The Three Musketeers The Atlanta Shakespeare Company Staff Artistic Director Jeff Watkins

Director of Education and Training Laura Cole

Development Director Rivka Levin

Education Staff Kati Grace Brown, Tony Brown, Andrew Houchins, Adam King, Amanda Lindsey, Samantha Smith

Box Office Manager Becky Cormier Finch

Marketing Manager Jeanette Meierhofer

Company Manager Joe Rossidivito

Unless otherwise noted, photos appearing in this study guide are courtesy of Daniel Parvis Photography

Study guide by Kati Grace Brown and Samantha Smith

The Atlanta Shakespeare Company 499 Peachtree St NE Atlanta GA 30308

404-874-5299 www.shakespearetavern.com

Like the Atlanta Shakespeare Company on Facebook and follow ASC on Twitter at @shakespearetav. Understanding the World of the Play

Gascony The region consists of the northern foothills of the Pyrenees mountain chain and extends from the Basque Country along the France-Spain border in the extreme southwestern corner of France

Calais A seaport 21 miles by sea from Dover (the shortest crossing from England). On an island now bordered by canals and harbour basins, Calais originated as a fishing village. It was improved by the count of Flanders in 997 and was fortified by the count of Boulogne in 1224.

The Louvre The grand palace that houses an art museum, which dates back to the late twelfth century, is a true lesson in architecture: from 1200 to 2011, the most innovative architects have in turn built and developed the Louvre. Long the seat of power, this royal residence was also home to French heads of state until 1870 and is one of the major backdrops to the history of Paris and of France. Paris The capital and most populous city of France. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of Europe's major centers of finance, diplomacy, commerce, fashion, science, and the arts. During the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister of Louis XIII, was determined to make Paris the most beautiful city in Europe. He built five new bridges, a new chapel for the College of Sorbonne, and a palace for himself, the Palais Cardinal, which he bequeathed to Louis XIII. During the Fronde civil war, Louis XIV moved his court to a new palace, Versailles.

Understanding The Playhouse

The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse, built in 1990 on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, features a stage with similar features to the Globe’s stage. ASC strives to create productions that are also very similar to the ones that Shakespeare’s audience would have seen. All ASC productions incorporate Original Practices, which involve the active exploration of the Elizabethan stagecraft and acting techniques that Shakespeare’s own audiences would have enjoyed nearly four hundred years ago. Performances at the Playhouse feature period costumes, sword fights, sound effects created live by the actors rather than pre-recorded sounds, and live music played on the stage. ASC's actors are trained to speak Shakespeare’s words directly to the audience instead of using the more modern acting convention of ignoring the audience’s presence as if there was an imaginary "fourth wall" separating the actors and audience. Audience members at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse should gain a better understanding of Elizabethan style, language, and drama by seeing it performed as Shakespeare’s own company might have performed it. Understanding the Characters D'artagnan: A young man from Gascony who aspires to become a Musketeer.

Milady de Winter: A femme fatale working for Cardinal Richelieu. Also the former wife of Musketeer Athos.

Rochefort: An assassin serving the Cardinal Richelieu.

Captain de Treville: The commander of the Musketeers.

Porthos: One of "the three inseparables." A Musketeer who loves fashion and is having an affair with a married woman.

Aramis: One of "the three inseparables." A Musketeer who has aspirations to join the church.

Athos: One of "the three inseparables." A Musketeer who was previously the Count de la Ferre. An alcoholic that hates the month of June. Formerly married to Milady de Winter.

Constance: The Queen's dressmaker and agent. She is married to a traveling salesman but falls in love with D'artagnan.

Duke of Buckingham: Prime Minister of England and paramour of Queen Anne.

Queen Anne: Queen of France, wife of Louis and paramour of the Duke of Buckingham.

Cardinal Richelieu: A corrupt church man who has the ear of the King.

King Louis: The King of France. Married to Queen Anne.

The Red Guard: The Cardinal's officers.

The Huguenots: a French Protestant of the 16th–17th centuries. Largely Calvinist, the Huguenots suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Catholic majority, and many thousands emigrated from France.

Elise: A serving woman to Queen Anne. Also one of Cardinal Richelieu's informants.

The Headsman of Ilse: Priest and brother to a man who was scammed by Milady de Winter. Understanding the Plot

D’artagnan’s father sends him to Paris to find the captain of the Musketeers and gives him advice on how to navigate the city and its intrigues.

Rochefort delivers instructions to Milady de Winter from the Cardinal. She is to return to England and discover if Buckingham has left London. D’artagnan, distracted by taking in the signs of Calais, accidentally bumps into Rochefort. A squabble ensues and Rochefort’s men knock D’artagnan out and drag him into an alley.

In the headquarters of the Musketeers, De Treville calls Porthos, Aramis and Athos into his study to chastise them for taking part in a duel in a Tavern. During their conversation, Athos faints from a stab wound he received in the shoulder and he is taken away to be seen by a surgeon. D’artagnan reports to De Treville who accepts him as a candidate to become a Musketeer. D’artagnan sees Rochefort and in his attempt to follow and seek revenge on him, D’artagnan accidentally separately offends Athos, Porthos and Aramis. He becomes engaged to duel each of them at the Luxembourg at Noon, 1:00 and 2:00 P.M. respectively.

D’artagnan encounters a woman named Constance in the street, and she gives him directions. He thinks she is the most beautiful woman that he has ever seen and she thinks that he is a fool for trying to find the Luxembourg.

