A Book Project Based on Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Created by Jeffrey Aikens
| Review| Summary | Quotations | Character Analysis | Theme Analysis | A Letter to the Author |Creative Response|
I. The Introductory Paragraph (setting)
II. Paragraphs Two through Five (characterization)
One major character in “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas is Edmond Dantes. In the story he plays the dashing young hero. Edmond was a kind and loving person until his so called friends Danglars, Fernand and with the help of a public prosecutor named Villefort all betrayed him then he turned cold and bitter. While in prison, Edmond was able to learn different skills. A skill he learned that most people do not know how to do was see clearly in the dark. Due to lack of exposure to the sun, while in his cell, his eyes became very accustomed to the dark giving him the sight to see things with sharp precision. Edmond was also giving guidance from a fellow prisoner named Abbe Faria who taught him several different languages including mathematics, history and physics. Not to mention the greatest piece of paper known to man at that time which was so fantastic that most men found it to be nothing more than fantasy. This piece paper held the information of where Sparta’s treasure was located. This fortune which was known to very few was so enormous that anyone who found it would be the richest man in the world. Edmond Dantes who was given a miracle from God found this treasure which allowed him to plot his revenge on all those people who betrayed him. Throughout most of the story Edmond was the Count of Monte Cristo. He became this person due to horrible circumstances he faced in the beginning of the story and to carefully work out a revenge on all his enemies. Edmond from which I said before was a kind and loving person who was also naïve was but he was totally different from the Count of Monte Cristo. Some words to help us understand this new formed character are extraordinary, charming and sorcerer. The Count of Monte Cristo amazed most of people he came in contact with because of his views of life, knowledge of different customs and languages and his wealth. Nobody has ever known such a person who so refined, decisive and mysterious like him therefore found him extraordinary. His personality which could grasp hold of person making people always wanting to be around him made him very charming and the fact that he was so intelligent he was able to concoct different potions and remedies for cold and insomnia. The Count of Monte Cristo could even stop death. This astounded many, which made them to believe he was a sorcerer. But besides this, the Count of Monte Cristo was very religious. He often spoke of God in manner that made people shudder and find comfort in what he was saying. The Count put God before everything in his life and looked down upon people who didn’t do the same. I loved this character because he displayed and obtained things most people would die for and this is money, power and respect.
Another major character is Abbe Faria. He plays a father type figure in Edmonds life even though Edmond already had a father (Louis Dantes). Abbe Faria was a priest in Napoleon’s army who was imprisoned in the Chateau d’If by Napoleon himself. Faria believed in Napoleon so much that he was blinded to the fact he was nothing more to him than a pawn. Even though he was old you could tell this was a result of captivity and not age. His physical attributes wasn’t the quickest but his mind was very sharp. Faria often talked about Sparta’s treasure and the inmates including the guards called him mad. But in fact this was not the case; Faira was able to turn objects in his prison cell into tools for digging and scraping material and there for devised a plan of escape. Well into his plan he made a miss calculation and ended up near Edmond’s cell. When the two met they became instant companions. For Edmond Abbe Faria was like a father and for Faria Edmond was like a son. This interaction between them saved Edmond from committing suicide and would later on give Edmond a second chance at life. Some words that describe Abbe Faria are intelligent, profound and ill. Abbe Faria was a man of many talents. He blew Edmond a way with his ambition and ingenuity by creating house hold items in the cell that people took for granted. His insight and views of different subjects created a certain urge in Edmond to ask Faria for help so he could help him understand the situation he was in. Abbe Faria intelligence captivated Edmond. He was able to develop a second well devised plan of escape by excavating underground. Abbe Faria character doesn’t change. Unfortunately, Abbe Faria was dealing with an illness that paralyzed him and ultimately killed him. But his legacy and knowledge will forever live on in Edmond and guide him for the rest of his life. I was in content with this character because he represented something in world that kids need to today. This is a mentor, if there were more people in the world like Abbe Faria the world would be a better place.
