... Woven in the midst of the sinister romantic plot are further explorations into the fundamental ideas of the Enlightenment. The first area in "Les Liaison Dangereuses" which Laclos explores is perhaps the most obvious one, and that is the setting in which the novel is set: the French aristocracy. At the heart of this depiction are the two main characters, The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, and it around these socialites that the exploration of the Enlightenment's ideas is anchored. Through their exploits of constant manipulation and the extreme competitive nature with which they conduct themselves, two things soon become clear: the extent to which Laclos is critical of their behaviour, and the dangers that their games pose to at best, those around them, and at worst, society as a whole. A paradigm for understanding the nature of these two libertines is captured in Letter 113. In ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now