Dumas, Alexandre (2008). The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Oxford World's Classics.
Dumas, Alexandre (1975). The Three Musketeers.London: Collins Free-Type Press.
n.a. "Alexandre Dumas." bio. Biography.com, 2011. Web. 24 November 2011.
n.a. "Charles de Batz-Castelmore D'Artagnan". eNotes. eNotes.com Inc., 2011.Web. 24 November 2011.
n.a. "D'Artagnan". eNotes. eNotes.com Inc., 2011. Web. 24 November 2011.
*Sandraz, Gatien (1700). Memoires de M. D'Artagnan. Paris: Pierre Marteau.
* Incidentally this was taken from an original copy that has been scanned onto Google Books. Hence the lack of the latest year of publishing.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Personal Reflection
The classic novel study has made me realize how important being concise is, yet also how difficult it is to do so with a wider audience. Concision is clarity; the shorter the time it takes to make your point, the more content your audience will remember and comprehend. However, when most of your audience hasn't read the piece you're analyzing, they're lacking insight into your inferences, and interpretations. The only way you can give a general audience some insight is by giving them a brief synopsis of the portion of the plot you're analyzing.
Considering this issue has made me a stronger reader. I'm now able to synthesize what I've read in a more comprehensible way to myself. As a result, I am able to write a brief yet detailed enough synopsis that my readers can feel that they're on the same line of thought as myself. Undoubtedly, having a broader audience has made me write more generally; I have begun leaving out more minutiae. Unless your audience is already enlightened on your subject, you must absolutely leave out these lovely embroideries to your meaning; if your audience doesn't understand them, they cannot appreciate them.
Reading The Three Musketeers has broadened my understanding of literature. The initial stereotype I gave classics was that they were always written in a formal manner, mostly because a majority of the world's defined classics were written in drastically different time periods from the present. Dumas proved my assumption wrong. While he certainly lavishes in formal language occasionally, his diction is still relatively simplistic. Although formality was lacking, the novel remained a captivating read. Clearly it's not a quantity of superior diction that manufactures a classic, but the quality of the plot itself.
I have come to the realization, like many, that I learn best from tales with which I can relate. The novel gave me many insights into human nature; our cumbersome pride, our blind yet admirable passion, our vile lust for vengeance, and of course, our saviour; rationality. These are all characteristics a teenager must learn to balance. Teenagers often have intense emotions and they are often applied when reading literature.
Perhaps these strong emotions make teenagers good literary critics. In my apologia, I discussed how a true classic is eternal; we often relate immortality to maintaining youth. For a novel to be a classic, maybe it needs to appeal to a contemporary entity: teenagers.
Teenagers typically aren't at their intellectual peak, but they're certainly at their peak of emotions. Emotions are one of the major criteria to which authors have to appeal. So, as a teenager, I find that as I read more classics, I have a more and more valid opinion on literature.
Considering this issue has made me a stronger reader. I'm now able to synthesize what I've read in a more comprehensible way to myself. As a result, I am able to write a brief yet detailed enough synopsis that my readers can feel that they're on the same line of thought as myself. Undoubtedly, having a broader audience has made me write more generally; I have begun leaving out more minutiae. Unless your audience is already enlightened on your subject, you must absolutely leave out these lovely embroideries to your meaning; if your audience doesn't understand them, they cannot appreciate them.
Reading The Three Musketeers has broadened my understanding of literature. The initial stereotype I gave classics was that they were always written in a formal manner, mostly because a majority of the world's defined classics were written in drastically different time periods from the present. Dumas proved my assumption wrong. While he certainly lavishes in formal language occasionally, his diction is still relatively simplistic. Although formality was lacking, the novel remained a captivating read. Clearly it's not a quantity of superior diction that manufactures a classic, but the quality of the plot itself.
I have come to the realization, like many, that I learn best from tales with which I can relate. The novel gave me many insights into human nature; our cumbersome pride, our blind yet admirable passion, our vile lust for vengeance, and of course, our saviour; rationality. These are all characteristics a teenager must learn to balance. Teenagers often have intense emotions and they are often applied when reading literature.
Perhaps these strong emotions make teenagers good literary critics. In my apologia, I discussed how a true classic is eternal; we often relate immortality to maintaining youth. For a novel to be a classic, maybe it needs to appeal to a contemporary entity: teenagers.
