The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count

Unlike the forgiving Jesus, Edmond Dantes brings up the past and tries to get revenge on those who did wrong unto him. This novel written in eighteen sixty-four by Alexandre Dumas (“The Count”), shows a man who’s been through a lot of pain and makes it his life goal to get revenge. Beginning his journey as a man of forgiveness and faith, he slowly turns into a hardened man as he spends fourteen difficult years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Dantes condones Caderousse and helps the Morrels out of debt but those will be the last acts of kindness he commits. Dantes establishes a huge plan to destroy the Baron Danglars, The Count of Morcerf, and Mousier de Villefort’s reputation and family. By acting on God’s part Dantes puts those who framed him in great misery by creating conflicts within families.

After escaping jail and finding his fortune the new Dantes or The Count of Monte Cristo returns home to Marseilles, to find his father has died and his love, Mercedes, has married Fernand. Dantes disguises himself as a priest and goes to visit Caderousse, who then tells Dantes the story of his life and what happened to everyone involved in it (Dumas, 124). In forgiving Caderousse, Dantes gives him a diamond so he can pay off his debt and gets in exchange a red silk purse (Dumas, 133). Dantes then goes to Morrel and secretly helps him by extending the date his money is due, by three months. In those three months Dantes is able to create a new Pharoan and get the money to pay off the debt. These act of kindness shows Dantes is still a moral person and has a heart to help those who helped him before his imprisonment. “And now, farewell to kindness, humanity, and gratitude… I have substituted myself for the Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked.” (Dumas, 154), Dantes in this quote is saying that he has done his duty with rewarding those who helped him, but it is now on God’s part that he...