Time Quote by Alexandre Dumas
““In those times panics were common, and few days passed without some city or other registering in its archives an event of this kind. There were nobles, who made war against each other; there was the king, who made war against the cardinal; there was Spain, which made war against the king. Then, in addition to these concealed or public, secret or open wars, there were robbers, mendicants, Huguenots, wolves, and scoundrels, who made war upon everybody. The citizens always took up arms readily against thieves, wolves or scoundrels, often against nobles or Huguenots, sometimes against the king, but never against cardinal or Spain. It resulted, then, from this habit that on the said first Monday of April, 1625, the citizens, on hearing the clamor, and seeing neither the red-and-yellow standard nor the livery of the Duc de Richelieu, rushed toward the hostel of the Jolly Miller. When arrived there, the cause of the hubbub was apparent to all.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Three Musketeers, 1844
A chaotic era where wars of all kinds—political, religious, and social—overlap, causing citizens to fight any threat except the powerful institutions that dominate them.
In simple terms: People fight visible enemies but ignore the deeper powers that cause conflict.
Question the hidden forces behind visible conflicts.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- urban riots
- political protests
- religious strife
- social upheaval
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from the chaos?
- How can citizens confront invisible powers?
The narrative romanticizes rebellion without addressing systemic oppression.