The Man In The Iron Mask

“‘A man’s secrets are his own, monsieur,’ retorted the prisoner, ‘and not at the mercy of just anyone.’”

Philippe’s assertion to Aramis that his secrets are his own hints at how the characters will use private information to their advantage throughout the novel. His insistence that his life is not at Aramis’s mercy is a plea that goes unheard—he does not initially wish for Aramis to use his true identity as an advantage in his schemes for power.

“He used to say that a man was bound to make for himself, in the world, that fortune which God had refused him at birth. He added, that, being a poor, obscure orphan, I had no one but myself to look to; and that nobody either did, or ever would, take any interest in me.”

The advice Philippe’s tutor/father figure gave him before they were separated definitely shaped his worldview. Philippe grew up being told he was unimportant, but how he was confined and monitored suggested otherwise. He was raised with conflicting ideas about his identity and his place in the world, and his tutor’s words come back to him in this moment as he considers aligning himself with Aramis.

“‘I understand, monsieur; was it by weakness or treachery, that my uncle slew his friends?’ ‘By weakness; which, in princes, is always treachery.’”

Aramis asserts that weakness in princes is treachery because of the threat a prince may pose to the throne. Following the principle of primogeniture, the prince would inherit the crown upon his father’s death, so some consider princes to be potential usurpers. Weaknesses like pride or paranoia can be easily exploited for such purposes.