Misfortune begins to cast a shadow over the lives of the characters of the story after the arrival of Cecilia Volanges to her family’s home. She has been taken out of the convent of Ursulinas de *** by her mother, Madame Volanges, who has promised the Count de Gercourt the hand of her daughter in a ceremony that will take place next winter. Cecilia, however, fixes her attention on the Chevalier Danceny whom she meets at a dinner organized by the Marchioness of Mertuil.
The Marchioness, for her part, has her own plans for Cecilia’s future. Thus, she takes advantage of Mrs Volanges’ schemes to get revenge on the Count de Gercourt for betraying her in the past by leaving her for another woman. The Viscount de Valmont enters the scene here when the Marchioness, his close friend, orders him to corrupt little Cecilia. She also orders him to make public knowledge of certain embarrassing events, related to Cecilia, after the Count has married the young girl. Valmont, however, rejects this proposal to pursue other interests. Finding himself in the country residence of Madame de Rosemonde, his aunt and only living relative, the Viscount has begun to feel, in the presence of the President of Tourvel, an unexpected attraction to this woman that prompts him to do everything possible to possess her.
The intrigues of the Marchioness de Mertuil, and those of the Viscount de Valmont end up intertwining as their victims find themselves in the need to establish ties of convenience with each other in order to survive within an aristocracy in which the respective dilemmas of one and other reach the ears of ladies and gentlemen in the Parisian evenings.
Analysis of the characters:
The Marchioness of Mertuil:
She is characterized by a cold and calculating temperament; her greatest delight is to humiliate her lovers causing them an unspeakable suffering.
Leaving aside her old idyll with the Count de Gercourt, which has taken place a few years ago, the Marchioness of Merteuil allows four men to court her throughout the novel. She ends up having intimacy with two of them.
▪Belleroche, the faithful lover
He is a man of great physical attractiveness, and even very sensitive, but without the mental acuity or skill in the art of seduction that the Marchioness exhibits. His conversation is bland; his company, irritating; and his only charm is to lend himself naively to the whims of his beloved.
I am certain that if I had sense enough to break off with him now, he would be a prey to the most violent despair; yet nothing diverts me more than an enraged lover. He, perhaps, would call me perfidious, and that word has ever pleased me; it is, after the epithet cruel, the sweetest to a woman’s ear, and the least painful to deserve
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 21).
As expected, the Marchioness ends up getting tire of her lover, and chooses to use different resources to force him to leave her.
▪The strange bond with the Viscount de Valmont
The Viscount and the Marchioness were lovers in the past, but they decided to cut this relationship replacing it with a singular friendship.
A blind trust allows them to be confidant and reveal to each other their most heinous acts in order to bask in the fruits of evil. However, the Viscount de Valmont is the first to long for better times in which his happiness was only caused by the intimacy he maintained with the Marchioness. Thus, his jealousy for the privileged role that Belleroche occupies in the life of her dear friend, emerge, and his desire to regain the power he once had over her takes hold of him.
Hark ye, my lovely friend, while you divide yourself among many, I am not in the least jealous; I then look down on your lovers as on Alexander’s successors; incapable of preserving among them that empire where I reigned sole monarch; but that you should give yourself up entirely to one of them, that another should exist as happy as me, I will not suffer; don’t expect I’ll bear it! Either take me again, or take another; and do not, by any exclusive caprice, betray the inviolable friendship we have sworn to each other
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 42).
The Marchioness, face with the Viscount’s pretensions, allows him to display all his gallantry, and agrees to be his for a single night once he has managed to bring about the downfall of the President of Tourvel.
▪The temptation for Prevan
He is the only man within the Parisian sphere capable of overshadowing the Viscount de Valmont. Such is the degree of perfection of his methods to deceive women.
During a dinner, Prevan begins to speak precisely of the Marchioness, whom he knows only by sight and whose reputation as an honorable woman inspires him distrust.
“God forbid,” said he, rising up, “that I should have the least doubt of the virtue of Madame de Merteuil; but I dare say, that she owes it more to levity than principle. It is, perhaps, easier to please her, than follow her; and as one seldom fails in running after a woman, to meet others in one’s way, those may be as much, if not more, valuable than she; some are dissipated by a new taste, others stop through lassitude; and she is, perhaps, one of the women who has had the least opportunity of making a resistance, of any of Paris; for my part,” said he, (encouraged by the smiles of some of the women), “I will not credit Madame de Merteuil’s virtue, until I have killed six horses in her service.”
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 161).
