Twenty Years After · Chapter
Remember! explained
King Charles I is executed on the scaffold.
What happens
King Charles I is executed on the scaffold. Athos, hidden beneath the planks, hears the king's final words and catches his blood. The king speaks to his children, prays, and gives the signal 'Remember!' before the masked executioner strikes.
Themes in this chapter
Revenge and Justice
The execution of Charles I represents the ultimate act of revolutionary justice, while Athos's secret presence and the king's final words invoke a sense of personal revenge and loyalty.
Honor and Duty
Athos's hidden vigil and the king's dignified demeanor on the scaffold highlight the themes of honor and duty to one's sovereign and cause.
Poverty and Suffering
The king's loss of throne and inheritance, and the grim spectacle of execution, underscore the suffering and poverty of the royal family.
Characters to notice
- Athos
Hidden beneath the scaffold, hears the king's final words and catches his blood.
- Charles Stuart
King Charles I, executed on the scaffold; speaks to his children and gives the signal 'Remember!'
- Aramis
Present on the scaffold as a priest, receives the king's diamond cross.
- D'Artagnan
Seen among the spectators in the square.
- Bishop Juxon
Leads the king's children away from the scaffold.
- Mordaunt
Implied as the masked executioner.
Key passages
“Comte de la Fère, are you there?”
The king asks Athos if he is hidden beneath the scaffold.
The king's secret address to Athos, revealing their prior arrangement.
“Remember!”
The king's final word, the signal for the executioner to strike.
The chapter's title and the key moment of the execution.
“Faithful friend, noble heart!”
The king praises Athos for his loyalty.
The king's acknowledgment of Athos's devotion.