Description and analysis of the novel "The Three Musketeers" by Dumas. The Three Musketeers Essay based on the novel by Dumas “The Three Musketeers” What does the story of the three musketeers teach

Belinsky called the 19th century “primarily historical,” meaning the widespread interest in history typical of this century and the reflection of historical events in its literature. This definition is quite applicable to the Fraction, where historical drama and the historical novel began to flourish in the first decades of the 19th century.

French writers carefully studied their country's past, resurrecting paintings from ancient times for a wide variety of purposes.

Vigny, in his novel Saint-Map, elegiacly mourned the “nobility” and “beauty” of feudal-aristocratic forms of life, looking with bitter despondency at the spectacle of modernity, which, in his opinion, was the cemetery of all his hopes.

Hugo in his works combined the burning issues of our time with colorful scenes from past times. His historical novels are imbued with a feeling of deep protest against modern bourgeois social relations. He exposed the selfishness of the bourgeoisie and at the same time called on it to compassion and humanity towards the disadvantaged people.

Merimee spoke with historical novel(“Chronicle of the Times of Charles IX”), whose task was to convince the French reading public that there had never been “good” eras in history; and in the old days baseness triumphed over noble dreams, and in contemporary writer In reality, as he portrays it, the dominance of bourgeois mediocrity was established, which almost completely destroyed hopes for any changes in the social system.

Dumas was very different from his contemporaries, who created outstanding examples of the French historical novel.

He did not strive to be a thinker and never attempted to solve any historical issues- whether in relation to the past, or in relation to the present.

There is no doubt that many French novelists went through the school of Walter Scott, who enjoyed wide recognition in European countries in the 19th century. Dumas perfectly understood the method of creativity of the English novelist, and his first novel, “Isabella of Bavaria,” was written under the obvious influence of the author of “The Puritans.” Subsequently, when experience and skill were gained, Dumas was critical of the artistic principles of Walter Scott. “Indeed,” he says, “should one begin a novel with something interesting or should it begin with a boring one, should one begin with action or should one begin with preparations, should one talk about characters after one has shown them, or should one show them after one has told them? ? Dumas resolutely affirms the first method, preferring fast-paced action that immediately captivates the reader with unusual adventures, skillfully woven intrigue, unexpected turn plot.

The popularity of Dumas's novels, with their picturesque image of the past, a motley picture of adventure and struggle, is explained by the fact that they gave the reader a break from the boredom and vulgarity of bourgeois life. They transported him to the world of bright and effective characters, to the world of unselfish passions, courage and generosity. However, Dumas's ideological limitations led to the fact that his novels did not arouse active protest. They called for complete reconciliation with reality.

Dumas revives in a unique form the tradition of the bourgeois adventure novel of the 17th–18th centuries.

But in the 17th–18th centuries, bourgeois society was just taking shape and moving towards its dominance. It was a different matter in the 19th century. During the years of the July Monarchy, the life of the ruling classes in France received the imprint of bourgeois boredom and sober practicality. Without seeing active, brave, resourceful, attractive heroes in modern life, Dumas searches and finds them in the historical past.

The writer clearly sought to please with his novels to a wide circle French readers. On the pages of his works, history loses its epic grandeur, it becomes simple and homely; remote historical events are given against the backdrop of the intimate life of the characters. The writer seeks to show that kings, queens, generals and ministers were also people over whom passions and whims had great power. Such an image was supposed to inspire the mass reader with good-natured optimism in his attitude to life and to the “great ones of this world.”

Attaching exceptional importance to the entertaining plot and dramatic tension of the narrative, Dumas used for these purposes the effective technique of constructing a love intrigue, common among contemporary novelists. The intrigue was complicated by the fact that the hero and heroine belonged to different peoples and parties that are in hostile relations with each other.

In this way, a barrier was erected on the path to the triumph of the characters’ feelings, which the novelist skillfully overcomes.

The most popular novel from his series of historical narratives is undoubtedly The Three Musketeers. This novel is characterized by rapidly and rapidly developing intrigue, an optimistic portrayal of life as a continuous activity, an intense dramatic composition, and easy and simple language.

The composition of “The Three Musketeers” was predetermined by the genre of the feuilleton novel, which required the writer not only to complete the chapters, but also their organic connection in the holistic development of the plot. Dumas wrote each chapter of the novel so that its ending served as the beginning of the episode presented in the next chapter. Intended for a wide readership, this novel contained many fascinating events, adventures, descriptions of conspiracies, fights, and complex intrigues that added dramatic tension to the narrative.