Maximilien Morrel is another major character. He played the role of young out going spirit. Maximilien Morrel is a young officer who comes from an honorable family filled with joy and love. His father was Edmond Dantes former boss who owned a number of ships including the Pharaon. Maximilien was in love with Villefort’s daughter Valentine. This interaction between them causes Maximilien to truly enjoy life. But Valentine was set to marry someone else. However, when this is not the case any more they are faced with another obstacle. Valentine is poisoned and everyone believes her to be dead. This destroys Maximilien spirit and his will for life. Some words that describe this character are noble, strong and a gentleman. Maximilien was very noble because he came from an excellent background, was very well mannered and handsome. He also was strong but not by his physical attributes alone he stood true to his morals. Even in the most devastating time in his family’s life when his father was willing to commit suicide, he swore to uphold the family’s honor and do what his father wasn’t able to do. In a way Maximilien is a refection of his father. His father was kind and fair and Maximilien displayed these same traits. He was a gentleman who respected him self and treated people with the up most respect. From the beginning to the end, Maximilien is happy and in love but then becomes depressed and suicidal then becomes happy again. His courage and closeness to the Count of Monte Cristo makes him one of my most favorite characters.
III. Paragraphs Five through Seven (conflict and plot)
Another scene that describes major conflict is when the Count de Morcef was called to a meeting with his colleagues for allegations in the newspaper alleging the honors he received while in the military were false. An investigation was set up and the Count de Morcef came to the meeting with the necessary documents to prove his case. However, there was witness who arrived and gave a devastating blow to the Count de Morcef’s testimony. Her name was Haydee she was the Count of Monte Cristo’s mistress. Haydee was also the daughter of Ali Pasha, the person Morcef betrayed in order to get to where he is now. When Haydee arrived to the meeting, she told everyone there that the Count de Morcef was nothing more than a murderer and cheat. She describe how he sold her mother and herself to merchants and how he betrayed her father with false documents and to this day he is still stained with her father’s blood on his forehead. The Count de Morcef was overwhelmed he had nothing more to say and therefore fled and the council men of the investigation all found him guilty of felony, treason and dishonor.
IV. Paragraph Eight (theme)
V. Paragraph Nine (your opinion)
People as well as characters in a story have certain traits that dictate the type of person they are. In “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas, Edmond Dantes who was given a second chance at life took on the form of many characters. His greatest character was the Count of Monte Cristo. As the Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes was religious, decisive and a renaissance man. These special traits he obtained shaped the outcome of his future and made him the most outstanding character in the book.
With his new life, Edmond Dantes as the Count of Monte Cristo had a great belief in God. He spoke of God in a way that reached into the depth of someone’s soul and created such uproar that a person would repent at that that exact moment for God’s forgiveness if they have committed sin. The Count of Monte Cristo was also capable of speaking of God in such a manner that a person could find comfort and some closure in the darkest moment of their life. With so much faith in God and no respect for man, the Count of Monte Cristo in a sense stood alone above all else with such superiority that people found him extraordinary. However, his arrogance was cast aside before God, “I maintain my pride in the face of men, but I abandon it before God, who drew me out of nothingness to make me what I am…” Ever since his oath of vengeance, the Count of Monte Cristo always believed that God was on his side and ever since then confide in God for strength and guidance.
The Count of Monte Cristo was a very intelligent person. He acquired much knowledge while in the Chateau d’If and after. From the purchasing of Haydee to the meeting with Maxemilien on the Isle of Monte Cristo, the Count of Monte Cristo had everything planned and played out with no complication. The down fall of his enemies and the saving of Morrel’s family, the Count of Monte Cristo had a perfectly wrought revenge, “…I study, by my own methods, all men who may be either advantageous or disadvantageous to me and I come to know them as well as they know themselves, or perhaps better.” His sharpness and quick thinking allowed him to deceive his enemies and study them so he could strip everything in their life worth having piece by piece and watch them suffer so they could feel the pain and torture he felt when everything in his life was taking away from him.
