Dangerous Liaisons

The Vicomte de Valmont is one of the two main protagonists in the novel and also an antagonist. At the outset of the novel, Valmont is presented as a libertine and a manipulator who derives pleasure from seducing and manipulating those around him. He is confident, charming, and highly intelligent, using his wit and cunning to achieve his goals. He is also presented as a highly sexual being who enjoys the pursuit of pleasure and the conquest of women.

However, as the novel progresses, Valmont becomes more complex, and his character begins to evolve. He is shown to be capable of genuine emotion, as evidenced by his possible love for Madame de Tourvel and his intense desire to reunite as a lover with Merteuil. His pursuit of Tourvel is ambiguous: At times he appears to want her simply as a conquest, at other times he appears to genuinely have fallen in love with her. This love, however, is ultimately his downfall, as his obsession with Madame de Tourvel leads him to lose sight of his own goals and contributes to his final rupture with Merteuil.

Valmont is also a character who is deeply conflicted. On the one hand, he enjoys the pursuit of pleasure and the exercise of his own power and influence over others.