"The Count of Monte Cristo" is one of Alexandre Dumas's masterpieces, a sprawling epic that delves into themes of revenge and destiny. The story revolves around the protagonist's quest for vengeance, offering constant tension and intrigue. Rich characters and intricate plots immerse readers in a world of battles, emotions, and desires. Over the years, this novel has remained beloved among readers, earning its place as a timeless classic.
Intro
Starting with anticipation, I finally delved into Alexandre Dumas' masterpiece, "The Count of Monte Cristo," renowned as one of France's greatest works, famously known for its gratifying revenge drama. This monumental work has been recommended to me since my youth, but its extensive length always deterred me. However, spurred by a recent strong recommendation from a friend, I approached the task as if tackling a long-overdue assignment.
Published in 1844 by the prolific author Alexandre Dumas, this novel is a gripping tale of revenge, focusing on the protagonist's satisfying quest for vengeance after enduring unjust imprisonment. Despite its vast volume, multitude of characters, and numerous subplots, Dumas demonstrates exceptional skill in seamlessly unfolding the narrative. While revenge serves as the central theme, the story offers ample food for thought, showcasing a remarkably solid structure and grand scale that is astonishing considering the era in which it was written.
Characters
Edmond Dantès is the protagonist of the novel, also known as the Count of Monte Cristo. His father is Louis Dantès, and his betrothed is a lady named Mercédès, who draws the jealousy of a man named Fernand.
Among Edmond Dantès' adversaries in the novel are the Morcerf family, the Danglars family, and the Villefort family. Among these, the Villefort family is depicted as the most villainous.
The Morrel family takes a favorable stance towards the protagonist. Their employer, Morrel, acts as a benefactor to Edmond Dantès, and Morrel's son, Maximilian, also appears in the story. Maximilian's lover is a lady named Valentine, who happens to be the daughter of Villefort. Additionally, numerous other families and characters are introduced throughout the narrative.
Plot summary
The novel is set in 1815, a time when the French Emperor Napoleon, who was at the height of his power, was exiled to the island of Elba, and monarchy was restored under King Louis XVIII. In the southern port city of Marseille, there is a shipping company run by a man named Morrel. A mishap occurs aboard one of the company's ships, resulting in the death of the captain while at sea. Fortunately, under the competent command of a skilled sailor named Edmond Dantès, the ship manages to return safely, and Morrel, who has always valued Edmond, decides to promote him to captain despite his young age.
However, a jealous accountant who has always envied Edmond convinces Morrel to suspect Edmond of wrongdoing, claiming that Edmond visited the island of Elba, where Napoleon was exiled, and received a secret message from him.
This claim turns out to be true, as Edmond had indeed received a letter from the former emperor, which was more of a plea than a command, given Edmond's honest nature. Despite knowing this, Morrel refuses to retract his decision to promote Edmond.
Meanwhile, Edmond Dantès becomes engaged to a woman named Mercédès, but Fernand, who harbors unrequited love for her, becomes jealous. Those who envy Edmond, including Fernand, gather to denounce him on the eve of his engagement to Mercédès, accusing him of treason.
Eventually, Edmond Dantès is falsely accused and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Château d'If, a prison for political prisoners. Falsely imprisoned and facing indefinite captivity, Edmond contemplates suicide out of despair.
One day, Edmond accidentally meets a remarkable man named Abbé Faria, who is a former priest with extensive knowledge and education. From the Abbé, Edmond learns various subjects and acquires the manners of a nobleman. He also hears about a treasure hidden by an Italian abbot during the Renaissance period. Although they plan to escape, the elderly Abbé Faria eventually dies, and Edmond successfully escapes by hiding in his body bag. Ten years have passed since Edmond was imprisoned.
Meanwhile, Napoleon escapes from Elba and briefly regains power before being defeated in the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to Saint Helena. Edmond finds the hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo, amassing immense wealth by selling the treasures and assuming the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo.
During Edmond's imprisonment, Danglars, who falsely accused him, has become immensely wealthy, obtaining the title of viscount and achieving success in finance. Fernand, on the other hand, has become a successful soldier, receiving the title of count and marrying Mercédès, Edmond's former betrothed. The prosecutor who investigated Edmond, Villefort, has also risen to prominence and become a famous judge in Paris.
Driven by a burning desire for revenge, Edmond first seeks out Morrel, who had shown him kindness in the past, and secretly helps him overcome difficulties in his business, becoming his lifesaver. As time passes, Fernand and Mercédès' son, Albert, gets into trouble when he is kidnapped by bandits while traveling in Italy, but with Edmond's help, he manages to escape unharmed. With the gratitude of Albert, Edmond's alter ego, the Count of Monte Cristo, gains prominence in Paris society.
Finally, the revenge against Villefort, Danglars, and Fernand begins. Villefort's wife, intending to eliminate her stepdaughter to secure her inheritance for her son, manipulates her naive son into committing the crime. In the process of Edmond's revenge, four people are poisoned to death, two survive attempted poisoning, one commits suicide, and one goes insane. Edmond himself becomes overwhelmed with guilt, sparing only an old man and his young daughter from his ruthless vengeance, having annihilated the rest of the family.
Revenge against Fernand also unfolds as Edmond exposes Fernand's past betrayal, leading to his social disgrace. As a result, Mercédès and her son Albert leave Fernand, and with nothing left, Fernand commits suicide.
Danglars, having amassed a great fortune, becomes the target of Edmond's revenge, who decides to ruin him financially. Edmond orchestrates a scenario where Benedetto, a criminal posing as a wealthy nobleman of Italian origin, seduces Danglars' daughter and marries her. When Benedetto's true identity as a criminal is revealed, Danglars suffers a great humiliation, his daughter elopes, and later, upon discovering his wife's infidelity, he flees to Italy, only to be robbed and threatened with death by bandits, at which moment Edmond comes to his rescue. Reflecting on the severity of his revenge on Danglars, Edmond expresses remorse, and together with the daughter of the Greek governor, whom he loves, he leaves France forever.
Review
This work delves into the realm of grand revenge dramas. All contemporary works dealing with revenge are under the influence of The Count of Monte Cristo, and no other work has surpassed it. In that regard, one cannot help but contemplate the meaning of revenge.
As the story unfolds from the perspective of the protagonist, Edmond, readers naturally empathize with him. Witnessing Edmond enduring over a decade of imprisonment on false charges and having his beloved fiancée stolen by his enemies incites anger. And as we witness the revenge against his enemies unfold in the latter part of the novel, we feel a sense of satisfaction. This is a common feature of movies and novels that deal with revenge. However, in the latter part of the novel, Edmond begins to feel some remorse and doubt.
Edmond comes to believe that his revenge is a punishment from God inflicted upon his enemies, even going as far as considering himself as God's instrument, carrying out God's will. It is after this realization that he begins to feel the weight of his conscience.
Perhaps Edmond believed that he had the right and ability to clearly judge the sins of his enemies and mete out punishment accordingly. However, as he seeks revenge, he becomes ensnared in the whirlwind of vengeful emotions, going beyond what was inflicted upon him and orchestrating horrific tragedies. This resonates with why many countries prohibit private vengeance - because personal emotions can lead to inflicting more harm than the deserved punishment and often involve emotional depletion even when there is no practical benefit. Thus, laws are established to define certain crimes and prescribe the types and degrees of punishment accordingly.
Through this narrative, the author seems to prompt readers to contemplate whether such revenge can be considered justifiable, even as they are presented with a revenge drama.
The protagonist, Edmond, experiences the pinnacle of life on the day of his engagement, only to plummet into the depths of despair due to the jealousy of his acquaintances, Danglars and Fernand. However, Edmond encounters the Abbe Faria in prison and ultimately gains immense wealth and fame through him. Yet, unsurprisingly, despite having acquired such wealth and fame, Edmond is far from happy. This is because the task of revenge remains in his life. Until he completes this task, no amount of money can bring him joy.
However, on the other hand, one can think like this: What if he were to live a life of immense wealth and fame under the alias of Monte Cristo, having successfully escaped from prison? It would be like living a second life. If one sets their mind to it, they could live a happy life, but blinded by revenge, they cannot find satisfaction in reality.
Indeed, in our daily lives, similar situations occur. Some people, due to trivial disputes or minor accidents, are determined to pursue justice to the bitter end, even though they know it would be wiser to just forget about it and focus on daily life again. They waste time and energy due to reasons such as believing they must uphold justice and provide moral education to the other party.
In life, there are times when one must yield and times when one must stand firm. If one constantly engages in battles every time an injustice occurs, they will not go far and will soon fall behind. If there is no benefit, it is wise to step back momentarily and refocus on reality. However, there are times when one must not yield. But whether this is one of those times when one should not yield can be determined with a little thought.
Furthermore, this work also reflects the author's perspective on the changes in French society at the time. Alexandre Dumas depicts the fate of individuals facing the tide of history and the consequences of their choices in many novels. In this work, we can see that the author pays attention to the changes in French society from the early to mid-19th century. While various changes are evident in the novel, the most prominent aspect is the transition from an era where heroic individuals thrive to an era of ordinary citizens. This can be inferred from the change in the protagonist's name. At the end of the novel, Edmond discards the title of Monte Cristo and returns to being Edmond. The meaning behind the name Monte Cristo, as indicated by the title, represents nobility. Moreover, the targets of the protagonist's revenge are noble families such as counts and viscounts. By overthrowing them and even discarding the title of count himself, the author seems to depict the transition of the era from the dominance of a few privileged aristocrats to a society of individual citizens.
Final thoughts
The Count of Monte Cristo, despite being primarily written for entertainment, has earned its place among the classics. Considering how few popular novels stand the test of time and continue to be mentioned and read by readers for centuries, one can appreciate the greatness of this work. It raises the question of whether a novel focused on entertainment and intrigue can become a classic. Reflecting on this work, one can conclude that if a novel is immensely enjoyable, it is indeed possible. It is a masterpiece that transcends time in terms of entertainment value and can be considered a complete and exemplary work of popular fiction in its own right.