Teenagers typically aren't at their intellectual peak, but they're certainly at their peak of emotions. Emotions are one of the major criteria to which authors have to appeal. So, as a teenager, I find that as I read more classics, I have a more and more valid opinion on literature.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Aspects
Here is a brief review of the aspects of character, theme, conflict, and style addressed in my reading responses.
Characteristics: D'Artagnan's pride (scheduling duels with each of the three musketeers, and his multiple encounters with the Man of Meung), Milady's intellect and guile (manipulating Felton to do her bidding), and Athos' pride (the murder of his wife).
Themes: Pride and vengeance (Man of Meung, Athos' wife, the duels), Passion vs. the Rational (gentlemen and ladies interactions with the opposite sex, lack of trust in the time period addressed), and the success of women in the 17th century (Milady's manipulative nature).
Conflicts: The initial confrontation between D'Artagnan and the three musketeers, the Man of Meung stealing D'Artagnan's letter, D'Artagnan's paramour being kidnapped, the betrayal of Athos' wife, and Milady's devious nature (her escape and the death of Lord Buckingham).
Style: Although it was not overtly stated, the novel is written in a passionate, over-the-top, occasionally exaggerated manner. Exclamations from the characters such as "*Parbleu!" are plentiful. This gave the novel a light and humourous air, although it certainly has it's dark conflicts to bear. However, part of this style has to do with the time period Dumas is addressing which, as mentioned earlier, was an extremely romantic era.
* Parbleu: Literally translated means "by the sky!" in the sense of "by god!" or "by jove!".
Characteristics: D'Artagnan's pride (scheduling duels with each of the three musketeers, and his multiple encounters with the Man of Meung), Milady's intellect and guile (manipulating Felton to do her bidding), and Athos' pride (the murder of his wife).
Themes: Pride and vengeance (Man of Meung, Athos' wife, the duels), Passion vs. the Rational (gentlemen and ladies interactions with the opposite sex, lack of trust in the time period addressed), and the success of women in the 17th century (Milady's manipulative nature).
Conflicts: The initial confrontation between D'Artagnan and the three musketeers, the Man of Meung stealing D'Artagnan's letter, D'Artagnan's paramour being kidnapped, the betrayal of Athos' wife, and Milady's devious nature (her escape and the death of Lord Buckingham).
Style: Although it was not overtly stated, the novel is written in a passionate, over-the-top, occasionally exaggerated manner. Exclamations from the characters such as "*Parbleu!" are plentiful. This gave the novel a light and humourous air, although it certainly has it's dark conflicts to bear. However, part of this style has to do with the time period Dumas is addressing which, as mentioned earlier, was an extremely romantic era.
* Parbleu: Literally translated means "by the sky!" in the sense of "by god!" or "by jove!".
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Apologia
What makes many of Alexandre Dumas' works, especially The Three Musketeers, so eternal in the guise of classic literature? To be certain, The Three Musketeers was not an entirely original composition on Dumas' part. D'Artagnan is based on a real individual, better known as Comte Charles de Batz-Castelmore D'Artagnan. This man rose to the level of captain-lieutenant of the musketeers. Dumas wasn't even the first to romanticize the life of Comte D'Artagnan, he in fact got his inspiration from Gatien de Courtilz de Sandraz's novel Les Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan (1 eNotes). So what made Dumas' novel more pronounced in the literary world than Sandraz's? To find the answer, one needs to meditate on Dumas' life.
Dumas was not initially as successful in writing as one might presume. Dumas began his literary career writing plays, such as The Chase and Love, and Tales of Today, many of which did not recieve much audience or recommendation. After his play Henri III and his Court entered the theatre though, Dumas' future plays reaped more success (xxiv Oxford's World Classics). Dumas attempted many literary mediums such as short stories, essays, children's tales, plays, and novels. Perhaps this is what aided him in finding his writing niche.
While Dumas' novels are historically fictitious, many of them coincide with his own life experiences. Analyzing the character of Porthos alone, it's hardly difficult to identify Dumas' disposition in him. Both eat copiously, and have a number of liaisons with women. Catherine Labay, Adele Dalvin, Ida Ferrier, Lola Montes, Isabella Constant, Emilie Cordier, and Belle Krelsamer are only a few of Dumas' documented mistresses (Oxford's World Classics xxv). It's not surprising that Dumas lived his life thously, as he himself was born out of wedlock (3 Biography.com). Dumas was also one for reveling in a life of extravagance, and more than once, as a consequence, became broke by it. (7 Biography.com). This occurs to D'Artagnan and the musketeers multiple times, for they are also quite fond of indulging in the 'good life'. Miraculously though, they always contrive a plan to get around the conflict.
