Man in the Iron Mask Term Paper

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He is the last resource of the dying; he is the instrument of heavenly mercy. Sire, we supplicate you with clasped hands and bended knees, as the Deity is supplicated! Madame Fouquet has no longer any friends, no longer any support; she weeps in her poor deserted house, abandoned by all those who besieged its door in the hour of prosperity; she has neither credit nor hope left. At least, the unhappy wretch upon whom your anger falls receives from you, however culpable he may be, the daily bread which is moistened by his tears. As much afflicted, more destitute than her husband, Madame Fouquet- she who had the honor to receive your Majesty at her table; Madame Fouquet, the wife of the ancient Superintendent of your Majesty's Finances,- Madame Fouquet has no longer bread."

Reality v Fiction

There are many ways in which Dumas stretches the reality of not just the characters involved, but of the history of France itself to accommodate his telling of conspiracy and suspense. There was, as records of the Bastille corroborate, a masked prisoner whose identity was kept secret (MacDonald, 2005). However, it is unlikely that the prisoner was in fact a relative to the King, and especially not a twin, since "The arrival of an unexpected second child, allegedly nine hours after the first, could surely not have remained undetected in the goldfish bowl of the French court, and infant mortality rate was so high that the birth of a second son to Anne of Austria would have been more welcomed than feared (MacDonald, 2005, p. 30)."

Also, another important way in which Dumas stretched the truth was as concerns the life of the Three Muskaeteers (MacDonald, 2005). Dumas places the Muskateers in the service of Anne of Austria, in retrieving the diamond studs that she inappropriately gifted (MacDonald, 2005). "Only in Dumas' imagination were the Muskateers involved in this episode (which had actually occurred in 1625), saving the Queen's honor by replacing the missing diamonds; the real Athos, Aramis, and Porthos would have been children, d' Artangnan still a babe in arms (MacDonald, 2005, p. 30)." This is significant in understanding the relationship between reality and fiction, and that as a creative writer, a fiction writer, Dumas drew on fact for his fiction.

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The final "reality" of the story and era in which it unfolds is that there is an air of elegance, royalty, and romance inferred in the telling. In fact, given the historical time, the modern day reader might find his or herself very uncomfortable - even at court. There were no modern conveniences of communication, sanitation, and there was considerable disregard for the health and well being of any person who was of less than wealthy social status. This exemplified by Pelisson's plea on behalf Fouquet's wife, which served as the comparison for the extreme demarcations of wealth and poverty. That the impoverished would succumb to disease, hunger, or other societal ills would be of little social or political interest to the monarchy, except to the extent that there existed a plague that might spread to the royal house and its serving aristocracy and lesser servants.

The book, especially when considering the contrast of reality vs. fiction used by Dumas, gives rise to curiosity that might be satisfied by further investigation of the period, the events, and the people who served as the inspiration for the telling - and stretching of the truth. Also, the fact that the intrigue and research about the man in the mask continues to baffle scholars, historians and others remains a puzzle to be solved. This makes investigation of the period and people even more interesting.

Reference List

Dumas, Alexandre. The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Ed. David Coward. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Questia. 3 Aug. 2007 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=22933050.

Macdonald, Roger. "Behind the Iron Mask." History Today Nov. 2005: 30+.….....

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