Alexandre Dumas is a French author who wrote during 1825-1850. Dumas grew up in a poor family and only excelled in penmanship at school. Because of this he was able to get a job at a noble's transcribing plays. (Grenier, 12) During this time Dumas began to write some of his own works. Two of his most popular works are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. Love is the predominant theme in The Count of Monte Cristo and honor is the predominant theme in The Three Musketeers, however both are filled with betrayal and revenge. Dumas believed that in life love and betrayal are the greatest emotions one can feel, to have one you must experience the other as well. "Only the man who has experienced extreme agony can experience true happiness" (The Count of Monte Cristo pg 304).
When analyzing the themes of love and betrayal it is evident that honor and loyalty play a key part in both. To have true love is to honor your spouse and to remain loyal to them no matter what. In the matter of betrayal it is the opposite, the loyalty is broken and because of that the betrayer becomes a dishonorable person to the rest of society. When writing Dumas always keeps the sub-theme of honor in the background, subtle yet influential.
In both The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers honor is a value that is observed throughout the story yet is always slightly beneath the surface. To the musketeers honor is the basis of life. They live their lives based on a code in which honor is most prevalent. The musketeers also believe in loyalty and respect. This can be observed in the dedication that they have to the king of France and to their duty to protect the common person from persecution. "All for one and one for all" is the musketeer's motto and they do exactly what it says. The musketeers exhibit these values in different ways depending on the musketeer or the situation. For example D"Artagnan is willing to duel to the death over his personal honor.