Calling the Count of Monte Cristo a refined person is an injustice to his character. He was in a sense a renaissance man. He spoke several different languages including French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish and Greek. The Count of Monte Cristo was an expert in combat and not only knew the languages of different countries but also knew the customs and the geography of the country. He has made countless trips around the world and experienced and saw things the average person could only dream of. His wealth and knowledge has surpassed many kings in their life and after life. The potions and narcotics he concocts are beyond it’s time and could even put a stop to death. In one word he was impenetrable to man but could only be hindered by three things: time, distance and the fact that he was mortal. His life and legacy stood above all the rest or as he put it, “The domains of king are limited by natural barriers or changes of custom or language. My kingdom is as large as the world…I am a cosmopolite. I adopt all customs and I speak all languages…Therefore, since I am from no country, since I ask no government for protection, and since I regard no man as my brother, I am not deterred by any of the scruples or obstacles that paralyze the efforts of the weak. I have only three adversaries. The first two are distance and time, but with persistence I am able to overcome them. The third one is the most terrible: the fact that I am mortal.” His views and traits could not be overlooked which in my mind made him the greatest character in the book.
Edmond Dantes as the Count of Monte Cristo overcame and surpassed every challenge that came in his way. With religion as his guide, decisiveness at his disposal and being cosmopolite, his rise to the top was destined. But no one could forget all the pain he went through before he found his wealth and knowledge. The feeling of no hope and starving himself to death just to be released from the hell whole they call a prison cell. It was impossible to imagine that he would have more wealth then most people would imagine in a ten life times and that he would befriend the very same people who destroyed his life and have there life destroyed piece by piece as he watched them suffer. From self destruction to glory, Edmond Dantes personality and personal traits has triumphed against adversity and stood the test of time and will forever remain in the reader mind as one of the greatest characters in romantic fictional novels in history.
The Count of Monte Creative Response
Dear Diary,
I couldn’t believe my own step mother was poisoning me. I’m so grateful for the Count of Monte Cristo’s help because if it wasn’t for him I would have never found this out. I’m also grateful for my grandfather preparing me for this, he is wonderful and I love him with all my heart. When the Count of Monte Cristo gave me that narcotic I didn’t know what to expect. The next thing I knew I was inside of a vault, I started kicking and screaming and no one came. Then I cried myself to sleep. When I awoke I found myself in a cave full of bright lights and then I heard a voice and it was the Count of Monte Cristo. He told me every thing was going to be alright and that I was going to stay here with Haydee and in due time was going to see Maximilien. I started to think about Maximilien and all the pain he must be going through now that he thinks I’m dead. All I wanted to do now was be with Maxemilien my love. For most of my time I stayed with a girl named Haydee. She was very well mannered and spoke very eloquently. For some reason I felt like I was in the presence of royalty. But during this time Haydee and I became real close friends or you could even call us sisters. We talked about our dreams and goals in life and who we love, for me I loved Maximilien for Haydee she loved the Count of Monte Cristo. These were very comforting thoughts but I never realized there was such evil in this world. My own family put me in this situation and may God have mercy on their soul.
Sincerely,
Valentine Villefort
Dear Alexandre Dumas,
The book “The Count of Monte Cristo” was one of the greatest books I have ever read in my life. To me this book is about struggle and triumph and rising above adversity victorious. It’s so much conflict, emotions and struggle incorporated in this book it’s hard for one not to like it. One particular thing I liked about the book was the plot. I loved the way how you created so much adversity against one character that made it seem impossible for that character to survive. But some how the story unfolds and shows how the character is able to overcome these challenges and emerge victorious. For example when Edmond Dantes was placed in the Chateau d’If and it seemed he had no way out yet you create this miraculous escape involving the dead body of the priest, the flying off a cliff with a ball and a chain and the swimming to safety so incredible that all the reader could was to see what happened next. This was such a great novel I was wondering, what inspired you to write this book? However, there are so many different versions of this novel and a few movies based on this novel, I was led to believe that Edmond Dantes was going to end up with Mercedes and Albert de Morcef was his real son. But in fact this was not the case and realizing this after reading this book, I would not change a thing. I found out that Edmond Dantes was happy in the end and in fact regained a passion for life that was once abandoned with the woman he loved. This book has made such an impact on me it made me reflect on how I treated others and how strong my faith was to God. It also taught me that those who are led astray from God may escape human justice but not divine justice.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Aikens
· “The domains of Kings are limited by natural barriers or changes of custom or language. My kingdom is as large as the world…”
· “I maintain my pride in the face of men, but I abandon it before God, who drew me out of nothingness to make me what I am…”
· “…everyone was striving to have the honor of speaking with him, as always happens with people who speak little and never say a word without value…”
· “You recognize around you only those whose positions have been assigned to them by some minister or king, you are unable to see those men whom God has placed above kings and ministers by giving them a mission to fulfill, rather than a position to occupy.”
· “I was once raised by Satan to the top of the highest mountain on earth. From there he showed me the whole world and said…what wouldst thou have in order to worship me? I want to be Providence, for the greatest, the most beautiful and most sublime thing I know of in this world is to reward and punish. But Satan bowed his head and sighed “you are mistaken” he said “Providence does exist, but it is invisible; you have never seen anything resembling it because it works by secret springs and moves in hidden ways. All I can do for you is to make you one of the agents of providence.” I made the bargain with him; I may lose my soul because of it, but if I had it to do over again I would do the same thing.”
The main characters in chapters 1-24 are:
Edmond Dantes (Abbe Busoni, the
Count of Monte Cristo)
Gerald de Villefort
Mercedes
Louis Dantes
Fernand Mondego (Monsieur de Morcef)
Caderousse
Danglars
Morrel
Abbe Faria
Albert de Morcef
The Count of Monte Cristo
Lucien Debray
Luigi Vampa
Maximilien Morrel
From chapters 25-73 are:
Valentine Villefort
Andrea Cavalcanti
Noirter Rue Coq Heron
Madem Danglars
Madem de Villefort
Haydee
* Note, that some characters that are in chapters 1-24 are in chapters 25-73
Setting:A few very important settings in the chapters of “The Count of Monte Cristo” are in Marseilles, France where Edmond and his father used to live. Another important setting is the Chateau d’If between the time of 1815 and 1829 located in the cell of Abbe Faria and Edmond Dantes. Another setting is in the Palace of justice and 30 Champs Elysees which are located in Paris, France.
Conflict: The main conflict in the story is between Edmond Dantes, Fernand Mondego, Danglars and Villefort. Edmond was betrayed by these people and imprisoned. As the Count of Monte Cristo he is secretly destroyed their lives and all they knew the Count of Monte Cristo was their associate, extremely rich and very fascinating.
Mood: The mood of the book was content, somber, painful, dark, cold then happy again.
Climax :At the climax, Villefort reputation was destroyed at the Palace of Justice due to a startling a secret involving him and Madem Danglars revealing that they bore child to Andrea Cavalcanti who was a murderer, cheat and a liar. When they themselves were married respected people, with feeling such anguish all he thought about was his family and the recent conflict he and his wife had. When Villefort arrived in his house, he was stricken with terror because he realized his life was ruined and his wife was preparing to kill herself because of him. When he reached her room he found her corpse and was terrified, this feeling would only be magnified when he found the corpse of his son Edouard. For some reconciliation he went to find his father but instead of finding his father alone he found Abbe Busoni with him. He only recognized him for a priest but Abbe Busoni was actually the Count of Monte Cristo or better yet Edmond Dantes. When he took off his disguised and revealed himself as Edmond Dantes, Villefort still traumatized by death of his wife and son dragged Edmond Dantes to see the result of his vengeance. Edmond, who had no clue of this, for once doubted that his vengeance was right and that God would be on his side. With this in mind he took the boy to another room and tried everything in his power to revive him but his attempts was only in vain. Edouard was still dead and Villefort over whelmed by grief and despair was pushed to his limits and consequently lost his sanity.
