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Chapter XLV - "Scène conjugale"

May I ask you what do you think of the evolution of Aramis' character in Vicomte de Bragelonne? - I mean, in general in all the Ten Years After group of novels.

I find it super interesting to analyse Dumas not knowing the concept of 'continuity' - doylistically, it is that - in regard to Aramis. The way he starts off claiming to be old and then by half of the novel he's as usual god's and satan's specialest little princess charming people left and right and trading the bishop's clothes for his sword and his chevalier's clothes again.

Thank you if you will answer and i DO love your blog

AWW THANK YOU!! I hope you don't mind if I answer this publicly!

I personally really enjoyed Aramis' story, I thought that he was very consistent in his motivations through the books, but his plans went awry

Aramis is a man of many hats and the best actor of the four, he will fit himself wherever he can to achieve the effect he needs. He can flirt and play at coquetry, he can act pious, or draw himself up and (before his various ailments) make himself an overt, physical threat. He lost a bit of that as he aged but his mind remained sharp and he learned to lean on his other skills- not to mention he had Porthos at his side if he needed anything requiring muscle. That being said, he is incredibly smart and well connected, the fact that his lover in the first book was mme. de Chevreuse shows us he is already climbing the political ladder from day one.

God, I think so often of the letter Aramis wrote to him, only a few words to say "come to me" with no other explanation and Porthos dropped everything to fly to him.

Everything he did, he did for love. He wanted Porthos near him not only to help him but also because of how much he loved him, he even says in Iron Mask that he and Porthos are the same flesh, they are united always. He saw how the royalty decayed and knew that if he made all the right moves he could make everything perfect. I have found Aramis' drive to improve the lives of his friends, of those suffering in France, to be very endearing. He made a fatal error in his judgement, and lost everything, his very soul to that mistake.

this is his fuckin plan post 20YA

First of all the fanfiction author that I am is DELIGHTED to see that Dumas had actually made plans! yay!

But then to dive into Aramis and his motives. Of course i also find his ambitions very consistent and linear throughout the books, even in the way he bounces between his clerical and his soldierly soul. He does follow his heart more than his brain in many an occasion, and as much as he might despise Athos' extreme sense of honour at times he is just as bad. (putting stuff under a cut from here tbh. SO many spoilers.)