A tale of intrigue, violence, vengence, and love. The Count of Monte Cristo is a beautifully written classic by the prolific writer Alexandre Dumas, famous for his prodigious amount of works published. This exciting story of characters caught in all categorizations of intricate troubles invokes feelings of hatred-Fernand, Danglars-and pity-Mercedes, de Villefort, Dantes, Faria-while also satisfying hope-Valentine, Maximillian Morrel. Most importantly though, this monolith in classical literature written in an age of sparkling romanticism is especially significant for its inspiring message, Wait and hope!
At the age of nineteen, Edmond Dantes seems to have the perfect life. He is about to become the captain of a ship, he is engaged to a beautiful and kind young Catalan woman, Mercedes, and he is well liked by almost everyone who knows him. This perfect life, however, stirs up dangerous jealousy among some of Dantes’s coworkers and comrades. Danglars, the purser of the Pharaon, envies Dantes’s early career success; Fernand Mondego is in love with Dantes’s fiancee and so covets his amorous success; his neighbor Caderousse is simply envious that Dantes is so much luckier in life than he is and he's too drunk to realize what he's diong.
Together, these three men draft a letter accusing Dantes of treason and calling him a Bonapartist. There is some truth to their accusations: as a promise to his recently deceased captain, Dantes is carrying a letter from Napoleon to a group of Bonapartist sympathizers in Paris. Though Dantes himself has no political views, the undertaking is enough to punish him for treason. On the day of his wedding, Dantes is arrested for his alleged crimes.
The deputy procurer du roi (public prosecutor), Villefort, sees through the plot to frame Dantes and is prepared to set him free. At the last moment, though, Dantes jeopardizes his freedom by revealing the name of the man to whom he is supposed to deliver Napoleon’s letter. The man, Noirtier, is Villefort’s father. Terrified that any public knowledge of his father’s treasonous activities will cut down his own ambitions, Villefort decides to send Dantes to prison for life to hide the secret. Despite the entreaties of Monsieur Morrel, Dantes’s kind and honest boss, Dantes is sent to the infamous Chateau d’If, where the most dangerous political prisoners are kept.
While in prison, Dantes meets Abbe Faria, an Italian priest and intellectual, who has been jailed for his political views. Faria teaches Dantes history, science, philosophy, and languages, turning him into a well-educated man. Faria also gives Dantes the location of the large treasure of Cardinal Spada hidden on the island of Monte Cristo, and he tells him how to find it should he ever escape. When Faria dies, Dantes hides himself in the abbe’s shroud/bodybag, thinking that he will be buried and then dig his way out. Instead, Dantes is thrown into the sea, and is able to cut himself loose and swim to freedom.
Dantes travels to Monte Cristo and finds the Cardinal Spada's enormous treasure. He considers his fortune a gift from God, given to him for the sole purpose of rewarding those who have tried to help him and, more important, punishing those who have hurt him.
Disguising himself as an Italian priest who answers to the name of Abbe Busoni, he travels back to Marseilles and visits Caderousse, who is now struggling to make a living as an innkeeper. From Caderousse he learns the details of the plot to frame him. In addition, Dantes learns that his father has died of grief in his absence and that Mercedes has married Fernand Mondego. Most frustrating, he learns that both Danglars and Mondego have become rich and powerful and are living happily in Paris. As a reward for this information, and for Caderousse’s apparent regret over the part he played in Dantes’s downfall, Dantès gives Caderousse a valuable diamond. Before leaving Marseilles, Dantes anonymously saves Morrel from financial ruin under the names of Lord Wilmore and Sinbad the Sailor.
Ten years later, Dantes emerges in Rome, calling himself the Count of Monte Cristo. He seems to be all knowing and unstoppable, an omnipotent force indeed. In Rome Monte Cristo introduces himself to Albert d'Morcerf, son of Fernand Mondego (Count d'Morcerf) and Mercedes. He then makes the viscout (Albert) indebted to him by saving him from bandits (Luigi Vampa). In return for the favor, Albert introduces Monte Cristo to Parisian society. None of his old cohorts recognize the mysterious count as Edmond Dantes, though Mercedes does. Monte Cristo is thus able to integrate himself effortlessly into the lives of Danglars, Mondego (d'Morcerf), and Villefort. Armed with damning knowledge about each of them that he has gathered over the past decade, Monte Cristo sets an elaborate scheme of revenge into motion.
Mondego, now known as the Count d'Morcerf, is the first to be punished. Monte Cristo exposes Morcerf’s darkest secret: Morcerf made his fortune by betraying his former patron, the Greek vizier Ali Pacha, and he then sold Ali Pacha’s wife and daughter into slavery. Ali Pacha’s daughter, Haydee, who has lived with Monte Cristo ever since he bought her freedom seven years earlier, testifies against Morcerf in front of the senate, irreversibly ruining his good name. Ashamed by Morcerf’s treachery, Albert and Mercedes flee, leaving their tainted fortune behind. Morcerf commits suicide.
Villefort’s punishment comes slowly and in several stages. Mnote Cristo first takes advantage of Madame de Villefort’s murderous intent, subtly tutoring her in the uses of poison. As Madame de Villefort wreaks her havoc, killing off each member of the household in turn. Believing that everyone he loves is dead and knowing that he will soon have to punish his beloved wife, Villefort goes insane.
For his revenge on Danglars, Monte Cristo simply plays upon his enemy’s greed. He opens various false credit accounts with Danglars that cost him vast amounts of money (Maj. Calvalcanti, Andrea Calvalcanti, himself, etc. etc.). He also manipulates Danglars’s unfaithful and dishonest wife, costing Danglars more money, and helps Danglars’s daughter, Eugenie, run away with her lesbian lover. Monte Cristo spares Danglars’s life, but leaves him penniless.
Meanwhile, as these acts of vengeance play out, Monte Cristo also tries to complete one more act of goodness with help from Valentine's grandfather, M. Noitier. First, M. Noitier has to eliminate the threat that Franz d'Epinay poses as the soon-to-be groom of Valentine. M. Noitier calls him, Valentine, and d'Villefort into his room when d'Epinay first arrives and shows them a set of minutes from his last Jacobin meeting. These minutes reveal the unknown murderer of d'Epinay's prestigious, royalist father. M. Noitier killed Gen. D'Epinay, making it unethical for Franz to marry Valentine. Now to get Valentine out of the house of death and away from Madame d'Villefort and to Maximillian Morrel.
Monte Cristo gives Valentine a pill that makes her appear dead (like Juliet, eh?) and then carries her off to the island of Monte Cristo (Friar Lawrence should've read this book...). For a month, Monte Cristo allows Maximilian to believe that Valentine is dead (lasted longer than Romeo...), which causes Maximilian to long for death himself(hmmm). Monte Cristo then reveals that Valentine is alive(Hey! Didn't Friar Lawrence try to do this?). Having known the depths of despair, Maximilian is now able to experience the heights of love, happiness, and passion(There's the difference). Monte Cristo too ultimately finds happiness, when he allows himself to fall in love with the adoring and beautiful Haydee. Mercedes was ultimately and permanently turned off by the Count d'Morcerf and could love no more except for her filial love for her son, Albert. Also, Monte Cristo/Dantes could no longer love Mercedes because of her infidelity towards him in marrying Fernand.
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