Warned by the Viscount about Prevan’s intentions to test her composure, the Marchioness decides to take advantage of the occasion to have fun at the expense of this man; thus, she favors some casual encounters with him in the company of mutual acquaintances. Once the necessary familiarity between them has been established, an intimate meeting is set at the Marchioness’s house. This encounter would end in a mockery against the conceited man.
▪The craving for the Chevalier Danceny
After getting rid of Belleroche, the Marchioness fixes her attention on this gentleman who becomes a perfect replacement, being just as foolish as the first one but owner, instead, of a fresher and more passionate nature which he owes to his youth. However, the interest of the Marchioness, as in the case of Belleroche, hides the need to be surrounded by men of little value to manipulating them according to her wishes.
There are not many letters that have been exchanged between Danceny and the Marchioness de Mertuil, so there is no more information to add about it. On the other hand, the bond they maintained was extremely brief.
Mrs. Volanges:
Her own marriage was once a bond of interest. Having, later, become a widow, she had to take all the decisions pertaining to her daughter’s education.
Her friendship with the President of Tourvel, and her close relationship with Madame de Rosemonde are her source of consolation in the moments of greatest anguish she must go through.
Mrs. Volanges is far from being tempted by the charms of the gentlemen with whom she might associate; she shows no interest in wanting to be loved nor does she intend, on her part, to experience such a feeling again. The psychology of this character is defined by the following points:
▪Her harsh and unaffectionate treatment to her daughter
The only reason for Cecilia’s return to her house is her mother’s desire to unite her with a man of noble title and a loose fortune. When she discovers that Cecilia maintains a secret correspondence with the Chevalier Danceny, she immediately attempts to break this bond under threat of locking Cecilia back in a convent but this time forever.
You will certainly not be surprised, Sir, after having so grossly abused the confidence of a mother, and the innocence of a child, to be no longer admitted into a house where you have repaid the sincerest friendship with the blackest ingratitude. I prefer desiring you never more to appear here, rather than giving orders to my servants to refuse you admittance, which would affect us all, by the remarks that would infallibly be made. I have a right to expect you will not put me under the necessity of taking this step
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 142).
▪Her concern for the President of Tourvel
Mrs. Volanges acts with her friend with the same rigidity as with her own daughter; but she allows herself to honestly express her thoughts. Thus Mrs. Volanges, noting the interest of the President of Tourvel in the Viscount de Valmont, tries to warn her of the danger of staying near him in the solitude of a country house. She even goes so far as to suggest the President of Tourvel to leave that place immediately.
Unfortunately for Mrs. Volanges, as the story progresses, the Viscount comes to have in his hands the letters that the President of Tourvel received during her stay at the house of Madame de Rosemonde. When the Viscount finds out that she is the one who had been seeking to separate him from “his beloved devotee”, he immediately decides to take revenge by humiliating her daughter.
▪Her respect for Mrs. Rosemonde
Although this is the aunt of the man she hates the most, she ask for her opinion when she has to make a decision regarding Cecilia. A simple word, or a silence from Mrs. Rosemonde will be enough to choose one or another option.
Alas, my dear friend! with what a frightful veil do you cover the fate of my daughter; and seem to dread I should raise it! What can it hide, then, more afflicting to a mother’s heart, than those horrible suspicions to which you give me up? The more I consider your friendship, your indulgence, the more my torments are increased. Twenty times since last night, I wanted to be rid of those cruel uncertainties, and to beg you would inform me, without reserve or evasion, and each time shuddered, when I recollected your request not to be interrogated
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 429).
Cecilia Volanges:
The girl stands out for her beauty and her candor, as well as for her lack of knowledge about how to handle herself in society since she had been away from the Parisian city for several years having been confined in a convent by decision of her mother. Even so, Cecilia seems to be more clueless than other young women since her intuition does not help her overcome the simplest obstacles that she encounters as the daughter of a woman that belongs to the aristocracy.
Cecilia is related to three men in the narrative. The necessary information about them comes to us initially through the correspondence she maintains with Sofía Carnay, a pupil of the same convent she has attended. Afterwards, we receive more details thanks to the letters that she sends to the Marchioness de Merteuil, to the Chevalier Danceny, and by those that the Viscount de Valmont sends to this two.
▪The first romantic illusion; her hidden courtship with Danceny
As we have mentioned before, Cecilia meets this man at a dinner organized by the Marchioness of Merteuil. During the course of the evening they sing together different duets to entertain the rest of those present in the room. This performance turns out to be so pleasant for everyone that it is scheduled that both of them will meet in Mrs. Volanges’s house, and under her supervision, to rehearse different pieces of music.
As Cecilia’s interest in Danceny is reciprocated, he soon declares his love for her.