The time of the first duel arrives, and D’artagnan is surprised to see that Athos has brought Aramis and Porthos as his seconds for the fight. The three call themselves The Three Inseparables. Before D’artagnan and Athos can exchange more than a couple of passes, the Cardinal’s guard arrives to arrest them for dueling. The Three Inseparables, joined by D’artagnan, handily defeat the guard. The new aquaintances celebrate their victory and The Three Inseparables pledge their friendship to D’artagnan and bring him to a lodging that was recently vacated by a deceased Musketeer. They tell him that his landlord is no other than Contance’s husband.

Constance is attacked in the street outside of D’artagnan’s new lodgings, and he jumps out of the window to defend her. She is on her way on a secret errand, and he vows to accompany her. On the way they meet her co-conspirator, the Duke of Buckingham, and they set out together on a mission to the Louvre.

The Duke of Buckingham has been tricked by the Cardinal in returning to Paris, but he has risked the treachery in order that he might see his love, Queen Anne. They meet and express their love for one another. She gives him a gift of a diamond necklace to remember her by since they must not meet again.

Elise, the Queen’s serving woman, informs Rochefort of this encounter and he in turn informs the Cardinal. The Cardinal commands Rochefort to instruct Milady De Winter to retrieve two of the diamonds from Buckingham’s necklace. Constance and D’artagnan arrive safely back at his lodging. He professes his love for her, and they spend the night together.

The Cardinal informs King Louis of some of Buckingham’s dealings in Paris, and he suggests that the King distract his Queen by attending a ball. He further suggests that King Louis request that she wear the diamond necklace that he gave her for her birthday. The Cardinal also has the King sign a search warrant for the Queen’s chambers.

The Cardinal informs the Queen about the ball and her mandate to wear her diamond necklace. He also retrieves, by warrant, a letter that she has written and was attempting to hide. The Queen tells Constance that the Cardinal hates her because two months after she married the King he tried and failed to seduce her. Constance promises her to aid in retrieving her necklace, alluding that D’artagnan will help them. The Queen gives her a ring to pawn for money in the attempt as well as a letter with the Queen’s seal.

Constance reveals the plan to D’artagnan that he must travel to London to retrieve the diamond necklace. He intends to convince The Three Inseparables to join him.

Thanks to his informant, Elise, the Cardinal knows all about Constance’s plan and he sends Rochefort to interfere and to bring D’artagnan back.

The Three Inseparables and D’artagnan fight their way out of Paris and to Calais, encountering the Red Guard as well as some roadside bandits. They arrive at an inn where D’artagnan assumes the identity of one of the inn residents, a Count Milford who has a signed edict allowing him passage through the harbor which the Cardinal has closed. When the Cardinal’s men enter the inn, Athos begins a saloon brawl as a distraction for D’artagnan to escape to the harbor and set sail to England.

D’artagnan finds the Duke of Buckingham who retrieves the necklace only to find that Milady De Winter has stolen two of the diamonds. The Duke immediately sends a servant to a jeweler to fix the necklace and order the British ports closed as his first act of war against France. He aids D’artagnan in his trip back to Paris. D’artagnan arrives at the ball in time to thwart the Cardinal by ensuring that the Queen is wearing the diamond necklace for Louis to see. Rochefort commands his men to kidnap Constance and D’artagnan though they merely knock D’artagnan unconscious.

Captain De Treville arrives at the ball, rescues D’artagnan and sends him to find The Three Inseperables. He vows to assist D’artagnan in rescuing Constance.

The Three Insperables stage a fake attack on Milady De Winter so that D’artagnan can pretend to rescue her. Once in her chambers,D’artagnan threatens her and attempts to ascertain Contance’s whereabouts. He escapes with her dagger which Athos recognizes as his- he believed- deceased wife’s.

Two assassins, hired by Milady De Winter, attempt to murder D’artagnan but he evades them and finds that Constance has been safely rescued by the Queen’s agents and brought to a convent.

The Cardinal commissions Milady De Winter to travel to the Duke of Buckingham and threaten him that if he does not relent his aid of the rebels in La Rochelle then the Cardinal will publicize his affair with the Queen. He further commands her that if the Duke refuses, she should kill him. He in turn promises to kill Constance and D’artagnan for her.

Athos confronts his former wife, Milady De Winter, and steals the letter of safe passage the Cardinal had given her before rejoining his friends in an attack on the Huguenots at La Rochelle.

Milady De Winter disguises herself as a nun and encounters Constance in the convent where she has been hiding. Rochefort and his men also arrive to prevent the Musketeers from rescuing her. Milady DweWinter stabs Constance just as the Musketeers arrive, and D’artagnan kills Rochefort. Milady De Winter is executed by the Headsmen of Lille for her many crimes. D’artagnan is arrested by the Cardinal’s men.

Upon meeting the Cardinal, D’artagnan produces the letter he had written for Milady De Winter. In exchange for the letter, the Cardinal grants D’artagnan a commission to become an officer of the Musketeers.

Image Note: Represented are the various flags of France during the time of the Musketeers. Bibliography

“Calais.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2019, www.wikipedia.org/.

"Gascony." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/.

“Huguenot.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/.

Manet, Edoard. The Port of Calais. 1871.

“Paris.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/.

“Site Officiel Du Musée Du Louvre.” Page D'accueil De Louvre.fr, www.louvre.fr/.

If you enjoy our production, consider these other forms of the classic story.

The Three Musketeers novel by Alexander Dumas The Three Musketeers live action Disney movie, 1993 The Man in the Iron Mask starring Leonardo di Caprio, 1998 The Musketeer movie, 2001