Conclusion : It was evening and a yacht arrived to pick up Maximilien and take him to the Isle of Monte Cristo where the Count of Monte Cristo was waiting for him. There Maximilien was still heart broken over Valetine’s alleged death and wanted to die painlessly as the Count of Monte Cristo promised to him. However, the Count of Monte Cristo cared very much for Maximilien like he was his own son and offered him all his wealth if decided not to kill himself. But Maximilen refused and took the poison. But it wasn’t poison instead it was some type of a sleeping potion and when he awoke he saw Valetine alive and well. Maximilien was filled with joy and his zest and passion for life was restored again. But he realized the Count of Monte Cristo was gone. While Maximilien was asleep Haydee confessed her love to the Count of Monte Cristo, surprised and happy by this the Count of Monte Cristo confessed his love for her too. No more was he the Count of Monte Cristo but Edmond Dantes again and his passion for life and love came back and he was able to spend it with a beautiful young woman. As Maximilien finished a letter wrote to him by Edmond Dantes he realized all his dream were becoming true and he saw Haydee and Edmond sail off into the sunset.
In life there are many religions people believe in. Some people don’t believe in anything. However, there is always a defining moment in someone’s life where it is hard to overlook the fact that there might be a higher being playing a big part in their life. In “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas there are many themes. One theme I depicted was people who are led astray from God and have committed sin may escape human justice but not divine justice. Some literary elements that express this theme are characterization, symbolism and Imagery.
In “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas, Villefort who was able to seal the fate of Edmond Dantes by convicting him on false charges of treason because he was the public prosecutor he was able to escape human justice but not divine justice, “I am the ghost of a wretched man you once buried in the dungeon of the Chateau d’If. When that ghost finally came out of its grave, God placed on it the mask of the Count of Monte Cristo…” Villefort’s character was arrogant and self centered. He only cared about his job and how he would be perceived by others. The only thing that allowed him to sleep at night was knowing Edmond was locked away and no one would ever find out the truth, “He was known as only as Number 34…Villefort, Villefort…That’s what you must have told yourself many times when my ghost came to trouble your sleep!” Due to the fact he was so involved in himself and protecting his image he sacrificed the life and well being of his family around him and in result lost them and his sanity.
The people who betrayed Edmond all became rich and powerful. Their wealth and power represented how evil and corrupt they were. The treachery and cunning they displayed may not have been detected by the people who enforce the law but God always devises a plan to punish the wicked. Their wealth and prestige was the only thing they cared about and would do anything to protect it. But when Edmond became the Count of Monte Cristo he secretly striped everything in their life worth having, “You recognize around you only those whose positions have been assigned to them by some minister or king; you are unable to see those men whom God has placed above kings and ministers by giving them a mission to fulfill, rather than a position to occupy.” Their entire corrupted ness had consumed their life and in result left them poor, dead or crazy.
Edmond Dantes who the author created an image in your mind that he’s life was doomed and that the people who put him in that situation would get away free was in fact not true. Instead he was given a second chance at life and a whole new image was created for him. A more powerful persona, one that could deceive and befriend the very same people who betrayed him, “…I am a cosmopolite. I adopt all customs and I speak all languages…Therefore, since I am from no country, since I ask no government for protection, and since I regard no man as my brother, I am not deterred by any of the scruples or obstacles that paralyze the efforts of the weak…” This new facade allowed him to study his enemies and destroy their lives at the same time while they watch his grace in amazement and admired him. In the eyes of his enemies he was perceived as extraordinary “I admire you, count…and if you are really strong, really superior and really either perfect or impenetrable, which, as you rightly say…Be proud and masterful, that’s the law of domination.” With this new image he was able to beguile his enemies and ultimately lead them to their demise.
People who are led astray from God and have committed sin may escape human justice but not divine justice and for Villefort, Danglars and Fernand they paid the ultimate price because God always finds a way to punish the wicked. I think this is a wonderful theme and applies to most people because nobody is a perfect. However, we as a society need to check ourselves and realize how our actions affect other people.