Before I give way, Miss, whether shall I call it, to the pleasure or necessity of writing to you, I begin by entreating you to hear me: I am sensible I stand in need of your indulgence, in daring to declare my sentiments for you; if they wanted only vindication, indulgence would be useless. Yet, after all, what am I about to do, but exhibit your own productions? I have nothing to say that my looks, my confusion, my conduct, and even my silence, have not already told you! Why should you be displeased with sentiments to which you have given birth? Proceeding from you, they certainly should be offered you; if they are as inflamed as my heart, they are as chaste as your own
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 46).
However, Cecilia prohibits the Chevalier Danceny from taking the liberty of expressing his feelings when circumstances do not allow him to do so; moreover, the way he has chosen to do it censures his behavior even in the eyes of a creature as naive as Cecilia. Despite this, and after some time, the girl access to Danceny’s pleas.
▪The repulsion for the Count de Gercourt
The only thing that Cecilia knows about her fiancé is that he is a thirty-six-year-old man, wealthy but with bad temper; all this according to the Marchioness de Merteuil’s own words. With this description, Cecilia immediately begins to despise her future husband, whom she never actually sees in person during the preparations for her wedding. It is her mother who is in charge of keeping the Count up to date on everything related to the link that will unite him with her daughter.
▪The rape committed by the Viscount de Valmont, and their subsequent relationship
With the excuse of acting as an intermediary between the two lovers, as Mme Volanges has decided to take her daughter away from the city, the Viscount introduces himself as her most fervent servant to take advantage of the girl’s innocence. Thus, the Viscount proposes to Cecilia to steal from her mother one of the keys that allow access to her bedroom so that he could deliver Danceny’s letters at night. Cecilia agrees with some resistance; and the day after stealing the key, the fatal event happens.
Destroyed by pain, Cecilia ends up revealing this horrible secret to the Marchioness of Mertuil. This one, far from comforting the girl, forces her to forget the terror that the Viscount de Valmont has instilled in her soul. Also she persuades her of the convenience of becoming his lover. Cecilia’s little cultivated mind does not see the deception, afterwards she becomes a toy in the hands of the Viscount.
I begin to think what I imagined so great a misfortune, is a trifling thing; I own there is a deal of pleasure in it; so that I begin to be tolerably easy. Nothing now gives me any trouble, but the idea of Danceny; I am often, that I do not think of him at all, and I believe it is because M. de Valmont is so engaging
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 285).
The Viscount de Valmont:
Lust and pleasure for cruelty govern the behavior of this character. His lowest instincts are awakened when he beholds the beauty of any woman. He knows how to handle “praise and satire with equal skill” to subjugate, with one, his victims and impose, with the other, respect before his adversaries.
The hectic life of the Viscount is in evidence through the relationships he maintains.
▪The adoration for the President of Tourvel
This woman is a most desirable prey to the Viscount de Valmont for her religious devotion. He cannot help but making fun of this attitude, since there are constant episodes in which the lady openly manifests her intention to help him correct the faults that he has committed in the past. For the rest, this madam gives little importance to her appearance; she lacks grace in her dress, and in the way she walks.
As events unfold, it turns out to be too easy for the Viscount to trick the President of Tourvel and harass her with atrocious tenacity.
… no, Sir, you do not know me, or you would not thus presume, upon your own injustice, and because you have dared to speak a language I should not have listened to, you would not have thought, yourself, to write me a letter I ought not to read; and you desire I should guide your steps, and prescribe your conversation! Well, Sir, silence and oblivion is the only advice that is suitable for me to give, and you to follow; then, only, will you have a title to pardon: you might even obtain some title to my gratitude—but no, I shall make no request to a man who has lost all respect for me; I will not repose confidence in one who has already abused it
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, pages 65 and 66).
▪Emilia (unknown surname); the reunion with an old pleasure
She is a former lover of the Viscount, an actress at the Paris Opera. Two different episodes occur with this woman, separated each other by no more than two months.
a) The letter written on her naked back
Upon returning to Paris for the first time after his stay at his aunt’s house, the Viscount goes to a function at the Opera, and then walks through the dressing rooms where he meets Emilia in the company of several friends. The Viscount is invited to join them for a dinner, and he agrees. When the party is over, Emilia and the Viscount share a moment of passion. Later, still covered only by the sheets, the Viscount uses Emilia’s back as a lectern to write a letter to the President of Tourvel expressing the sincerity of his feelings for her.
b) Laughter at the exit of the theater
After having paid a visit to the President of Tourvel, the Viscount excuses himself for not being able to continue in her pleasant company, and abandons her to pick up Emilia at the exit of the Opera. The President, therefore, decides to make the most of the night going out to dinner with some friends; thus, she asks her servants to prepare her carriage for it. As she passed the Opera House, the President identifies the Viscount’s car and decides to look out the window to make sure she is not mistaken. Her eyes, full of anguish, distinguish the figure of a woman sitting next to her beloved; clearly this woman is Emilia. This one, alerted by the Viscount about the presence of the President, pokes out her head at the same time to observe Valmont’s new conquest. Emilia begins to laugh uproariously when contemplating the altered face of the President of Tourvel.
