How did she die?
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xakdaffin — 18 years ago(February 05, 2008 11:38 AM)
I always thought that when she had the nurses close her curtian she did a little bloodletting on her own. To me it was pretty obvious she had committed suicide. I could however be wrong, I will have to watch it again.
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chase61-1 — 18 years ago(February 15, 2008 02:53 AM)
When Madame Velange and Cecile arrive to see her , she says " I am dying because I would not listen to you " Also when Valmont arrives at the Marquis estate to collect on his reward he tells her " I have made her very ill for you " . Madame De Teurveil seemed on the weak side thru the entire movie . Remember when Valmont would throw himself at her and she would have to run away and unbutton the constricting clothes ? I think it was what they called the "vapors ". In those days some women were considered fragile and easily made ill. Also women were easily considered crazy for some of the things that are part of life today hormonal reactions, moodiness etc. were looked upon as mental illness usually. Example: T. S Eliots first wife Vivien had horrible menstrual/hormonal problems and was committed because of them by her own husband and brother. She spent like some 20 years in an institution until she died of a heart attack and none of her family let alone anyone else came to see her once except her brother . He made one visit after getting out of the service . Vivien was fine after she went through menopause. She was never treated with hormone therapy which would have solved her problems and her family never petitioned to have her released and they used her trust fund to pay for her incarceration there. How very sad.
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illescas_750 — 18 years ago(March 10, 2008 02:43 PM)
yeah she got sick , like she caught really bad cold and she was broken hearted. Maybe she needed some good old fashion 20th century drugs , that would have healed her not those nassty ass leaches. Everyone's had a broken heart , and no one died maybe old ppl but it was a dramatic movie sooo Drama drama drama
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guylover_caroline — 18 years ago(March 23, 2008 08:16 PM)
The character of Madame de Tourvel is extremely passionate and emotional. She has never truly felt love for anyone, and when she falls for Valmont, she really falls for him. She exerts so much love and passion that by the end of it she is spent, and when Valmont leaves her, she can't stand it. She used up so much energy and life expressing her feelings to him that she could no longer live and be happy. I believe at some point she says to Valmont, "I can't live..unless I make you happy." and as he explains to her (even though it is a lie), he is not happy. So she cannot live. At least, that is the analysis I get from reading the play. I am playing Madame de Tourvel in a production and I have had to do a lot of researching to discover who she is.
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ciudadgotica — 17 years ago(May 08, 2008 05:38 PM)
yes,the novel says "a broken heart" poetically correct.
but ie also points out on one of the letters (the book its actually a collection of letters) that she had decided not to eat
she refuses eating and reclused on her house until her death.
only a priest was able to visit herr (Father Anselmo in the movie)
she dies as a victim of what we call depression induced anorexia.
she just gave up living -
caracallac — 17 years ago(October 10, 2008 08:16 AM)
It couldn't have been syphilis that would have taken decades and been instantly recognisable. My view is that she was too absorbed in grief over Valmonts rejection to take proper care of herself and something that would be easily treatable now like a respiratory infection or an infected cut caused her death.
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lenon1122 — 10 years ago(November 04, 2015 12:02 PM)
Lothario.
*You get the internet award for fantastic word, and its usage. Thank you for going to school, and your Parents for making you go; well done.
"Love and hate are two horns on the same goat, Eugenia. And you need a goat." -
pondhawkdragonfly — 17 years ago(November 06, 2008 08:27 PM)
In the original French epistolary novel (a series of four volumes to make a complete novel), it is stated that Madame Marie de Tourvel succumbs to a fever and dies after hearing the news of Vicomte Sbastien de Valmont's death.
"Hysteria is only possible with an audience." -
katfairy — 17 years ago(February 02, 2009 06:15 PM)
Also, consider when this was written. Back then, it was practically required for the wronged heroine in a novel to die of a broken heart. Medical concerns were irrelevant; her lover betrayed her, so she died. End of story. No other reason need apply.
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criztu — 17 years ago(February 25, 2009 02:16 PM)
she was depressed, right ? and the nuns said "take her some blood and pray for her and she'll be cured", obiviously that was BS so she was still depressed, so the nuns said "more blood letting, more prayers", she still depressed, the nuns said "MORE BLOOD, CUT HER ARTERIES, PRAYERS 24/7", so she was died, and the nuns prayed for her soul to enter heaven.
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Uh_Oh_You_Too — 15 years ago(June 01, 2010 10:38 AM)
It's been a while since I read the book, and have no desire to read it again any time soon, since it's told through letters and tedious to get through. But I thought her death came about from a combination of a congenital weak heart, poor nutrition, lack of vaccines, brutal medical treatments, and her loss of her will to live. It didn't help either that ladies' fashion of the day compressed the waist to a handspan, grossly displacing all her internal organs.
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Uh_Oh_You_Too — 15 years ago(September 14, 2010 02:55 PM)
Actually that wasn't self-punishment, although it was certainly painful. It was a common medical practice that day called cupping. They'd heat up the air in the cup and place them on the skin in order to bring up blood closer to the skin surface. It made bloodletting easier.
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student_points — 15 years ago(December 20, 2010 02:06 PM)
uh oh you too is right. It is called cupping. I am a nurse and till ten years ago this was described in our task packet. Nobody did it anymore of course, but they certainly did it untill the first world war: to bring the blood closer to the skin surface, like uh oh you too said.
It was a treatment they used very regularly, like en Enema or bloodletting.
Most of the time it was the so called "cure" that got people killed more than the disease.
Mme de Tourvel probably just had a minor infection/fever to begin with, something other people would have easily overcome. But she was born with a frail constitution (like the unbutting her dress-scene showed), she was depressed and did not eat which weakened her even more. Combine that with the deathly cures and it is easy to die.
The romantics call it dying from a broken heart, which in a way was correct: her depression made her far more vulnerable to diseases
