AGULAR, KRISTINE A.

N3G
The Count of Monte Cristo

Introduction

The Count of Monte Cristo (Paris, 1844–45), by French novelist and playwright

Alexandre Dumas, is one of the most popular novels ever written. Set in Marseilles,
Rome and Paris in the nineteenth century, it tells the story of Edmond Dantès, a young
sailor who is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned in a dungeon for fourteen years.
A fellow prisoner tells him where to find treasure buried on a Mediterranean island
called Monte Cristo. On Dantès's escape, he acquires the treasure, gives himself the
name Count of Monte Cristo, and ruthlessly goes about the slow destruction of his
enemies.

Dumas got the idea for The Count of Monte Cristo from a true story, which he found in a
memoir written by a man named Jacques Peuchet. Peuchet related the story of a
shoemaker named Francois Picaud, who was living in Paris in 1807. Picaud was
engaged to marry a rich woman, but four jealous friends falsely accused him of being a
spy for England. He was imprisoned for seven years. During his imprisonment a dying
fellow prisoner bequeathed him a treasure hidden in Milan. When Picaud was released
in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under another name to Paris and
spent ten years plotting his successful revenge against his former friends.

Generations of readers have responded to Dumas's riveting, romantic tale of revenge

by a man who believes he acts as the agent of Providence. The story has adventure,
intrigue and romance in full measure, and also presents a vivid portrait of France from
the end of the Napoleonic years to the early 1840s.
Plot Summary

Imprisonment and Escape

The Count of Monte Cristo begins with the arrival of a ship in Marseilles, France. One of
the crew is a young sailor named Edmond Dantès. Dantès seems to be on the threshold
of great happiness. Morrel, the shipowner, promotes him to captain, and he is about to
marry a beautiful girl named Mercédès. However, at the feast before the wedding
Dantès is arrested for treason. He is innocent, but has been entrapped by a plot
hatched by Danglars, a fellow sailor who is jealous of Dantès's promotion, and Fernand,
who was his rival for the love of Mercédès. The plot is aided by Villefort, a corrupt
prosecutor, and Dantès is imprisoned in the Château d'If. He is not told why he is
imprisoned. He remains in the Château d'If for fourteen years. During this time he meets
the Abbé Faria, a fellow prisoner who has been digging what he hoped would be a
tunnel to freedom, but which leads instead to Dantès's cell. The Abbé is a learned man,
and he teaches Dantès everything he knows. He also tells Dantès the location of a
secret treasure, which is buried on an uninhabited island called Monte Cristo, in the
Mediterranean. When the Abbé dies, Dantès switches places with the corpse and is
carried out of the prison for burial. He plans to escape from the grave. But instead of
burying him, the jailers toss him into the sea. Even so, he manages to swim to safety.
He makes his way to Monte Cristo and discovers the treasure.

Dedication to Revenge

Now a rich man, Dantès dedicates himself to gaining revenge on those who wronged
him. Taking on the first of many disguises, as the Abbé Busoni, he tracks down
Caderousse, a former untrustworthy neighbor who is now an impoverished innkeeper.
Caderousse tells him the story of Dantès's arrest and what has happened since.
Villefort, Danglars and Fernand are all now powerful men. Dantès rewards Caderousse
and his wife with a valuable diamond. Based on what Caderousse told him, Dantès,
now disguised as an Englishman, Lord Wilford, rewards the ship owner Morrel, who had
tried many times to intercede with the authorities on Dantès' behalf. Morrel has suffered
many losses at sea and is on the verge of bankruptcy. He is about to commit suicide
when his daughter Julie brings proof that all his debts have been paid by a mysterious
benefactor, who has also given Morrel a diamond for his daughter's dowry.

The scene switches to Rome, where two young Frenchmen, Baron Franz d'Espinay and
Viscount Albert de Morcerf (Fernand's son) attend the carnival. They meet Dantès, who
has given himself the name Count of Monte Cristo. Monte Cristo uses the influence his
wealth buys to save a man named Peppino from execution. He then saves Albert, who
has been kidnapped by bandits led by the notorious Luigi Vampa. In gratitude, Albert
agrees to introduce Monte Cristo to his social circle in Paris. There Monte Cristo meets
Lucien Debray, a diplomat, Beauchamp, a journalist, and Captain Maximilien Morrel, the
son of Morrel. They are all fascinated by the remarkable count. Monte Cristo meets
Fernand, who is now the Count of Morcef. Morcef is grateful to him for saving his son's
life. Monte Cristo also meets Mercédès, who recognizes him but says nothing.

Monte Cristo buys a house at Auteuil, near Paris, which was the scene of a crime
committed by Villefort, when he buried the infant child of his lover, Baroness Danglars.
Monte Cristo knows this from his servant Bertuccio, who had a grudge against Villefort
and tried to kill him at that house. Bertuccio saved the infant's life and raised him as
Benedetto. Bertuccio also tells the count that he was a witness to a murder committed
by Caderousse and his wife, who killed the jeweler who came to buy a diamond.

Reaction:

The count of Monte Cristo is related to the life of Rizal is because he used the
same theme of Monte Cristo in his second novel El Filibusterismo. In the novel,
Crisostomo Ibarra (the protagonist of Rizal's first novel, Noli Me Tangere), returns as
Simoun, a rich jeweller, to avenge the betrayal he experienced and to recover his
fiancee, Maria Clara. And this book also is one of the best books liked by Rizal.

Bibliography:
Dumas, Alexandre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Grosset & Dunlap, 1946.