Dumas formulated a way around this conflict too: he began writing novels, some of which were serialized in magazines such as The Count of Monte Cristo (Oxford's World Classics). Some individuals create their best compositions under pressure, especially when their livelihood depends on it. For a novel to be considered a 'classic', one must feel as though the author is truly dedicated to their story; Dumas undoubtedly was in his circumstances.
What has made The Three Musketeers truly a renowned classic is that, while it deals in humour, it also addresses the struggles of the daily life of a considerable number of people in the 17th century which still resonates today. There are the royals; celebrities with great scandals; the loyal and valiant musketeers; our modern day soldiers; Milady; any form of con artist; and the lover of D'Artagnan; Mme. Bonacieux; the symbol of naivety in any conflict. For a novel to be defined as a classic, it must have a sense of eternally being valid to the society who reads it. The great struggles demonstrated in The Three Musketeers are not much different from present day issues.
The musketeers are by far the most prominent of all the comparisons. Most musketeers and modern soldiers are relatively young people; D'Artagnan joins M. Desessarts' Guards at the age of 19. There is this lack of fear of dying in battle that pertains to both the musketeers, and modern soldiers. Youth often also have an instinctual opinion that it is better to die stoicly in action, than old and decrepid on a bed. For example, D'Artagnan shows no ounce of fear when he schedules three duels with men all of higher ranking, and experience. Although these youth seem valiant, there is still a fear amongst these individuals. To lose one's vigour, and die alone often seems immenent to youth, as it is very difficult for them to grasp what their future truly holds. D'Artagnan strives to become a musketeer, but otherwise lives life in the moment what with his multiple confrontations, and financial struggles.
Then there are more broad comparisons. Everyone struggles with fighting their pride, resisting taking vengeance, being rational, and not becoming overly passionate. These recurring struggles allude to weakness, which Dumas abruptly turns around with his humour and the plot line. D'Artagnan exhibits all of these traits as he searches for the Man of Meug, insists on having a duel with anyone who mildly offends him, and has an affair with a married lady. These negative aspects each of the musketeers refuse to resist,and are what get them into and out of calamities. However, it is always apparent to the reader that having this demeanor is not typically advantageous, as the antagonists attempt thriving off that same resistance. The Man of Meung initiates duels with D'Artagnan over pride, and nearly gets killed by it. Milady feels enraged when D'Artagnan discovers a fleur-de-lis on her shoulder, and poses as a man she is infatuated with. It is apparent D'Artagnan could easily ruin Milady's future plans if she becomes on bad terms with him. However, Milady feels a great need to avenge her pride, and on multiple occasions tries to kill D'Artagnan.
Not only is The Three Musketeers still relevant over 100 years later, it also re-establishes forgotten moral beliefs of the general population. While the musketeers are far from being saintly, they hold one of the greatest values of all close to them; loyalty. In this way, readers continue to comprehend, and relate to the novel. They can also recall a moment full of nostalgia when they and their comrades too went off gallivanting on gripping adventures and believed in all for one, and one for all. This is what makes The Three Musketeers a classic; its compassion perpetually resonates from generation to generation.
So why did Dumas' novel seem to triumph over Sandraz'? Both are semi-fictional. The big difference between the two is that Sandraz' novel is written in first person (1 Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras). Part of what makes The Three Musketeers so engaging is Dumas' added commentary to the tale. There are little interjections hear and there, such as "This, reader, is a mousetrap!" (The Three Musketeers 114); every now and then Dumas addresses the reader directly. Sometimes the only difference between being successful and not is adding personal touch.
Dumas was not initially as successful in writing as one might presume. Dumas began his literary career writing plays, such as The Chase and Love, and Tales of Today, many of which did not recieve much audience or recommendation. After his play Henri III and his Court entered the theatre though, Dumas' future plays reaped more success (xxiv Oxford's World Classics). Dumas attempted many literary mediums such as short stories, essays, children's tales, plays, and novels. Perhaps this is what aided him in finding his writing niche.
