The Three Musketeers · Chapter
Epilogue explained
The siege of La Rochelle ends with the surrender of the city.
What happens
The siege of La Rochelle ends with the surrender of the city. D'Artagnan takes command of his own company. Porthos marries Madame Coquenard and gains a fortune. Aramis disappears into a convent. Athos remains a musketeer until 1633, then retires. D'Artagnan fights Rochefort three times, and they become friends. Planchet becomes a sergeant. Monsieur Bonacieux disappears after reminding the cardinal of his existence.
Themes in this chapter
Loyalty and Friendship
D'Artagnan and Rochefort reconcile after three duels, embracing without malice, showing that former enemies can become friends.
Class and Social Mobility
Porthos marries Madame Coquenard for her fortune, and Planchet rises to sergeant, illustrating social advancement.
Honor and Chivalry
Athos and Aramis retire from service with dignity, following their personal codes of honor.
Characters to notice
- D'Artagnan
Takes possession of his command as a musketeer; fights Rochefort three times and wounds him each time, eventually becoming friends.
- Porthos
Leaves the service and marries Madame Coquenard, inheriting a fortune of eight hundred thousand livres.
- Aramis
Disappears after a journey to Lorraine and retires into a convent, his location unknown.
- Athos
Remains a musketeer under D'Artagnan until 1633, then retires to a small property in Roussillon.
- Planchet
Obtains the rank of sergeant in the Piedmont regiment through Rochefort.
- Monsieur Bonacieux
Lives quietly, unaware of his wife's fate; after reminding the cardinal of his existence, he disappears, presumably imprisoned.
- Mousqueton
Enjoys a magnificent livery and the satisfaction of standing behind a gilded carriage.
- Bazin
Becomes a lay brother after Aramis's retirement.
Key passages
“La Rochelle, deprived of the assistance of the English fleet and of the diversion promised by Buckingham, surrendered after a siege of a year.”
La Rochelle surrendered after a year-long siege, having lost hope of help from the English fleet or from Buckingham's promised diversion.
The siege's conclusion is attributed to the failure of English support.
“D’Artagnan fought three times with Rochefort, and wounded him three times. “I shall probably kill you the fourth,” said he to him, holding out his hand to assist him to rise. “It is much better both for you and for me to stop where we are,” answered the wounded man.”
D'Artagnan dueled Rochefort three times, wounding him each time. After the third, D'Artagnan offered his hand and said he might kill him next time, but Rochefort replied it was better for both to stop.
The rivalry between D'Artagnan and Rochefort ends in reconciliation.
“M. Bonacieux, having left his house at seven o’clock in the evening to go to the Louvre, never appeared again in the Rue des Fossoyeurs; the opinion of those who seemed to be best informed was that he was fed and lodged in some royal castle, at the expense of his generous Eminence.”
Monsieur Bonacieux left home at seven in the evening for the Louvre and was never seen again; rumor held that the cardinal had him housed and fed in a royal castle.
Bonacieux's disappearance is implied to be at the cardinal's orders.
