There are a few sequences in the novel where the musketeers are cruel but effective and Planchet’s “thrashing” is the first example. Although Planchet was likely born into a similar social class as d’Artagnan, d’Artagnan already feels superior to him. Evidently, the trashing is not off-putting to the musketeers, but it is the first moment in the novel where one of the four friends behaves in a manner that is far from heroic or noble. Although it is never in doubt that the musketeers and d'Artagnan are the heroes of the story, they occasionally display reprehensible behavior.