The Three Musketeers

Characters

Sculpture of d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in Condom, France
Musketeers
  • Athos – Comte de la Fère: he has never recovered from his marriage to Milady and seeks solace in wine. He becomes a father figure to d'Artagnan.
  • Porthos – M. du Vallon: a dandy, fond of fashionable clothes and keen to make a fortune for himself. The least cerebral of the quartet, he compensates with his homeric strength of body and character.
  • Aramis – René d'Herblay, a handsome young man who wavers between his religious calling and his fondness for women and intrigue.
  • D'Artagnan – Charles de Batz de Castelmore D'Artagnan: an impetuous, brave and clever young man seeking to become a musketeer in France.
Musketeers' servants
  • Planchet – a young man from Picardy, he is seen by Porthos on the Pont de la Tournelle spitting into the river below. Porthos takes this as a sign of good character and hires him on the spot to serve d'Artagnan. He turns out to be a brave, intelligent and loyal servant.
  • Grimaud – a Breton, whom Athos, a strict master, only permits to speak in emergencies; he mostly communicates through sign language.
  • Mousqueton – originally a Norman named Boniface; Porthos, however, changes his name to one that sounds better. He is a would-be dandy, just as vain as his master. In lieu of pay, he is clothed and lodged in a manner superior to that usual for servants, dressing grandly in his master's renovated old clothing.
  • Bazin – from the province of Berry, Bazin is a pious man who waits for the day his master (Aramis) will join the church, as he has always dreamed of serving a churchman.
Others
  • Milady de Winter – a beautiful and evil spy of the Cardinal, she is also Athos's ex-wife. D'Artagnan impersonates a rival to spend a night with her, attracting her deadly hatred when the deceit is revealed.
  • Rochefort – a more conventional agent of the Cardinal. Following their meeting at Meung on the road to Paris, d'Artagnan swears to have his revenge. He misses several opportunities, but their paths finally cross again towards the end of the novel.
  • Constance Bonacieux – the queen's seamstress and confidante. After d'Artagnan rescues her from the Cardinal's Guard, he immediately falls in love with her. She appreciates his protection, but the relationship is never consummated.
  • Monsieur Bonacieux – Constance's husband. He initially enlists d'Artagnan's help to rescue his wife from the Cardinal's Guards, but when he himself is arrested Richelieu turns Monsieur Bonacieux against his wife, and he goes on to play a role in her abduction.
  • Kitty – a servant of Milady de Winter. She dislikes her mistress and adores d'Artagnan.
  • Lord de Winter – brother of Milady's second husband who died of a mysterious disease (apparently poisoned by Milady). Acting on a warning from d'Artagnan, he imprisons Milady upon her arrival in England and plans to send her overseas in exile. Later, he takes part in Milady's trial.
Historical characters
  • King Louis XIII of France – presented by Dumas as a fairly weak and self-indulgent monarch, often manipulated by his chief minister.
  • Queen Anne of Austria – the queen of France, described as often neglected by her husband and persecuted by the Cardinal.
  • Cardinal Richelieu – Armand Jean du Plessis, the king's chief minister, who plots against the queen in resentment at having his advances rebuffed. Dumas describes him as being "36 or 37" though in 1625 Richelieu was 40.
  • M. de Tréville – captain of the Musketeers, courtier and a childhood friend of the King. Treville is a mentor, a confidant, and occasionally a protector to the three musketeers and d'Artagnan.
  • George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham – a handsome and charismatic favorite of the King of England used to getting his way; he thinks nothing of starting a war between England and France for his personal convenience. His courtship of Anne of Austria places her in great peril.
  • John Felton – a Puritan officer assigned by Lord de Winter to guard Milady and warned about her ways, he is nonetheless seduced by her in a matter of days and assassinates Buckingham at her request.

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