While Dumas' novels are historically fictitious, many of them coincide with his own life experiences. Analyzing the character of Porthos alone, it's hardly difficult to identify Dumas' disposition in him. Both eat copiously, and have a number of liaisons with women. Catherine Labay, Adele Dalvin, Ida Ferrier, Lola Montes, Isabella Constant, Emilie Cordier, and Belle Krelsamer are only a few of Dumas' documented mistresses (Oxford's World Classics xxv). It's not surprising that Dumas lived his life thously, as he himself was born out of wedlock (3 Biography.com). Dumas was also one for reveling in a life of extravagance, and more than once, as a consequence, became broke by it. (7 Biography.com). This occurs to D'Artagnan and the musketeers multiple times, for they are also quite fond of indulging in the 'good life'. Miraculously though, they always contrive a plan to get around the conflict.
Dumas formulated a way around this conflict too: he began writing novels, some of which were serialized in magazines such as The Count of Monte Cristo (Oxford's World Classics). Some individuals create their best compositions under pressure, especially when their livelihood depends on it. For a novel to be considered a 'classic', one must feel as though the author is truly dedicated to their story; Dumas undoubtedly was in his circumstances.
What has made The Three Musketeers truly a renowned classic is that, while it deals in humour, it also addresses the struggles of the daily life of a considerable number of people in the 17th century which still resonates today. There are the royals; celebrities with great scandals; the loyal and valiant musketeers; our modern day soldiers; Milady; any form of con artist; and the lover of D'Artagnan; Mme. Bonacieux; the symbol of naivety in any conflict. For a novel to be defined as a classic, it must have a sense of eternally being valid to the society who reads it. The great struggles demonstrated in The Three Musketeers are not much different from present day issues.
The musketeers are by far the most prominent of all the comparisons. Most musketeers and modern soldiers are relatively young people; D'Artagnan joins M. Desessarts' Guards at the age of 19. There is this lack of fear of dying in battle that pertains to both the musketeers, and modern soldiers. Youth often also have an instinctual opinion that it is better to die stoicly in action, than old and decrepid on a bed. For example, D'Artagnan shows no ounce of fear when he schedules three duels with men all of higher ranking, and experience. Although these youth seem valiant, there is still a fear amongst these individuals. To lose one's vigour, and die alone often seems immenent to youth, as it is very difficult for them to grasp what their future truly holds. D'Artagnan strives to become a musketeer, but otherwise lives life in the moment what with his multiple confrontations, and financial struggles.
Then there are more broad comparisons. Everyone struggles with fighting their pride, resisting taking vengeance, being rational, and not becoming overly passionate. These recurring struggles allude to weakness, which Dumas abruptly turns around with his humour and the plot line. D'Artagnan exhibits all of these traits as he searches for the Man of Meug, insists on having a duel with anyone who mildly offends him, and has an affair with a married lady. These negative aspects each of the musketeers refuse to resist,and are what get them into and out of calamities. However, it is always apparent to the reader that having this demeanor is not typically advantageous, as the antagonists attempt thriving off that same resistance. The Man of Meung initiates duels with D'Artagnan over pride, and nearly gets killed by it. Milady feels enraged when D'Artagnan discovers a fleur-de-lis on her shoulder, and poses as a man she is infatuated with. It is apparent D'Artagnan could easily ruin Milady's future plans if she becomes on bad terms with him. However, Milady feels a great need to avenge her pride, and on multiple occasions tries to kill D'Artagnan.
Not only is The Three Musketeers still relevant over 100 years later, it also re-establishes forgotten moral beliefs of the general population. While the musketeers are far from being saintly, they hold one of the greatest values of all close to them; loyalty. In this way, readers continue to comprehend, and relate to the novel. They can also recall a moment full of nostalgia when they and their comrades too went off gallivanting on gripping adventures and believed in all for one, and one for all. This is what makes The Three Musketeers a classic; its compassion perpetually resonates from generation to generation.
So why did Dumas' novel seem to triumph over Sandraz'? Both are semi-fictional. The big difference between the two is that Sandraz' novel is written in first person (1 Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras). Part of what makes The Three Musketeers so engaging is Dumas' added commentary to the tale. There are little interjections hear and there, such as "This, reader, is a mousetrap!" (The Three Musketeers 114); every now and then Dumas addresses the reader directly. Sometimes the only difference between being successful and not is adding personal touch.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Conclusion or D'Artagnan's Goal Achieved
We now come to that time when the adventure of The Three Musketeers is resolved, and D'Artagnan achieves his life-long goal: to become a musketeer.