Energetic, clear, devoid of archaisms language corresponds to the rapid flow of events, episodes and incidents unfolding in the novel.

Brave and enterprising musketeers, who miraculously intervened in the most important historical events, are persons of the noble rank, they trade their swords, serving the king: they are paid for blood in louis d'or and are provided with a decent allowance. But at the same time, Dumas tries to preserve the features of some kind of chivalry in the appearance and behavior of his heroes, forcing them to go through thick and thin for the honor of the French queen, which not every one of them even saw. And yet in the novel they appear as ordinary people who play the roles of servants.

In order not to diminish the greatness of the heroes and to justify their actions in the eyes of the reader, the novelist refers to the mores of that era, which shaped the morality of his heroes. “In those days,” notes Dumas, “the concepts of pride that are common today were not yet in fashion. The nobleman received money from the hands of the king and did not feel humiliated at all. D'Artagnan therefore, without hesitation, put the forty pistoles he had received into his pocket and even poured out expressions of gratitude to His Majesty.'

Assessing the past through the eyes of a bourgeois chronicler, Dumas, in his attempt to bring historical events closer to the level of understanding of the contemporary mass reader, was forced to show the dependence of the destinies of the “great” people of the past on the energy and ingenuity of simple, humble people. At the most critical moments, three musketeers always appear, and with them d'Artagnan, who save the honor of the queen and France with their courage.

Dumas makes the arrogant aristocrat Duke of Buckingham move at the news of d'Artagnan's amazing exploits: “Listening to d'Artagnan, who told all this with the greatest simplicity, the duke glanced at the young man from time to time, as if not believing that such forethought, such courage and devotion can be combined with the appearance of a young man who is barely twenty years old.”

All the “gentlemen”, that is, the noblest persons of France and England, act in the novel as mannequins. They are hung with jewelry, bow politely, perform majestically, at any moment they are ready to die for the love of a beautiful lady, but, in essence, they do nothing, they cannot change anything either in their own or in anyone else’s fate.

Intentionally or not, Dumas in his novel shows that national energy was by no means embodied either in Louis XIII, or in Anne of Austria, or in the nobles of the royal court.

And it turned out that all the interest of the heroic narrative was concentrated on the actions of the brave musketeers, who, although they obediently serve the court, at the same time oppose court morality in their views. The cold arrogance of the nobles in “The Three Musketeers” is contrasted with the generosity and valiant courage of the heroes, in whose minds only occasionally the guess slips in that they, in fact, have to experience a hangover at someone else’s feast.

This, in particular, is evidenced by the worldly sober reasoning of d'Artagnan, who, having avoided mortal danger after a duel with the Count de Wardes, was struck “at the thought of the strangeness of fate, forcing people to destroy each other in the name of the interests of third parties, completely alien to them and often even having no idea about their existence.”

The main characters of the novel always try to act together, as if they drew additional energy from friendly communication with each other. And if any of them happens to receive a reward, it is immediately divided equally among all.

Such an image of the selflessness and spiritual nobility characteristic of the musketeers turned into a kind of reproach directed at the bourgeois society of France, as it emerged after the July Revolution of 1830 and as it was portrayed by the realist writers Balzac and Stendhal.

In the final chapter of the novel, which melodramatically depicts the retribution that befell the villainess Milady, whose numerous crimes almost killed both the three musketeers and d'Artagnan, Dumas introduces a significant episode: a man who agrees to cut off Milady's head is offered a bag of gold as a reward; the executioner throws him into the river - he is incorruptible, he does his job not for the sake of money, but in the name of fair retribution.

The Three Musketeers and D'Artagnan act in the novel and perform their exploits in an atmosphere of inexhaustible heroism. This heroism is the natural destiny of those people who are created for tireless activity, the destiny of those who are brave and generous, who value friendship, who are ready to calmly turn away from the pile dishonestly acquired gold. The twenty-first chapter of the first part of the novel tells how the Duke of Buckingham tried to reward d'Artagnan with valuable gifts and how this offended d'Artagnan: “He realized that the duke was looking for a way to force him to accept something from him. a gift, and the thought that he would be paid for the blood of him and his comrades in English gold caused deep disgust in him.”

The trilogy of the Three Musketeers covers a significant period in the history of France - from 1625 to the time when the monarchy of Louis XIV, continuing its aggressive policy, launched a war against Holland in the 70s in order to conquer foreign lands and strengthen its economic and political power in Europe. Having traced the fates of his magnanimous heroes and thoroughly pleased the reader with them extraordinary adventures, the novelist ends his lengthy narrative with a picture of the battle between French troops and Dutch troops. In this battle, d'Artagnan dies, a few minutes before his death he received the rank of Marshal of France.

