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Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Three Musketeers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Friendship and Loyalty
Honor
Class and Power
The Secrets of the Past
Seduction and Romance
Summary
Analysis
After entering the Louvre, Madame Bonacieux escorts the duke through a variety of corridors, before finally leaving him in a locked room. The duke is eager to see Queen Anne. He’s discovered that the letter he received from her was only meant to trap him, but he does not care. The duke is a passionate and attractive man who is confident in his powers of seduction. He is sure that he can convince the queen to continue their affair.
For just the second time, the novel shifts its perspective away from d’Artagnan and the musketeers. Instead, the relationship between the duke and Queen Anne—which exists after all—takes center stage. The duke doesn’t care that the letter from the queen is fake; he loves her and wants to see her anyway.
Themes
Queen Anne enters the room, and the duke is overwhelmed by her beauty. He drops to the floor and kisses her feet as well as her dress. Despite his show of affection, Queen Anne tells him that they must break off their relationship. Not only is it difficult because they are never together, but it is dangerous as well. However, the duke is not convinced, and he implores her to reconsider. He knows that the queen loves him and wants to be with him. He reminds her of the various nights they’ve spent together and how much she enjoyed them.
Evidently, Queen Anne is not as bold as the duke. She knows that their relationship is dangerous not just for themselves, but for their respective kingdoms. It is not that Queen Anne does not love the duke; she just doesn’t want to act selfishly.
Themes
Literary Devices
However, as Queen Anne is well aware, their time together was not without its consequences. Initially, the duke was on track to become the ambassador of France. However, King Louis XIII quickly put a stop to that because he didn’t want the duke around his wife anymore; like many others in the court, the king heard rumors that the two of them were having an affair. In response, the duke began a war with France. He claims that the war will continue until he is allowed to be the ambassador of France.
Again, King Louis XIII proves that he is not unaware of what goes on in his court. Although he acts callously, he is not wrong; the queen and the duke are romantically interested in one another. Although the dynamic between these three characters is an important part of the novel, it is important to know that it is not historically accurate. France and England did go to war during this period, but not because of a love affair.
Themes
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Though she loves the duke, the queen doesn’t want a war on her conscience. She thinks that their love is immoral if it must continue on such terms. Realizing that Queen Anne will not come around to his way of seeing things, the duke finally gives in and promises he won’t come to see her anymore. However, before he leaves, he asks if he can have something to remember her by. In response, the queen gives him an ornate box with her initials on it and tells him to leave. The duke does as he is asked, and Madame Bonacieux escorts him out of the Louvre.
Queen Anne holds her own against the duke and lets her morals prevail. However, she does give the duke an ornate box, which is an important object for the first third of the novel. At this point, the contents of the box are not revealed, but they will be shortly.
Themes
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