The Three Musketeers is a marvelous journey and should be appreciated foremost for its engaging story. The techniques Dumas employed to such success in 1840– particularly his mastery of the form of the Romance–still work today. As we saw in the closing portions of the book, Dumas gives us a fully developed Romance within his …
Summary The Three Musketeers begins with a young Gascon, dArtagnan, leaving his home in the provinces of France to make his fortune in Paris. His father gives him, as parting gifts, an old yellow horse and a letter of introduction to Monsieur de Treville, head of the Kings Musketeers, the elite group of soldiers who …
Summary DArtagnan goes tearing after the Man from Meung, but he doesnt get far before he crashes into Athos, who has just been released from the doctors ministrations. Athos gets quite cross with dArtagnan, and once again the young Gascons temper gets the better of him. The two schedule a duel for noon that day …
Summary The four friends decide that the money the King gave dArtagnan should be spent on a dinner for all of them, and on getting dArtagnan a servant. Porthos finds the servant, a man from Picardy (another province) named Planchet, and the friends enjoy a fine meal. A lengthy description of the servants and houses …
Summary DArtagnan wanders along the streets of Paris, lost in thoughts of love for Madame Bonacieux. He decides to visit Aramis, and is surprised to find a young woman knocking on his friends door. He is further shocked when he sees that the young womans knocks are not answered by Aramis, but by another woman. …
Summary The Cardinal tells the King of the Duke of Buckinghams visit to the Queen. The King is incensed, and the Cardinal skillfully pretends to be defending the Queens honor, rather than trying to destroy it. He does not mention the Queens gift to Buckingham of the diamond brooch. Instead, he emphasizes the fact that …
Summary DArtagnan arrives at the inn where he left the wounded Aramis, and discovers him and two churchmen discussing Aramiss religious thesis: Aramis has again decided to join the Church. DArtagnan figures out the root of Aramiss conversion, however–Aramis believes that his mysterious mistress, the author of the letter dArtagnan picked up, has abandoned him. …
Summary DArtagnan meets Lord de Winter and three friends for their duel, with Porthos, Aramis and Athos as his seconds. The Englishmen force the Musketeers to reveal their true names–the Musketeers do so secretly, and Athos notes that he must now kill his opponent: he wants no one to know his true identity. The fight …
Summary DArtagnan finds the Duke of Buckingham and gives him the Queens letter. As the Duke is giving the brooch to dArtagnan, he sees that a piece of it is missing–the piece that Milady, whom he knows as Lady de Winter, cut off the brooch at a ball. The Duke calls a total blockade on …
Summary After his horrifying encounter with Milady, dArtagnan flees to Athoss home, and tells him everything. With the evidence of the Fleur-de-Lis, both men think it likely that Milady is Athoss branded wife. DArtagnan gathers his three friends together, and returns home to find Kitty waiting for him. She is now horrified of Milady, and …