Dumas had an amazing gift - the ability to captivate the reader. Among the readers of his works were Marx, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Gorky, Mendeleev. In France, connoisseurs of his talent included George Sand, Balzac, and Hugo. The historian Michelet wrote to Dumas: “I love you, I adore you, because you are a phenomenon of nature.”

One can cite Victor Hugo’s enthusiastic review: “Alexandre Dumas is one of those people who can be called the sowers of civilization; it heals and ennobles minds, instilling in them an inexplicable light, bright and strong; it fertilizes the soul and mind of man. He arouses the thirst for reading, he loosens the human heart and throws seeds into it. He sows French ideas. French ideas contain so much humanity that wherever they penetrate they bring about progress. This is the source of the enormous popularity of people like Alexandre Dumas” (“Deeds and Speeches”).

Dumas' works were extremely popular in Russia. In the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, translations of his novels and stories were published in various magazines, in particular in Telescope, Library for Reading, and Otechestvennye Zapiski. After Dumas’ drama “Henry III and His Court” was staged at a theater in France, it was translated into Russian and published as a separate publication. The famous tragedian V. A. Karatygin staged Dumas's plays on the Russian stage in his own translation.

One of the first Russian translators of Dumas was V. G. Belinsky. In 1834, Telescope published Dumas’s works “Revenge” and “Mount Gemmi” translated by Belinsky. In a review of the book “Modern stories of fashionable writers. Collected, translated and published by F. Koni” Belinsky noted the presence of deep poetic thought in Dumas’s story “Masquerade” and wrote about the “powerful and energetic talent” of A. Dumas. True, the great revolutionary democrat subsequently condemned the lightweight nature of some of Dumas’s dramas and novels.

Dumas' shortcomings as a historical novelist are well known and obvious. But the reader should not look for a genuine depiction of historical reality in his novels. In his best works, Dumas remains a magnificent, fascinating storyteller, a master of intrigue and composition, a creator of forever memorable heroic characters, in which the writer’s belief in a person with a clear mind, will, and confidence in himself and his rightness, honesty and generosity, can and should actively intervene in life, defending, to the best of his strength and understanding, good and truth, fighting lies and evil. Dumas is one of those writers whom entire generations begin to read in childhood and re-read until old age. And one must think that such recognition is not given in vain.

Quite recently I became acquainted with the great novel by A. Dumas “The Three Musketeers”. Of course, before reading the book, I watched the serial film based on this work. And even then I really wanted to read a novel about the musketeers, to once again become a participant in their adventures.
While reading the book, I never ceased to envy D'Artagnan and his friends. Which interesting life these people had! What noble and fearless deeds they were ready for! What a significant era the musketeers had to live in!
Dumas's novel teaches us many very important lessons. So, on the pages of this work we learn courage. The author calls this quality one of the most important virtues of a real man: “Courage always commands respect.”
Already at the very beginning of the novel, we see how D'Artagnan and the three musketeers bravely fight the cardinal's guards, despite the numerical superiority of their rivals. The young Gascon was not afraid of Richelieu’s soldiers and fought on a par with the experienced Athos, Porthos and Aramis. And, most importantly, the heroes defeated their enemies!
The musketeers appreciated the bravery of young D’Artagnan and accepted him into their company: “If I am not yet a musketeer,” he said on the threshold of de Treville’s house, addressing his new friends, “I can still consider myself accepted as a student, not Is it true?”
Soon rumors about the hero's valor spread throughout Paris, and after a little more time, D'Artagnan was able to show his courage, saving the French queen herself!
But main character and his friends are not only brave warriors, they are also true friends, loyal and devoted friend to a friend. The motto of the four friends has long become popular: “One for all and all for one.” And the musketeers justified him more than once: they never abandoned each other in trouble, they were always together, even in the face of mortal danger. Let us at least remember the episodes associated with the insidious Lady Winter: D'Artagnan became the sworn enemy of this woman, she tried with all her might to destroy the hero. However, the Gascon, with the help of his friends, who did not leave their young friend for a minute, managed to deal with the villainess: “- Charlotte Buckson, Countess de La Fere, Lady Winter, - ... - your atrocities have exceeded the measure of patience of people on earth and God on sky. If you know any prayer, read it, for you are condemned and will die.”
We can say that the heroes of Dumas’ novel are my ideals, people whom I want to imitate. I admire that D'Artagnan and the musketeers honor honor and dignity above all else. Thus, heroes faithfully serve their king and fatherland. That's why they risked their lives to bring Anne of Austria's pendants from England. That is why D'Artagnan refused to swear allegiance to the cardinal, the worst enemy of King Louis and France. That is why heroes will never leave a helpless person in trouble (remember how the Gascon saved Constance Bonacieux from the cardinal’s soldiers).
I want to admit that I consider myself a student of the heroes of the novel by A. Dumas. In my opinion, a real man should be like D'Artagnan and his friends - brave, courageous, fair, honest, devoted to his beliefs and loved ones. I will strive to be at least a little like my favorite characters - real Knights and Heroes.

