Edmundo Dantes Was a 19-year-old French sailor who was about to become captain of the ship"El Pharaoh"and marry the beautiful woman he loved. Appears in the novel of Alejandro Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo.
After being accused of being Bonapartista, Edmund is sent unjustly to the horrible dungeons of the"Château d'If", the fortified prison located on the island of If. Edmundo Dantes, spent 14 years in prison where he suffers enormous difficulties and incredible sufferings, his goodness disappears and revenge of those who imprisoned him becomes his reason to live.
Dantes hears a fellow prisoner dig a tunnel, and so he also begins to dig. When the two men finally meet, the other prisoner turns out to be a learned abbe, who teaches Dantes many languages, sciences, history and other subjects.
Abbot Faria or"Abbé Faria"becomes a father and mentor for Edmundo, transforming the young and innocent Edmundo Dantés into a seductive, magnificent, brilliant manipulator, millionaire, scholarly and wise, thus Edmundo becomes the Count of Monte Cristo.
In fact, the abbot Faria saved Edmund from suicide and made him understand that the circumstances he lived, however tragic, were not a mistake of life. When Abbé Faria is about to die, he reveals to Dantes the hiding place of a treasure buried in the Island of Monte Cristo, which consists of incalculable riches in gold coins, diamonds and other precious jewels.
Edmundo escapes from prison. It is necessary to emphasize that in the 14 years that Dantes spent imprisoned, this loses the capacity to feel any emotion that is not a great hate to those who have hurt and gratitude to those that have tried to help him.
He moves around the world like a stranger, disconnected from any human community and interested only in carrying out his revenge. It is not until Dantes returns to find love, in a relationship with Haydee, that he is able to reconnect with his own humanity and begin to live sensitively again.
When Dantes travels to the island of Monte Cristo, he finds the enormous treasure of Faria. He regards his fortune as a gift from God, given to him for the sole purpose of rewarding those who have tried to help him and, more importantly, punishing those who have hurt him.
Disguised as an Italian priest who responds to the name of Abbé Busoni, Dantes returns to Marseilles. Dantes discovers that his father has died of grief in his absence and that his fiancée Mercedes has married his enemy Fernando Mondego. He learns that his enemies Danglars and Mondego have become rich and powerful and live happily in Paris.
Ten years later, Dantés reappears in Rome, as the Count of Monte Cristo. Dantés befriends Albert de Morcerf, son of his enemy Fernando Mondego and his ex-girlfriend Mercedes. Albert introduces Dantes in the Parisian society, nobody recognizes the mysterious count, although his ex- girlfriend Mercedes if it manages to recognize it.
Dantes has gathered information over the past decade, drawing up an elaborate strategy of revenge against those who hurt him. Fernando Mondego, now known as the Count of Morcerf, is the first to be punished. Dantes exposes the darkest secret of Morcerf who made his fortune by betraying his former protector, the Greek vizier Ali Pacha, also selling the wife and daughter of Ali Pacha as slaves.
Ali Pacha's daughter, Haydee, has lived with Dantes for seven years since he bought his freedom. Haydee testifies against Count Morcerf in front of the Senate, irreversibly ruining his good name. Embarrassed by the betrayal of Morcerf, Albert and his wife Mercedes flee, leaving behind their fortune, while Morcerf commits suicide.
The punishment of Villefort, the other enemy who unjustly imprisoned Edmund Dantes, arrives slowly and in several stages. Dantes takes advantage of the murderous instincts of Madame de Villefort, and subtly teaches him how to make use of poison. While Madame de Villefort rages, killing every member of her house, Dantes plant the seeds for another public exhibition.
In court, it is revealed that Villefort is guilty of attempted infanticide, as he attempted to bury his illegitimate son while still alive. Knowing that soon will have to respond to serious criminal charges and affected by the death of their relatives, Villefort goes crazy.
In his revenge against his enemy Danglars, Dantes simply plays with the greed of his enemy. He opened several fake credit accounts with Danglars which cost him large sums of money. He also manipulates the unfaithful wife of Danglars, and helps Danglars daughter, Eugénie, to flee.
Finally, when Danglars is about to flee without paying any of his creditors, Dantes hires the Italian bandit Luigi Vampa to kidnap him and take away the remaining little money left for Danglars. Dantés avenges Danglars not with his life, but leaves him without money.
Meanwhile, as these revenge acts unfold, Dantes also tries to complete an act of kindness. Dantés wishes to help the brave and honorable Maximiliano Morrel, to save his girlfriend, Valentine Villefort, from his murderous matron. Dantes gives Valentine a pill that makes her appear dead and then takes her to the island of Monte Cristo.
For a month, Dantes makes Maximiliano believe that Valentine is dead, which causes a great pain to Maximiliano who begins to yearn for the death. Dantes reveals to Maximilian that Valentine is alive. Having known the depths of despair, Maximilian is now able to experience the heights of ecstasy. Edmundo Dantes also finds, ultimately, happiness, when he falls madly in love with the sweet Haydee.
Phrases of Edmundo Dantés
- "There will always be lips that say one thing while the heart thinks another."
- "I have replaced Providence to reward the good... May the avenging God now give me his place to punish the wicked!"
- "The most curious thing in life is the spectacle of death."
- "The wicked do not die like this, for God seems to protect them to make them instruments of their vengeance."
- "(..) I never take care of my neighbor, I never try to protect the society that does not protect me, and I will say even more, that it does not usually deal with me but to harm me, and withdraw my estimation, Neutrality face to face of it, it is still society and my neighbor who owe me my thanks."
- "Every evil has two remedies; Time and silence."
- "My kingdom is as great as the world, because I am not Italian, not French, not Indian, not American, not Spanish; I'm cosmopolitan."
- "It is not the tree that abandons the flower; But the flower that leaves the tree."
References
- B & N. (2012). The Count of Monte Cristo. 14-1-2017, from Spark Notes Website: sparknotes.com.
- Reiss, T. (2012). Alexandre Dumas: The Real Count of Monte Cristo. 14-1-2017, from The History Reader Website: thehistoryreader.com.
- Alexander, D. (2016). Edmond Dantès, the Count of Monte Cristo. 14-1-2017, from Shmoop Website: shmoop.com.