The progression of the passion in the soul of Mme de Clèves
A detailed analysis
Lagarde and Michard (p 359) show how the essential interest of the novel resides in the analysis of the progression of the passion in the soul of Mme de Clèves in spite of her efforts to remain mistress of herself. They distinguish several stages:
Stage I
The chance meeting between Mme de Clèves and Nemours at the
ball. Passion is born right from the first meeting.
(Page 7 summary notes)
First person to see her M. de Clèves
When Mlle de Chartres first appeared at the French court she had many advantages. She was a fifteen year old girl of outstanding beauty and was a rich heiress from the noble house of Chartres. Some of the most eligible beaux at the court were attracted to her, but Mlle. de Chartres had the unfortunate experience of seeing their advances blocked by the intrigues of the warring factions at court. The major problem was that her uncle the Vidame de Chartres was seen as very close to the Queen, Catherine of Medici, (the story of the Vidame’s relationship is told in detail later in the novel). As a result of this, the Chartres family were out of favour with Diane de Poitiers, the King’s mistress.
M de Clèves was the first courtier to fall for her charms. However, his father, the aged Duke de Nevers, had close ties with Diane de Poitiers and was angry when he heard that his second son wished to marry into the house of Chartres. Mme de Chartres was resentful to hear this and looked elsewhere for a match for her daughter.
An eligible son of the powerful Guise family fell in love with Mlle. de Chartres, but his elder brother, the Cardinal de Lorraine, who had a secret hatred for the Vidame de Chartres made public his opposition to the match.
A third match with the son of the Duc de Montpensier, was also blocked by the intervention of Diane de Poitiers. She had warned the King against the marriage and the King expressed his disapproval of this match.
Mlle. de Chartres had found herself in the situation, where no-one at the court dared think of her as a wife. The situation changed when the Duke de Nevers died and M de Clèves felt free to ask her hand in marriage . In the circumstances of the court, Mme de Chartres advised her daughter’s acceptance of a man who truly loved her , even though she knew that her daughter was not in love.
Her mother realised from her confidences that she loved neither her future husband nor anyone else. She deliberately reminded her daughter of’ M. de Clèves’ love for her and how he had loved her when no other man dared to think of’ her.
The marriage took place. But M. de Clèves did not find the place in his wife’s heart he desired. He was still the languishing lover.
There was no question of jealousy, in spite of the attentions of the beaux of the court; her behaviour was exemplary and her mother was there to give support.
Stage 1
Her recognition that another man is in love with her
Then fate contrived a most romantic and extraordinary first meeting between Mme. de Clèves and Nemours. The latter had been absent from court to prepare for possible marriage to Elizabeth of England, Although Mme de Clèves had not met Nemours, she had heard so much about him that she was impatient to see him.
The dramatic encounter occurred at the royal ball on the eve of the wedding of the king’s daughter Claude de France to le duc de Lorraine. By coincidence, Nemours made his entrance to the room, just when Mme de Clèves had finished dancing. Seeing her without a partner, the King called to Nemours, who climbed over the chairs to reach the floor. They danced prior to introductions and they made such a handsome couple that there were murmurs of admiration around them.
The mutual attraction was immediate and the authoress tells us that they were both equally struck with the other. Mme. de Clèves returned home excited, so full of praise for M. de Nemours that her mother had suspicions about her daughter’s feelings.
The next day she saw Nemours at the big court wedding of the Duke of Lorraine and in the following days, they met frequently. Mme de Clèves watched as he played tennis with the King, and tilted at the ring. They got infinite pleasure from being together and each recognised the other as the most perfect in the court. To Mme de Clèves, Nemours seemed to surpass all others in his appearance and in his wit
They came together when Mme de Clèves was in the company of the young Queen Dauphine. Previously Nemours had often been seen with Mary Stuart and their conduct had suggested that he aspired to her love. He was happy to let people believe Mary was still the object of his attentions, while secretly seeking the company of his new love. No one noticed the change in the direction of his feelings, except Mme. de Clèves whose own love enhanced her perceptions. The Chevalier de Guise, a languishing suitor, was also aware and had been aware from the first moment at the ball.