D'Artagnan finally meets the Man of Meung who takes him to the Cardinal. Upon having an interview with the Cardinal, D'Artagnan is told that he is under arrest on the accusation that he has been corresponding with enemies of the kingdom, and for having tried to defeat the plans of his General. D'Artagnan asks who imputes these crimes on him, and not surprisingly it is Milady. D'Artagnan then explains of Milady's ill-doings, and of her death. While D'Artagnan attempts to justify Milady's death, (as he and his companions were the ones who murdered her)the Cardinal points out that the friends would clearly have a bias towards Milady, and would thereby not be fairly constituted judges.
At this point, D'Artagnan is certain that the Cardinal will lock him up for decades yet surprisingly, something quite different occurs. The Cardinal tells D'Artagnan that he shall give him a *carte blanche, as D'Artagnan had given him one a while ago. The Cardinal then gives D'Artagnan a blank parchment to be filled in for a lieutenancy in the musketeers. D'Artagnan is absolutely euphoric, and graciously thanks the Cardinal.
After the interview, D'Artagnan explains all to his comrades, and offers each of them separately the lieutenancy. Each denies taking it for one reason or another, and so when lastly he offers Aramis the parchment musketeer replies 'Well, and they also have refused! It was because no one is more worthy than yourself, my dear friend' And he took up a pen, wrote D'Artagnan's name on the parchment, and handed it back to him. (Dumas, 553) If anything, D'Artagnan has exceeded his goal, for not only is he serving in the musketeers' regiment, he is also at a relatively high rank.
The theme of pride and vengeance still lingers, as D'Artagnan fights the Man of Meung on three occasions, injuring him severely in each. The letter that the Man of Meung initially stole was that of a recommendation from D'Artagnan's father to enter the musketeers (as he himself had been a musketeer).
It's hard to say whether the ways D'Artagnan maintains his esteem are just, but one can clearly determine that he is courageous, loyal, and perceptive. Never once did he question abandoning his comrades, nor once did one of Milady's intricate plots succeed against him. Being so young (only 19 or 20), D'Artagnan seems to have a feeling of invincibility; he is not afraid of death. Once again, this circles back to pride, and one with the heart of a musketeer would prefer dying in action, than while lying down.
* Carte Blanche: Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Milady's Captivity or A Cunningly Observant Woman
We resume the tale of The Three Musketeers once again by introducing another character to the mix. We shall address her as Milady whom we learn shortly after meeting shall be the cause of many of the musketeers' dilemmas; especially D'Artagnan's.
Currently, Milady is kept in captivity by her brother in-law, Lord de Winter. Milday, as we learn later on in the story, has multiple aliases, and multiple crimes on her slate. The reason she is imprisoned by her brother in-law is because D'Artagnan gives him a tip-off as to her manipulative nature. It is highly suspected that Milady killed her husband so that she could gain his fortune. She is now trying to kill her brother in-law, as well as D'Artagnan for sparing her brother in-law in a duel. Upon getting the warning, Lord de Winter reassures D'Artagnan that all shall be taken care of.
As Milady is a con woman of the Cardinal's, she is also attempting to reveal the relations between Lord Buckingham of England, and Anne of Austria, Louis XIII's wife. Since she is on a mission for the Cardinal regarding Buckingham, Milady sails over to England, where her brother in-law happens to live. Upon her arrival, she is directed by her soon-to-be jail guard, Felton to her brother in-law's castle, where she remains in captivity for six days.
This is a significant part of the plot, as it reveals Milady's mental processes over the six day span in which she manipulates Felton into setting her free. Lord de Winter has always had some idea of Milady's devious nature, and warns Felton of it many times. Close to the end of Milady's stay in the castle, Lord de Winter catches on that Felton has been corrupted by her and sends him away, but it is too late. With a plan already in mind for setting her free, Felton whisks Milady off to a sail boat, and the two agree to meet somewhere in France sometime later.
