In "The Three Musketeers" Cardinal Richelieu is presented as a villain. How and why should have Cardinal Richelieu been presented as a hero instead of a villain?

lanfranco

Well, Richelieu's status as a hero or villain back in the 17th century would certainly have depended on your point of view. However, it is true that he suppressed and reformed the feudal system in France, centralizing power in the monarchy, which, one could argue, was ultimately very much to the country's advantage. And, he helped check the influence of the Holy Roman Empire, which went into a decline, while France emerged in a relatively strong position from the Thirty Years' War. (He was also a serious patron of the arts, for whatever that's worth.) However, he didn't do much for the Huguenots or for the overly-taxed French peasants, with whom he was ruthless. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Richelieu Jul 10 06, 4:10 PM