The Three Musketeers Ambition Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Some fragments of past splendor appeared here and there upon the walls of this modest lodging; a sword, for example, richly embossed, which belonged by its make to the times of Francis I, the hilt of which alone, encrusted with precious stones, might be worth two hundred pistoles, and which, nevertheless, in his moments of greatest distress Athos had never pledged or offered for sale. It had long been an object of ambition for Porthos. Porthos would have given ten years of his life to possess this sword. (6.12)

This passage demonstrates that Porthos cares primarily for money—his greatest ambition is to have as many trappings of wealth as possible.

Quote #2

"Well, well, but keep whole; that will be better, and you will be more useful to me. Tréville," added the King, in a low voice, as the others were retiring, "as you have no room in the musketeers, and as we have besides decided that a novitiate is necessary before entering that corps, place this young man in the company of the Guards of Monsieur Dessessart, your brother-in-law. Ah, pardieu, Tréville! I enjoy beforehand the face the Cardinal will make. He will be furious; but I don’t care. I am doing what is right." (6.195)

D’Artagnan must overcome many obstacles on the road to achieving his great ambition of becoming a Musketeer.

Quote #3

In fact, the dream of poor Bazin had always been to serve a churchman; and he awaited with impatience the moment, always in the future, when Aramis would throw aside the uniform and assume the cassock. The daily-renewed promise of the young man that the moment would not long be delayed, had alone kept him in the service of a Musketeer—a service in which, he said, his soul was in constant jeopardy. (26.23)

Bazin is sacrificing his time in service of a Musketeer in order to fulfill his great ambition of one day serving a churchman. Note that Bazin doesn’t aspire to these things himself—he understands and accepts his place in French society as a servant.