# 225: A Night at the Bastille explained — The Vicomte de Bragelonne

> Chapter companion for The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas.

## What happens

Louis XIV, imprisoned in the Bastille, undergoes a night of intense psychological torment. He initially believes he may be dead or dreaming, but gradually realizes he is a prisoner. In a fury, he tries to summon the governor, breaks furniture, and shouts for hours, but receives no response. The governor, Baisemeaux, dismisses the commotion as the madness of the prisoner Marchiali and hopes for his death. The chapter explores the king's despair, his suspicions of Fouquet and Aramis, and his sense of utter isolation.

## Themes in this chapter

### Power and Ambition

The king's loss of power and his frantic attempts to assert authority in the face of imprisonment highlight the fragility of royal ambition.

### Fate and Tragedy

Louis's descent into despair and his contemplation of death reflect the tragic reversal of fortune and the inescapable nature of his situation.

### Court Intrigue and Deception

The king's suspicions of Fouquet and Aramis underscore the pervasive deception and conspiracy within the court.

## Character check-ins

### Louis XIV

Imprisoned in the Bastille, he experiences a crisis of identity and rage, breaking furniture and shouting for the governor.

### Nicolas Fouquet

Suspected by the king of orchestrating a conspiracy to imprison him.

### Aramis

Identified by the king as Fouquet's agent; his voice is recognized.

### Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Mentioned as having been right about Fouquet's treachery.

### Baisemeaux de Montlezun

Governor of the Bastille who dismisses the king's outbursts as madness and hopes for his death.

### Louise de La Vallière

The king fears she has been abandoned to Madame and that they are separated forever.

## Key lines

> in the Bastille , he said, and it is in the Bastille I am imprisoned. In what way can I have been made a prisoner? It must have been owing to a conspiracy of M. Fouquet.

The king realizes he is in the Bastille and concludes that Fouquet must have conspired to trap him.

_Louis's first clear recognition of his imprisonment and his attribution of blame to Fouquet._

> Perhaps my brother, the Duc d'Orléans, is doing that which my uncle wished to do during the whole of his life against my father.

The king speculates that his brother Philippe might be repeating the historical pattern of a royal relative plotting against the throne.

_Louis's paranoid thoughts extend to his own family, reflecting his deep insecurity._

> And La Vallière? Oh! La Vallière, she will have been abandoned to Madame. Dear, dear girl! Yes, it is⁠—it must be so. They have shut her up as they have me. We are separated forever!

The king fears that Louise de La Vallière has also been imprisoned and that they will never see each other again.

_Louis's personal anguish over his separation from La Vallière adds an emotional layer to his political crisis._

> Are you mad? said a rude, brutal voice. What is the matter with you this morning? This morning! thought the king; but he said aloud, politely, Monsieur, are you the governor of the Bastille?

A jailer rudely asks the king if he is mad, and Louis, noting the mention of morning, politely asks for the governor.

_The contrast between the king's politeness and the jailer's brutality underscores Louis's loss of status._

> M. de Baisemeaux, thoroughly impressed with what Aramis had told him, and in perfect conformity with the king's order, hoped only that one thing might happen; namely, that the madman Marchiali might be mad enough to hang himself to the canopy of his bed, or to one of the bars of the window.

Baisemeaux, following Aramis's instructions and the king's order, wishes that the prisoner Marchiali would commit suicide.

_The governor's callous hope reveals the extent of the conspiracy and the dehumanization of the prisoner._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters/225-a-night-at-the-bastille
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters