Jean-Paul Marat was a critical figure in the French Revolution. A physician by trade, he took on prominence through his writings on the conflict in France. His aggressive and violent views influenced the Revolution as it became more radical. Marat’s place in history was cemented by his dramatic assassination that was later portrayed in a famous painting. Within this paper, Marat’s life will be reviewed and his influence on the Revolution examined. Though Jean-Paul Marat was a hugely influential figure in the French revolution, he was not born there. Rather, he was born in Switzerland in 1743. He was one of nine children born to French Huguenot parents (Llewellyn and Thomson, 2018). He left home at age sixteen, as stated by Silva-Grondin (2010), to pursue a medical career. Marat found success in his work. By the 1770s he was a well-established doctor in London (Vidalenc, 2012). His growing prominence lead to involvement with other activities. As stated by Llewellyn and Thomson (2018), “By the 1770s Marat had also taken an interest in the Enlightenment philosophes, so he began writing works of political theory” and “...he studied the British political system and wrote prolifically on both politics and medicine” (p. 1). As he gained more reputation, Marat moved to Paris. Aside from his medical work, he also began dabbling in science (Vidalenc, 2012). His work with light earned him a correspondence with Benjamin Franklin, but the French Academy of Sciences ultimately rejected