Béatrix · Character

Arthur de Rochefide

Béatrix's hapless husband, a well-meaning nobleman of modest abilities whose weakness makes him the perfect victim of his wife's ambitions and infidelities.

supporting

Also known as Arthur, poor Arthur

First appearance: part ii the drama

As a supporting figure in Béatrix, Arthur de Rochefide is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Arthur de Rochefide in part ii the drama Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Arthur de Rochefide is the decent but ineffectual aristocrat whose marriage to the beautiful, restless Béatrix becomes a slow humiliation. Lacking the force of character to command his wife's respect or restrain her passions, he drifts toward the role of complaisant husband that Parisian society expects. His pathos sharpens the novel's critique of a marriage market that pairs spirited women with mediocre men, and his fate measures the real cost of Béatrix's romantic self-indulgence.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Arthur de Rochefide sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Arthur de Rochefide in part ii the drama

Character Web

21 connections

A slice of how Arthur de Rochefide sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Guérande family circle
Parisian society and literary world
Breton household and relatives
Parisian dandies and artists

+16 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Climax.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Claude Vignon…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Madame Schontz
romantic · positive
Arthur de Rochefide, Béatrix's estranged husband, becomes involved with Madame Schontz as… How this plays out →
Maxime de Trailles
social · ambivalent
Maxime de Trailles
social · ambivalent
Madame Schontz
romantic · positive
Arthur de Rochefide, Béatrix's estranged husband, becomes involved with Madame Schontz as… How this plays out →

Madame Schontz
Arthur de Rochefide, Béatrix's estranged husband, becomes involved with Madame Schontz as a lover.
Maxime de Trailles
Arthur de Rochefide and Maxime de Trailles are fellow members of the Parisian high society and gambling circles.
Maxime de Trailles
Arthur de Rochefide and Maxime de Trailles are fellow members of the Parisian high society and gambling circles.
Madame Schontz
Arthur de Rochefide, Béatrix's estranged husband, becomes involved with Madame Schontz as a lover.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Arthur de Rochefide in part ii the drama