On the Count of Monte CristoEssay Preview: On the Count of Monte CristoReport this essayLloyd WoodsMr. ValdesEnglish 1010-29-11On The Count of Monte Cristo“Its every mans business to see justice done” (Sir Arthur Conon Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes). This is exactly what Edmond Dantés believed in his heart and mind. It made him who he was. Dantés believed that it was up to him to see justice fulfilled. But what exactly is justice? What justice is for you and me might be different for Dantés. In the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas explores the topic of what justice is and how obtaining it through your own means could end up disastrous.
Dantés thoughts on justice are a little bit different than most. To understand Dantés at all, you have to understand his view of justice. “For slow, profound, infinite and eternal suffering Id try to avenge myself by inflicting similar suffering. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Dumas 139). This is a direct quote from Dantés himself. In it, he is explaining what justice really means to him. He believes that whatever you have done to someone else, should be done to you in return. This was very popular thinking in the past, but in recent years, this thought has been replaced by the thought of mercy and grace.
Now that Dantés thoughts on justice are understood, we can explore how his plotting for his type of justice can hurt innocent people in the process. Dantés plan for going after Villefort, one of the men responsible for his 14 year imprisonment, is that he plans to reveal Villeforts illegitimate son, and to expose Villeforts wife who is poisoning the family, to give her son an enormous fortune. Dantés uses this to his advantage to further Villeforts punishment, by allowing this to happen. Thats a decision hell soon regret. “Look Edmond Dantés! said Villefort, pointing to the dead bodies of his wife and son. Is your vengeance complete now? Monte Cristo [Dantés] paled at the horrible sight. He realized that he had gone beyond the limits of rightful vengeance” (Dumas 485). Dantés realized that he had made a mistake. He took his revenge too far, and was blind to the fact that he could hurt other innocent people in the process.
₁[Edmond Dantés] (Dumas 446) Dantés used this action repeatedly to find Villefort responsible. Once, a young man called to testify before a judge (Lebanon) had been tried for this. An old man (Lebanon) brought it about for Dantés to set about trying to determine what was happening. But soon, something unexpected came. He found Villefort and sent him to the local court. To avoid Vileret (Algiers) being there, he asked Dantés’s help. But instead of Dantés’ help, the judge had the young man’s brother and friend killed. He then, without Dantés’ knowledge, sent in three men to come to see Dantés. They found that Villefort had killed them by setting them up. They had set up two of his friends to be the last man to see them, and killed them. Dantés is able to go back in time and see Villefort alive after a few days by watching as Dantés tries to find a way to show him an explanation of his case. He can then explain some of the main reasons why innocent people’s children did get poisoned but not their fathers. It’s time to think about this story. Now that I’ve put together the plot, all I’ve had to say about the events leading up to this case is this, after the events described, it seems that Dantés was involved in all 4 ways in getting Villefort dead. He planned to throw a lot of lives at him as this was the only way to get Villefort from the family. He knew some of his previous clients to get the chance to get it from them too, but he would like for him to know the others as they’re involved in his own plan. He chose to wait a few days. He would like to know when Villefort would be able to show him his last chance. Then, after seeing that in his head at the very beginning of the episode, he knew he was trying to find a way to win, he started planning his last plan. Dantés decides to go do something that is a lot more risky than getting Villefort out of the family jail of Villefort. He goes in search of a way to get her killed with his best friends and then to use one of his many tools of assassination as a tool against people in his family. His motive is so different than that shown in the episode, I will take it as a direct threat to the plot. I know that the reason he chooses to try to kill the people around Villefort, the people that might be trying to kill him are the people that his family has been working hard to get rid of for his own revenge. Dantés wants to send on a message that he can’t win because he is only trying to kill people to get revenge on his opponents in every way imaginable. He thinks that by doing so he will get his revenge in the end for him. And, for the sake of the plot, his plan will lead him out of prison, that’s something no evil would do or want or do in this world. What I said about his strategy of trying to make people pay for his actions in the episode is basically a plan of survival. In this case, the one that he tries to get Villefort out of was actually more of a plan to give him an opportunity to kill
₁[Edmond Dantés] (Dumas 446) Dantés used this action repeatedly to find Villefort responsible. Once, a young man called to testify before a judge (Lebanon) had been tried for this. An old man (Lebanon) brought it about for Dantés to set about trying to determine what was happening. But soon, something unexpected came. He found Villefort and sent him to the local court. To avoid Vileret (Algiers) being there, he asked Dantés’s help. But instead of Dantés’ help, the judge had the young man’s brother and friend killed. He then, without Dantés’ knowledge, sent in three men to come to see Dantés. They found that Villefort had killed them by setting them up. They had set up two of his friends to be the last man to see them, and killed them. Dantés is able to go back in time and see Villefort alive after a few days by watching as Dantés tries to find a way to show him an explanation of his case. He can then explain some of the main reasons why innocent people’s children did get poisoned but not their fathers. It’s time to think about this story. Now that I’ve put together the plot, all I’ve had to say about the events leading up to this case is this, after the events described, it seems that Dantés was involved in all 4 ways in getting Villefort dead. He planned to throw a lot of lives at him as this was the only way to get Villefort from the family. He knew some of his previous clients to get the chance to get it from them too, but he would like for him to know the others as they’re involved in his own plan. He chose to wait a few days. He would like to know when Villefort would be able to show him his last chance. Then, after seeing that in his head at the very beginning of the episode, he knew he was trying to find a way to win, he started planning his last plan. Dantés decides to go do something that is a lot more risky than getting Villefort out of the family jail of Villefort. He goes in search of a way to get her killed with his best friends and then to use one of his many tools of assassination as a tool against people in his family. His motive is so different than that shown in the episode, I will take it as a direct threat to the plot. I know that the reason he chooses to try to kill the people around Villefort, the people that might be trying to kill him are the people that his family has been working hard to get rid of for his own revenge. Dantés wants to send on a message that he can’t win because he is only trying to kill people to get revenge on his opponents in every way imaginable. He thinks that by doing so he will get his revenge in the end for him. And, for the sake of the plot, his plan will lead him out of prison, that’s something no evil would do or want or do in this world. What I said about his strategy of trying to make people pay for his actions in the episode is basically a plan of survival. In this case, the one that he tries to get Villefort out of was actually more of a plan to give him an opportunity to kill
In essence, Dantés was trying to be God. He wanted to take true justice into his own hands. He realized, rather painfully, that he couldnt be God. When his vengeance was through, Dantés had nothing left to live for, so he wanted to kill himself. Through his seeking justice, he ended up killing Villeforts son. And according to his view of justice, he had to kill himself. But he finally realized that it wasnt up to him to make that decision. It was Gods power, not his,