We learn from this incident, that Milady is a very intelligent, and observant woman. Over the six days she is captive, she examines Felton thoroughly for any sign of weakness. Milady by chance discovers that Felton is a devout Puritan, and thereby takes on the role of a fervent one herself; all of the other guards and Lord de Winter are Catholic. 'Lord de Winter, who is a Catholic like you, Madam, thinks that the privation of the rites and ceremonies of your religion may be painful to you; he therefore consents that you should read your mass, and here is a book which contains the ritual'--Owing to the manner in which Felton laid this book on the table near Milady, the tone in which he pronounced 'your mass,' and the smile of contempt with which the words were accompanied, Milady raised her head and looked attentively at the officer... (Dumas, 447) This makes Milady much more intimate with Felton, and he begins to believe everything she tells him. Milady's most significant lie is that Lord Buckingham has taken advantage of her good nature and severely abused her. Felton is enraged upon hearing this, as Milady seems to him the most virtuous Puritan he has ever laid eyes on. However, there is also the fact that Felton has fallen madly in love with her.
Once he releases Milady, Felton sets out to have revenge on Lord Buckingham for ruining Milady's supposed good name. Felton confronts Lord Buckingham, and at the end of their *tête-à-tête, although Buckingham denies all he is accused of, Felton kills him. Felton is then seized by Buckingham's alerted guards. As the guards take him away, Felton has the horrific epiphany that Milady has grossly deceived him.
While Milady's ways may seem foul and unjust, one must consider the time period this woman was born in. Women were still considered to be goods and chattel to some extent. For a woman to be truly successful in her lifetime, she had to manipulate men who had the power to change her situation, and achieve her goals. Milady is essentially doing just that, in an imperceptible fashion to her victims. The only person so far who seems to have outwitted Milady is D'Artagnan, which is partly why her sentiments toward him are so vehement. While I see that Milady's actions are loathsome, I also admire her character for achieving many of her goals, the only way a woman truly could in the seventeenth century.
* Tête-à-Tête: A private conversation or interview, usually between two people.
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Wife of Athos or Passion vs. the Rational
We return to the plot of The Three Musketeers, when Athos acquaints the readers with the tale of his former wife. At this point, D'Artagnan's paramour has been abducted, which makes him deeply distressed. When D'Artagnan meets up with Athos, he speaks of the tragedy, which Athos seems to think is very insignificant. D'Artagnan inturn accuses Athos of never having been in love, and so Athos tells D'Artagnan 'a real love story' which happened to a 'friend'.
This 'friend' of Athos' was a young nobleman who fell in love with an enchanting 16 year-old girl. As she seemed to be of a good family, the nobleman married her. One day when the couple were out hunting, the wife fell from her horse. Since she needed air, the husband riped open her clothes, only to find that she had been branded with a *fleur-de-lis. The husband, being enraged, hanged his wife upon inferring the betrayal. Once Athos has finished his tale, he forgets to continue on with his work of fiction and says "That cured me of handsome, poetical, loving women" (Dumas, 251).
In Athos' tale lies once again the theme of pride and vengeance; and neither D'Artagnan nor Athos himself seems troubled by the 'husband's' retaliation. Yet there is a hint of irony once again; the woman whom has been abducted, D'Artagnan's lover, is already married to another. The two men do not seem to have trouble with D'Artagnan having relations with her, which proves that Athos' act of murder was a matter of pride. Any misfortune unrelated to the musketeer or his comrades doesn't seem to sway him in the least.
What I have observed in many novels written in this era is that their characters feel passionately, but do not always think rationally. When love, adventure, and pride enter the scheme, nothing, and no one else seems to matter. As the seventeenth century was a passionate time period, gossip and secrets were constantly drifting in the atmosphere. There seemed to be a lack of trust and constant suspicion conveyed toward every acquaintance. It must have been difficult to uphold this constant distrust, and so what would occur when something or someone appealing, even lust-worthy was thrown one's way? All common sense would be disposed of, and one may very well have let down their guard at the most inept time.
This is where rationality should introduce itself. No one can be suspicious all the time, as they are bound to weary. However, they must consider when the most risky time is, and who is the most suspicious. Only in this way, can one in that time period reduce the risks of their passion. It is because D'Artagnan does just this, that he is the most perceptive in his group of comrades. D'Artagnan is of a noble heart, and rarely considers making blind accusations, and so only when someone subtly demonstrates their deceptive nature, does D'Artagnan commence an interrogation.
* Fleur-de-lis: While the symbol of the fleur-de-lis is often one of royalty, when it is branded on human skin, it is a standard mark of criminals and, in this case, prostitutes.
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