Summary notes page 9
Stage II
Her recognition that she is in love with another man
The heroine believes Nemours is in love with la Reine Dauphine. The jealousy which she feels forces her to confess to herself the love which she feels for him,
To prevent any deepening of her daughter’s relationship with Nemours, Mme. de Chartres used two tacks. She tried to draw her attention to his record of infidelity and promiscuity, by supposedly praising him for regarding love as a sport and avoiding serious attachments.
Secondly she warned Mme de Cleves about the danger of becoming too close to the Queen Dauphine because of the rumour of Mary Stuart’s passionate relationship with Nemours. Her mother warned about the risks if Mme de Cleves was seen to be a confidante in the illicit affair of the future queen of France. In fact she wished to limit the contact between Mme de Cleves and Nemours.
Page 10 Mme. de Chartres pretending to be unaware of her daughter’s feelings for Nemours praised him to her in very ambivalent terms. She praised him for being incapable of falling in love and for looking for pleasure with women not for a serious attachment.
Page 42: Elle se mit un jour à parler de lui: elle lui en dit du bien, et y mêla beaucoup de louanges empoisonnées sur la sagesse qu’il avait d’être incapable de devenir amoureux, et sur ce qu’il ne se faisait qu’un plaisir, et non pas un attachement sérieux du commerce des femmes.
Mme. de Clèves had never heard these rumours and her pain shows on her face. This strong emotion forced Mme. de Clèves to admit to herself that she was interested in Nemours.
She recognises that the feelings she has for Nemours are those which M. de Clèves had so often asked for.
She forms the jealous idea that Nemours had been deceiving her and using her as a cover for his love for Mary Stuart. At this point she would have confided in her Mother, but the following morning, Mme de Chartres was taken ill with a fever.
Mme de Cleves attended court that afternoon and found Mary Stuart and her ladies wondering at the change in Nemours conduct. He had now forsaken all his many mistresses.
Once she is alone with Mary Stuart, Mme. de Clèves feeling some bitterness towards her, told her she must know that she, the Dauphiness was the cause of Nemours’ changed conduct. Mary Stuart denied this with convincing sincerity and said Nemours has now ceased his attentions towards her. Mme. de Clèves felt relieved.
The progress of the heroine’s passionate affair is now interrupted by a sad external event. Mme de Chartres condition worsens and she dies. This robs Mme de Cleves of the confidante, she would have turned to in her emotional problems. On the other hand the mourning takes her away from court and breaks her contact with Nemours. The consideration and solicitude that M. de Cleves showed her in her sorrows increased the affection and respect that she felt towards him.
She was now determined to avoid seeing Nemours. However when she returned to the court at her husband’s insistence, she soon found that her feelings towards Nemours were unchanged. The news that greeted her was that Nemours was completely distracted by a new love whose identity was unknown. The Vidame believed that his love was unrequited. For this lady , Nemours had turned his back on the prospect of marriage to Elizabeth I.
Once again Mme. de Clèves found herself under the charm of Nemours -full of gratitude and tenderness to know that he was turning down a crown for love of her. She was overwhelmed with emotion
The accompanying sense of danger
Stage III
She renounces the effort of closing her heart to their love, seeking only to keep her love concealed
"Elle ne se flatta, plus de l'esperance de ne le pas aimer; ells songea seulement a ne lui en donner jamais aucune marque."
Page 14-15
In preparation for the Royal marriages, the King and the court visited Mme. de Clèves. Nemours waited for his opportunity to see her alone. After she received him at her bedside (the custom for formal receptions) they sat in timid silence for a long time. Then after some formal talk, Nemours made a declaration, which was veiled speaking of himself in the third person, but the meaning of which was absolutely clear.
