The Man In The Iron Mask

Aramis and D’Artagnan come out on top in the epilogue: the former became the Spanish ambassador; the latter is on the cusp of a major military promotion. Although Aramis’s plans to become Pope do not seem to have much of a chance anymore, he still maneuvered his way into a position of significant power and influence. D’Artagnan seems resolved to continue his life in military service, but when he accepts his marshal’s baton, he is killed in combat. He lived and died as a soldier, but his accomplishments struggle to measure up beside the political machinations that now take center stage. In this new world where King Louis XIV moves his relatives around like chess pieces, Aramis's ambition seems the only virtue of the Musketeers that will survive. More importantly, the glory days of the Musketeers are far behind them, and even D’Artagnan’s military accomplishments are not that significant in this new regime. King Louis seeks to establish a reign in which the king is the absolute law and authority, a world in which the remaining musketeers serve no grander purpose than hired muscle and paper-pushers. It is sadly ironic that D’Artagnan dies immediately after receiving his promotion to marshal—it should be one of the highest honors, but the novel’s ending shows the reader that this “honor” does not really matter.