▪A night of passion with the Viscountess of M ***
On one of the many trips Valmont makes, he stops for a day at the house of the Countess of… and there he meets an old acquaintance to whom he proposes to spend the night together. But there is a complication; both, her lover and her husband, are also staying there. However, the Viscount manages to get rid of them and spend the night reveling in the pleasures that the Viscountess provides him.
▪Cecilia Volanges; pupil, and lover
As we have already mentioned, the Viscount de Valmont takes advantage of the innocence of the young woman to aproach her, and abuse her. After this event, the relationship that he intends to maintain with the girl goes through certain difficulties due to the terror she has been plunged into after her first sexual experience with the Viscount. However, once the Marchioness of Mertuil takes action on the matter, Cecilia gladly surrenders to her victimizer. The Viscount takes this opportunity to bond in a more intimate way with the young girl, and to give her an appropriate instruction in view of the carnal encounters that she will be having with the Count de Gercourt when she becomes his wife.
I have already received her twice: in this short interval, the scholar is almost as learned as the master: yes, upon my word I have taught her everything as far as the compliances: I have concealed nothing but the precautions(…) My leisure hours are taken up with the means of regaining the advantages I have lost over my ingrate, in competing a catechism of debauchery for the use of my scholar, wherein I call everything by its technical name; I anticipate my joy on the very affecting conversation it will furnish between Gercourt and she the first night after their marriage. Nothing can be more diverting than the ingenuousness with which she expresses what little she knows of this language; she does not think people ought to speak otherwise; this is really enchanting; this contrast of simple candour, with the style of barefaced impudence, has its effect; and I do not know how it is, but of late nothing pleases me but oddities
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, pages 289 and 290).
▪The Marchioness of Mertuil, a lustful relationship
At the time we loved each other, for I believe it was love, I was happy—and you, Viscount—but why engage our thoughts on a happiness that can never return? No, say what you will, it is impossible
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 342).
In most of the letters the Viscount de Valmont writes to his dear friend, the latter insists on regaining the bond that had previously united them. Despite the fact that the Marchioness initially agrees to have a meeting alone with him, if he succeeds in seducing the President of Tourvel, this promise gradually fades as the Viscount begins to hint that his intention is to gain a reconciliation that would restore all the rights he had in the past.
Chevalier Danceny:
A member of the Order of Malta, born in a noble family but with scarce wealth, he is no rival, given this last circumstance, for the great lords of the Parisian aristocracy when it comes to ingratiating himself with a lady of his same social rank.
He is shown as a courteous, educated young man, of honest feelings, and, for the rest, with a great ability to dedicate beautiful verses to the women he is interested in. However, a certain lack of cunning works to his detriment in achieving victory in his plans.
▪The almost constant loyalty to Cecilia Volanges
He falls deeply in love with her when he contemplates her beauty at the evening celebrated by the Marchioness of Mertuil. Shortly after this evening, Danceny gives her a letter confessing the passion that she has inspired in his heart; also he ask for her reciprocity. Nothing more needs to be added in this regard except that if he managed to win Cecilia’s love it was only because of the pity felt by the girl.
My God! what trouble your letter gives me! I had great reason, to be sure, to be impatient to receive it. I expected to have received some consolation, and am now more afflicted than ever. I could not help crying when I read it(…) What is it, then, you mean to say? That your love is now a torment to you; that you can’t live any longer thus, nor bear to be so circumstanced? What! will you cease loving me, because it is not quite so easy to see me as formerly?
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 204).
▪The incomprehensible attraction for the Marchioness of Mertuil
When the Chevalier Danceny is deprived of both the company of Cecilia and the possibility of communicating with her by letters, he fixes his attention on the Marchioness who, until that moment, had acted as a confidante of his beloved and his. The Marchioness bears no resemblance with Cecilia. However, driven by loneliness, Danceny tries to find in her arms the affection that he has not been able to find before to appease his love for Miss Volanges.
The President of Tourvel:
▪Self-sacrificing and affectionate wife
Although little is revealed to us in the novel, the President has been married for two years to a man who provides her with a calm and happy life. Her husband, at the time of the events that caused her physical and moral decline, is in Dijon on a business trip. The only news we receive from her husband are the ones that his own wife can give by occasionally receiving a letter from him.