He said that a man transformed by a violent passion would wish that the woman he loved should be aware of the changes. He let her know that no other lady of whatever rang or however beautiful, not even ambition for a royal crown could distract him
Page 64
L’on voudrait qu’elles sussent qu’il n’y a point de beauté, dans quelque rang qu’elle pût être, que l’on ne regardât avec indifférence, et qu’il n’y a pas de couronne que l’on voulût acheter au prix de ne les voir jamais.
Mme. de Clèves was confused about what reation she should make, troubled by the attraction she felt towards him. She remained silent and Nemours was reassured. Their meeting was interrupted by the return of her husband.
Mme. de Clèves realised from her own reactions to his declaration that she was deceiving herself in those moments when when she had believed herself indifferent to Nemours. Now her only aim is to avoid giving him any mark of her love and the only way is to avoid him
Page 65 Elle ne se flatta plus de l’espérance de ne le pas aimer; elle songea seulement à ne lui en donner jamais aucune marque..
After this meeting, she uses the excuse of her mourning to avoid the places where she will meet Nemours.
Stage IV She finds it impossible to hide her love from Nemours
Three incidents make her give proof to Nemours that she is in love with him
a She sees Nemours steal her portrait and fails to protest
Mary Stuart was having miniature portraits made of all the beautiful girls of the court to send to her mother the Queen of Scotland. Mme. de Clèves was at her most beautiful as she was being painted and Nemours had to make an effort to conceal his love.
M. de Clèves had lent Mary his own miniature of his wife for comparison. Nemours, envious, stole the portrait while the ladies were talking to Mary Stuart on her bed. Mme. de Clèves caught a glimpse of Nemours’ theft through the curtains and was shocked. Mary asked what she was looking at just as Nemours turned and realised Mme. de Clèves had possibly seen him.
The theft put Mme. de Clèves in a dilemma. If she made a public protest she would make known Nemours’ love for her. If she protested in private she would provoke a frank declaration of his love to her.
She decides to allow him to take the portrait. She is pleased to do him a favour, without needing to admit it. However, Nemours makes her into a willing accomplice by begging her in a whisper to ignore what she may have seen. He leaves delighted with his acquisition and the realisation that his love is returned.
She realises that she does not have the will to avoid his company as she had resolved and was uncertain whether she was able to conceal her love from Nemours.
Page 75 ….il n’y avait de sûreté pour elle qu’en séloignant. Mais comme elle n’était pas maîtresse de s’éloigner, elle se trouvait dans une grande extrémité et prête à tomber dans ce qui lui paraissait le plus grand des malheurs, qui était de laisser voir à M. de Nemours l’inclination qu’elle avait pour lui.
B A little later Nemours suffers an accident and struck by a strong emotion, she betrays her love to him.
Page 17
As second incident a short time later proves to Mme de Cleves that it is impossible for her to hide her feelings from Nemours.
The court had now moved to the lists where the King and the nobles were trying some new horses, which were not yet properly broken in. The mounts of the King and Nemours proved very fiery. Attempting to avoid injury to his King, Nemours crashed heavily with his mount into a pillar of the riding school. People ran to him believing him seriously injured. The Princesse de Clèves was so concerned that she failed to hide her feelings and when Nemours regained consciousness he recognised clearly the expression on her face.
Page 79
…..il vit d’abord madame de Clèves; il connut sur son visage la pitié qu’elle avait de lui, et il la regarda d’une sorte qui put lui faire juger combien il en était touché.
The Chevalier de Guise also knew the meaning of her emotional reaction. He .expressed his disappointment and said he would exile himself from the court, where he could no longer bear to live. Mme. de Clèves did not take offence at Guise's s impertinence, because she was so distressed at having shown her feelings.
C Then she suffers a new attack of jealousy which prevents her from hiding her feelings. (It is a question of a letter written by a woman to the Vidame which she believes is addressed to Nemours).
Shortly afterwards, Mary Stuart came and slipped to Mme. de Clèves a love letter that Châtelart had picked up from the tennis court after a game by the king, Nemours, the Vidame and the Chevalier de Guise. Châtelart believed it had fallen from the pocket of Nemours, to. The Reine Dauphine told her to read it and see if she knew the handwriting and then come back and tell her.
