Marguerite de Valois by Alexandre Dumas
"Marguerite de Valois," co-written by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet, is the first novel in Dumas's Valois trilogy, set against the backdrop of 16th-century France during a tumultuous period of religious and political conflict. The narrative intricately weaves historical figures and events, focusing primarily on Henri de Navarre, who is depicted as a skilled and adaptable leader navigating the treacherous landscape of power struggles between Catholics and Protestants. Marguerite, the title character, finds herself caught in the machinations of her mother, Catherine de Médicis, who is portrayed as a manipulative figure intent on securing her family's dominance.
While the novel is rooted in historical fact, Dumas takes creative liberties in character portrayals and events, enhancing their dramatic qualities. Characters like Charles IX exhibit a complex array of traits, from kindness to tyranny, while supporting roles contribute to a rich tapestry of intrigue and tension. The story explores themes of loyalty, ambition, and the personal sacrifices made in the pursuit of power. "Marguerite de Valois" stands out not only for its compelling characters but also for its exploration of the fraught dynamics of royal life during a critical era in French history.
Marguerite de Valois by Alexandre Dumas
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published:La Reine Margot, 1845 (English translation, 1845)
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Marguerite de Valois, written with Auguste Maquet, is the first novel of Dumas’s Valois trilogy, which ranks among the author’s best works. The characters have their counterparts in the actual history of the sixteenth century. The novel is not a romance; no laws of nature are suspended, and the characters are not endowed with any magical powers. They are, however, somewhat larger than life in their actions and passions. This quality is fitting, however, for the powerful, willful royalty that the novel is about.
Dumas allows himself the liberty of compressing and altering the facts of history in order to construct a compelling story. The novel takes place during a time of religious wars that were as much political as they were religious. The rival factions represented by Marguerite and her mother were Catholic on one hand and Protestant on the other. Upon the death of Charles IX, his brother takes over the throne, becoming Henri III. Henri de Navarre flees for his life, to await the time (1589) when he may obtain the throne.
De Navarre is the protagonist of the novel, despite its title. His enemy is Catherine de Médicis, who wants her son (or, failing that, her grandson) to rule France. Dumas paints de Navarre as a brave and level-headed soldier and politician who is shrewd and capable in dealing with his enemies. He is also capable, as he needed to be to survive, of shifting his religious affiliation. This serves to bring a degree of religious toleration to his nation. Catherine de Médicis is portrayed as a monster. In historical fact it is unlikely that she could have been as evil as Dumas portrays her, although in fact she did authorize the assassination of Admiral de Colingy and his Protestant followers. Furthermore, it appears that her actions led to the infamous Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. She uses her daughter as a pawn, which her daughter resents. Catherine marries Marguerite to Henri so that one way or another her male descendants will rule France—either through Marguerite or through Charles IX.
The novel’s many other characters are also compelling and memorable. Charles IX is a bundle of opposites—now friendly, then deadly, now meek, then tyrannical, now cruel, then kind. Comte Hyacinthe Lerac de la Mole is a fop but also a brave and fierce swordsman and a sincere lover of Marguerite. Others include the perfumer, poisoner, and soothsayer René; the assassin Maurevel; and a large assortment of braggarts, killers, and family.
Bibliography
Bell, David F. Real Time: Accelerating Narrative from Balzac to Zola. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004.
Hemmings, F. W. J. Alexandre Dumas: The King of Romance. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1979.
Macdonald, Roger. “The Man in the Iron Mask.” History Today 55, no. 11 (November, 2005): 30.
Marinetti, Amelita. “Death, Resurrection, and Fall in Dumas’ Le Comte de Monte-Cristo.” The French Review 50, no. 2 (December, 1976): 260-269.
Maund, Kari, and Phil Nanson. The Four Musketeers: The True Story of D’Artagnan, Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. Stroud, Gloucestershire, England: Tempus, 2005.
Maurois, André. The Titans: A Three-Generation Biography of the Dumas. Translated by Gerard Hopkins. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1971.
Ross, Michael. Alexandre Dumas. North Pomfret, Vt.: David & Charles, 1981.
Schopp, Claude. Alexandre Dumas: Genius of Life. Translated by A. J. Koch. New York: Franklin Watts, 1988.
Stowe, Richard S. Alexandre Dumas (père). Boston: Twayne, 1976.