▪Her obsession with the Viscount
Although it may seem contradictory, the President of Tourvel is the character most likely to be tempted to experience worldly pleasures. However, this desire is repressed with the due modesty imposed by the Christian values that have been instilled in her mind and soul since she was a child. As the novel progresses, the struggle of the President of Tourvel to hide her more sexual instincts becomes more evident when they emerge upon seeing the Viscount de Valmont for the first time.
Yes, I enjoy it; to see this prudent woman, entangled imperceptibly in a path from whence she cannot return; whose rapid and dangerous declivity hurries her on against her will, and forces her to follow me—then, frightened at the danger, would, but cannot stop;—her anxiety and wariness make her steps slow, but still they must succeed each other
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 242).
Mrs. Rosemonde:
Despite the bad reputation of her nephew, the Viscount has won her affection and he will inherit all her assets when she dies. Madame de Rosemonde, kind by nature, is not deceived about the Viscount’s customs, but she still finds his company extremely pleasant and she cannot help but miss him when he is in Paris.
Due to her years of experience, as well as her inclination to help others, her advice is frequently requested, although it does not always give proof of an accurate judgment.
▪Her compassion for Valmont’s suffering
Although she is willing to support her acquaintances when necessary, Mrs. Rosemode, an elderly woman who loved her nephew too much, was more sensitive to his regrets than to anyone else’s. This led her to behave according to her emotions in matters in which the viscount was involved, and indirectly induced her to cause deep pain to other people.
▪Her silence in the face of the fait accompli
If she was unable to keep to herself the details about the changes she noticed in the viscount’s behavior after her first break-up with the President of Tourvel, she acted, on the other hand, with greater prudence by having to hide what she knew about his past when his name and reputation was at stake, as well as that of Danceny and Cecilia. This attitude, out of consideration for Valmont, brought about the salvation of the honor of the young lovers, and of Mrs. Volanges; although, in truth, it was already destroyed.
The information you have given me, Sir, leaves me no room for anything but sorrow and silence. One regrets to live, when they hear such horrible actions; one must be ashamed of their sex, when they see a woman capable of such abominations(…)Will you permit my age to make a reflection which seldom occurs to yours? which is, if rightly understood what is solid happiness, we should never seek it beyond the bounds prescribed by religion and the laws
(Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; Global Grey Editions, page 425).
Critique:
▪Superfluous and repetitive speech by the Chevalier Danceny, the Viscount de Valmont, and the President of Tourvel
While most of the letters are pleasant to read, some can be overwhelming. Such is the case of those that are written by Danceny, who often resorts to supplications to instill compassion. The same happens with those exchanged between the Viscount de Valmont and the President of Tourvel. The Viscount insists on adopting a language that is not his own to capture the attention of his beloved, and this one, for her part, persists in rejecting him, contradicting her own sayings, answering Valmont’s letters over and over again.
This procedure, both of some and others, does not fail to reflect the personality of certain figures belonging to the Parisian aristocratic of the second half of the 18th century. This does not exempt the writer from not having used certain resources so that the actions of his characters would not be tedious for the reader.
▪Hypocrisy in the construction of Cecilia’s temperament
Presented as a character who does not know the principles by which the world is governed, she is, in essence, a girl, either senseless, or who acts deliberately in a reprehensible way once she is introduced into Machiavellian practices. The acceptance of sadistic behavior, as well as her incursion in such perverse maneuvers, denote a personality that was already corrupted or whose nature was related to those actions. Therefore a duality is presented in the novel that leaves the reader confused about whether Cecilia’s behavior is encouraged by ignorance or by her own pleasure in doing evil.
▪Letter LXXXI
In this letter we are made aware of the past of the Marchioness of Mertuil, and the circumstances that allowed her to become a woman respected by society and coveted by men. The letter constitutes, in theoretical terms, a twaddle in regard to the elaboration of the novel since no previous event has led to its writing. However, in practical terms, it is interesting what it reveals. Having said the latter, the writer should have elaborated it differently; otherwise, the purpose of it seems to be only to extend the length of his work by a few pages.
Conclusion:
The most perverse thoughts that a person’s mind can hold, and the subsequent actions that it is capable of carrying out to deprave, and bring about the ruin of others through seduction, are revealed in this work with admirable accuracy. The consequences that aggressors and victims must suffer as punishment for their sins ar also exquisitely exposed. For this reason, this book is extremely appropriate to delve into the knowledge of cruelty and human anguish.
