The Betrayed and Just Snape

Athos or Comte de la Fere

Alexandre Dumas - The Three Musketeers

The fictional Athos is named after the historical musketeer Armand de Sillègue d'Athos d'Autevielle (1615-1644). (They don't actually have much in common apart from the name.)

Athos is one of the three musketeers, and the leader of the four (including D'Artagnan).  He is the leader because of his cunning, his flair, and his abilities.  He is an extraordinary swordman, very loyal and honorable. He will defend a just cause no matter what, even if that means turning back on his king.  His conscience is clear.  He is the most intelligent and cunning of the lot. Though he is not as well educated as Aramis (one of the 3), he does hold his place nonetheless. He does not suffer fools at all though he will allow a bit of it if you know how to compensate with skills useful to him.

He has that sour attitude to life.  He is not the friendly type at all. He is rather on the non-talkative one actually. Even his servant is forbidden from uttering a single sound!  He is therefore very withdrawn. We do not know if he was born like that, but we know that in his case, the tragic event that brought about this whole sourness was his wedding to Milady, the female enemy anti-hero type, of the whole novel. He once fell in love of Milady who betrayed him by hiding her true identity.  We never knew if she loved him or not though! : (  She was always a temptress and sly so as to acquire power. Very tormented life.  In short, she was once placed in a convent, seduced a priest (George) with whom she escaped. They are found, marked with the "fleur-de-lis" (conventionalized iris in artistic design and heraldry of France) which meant adultery at the time. Then, they went away and George became a priest. Then, she passed as his sister in order to seduce Athos, who was then the Comte de la Fère (count: a European nobleman whose rank corresponds to that of a British earl ).  George commited suicisde. But when the Count discovered he has married a marked-woman, he loses it, hangs her and leaves everything behind to become a musketeer. He swore himself he would never fall in love again, and he drinks his sorrows away!!

One year later though, Milady who had survived, married Lord de Winter over in England. And from then on, she commits more crimes and such until she goes back to France to do some spying and killing for the Cardinal de Richelieu, the enemy of the unknowing King under whom serve the musketeers.  So poor Athos will again meet her!  It's like meeting the Dark Lord after a total change of life for Snape if you will! But in the end, Milady will die and Athos will find some peace in that his weakness is no more. (In the Disney movie, he pardons her and it's all fluffy really, but it was not so "cute" in the novel). Athos did forgive her though.

After the story of "The Three Musketeers", Alexandre Dumas wrote sequels in which Athos feature of course! I read those, too!  Hehe! In "Twenty Years After", Athos came back to his manor as Comte.   One night, he decided to have a go with a lady he barely knew. That was the first and only time we knew Athos had allowed such a frivolity to pass over him. She got pregnant and deposited the child to his door!  Athos being such a noble character, he took the child and made his "The vicomte of Bragelonne" (that's the thrid sequel's name!) Athos was not so much changed by it, but he was a good father if not too affectionate!!  Imagine Snape taking interest in a son and being his father, you'll get the idea! ; )

Hence, in Athos, we have all those tragic elements of Snape: betrayal, sourness, talent, intelligence, hates socialties, noble, stands for the right cause, responsible of his acts, solitary.