Twenty Years After Chapter 17 Summary

Summary

The Duke of Beaufort, shut up in the donjon of Vincennes and heavily guarded, resigns himself to petty rebellions and comic reprisals against Cardinal Mazarin. Finding escape impossible, he directs his energy toward insults, crude attempts at poetry and drawing, and finally elaborate mock-entertainments in his room. He draws caricatures of Mazarin and captions them with insulting epithets; when these are erased by Monsieur de Chavigny, he persists by dividing his walls into scenes satirizing the cardinal’s life. His charcoal and drawing materials are taken away, but Beaufort continues to invent amusements.

He buys a dog, Pistache, and trains it to perform before the governor and officers, staging tricks staged to satirize the court — notably indicating Mazarin as "the greatest thief" and refusing to jump for the minister. The performance initially amuses but then vexes the governor. Shortly afterward Pistache is found dead of poisoning, and Beaufort publicly accuses Mazarin of attempting to poison him. Guards impose stricter surveillance: a taster (La Ramee) is appointed, knives and forks are changed, and other petty slights—trees planted to shade him in the distant future, asparagus beds—are employed to taunt him. Beaufort makes an impassioned, though futile, speech to his keepers calling for his liberation and promising them rank and pay; the men refuse. He and Chavigny trade sarcastic, formal bows and threats. Finally, Beaufort secures a substitute keeper so the loyal, taciturn Grimaud can be allowed, hinting at continuity with figures from the earlier part of the tale.

Key events

1. Beaufort passes time making satirical drawings and captions attacking Mazarin.
2. Monsieur de Chavigny erases drawings and removes Beaufort's charcoal.
3. Beaufort trains his dog Pistache to perform satirical tricks before officers.
4. Pistache indicates Mazarin as "the greatest thief" and refuses to jump for him.
5. Pistache is found dead—poisoned—and Beaufort claims Mazarin tried to poison him.
6. Guards tighten surveillance: a taster (La Ramee) is assigned and personal utensils are altered.
7. Beaufort's plea to his keepers to free him fails; Grimaud is named as a likely substitute keeper.

Analysis

This chapter functions as a character study of the Duke of Beaufort in confinement and as a satirical interlude that deepens the novel’s political tensions. Through episodes of petty rebellion—caricatures, staged canine performances, and public accusations—Dumas shows Beaufort’s proud, impulsive temperament and his inability to adapt to loss of status. The comic material underscores the clash between aristocratic honor and bureaucratic power: the governor’s petty retaliations and the formal, ironic politeness mask harsh control. The death of Pistache marks a tonal shift from farce to menace, foreshadowing more dangerous consequences of Beaufort’s provocations without revealing later outcomes.

Narratively, the chapter uses detailed, often theatrical scenes to maintain pace while expanding the social landscape of Vincennes: keepers, a governor who is both officious and capable of cruelty, and the loyal silence of Grimaud reappear, linking back to earlier volumes. Dumas mixes mock-heroic rhetoric (Beaufort aspiring to be Raphael) with intimacy (the taster at meals, the planted asparagus) to illustrate how imprisonment polishes absurdities of court life into weapons and wounds. Symbolically, Pistache’s tricks—refusing to serve Mazarin—become the duke’s voice; the dog’s poisoning signifies the limitations of satire under an authoritarian regime. The narrative technique alternates light comedy and crisp dialogue with pointed descriptions, emphasizing social satire while keeping the focus on individual pride and vulnerability.

Important quotes

““Portrait of the Illustrious Coxcomb, Mazarin.””

Narrator / Beaufort's captionBeaufort labels his crude charcoal caricature to make explicit his insult toward Mazarin.

“Pistache was found dead—poisoned.”

NarratorA sudden, chilling statement that shifts the chapter from comic mockery to a serious accusation of foul play.

““I will make you all captains, with good pensions! Odds fish! On! march forward!””

Duke of BeaufortBeaufort attempts to rally his keepers with grand promises and rhetoric, revealing his vanity and desperation.

Characters in Chapter 17

• Duke of Beaufort
• Cardinal Mazarin
• Monsieur de Chavigny
• Guitant
• Pistache
• La Ramee
• Laporte
• Cardinal Bentivoglio
• Ignatius Loyola
• Maréchal Ornano
• Grand Prior de Vendôme
• Duc de Guise
• Mademoiselle de Pons
• Madame de Montbazon
• Le Camus
• Superintendent Emery
• Grimaud
• Athos
• Madame de Rambouillet
• Duc de Grammont
• the queen