Dangerous Liaisons May 2026

The plot is set in motion by a wager: Merteuil challenges Valmont to corrupt the virginal to spite a former lover. Valmont, however, has his sights on a more difficult prize—the saintly and married Madame de Tourvel . For these libertines, seduction is a form of theatre where the ultimate goal is total psychological domination. The Price of Victory

eventually falls in love with Madame de Tourvel, a "purifying" emotion that shatters his cynical worldview and leads to his death in a duel. Dangerous Liaisons

At its heart, Dangerous Liaisons is a duel between two aristocrats in pre-revolutionary France: the and the Vicomte de Valmont . Former lovers turned "partners in crime," they view human emotions not as something to be felt, but as weaknesses to be exploited. The plot is set in motion by a

The tragedy of the story lies in its famous conclusion: "everyone loses through winning". The Price of Victory eventually falls in love