Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

The Marquise de Merteuil and Madame de Rosemonde

It's the Marquise who enlists Valmont to seduce Cécile and gives Valmont (usually unsolicited) advice on his efforts to win the heart of Madame de Tourvel. By design, she's more harmful than helpful, but Valmont is as much a rival as a former lover. Her guidance tends to take the form of snark and ridicule. You could say she becomes the antagonist at the end, once she and Val go to war. She pretends to mentor Cécile, and her advice pretty much consists of convincing her to keep sleeping with Valmont and learn to like it. Who needs mentors like this?

Madame de Rosemonde is much more the traditional guide and mentor. She counsels both Madame de Tourvel and Madame de Volanges during their most difficult struggles. To Tourvel, she becomes mother figure, offering love, comfort, and consolation when the young Présidente begins to succumb to Valmont's seduction. To Madame de Volanges, she's a friend who has to judge what information to share and what information to hide about Cécile. In all her correspondence, Madame de Rosemonde tries to be a voice of good judgment.