"All for one; and one for all!"
D'Artagnan speaks the novel's most famous line, quoting the motto of the Musketeers. He wants Porthos, Athos, and Aramis to help him investigate the kidnapping of Constance Bonancieux, even though the other three men are not quite sure what is going on. D'Artagnan's assertiveness is surprising, given that he is much younger than the other men, has only known them a short time, and lacks their rank and status. Still, the three musketeers, known to some of their peers as "the Inseparables," have pledged to stand with and help one another. They share money, resources, and guard duty when possible. Each has pledged to help any or all of the others, so that if any of them is in trouble, his friends will be there to render aid. This fierce loyalty to one another becomes increasingly important as the novel continues, since the musketeers will be drawn into more and more dangerous situations. In order to survive, especially in a world where everything is not what it seems, they need to have complete trust in each other's loyalty.
"Fight on all occasions. Fight all the more readily, for duels are forbidden and therefore there is twice as much courage in fighting."
Upon sending his son to Paris to begin a military career, hopefully in the service of Monsier de Tréville's Musketeers, D'Artagnan's father passes along some advice. He believes his son will succeed through a combination of boldness, courage, and skill with his rapier. Other young men who are better connected than D'Artagnan will be in constant competition with him for advancement, and so being ready to fight at any time is an attribute that will allow D'Artagnan to show his best qualities. The quote also shows where D'Artagnan may have inherited his reckless and stubborn spirit. Even though the older man knows that dueling is illegal (King Louis XIII had put a ban on duels in place in 1617), he does not caution his son to respect the law. D'Artagnan's father knows that taking risks and doing whatever is necessary to establish a prominent reputation will better serve his son's ambitions.
"Bravery is always respected, even in an enemy."
D'Artagnan and the three musketeers fight against several of the Cardinal's guardsmen, including a particularly brave fighter named Biscarrat. Although they are proud of themselves for winning the fight, the musketeers can also appreciate that the Cardinal's guards were worthy opponents. This quote introduces a theme which reoccurs throughout the novel: that a worthy adversary deserves respect. D'Artagnan and the musketeers never fail to note when they fight a man who displays courage and skills. Over the course of the plot, Cardinal Richelieu grudgingly gains more and more respect for D'Artagnan and his friends, even though they are working against him. By the end of the novel, he actually makes peace with them and gives D'Artagnan a promotion. In the novel, fighting and scheming are a type of sport that is mostly treated as a dispassionate test of skill. This attitude contrasts sharply with Milady, who is devious and deceitful, and operates from a place of emotion.
"The mousetrap is not a modern invention. As soon as societies had, in establishing themselves, instituted some kind of police, that police in its turn invented mousetraps."
Dumas uses these lines to draw a parallel between the historical world of the novel and the contemporary world of his readers. The Three Musketeers takes place more than 200 years before the time when it was written, but, like many historical novelists, Dumas uses his setting to engage in cultural critique. In the time of the French Revolution, and the period afterwards, there were many debates about government and authority using forms of spying and surveillance to monitor the French population. In this line, Dumas comments on how agents working for the Cardinal spy on the Bonancieux household in order to find out more about any secrets Constance may have been involved in. He sets up this practice as part of a tradition wherein power is maintained through control and surveillance.
"In easy circumstances, there are a crowd of aristocratic cares and caprices which accord well with beauty. A white and fine stocking, a silken dress, a lace kerchief, a pretty little shoe, a becoming ribband, do not make an ugly woman pretty, but they make a pretty woman irresistible."
This quote explains why D'Artagnan quickly becomes infatuated with Constance, and shows the narrator's worldly and cynical tone. On one hand, Constance is presented as a virtuous and beautiful woman who has inherently attractive qualities. On the other hand, the narrator unabashedly makes it clear that as the wife of a wealthy man, she has access to the money required to enhance her beauty. Especially for a somewhat sheltered young man like D'Artagnan, who is still unfamiliar with sophisticated Parisian culture, he is drawn to her because of her elegance, good taste, and refined manners. The world of the novel is a place where money and social position are important things to strive for, and they determine how one is perceived by others.
D'Artagnan marveled at the fragile unseen threads on which the destinies of nations and the lives of men may sometimes be suspended.
