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The Count of Monte Cristo

In: English and Literature

Submitted By sfrakes25
Words 919
Pages 4
ENG 102
July 19, 2011
The Count of Monte Cristo is rich with complex themes. Themes of betrayal, revenge, and justice become ever so tangled together after being complicated by Ferdinand’s jealousy of Edmond’s happiness. Social class leads Ferdinand to feel he is entitled to a better, richer, happier life than that of his friend, Edmond, who is just a commoner, thus leading him to betray his best friend whom he grew up with. There are many different themes in The Count of Monte Cristo.
Edmond Dantes is betrayed by the other characters in the story making betrayal one of the main themes. Early on Napoleon prey’s on Edmond’s lack of education, and naivety when he convinces Edmond to deliver a letter in which he lies about its contents using Edmond as a pawn. Danglar, the first mate of the ship, becomes embittered and jealous towards Edmond when he is recognized as being a hero for saving their captain and is promoted above him. Danglar then conspires with Mondego and reports Edmond to Villefort for treason. Mondego is being driven by a deeper envy of his friend’s happiness. He is jealous of Edmond’s ability to be happy with the simple lot he has in life. Also he is jealous of the loving relationship that Edmond has with Mercedes. He feels he is entitled to have more happiness along with the wealth and education he already has. So he is driven to betray Edmond his best friend whom he grew up with by giving Danglar the information to turn Edmond in for treason which Danglar is more than willing to do. Villefort does is not initially motivated to betray Edmond at all, in fact he finds him innocent of the charges. But after learning that Edmond is the only link to prove that Villefort’s own father is actually committing treason he betrays Edmond by having him locked away in Chateau D’If in order to keep his own name clean as he has aspirations of political gain in the future. Mercedes appears to have also betrayed Edmond. She was engaged to marry him at the time of his false imprisonment and only a couple months later she marries the very man who betrayed Edmond the worst, Mondego. She lives a rich life as Countess with Mondego. Although we do later learn of her unhappiness with him and we also find that she only married Mondego to provide for Edmond’s child who she raises as Mondego’s.
Revenge is also a main theme of The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond has many people who have betrayed him causing him to lose his freedom, his fiancé, his future, his whole life. Many years in prison also left him feeling betrayed and abandoned by God himself. He plots out and exacts his revenge on each of his betrayers. Danglar is entrapped to steal gold from Edmond’s ship and is caught red handed by Edmond himself. Villefort also is set up; Edmond gets him to confess while he has authorities listening in, after which Villefort is carted off, just as Edmond had been to Chateau D’If. His plan for Mondego went farther. Even though the authorities knew that he had murdered Clarion, Villefort’s father, He was so full of lust for revenge that he wanted him dead.
Wealth and social classism not being able to buy love or happiness is also a strong theme in The Count of Monte Cristo. Near the beginning of the film when we are first introduced to Mercedes she tells a story of how Mondego was displeased by Edmond’s happiness with his simple present and that he had not been jealous of what Mondego had received. Mondego appears to equate Edmond’s relationship with Mercedes as the source of his happiness so he wants Mercedes. It is this jealousy of Edmond’s happiness that drives Mondego. Meanwhile Edmond has no education, power, or wealth, yet he is very happy. Also Mercedes herself is another example of this. She is very happy while she is engaged to marry Edmond who has nothing. Yet when she is married to Mondego she becomes a Countess. She has wealth, power, a title; she can have whatever she wants. Yet she is miserable. The only thing that she finds pleasure in is her son who we later learn is actually Edmond’s child.
One last theme I found is that of transformation and polishing. Zatarra is a perfect symbol of this transformation. In the movie Edmond’s friend Luigi Vampa, nicknames Edmond Zatarra. He then explains that zatarra means driftwood. Driftwood is smashed up brutally by ocean waves until it becomes extremely smooth. This appears to be exactly what happens to Edmond Dontes throughout the story. Life kicks him around and he becomes educated on the ways of men, he is transformed from the naïve uneducated man he once was into a refined man of wealth, education, and power. All of his experience leaves him as the driftwood is, transformed and polished.
There are many perplexing themes in The Count of Monte Cristo. Growing through betrayal, revenge, and jealousy Edmond becomes completely changed. Ferdinand Mondego shows us that wealth and social status do not give us a sense of happiness or satisfaction in life. All of these themes are deeply involved with one another making The Count of Monte Cristo a very complex layered story.

Work Cited
The Count of Monte Cristo Dir. Kevin Reynolds Perf. James Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris Touchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, World 2000 Entertainment, 2002

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