The Count of Monte Cristo

INTRODUCTION
The Book entitled "The Count of Monte Cristo" is written by the famous french author Alexandre Dumas. It is being regarded as a literature classic, and along side with his other great work, "The Three Musketeers". Let us travel back to France in the 19th century and immerse ourselves in the world of "the Count of Monte Cristo".

THE PLOT
The whole story began when Edmond Dantes returned to Marseilles after his voyage. The original captain of the ship, Leclere had passed away in the middle of the voyage. Edmond being a successful sailor was entrusted the captain post by the owner of the ship Monsieur Morrel. Moreover, Edmond Dantes was also going to marry his Fiancee, Mercedes. The success-fullness of him had gained jealousy from Fernand Mondego and Danglars. Danglars felt that he should deserve the captain post instead of Edmond while Fernand wanted to marry Mercedes.Together both of them drew up a vicious plan to sabotage Edmond as a Bonapartist traitor (it was earlier mentioned in the story that Edmond was entrusted by Leclere to be delivered to a letter to a Bonapartist in Paris). Both of them wrote a letter to the authorities in Paris and Edmond was arrested.

The investigation was carried out by Villefort,the deputy crown prosecutor in Marseille. However when Villefort found out that the letter was delivered to his father, he destroys the letter, and sent Dantes to life imprisonment without even conducting a trial.

Dantes fell from a successful young man to a prisoner being imprisoned in the notorious dungeon, Chateau dlf. Dantes managed to befriend an Italian priest during his imprisonment and the priest also gave him education. When the priest knew that he was going to die he gave Dantes a treasure map about a legendary treasure situated in the isle on Monte Cristo. Making use of Danglar's death, Dantes escaped from the notorious dungeon. After 15 years, he finally gained freedom.

With the help of a smuggler ship, he came upon the Isle of Monte Cristo and discovered the treasure that his friend had mentioned. With wealth and knowledge, it marks the start of the revenge. But first, Dantes re payed the kindness of Monsieur Morrel by saving his ship, trading company. He also found out that his father died of poverty and Mercedes marrying Fernando. This angered him more and he was filled with even more hate. Dantes, now as the Count of Monte Cristo, tried to befriend Albert, who was the son of Mercedes and Fernand and even rescues him from the Italian bandits in Rome. The Count then moved to Paris.

The Count met Danglars who became a banker. He started manipulating the market and resulted in a loss of a huge proportion of Danglar's fortune.

He also tried cause conflict in Villefort's family to take his revenge against him. Villefort's father had the plan giving all his wealth to the daughter of the first wife of Villefort. However, the second wife of Villefort wanted her son to inherit all the fortune. Knowing this fact, the Count introduced her to a way of poisoning. The second wife of Villefort poisoned Valentine and was soon discovered. She was given a choice to commit suicide or a public execution. On the later part of the story, Villefort tried to stop the his wife from committing suicide but it was all too late as she had already died together with her son.

For Fernand, he was charged for collaborating with the Turks in the death of Ali Pasha and he sold his daughter and wife as slave. The Count later rescued Haydee, the daughter of Ali Pasha and she stood up to testify against his crimes. The Count also made use of Danglars to investigate this incident.

Fernand was disgraced publicly. Albert believed that the Count was the cause of his father's downfall and challenge him to a public duel. Meanwhile, Mercedes explained to him his fathers wrongdoings.

The Count suddenly felt bad, and decided to stop his revenge. He gradually forgave those who caused his misfortune. He accepted Haydee's love and leave for an unknown place for a peaceful life.

MY FEELINGS
"The Count of Monte Cristo" is a wonderful story to me with a great historical back ground of France then in the 1800s, for example the return of Napoleon the first. I personally thinks that it is the blend of history into the fiction that make it such a wonderful book.

Revenge Can't solve things!