After Buckingham realizes he needs to buy time so that duplicate diamond studs can be created, and the reputation of the Queen can be saved, he orders a naval blockade to be put in place. While this will prevent the other studs from getting back to France, it also means that England will now officially be at war with France. D'Artagnan is astonished that even a man as powerful as Buckingham can casually instigate an international conflict in order to serve his own purposes. Buckingham is not a bad person, but he is so infatuated with Queen Anne that he sees the ends as justifying the means. For a young man like D'Artagnan, who is likewise also infatuated with a married woman, this type of powerful romantic heroism is intoxicating. D'Artagnan has recklessly followed his heart and impulses so far (and he will continue to do so), but his limited authority has kept the scope of consequences small. For a man like Buckingham, the fate of thousands of soldiers can simply be thrown away so that he can prove his devotion and protect the woman he loves.
"I unwell! Do you take me for a weak woman? When I am insulted, I do not feel unwell—I avenge myself!"
After Milady receives what seems to be a letter from the Comte de Wardes rejecting her, she reacts very strongly. Thinking she is ill, Kitty rushes to help her, but Milady snaps at her. Kitty makes a stereotypical assumption about the way a lady would respond to being slighted. In fact, Kitty may be projecting how she would behave, because she was very melancholy when pining for D'Artagnan. Milady, however, clearly distinguishes the way she is different from most women. She shows her ready anger and desire for vengeance, foreshadowing how she will behave in the remainder of the novel. Up until this point, Milady has mostly been a threat because of her alliance with the Cardinal but with this quote, her true self starts to emerge. She is going to be the most formidable villain of the novel because she takes insults so personally, and because she becomes obsessed with getting revenge on anyone who harms her.
"But, more than all, he had raised up a corner of her mask—of that aegis which had covered her, and rendered her so potent."
This quote offers a glimpse into Milady's mind, and shows why she becomes so obsessed with getting revenge on D'Artagnan. Milady has always relied on secrecy, and the ability to change her identity in order to achieve her ambitions and get away with her crimes. Because people are usually distracted by her beauty and charisma, there is never any suspicion about her history or motives. Moreover, her status as an aristocrat largely puts her above suspicion. Milady knows that if she is ever outed as a criminal and a liar, she will lose her power and influence. In the past, when she was married to Athos, and he found out who she actually was, he tried to kill her. Milady knows how much danger D'Artagnan has placed her in. Moreover, she is angry that someone has been able to trick and deceive her. She thought she was gaining power over D'Artagnan by seducing him, but in fact, he used the opportunity to gain power over her.
"Great criminals are endowed with a kind of predestination which enables them to surmount every obstacle, and to escape every danger, until the moment on which a wearied providence has fixed for the shipwreck of their unhallowed fortunes."
This quotation both shows why Milady seems to be almost invincible, and foreshadows her eventual downfall. The narrator implies that powerful villains will always have a downfall—but the timing of that downfall is in the hands of fate. Despite all the smart and powerful men working to foil her, Milady keeps slipping through their hands. The statement that her fate has not yet caught up with her might serve to shield them from criticism: it is not the fault of the Musketeers that they could not protect Buckingham, or stop Milady from returning to France. If fate is still working on her side, nothing can really be done to stop Milady. However, this argument is somewhat surprising in a heroic adventure novel. So much of the plot revolves around the Musketeers and their allies trying to protect the innocent, and put a stop to evil schemes. While this plot is melodramatic and suspenseful, the narrator also acknowledges that much of what happens is ultimately beyond their control.
"I shall no longer have my friends, then," said the young man. "Alas! nothing, henceforth, but bitter recollections!"
D'Artagnan speaks these lines at the very end of the novel as he laments the ways his life is going to change. He has been granted a prestigious position, and now that he is reconciled with the Cardinal, he has little to fear. At the same time, he can expect to see little of his friends, as they plan to move on with their lives, and he has no romantic prospects now that Constance is dead. The conclusion of D'Artagnan's story is bittersweet because while he has attained a lifelong dream, he also faces a loss of innocence and the end of a support system. The other musketeers helped D'Artagnan to grow into a man who can proudly serve as a Musketeer and who can take pride in his integrity and principles. In a sense, he no longer needs their guidance and mentorship in the same way, but he also knows he will miss their companionship and devotion. Although D'Artagnan is now moving on to his next stage of life, he mourns for the pleasures and companionship of his youth.
