This idea is explored in the first 2 chapters of the novel, when Athos insulted the king of France and the king wanted him imprisoned in the Bastille. D’Artagnan, the head of the king’s musketeers and one of Athos’ best friends, received the order to imprison Athos. He took Athos to Bastille’s governor and let Athos be the guest of the governor, not letting the governor know that Athos should be imprisoned. Himself, D’Artagnan, went to the king and confessed that he wanted to make his friend escape rather than let his friend lie in a dark cold prison cell, at which the surprised king asked: “You betrayed me then, monsieur?” Furthermore, D’Artagnan did another 3 major things in order to persuade the king to sign the order of release for Athos: first he offered the king to be imprisoned with his friend: “I have to get myself arrested too. Of course. My friend will be lonely down there;”, he gave his resignation to the king: “Comprehending the king’s anger, he drew his sword, and approaching Louis XIV, respectfully placed it on the table. But the king, with a furious gesture, thrust aside the sword, which fell on the ground, and rolled to D’Artagnan’s feet.”, and the last but not the least important thing D’Artagnan did was to want to commit suicide, because Louis XIV insulted him, and because the king refused to understand that Aramis fought for his son, because the king drove away Aramis’ son: “”Stained with disgrace as this sword now is, it henceforth no other sheath than either your heart or my own. I choose my own, Sire; give thanks for it to God, and my patience. “Then snatching up his sword, he cried,” My blood be upon your head.” His friendship for Athos was so strong that, D’Artagnan wanted to get imprisoned with his friend, gave his resignation from the post of head of musketeers to the king, because the king did not trust him anymore and in the end commit suicide.
Friendship at its best was demonstrated by Portos to Aramis, when Aramis decided to confess Portos that he dragged the innocent Portos into a conspiracy against the king. Portos showed that he has such simple, but pure thoughts and that he trusted his friend in all his decisions: Portos: “You have deceived me!” Aramis: “Good heavens! yes.” Portos: “Was it for my own good, Aramis?” Aramis: “I thought so sincerely, my friend.” Portos: “Than you have rendered me a service, and i thank you for it, - for if you had not deceived me, I might have deceived me myself”. Even after that Portos should have found that he had no longer have a chance to become a duchy, because the duchy was promised to Portos, by the false king, Portos trusted and forgave his friend, so that Aramis remained profoundly impressed by such a great soul: “In presence of this ingenious greatness of soul, Aramis felt himself little. It was the second time he had been compelled to bend before real superiority of heart, much more powerful than splendour of mind.” So, even though Portos found out that he has no longer any chance to become a duchy, but even more, he is considered a rebel and that the king’s army was after him and his “friend”, he still could forget, he still could believe in Aramis.
However, “The man in the iron mask” can teach us that not all friendships are built on trust and friendly love, but that some relations of “friendship” are just based on mutual interest, and that they will not last long at all, because the most important key in that relationship is missing and that key is love. An example of such a relationship is the one of the false king of France and Aramis, where one of them wanted to be the king, and Aramis wanted to become a Pope. Aramis did not trust Philippe and Philippe did not trust Aramis, because they did not have time to know each other. Aramis just found an easy and unfair method for him to become pope, and without thinking of the consequences of such an act, he made the young mind of Philippe dream about the France’s throne, dream about non deserved glory and shine: “So we leave now the future king and the future pope with their thoughts”. So, friendships based on personal interests won’t last long, because there is no trust and confidence between the 2 people.
So friendships need to involve trust and friendly love, so only these kind of friendships will last and that a real friend will always be able to give away his status in society, his live and even his honour for a friend. Both D’Artagnan and Portos showed great examples of friendship, and Aramis and Philippe showed that friendship just based on mutual interests will now last.