Mme. de Clèves was thunderstruck by the idea that Nemours had a mistress. She could not move from the spot for some time. Her hand was trembling. She suffered unbearable pain such as she had never known before.
Page 81
Elle tenait cette lettre d’une main tremblante; ses pensées étaient si confuses, qu’elle n’en avait aucune distincte, et elle se trouvait dans une sorte de douleur insupportable qu’elle ne connaissait point, et qu’elle n’avait jamais sentie.
Mme. de Clèves believes the hurt she feels stems from the tender events of the day. She tells herself that had she not just given him an indication of her love, she would not be concerned to find out now that he loved another. But she was wrong. Her sufferings were the pangs of jealousy.
Page 83
Ce mal qu’elle trouvait si insupportable, était la jalousie avec toutes les horreurs dont elle peut être accompagnée.
After the Vidame has told Nemours the story of the compromising letter that fell from his pocket
Nemours is appalled when the Vidame tells him that Mary Stuart and some courtiers are already of this opinion the letter was to him, knowing that this could harm him in the eyes of Mme. de Clèves. Nemours’ first concern therefore, had been to go and reassure Mme. de Clèves.
He was pleased when Mme. de Clèves at first refused to see him, knowing that her bitterness showed her feelings for him. When they are brought together, the sharp and bitter retorts that she makes to Nemours and the coldness of her manner, confirm this clearly.
Page 99 L’aigreur que M. de Nemours voyait dans l’esprit de madame de Clèves lui donnait le plus sensible plaisir qu’il eût jamais eu, et balançait son impatience de se justifier.
Previously, Mme. de Clèves would have dissimulated her feelings, aware of what they revealed, but now she has a reached a stage that her emotions of jealousy are so powerful that she takes no account of this. Finally Nemours is successful in convincing Mme. de Clèves and the two consider together how to save the Vidame.
It was only later after Nemours has left with her husband that Mme. de Clèves came down to earth. She suddenly realises that whereas the previous day she had reproached herself for showing Nemours signs of love, she has today shown by her conduct a jealousy, which was a certain proof of her love
The accompanying sense of danger
She decides to allow him to take the portrait
Mme. de Clèves is filled with with remorse. Realising that neither Elizabeth of England nor Mary Stuart stood in her way, she was now unprotected from Nemours’ love.
…………………………………………………………………
Mme. de Clèves was thunderstruck by the idea that Nemours had a mistress. She could not move from the spot for some time. Her hand was trembling. She suffered unbearable pain such as she had never known before.
Page 81
Elle tenait cette lettre d’une main tremblante; ses pensées étaient si confuses, qu’elle n’en avait aucune distincte, et elle se trouvait dans une sorte de douleur insupportable qu’elle ne connaissait point, et qu’elle n’avait jamais sentie.
Mme. de Clèves believes the hurt she feels stems from the tender events of the day. She tells herself that had she not just given him an indication of her love, she would not be concerned to find out now that he loved another. But she was wrong. Her sufferings were the pangs of jealousy.
Page 83
Ce mal qu’elle trouvait si insupportable, était la jalousie avec toutes les horreurs dont elle peut être accompagnée.
Her thoughts go round and round in her brain. She regrets not leaving society, in spite of her husband’s pleas. She regrets not confessing to her husband.
She did not go back to Mary Stuart that night, but went to bed early and passed a sleepless night constantly re-reading the letter
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Page 105 elle trouvait qu’elle était d’intelligence avec M. de Nemours, qu’elle trompait le mari du monde qui méritait le moins d’être trompé, et elle était honteuse de paraître si peu digne d’estime aux yeux même de son amant.
But most unbearable of all was the memory of how deeply she had suffered from the pangs of jealousy in the night.
She had never thought before that Nemours could love someone else. Now her eyes were open to the sufferings of distrust and jealousy.