An essay on literature on the topic: What can A. Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers” teach us today?

Other writings:

1. Do you agree that the novel is considered an adventure-historical novel? Alexandre Dumas, his father, did not strive for documentation in his works. His novels are considered adventure-historical. Adventurous, first of all, because their plots are based on a fascinating intrigue, which was invented by the author. Historical because Read More......
2. Cardinal Richelieu Characteristics literary hero Richelieu, cardinal - the first minister, who has virtually unlimited power even over the king Louis XIII, one way or another participating in all the events taking place in the novel, and weaving cunning intrigues directed mainly against Queen Anne of Austria. R. Read More......
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4. Milady Characteristics of a literary hero Milady is the former Countess de La Fère, the wife of Athos, whom he hanged after seeing the mark of a criminal on her shoulder. However, M. escaped and became a confidant of Cardinal Richelieu, that is, the mortal enemy of the musketeers. Throughout the novel they Read More ......
5. The Three Musketeers Characteristics of a literary hero The Three Musketeers: Athos, Porthos and Aramis are d'Artagnan's friends, who helped him in everything, connected with him by inextricable ties and common adventures, embodying a world so attractive to d'Artagnan, where honor, nobility and integrity – Read More ......
6. Dumas Alexander (Dumas the father; full name- Marquis Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie Dumas (07/24/1802 - 12/5/1870) - French playwright, novelist, poet, writer, storyteller, biographer, journalist. Born in Villers-Cotterets, near Paris, in the family Read More ......
7. The undying tradition of action-packed adventure storytelling was created in France by Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), one of the prominent representatives of the romantic school. Having begun his journey in the 1820s, he participates in the struggle of young romantics led by Victor Hugo against the Academy - the citadel of the inert aristocratic Read More ......
8. Alexander Alexandrovich Dumas Alexander Dumas son (July 27, 1824 - November 27, 1895) - son of Alexandre Dumas, famous French playwright, member of the French Academy (since 1874) His mother was a simple Parisian worker, from whom Dumas inherited a love for a neat and calm image Read More......

The Three Musketeers in Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers

I really liked the novel French writer Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers". It is very exciting, dynamic, and has a lot of adventure. There are many heroes in it - they are good and bad. TO good heroes include Monsieur de Treville, the captain of the royal musketeers, and the royal musketeers themselves. They are brave, courageous, honest. There are four main characters in the novel - Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. They are friends and always stand up for each other. They even have a motto: “One for all and all for one.” They did not immediately become friends: at first they did not like D’Artagnan because he was very young, did not behave as he should, and made a lot of noise. But then they realized that he was a good and honest person, and they became friends. Athos, Porthos and Aramis were the most famous and bravest musketeers. They served the king, wore special musketeer cloaks and fought with swords. Their sworn enemies are the guards of Cardinal Richelieu. So they fought with them, and also in all sorts of duels. The king and the cardinal were at enmity with each other, and if you were on someone’s side, then you could no longer be a friend to others. Musketeers are all very different. The eldest of them is Athos. S is very noble, smart and brave, but he never laughs. Nobody knew his real name. Everyone respected Athos very much and obeyed him.

Porthos is the strongest of the musketeers, he eats a lot and likes to drink wine. He is very honest and simple. I really like Porthos because he says everything directly: “I fight because I fight.” The most cunning and educated of the musketeers is Aramis. He loves beautiful things, takes care of himself and never gets into a fight openly. He is not a coward, but prefers to negotiate. When it is impossible to reach an agreement, he fights very bravely. D'Artagnan is the youngest and most reckless of his friends. Because of him, they find themselves in different situations, but strong friendship helps them get out of them. At the end of the book, the friends break up, and it's very disappointing. Each of them goes on their own path.

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