

Plot Progression

1. War Arrives in Paris — Dubois investigates a captured agent while a Russian pilot arrives with important dispatches. The pilot's meeting with Mata Hari begins the collision between romance and espionage.
2. The Spy Mission Begins — Carlotta connects Mata Hari to Andriani, who assigns her to obtain information about the Russian dispatches. At the same time, Dubois voices suspicions that General Shubin dismisses.
3. Jealousy Exposes the Spy — Mata Hari arranges for the dispatches to be photographed while distracting the young Russian pilot. Dubois weaponizes the situation against Shubin, whose jealousy leads him to confirm Mata Hari's iden...
4. Love Against the Network — Mata Hari kills Shubin and goes into hiding. After learning that her young lover has been seriously injured, she abandons Andriani's operation and seeks him out, only to be arrested.
5. The Final Deception — At trial, Mata Hari yields when Dubois threatens to use the Russian pilot's testimony. She creates a false medical explanation for her absence, allowing one final reunion before her execution.