I was re-reading the Three musketeers, and the scene where Athos realized that Milady was a thief raised a lot of questions in me.
The text says: "He tore the dress of the countess to pieces; he tied her hands behind her, and hanged her on a tree."
I'm not familiar with french customs from that era, but this seems a bit "extreme". Did he really strip Milady naked and hang her, just like that? Even if he wanted to execute her, why take off her clothes?
Also. Weren't they alone, in the woods? How could Athos hang her? He surely wasn't prepared to carry out a random execution in the middle of nowhere. Of course there were no gallows there nor even a stool, so he just hoisted her up with a rope, after tying her hand, and left her to slowly strangle?
Which raises another question. HOW on Earth could Milady survive this? She was struggling so hard on the rope that it broke, and she fell to the ground?
And about the age and setting. Did people with the mark "lost" their human rights? People could just execute them without trial, even taking their items/clothes? Or was this only a right of noble men?
by Flame0fthewest