Character The Count Of Monte Cristo (Edmond Dantes)
CHARACTERS
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (EDMOND DANTES)
INTRODUCTION
The Count of Monte Cristo is the hero of the play, The Count’s Revenge. He is the charming, swashbuckling and ever obliging nobleman, splendidly dressed, a handsome hero, gay, cynical, not very young, with the touch of the devil about him.
AS A YOUNG SAILOR
As a young man, the Count of Monte Cristo is known as Edmond Dantes, a mere sailor of Marseilles, a port in South of France. He loves a beautiful Catalan girl, Mercedes, to whom he is engaged. He is to marry her, on his return from a voyage, which he is to undertake in due course of time.
A VICTIM OF CONSPIRACY
The marriage of Edmond Dantes never takes place, as a young fisherman, Fernand Mondego, a friend of Edmond and a snake under grass has other plans. Fernand Mondego secretly loves Mercedes and wishes to marry her. Therefore, the crafty Fernand, hatches the most devilish of plots against his own friend (Edmond) whereby he gets him to condemn as a spy of exiled Buonaparte, by giving false evidence in the court.
CONVICTED AS A SPY
Poor Edmond, a victim of hatred and jealousy, is convicted as a spy and condemned to life imprisonment in an underground dungeon. The evil Fernand then convinces Mercedes, through false news that Edmond Dantes has died in prison. Then he gradually gains her confidence by sympathizing with her. In this way, Fernand succeeds in marrying Mercedes.
ESCAPE FROM PRISON
The unfortunate Edmond Dantes, remains in Prison for 14 long years. He is an innocent victim of blind justice. Then luck favours him. Six years before the events of our play, Edmond contrives to escape from prison. After escaping from prison, he re-establishes himself in life with wonderful speed and success. In six years, he acquires wealth, a little and a dazzling place in the French Society and settles down in Paris. The Count of Morcerf comments,
“Ah, the mysterious stranger. The foreign count who has taken all Paris by storm! The noble, the charming, the obliging!”
AS THE COUNT OF MONTECRISTO
As Count of Monte Cristo, he is greatly respected and admired. But his main aim in life is to take revenge from Fernand Mondego, his deadly enemy, now living in Paris as the Count of Morcerf. The Count of Monte Cristo discovers after searching investigations, that his old enemy the Count of Morcerf committed yet another gross act of villainy during his service in the French Army. That he accepted bribes from the Turks, with whom France was at war and surrendered the Fortress of Yanina to them, in 1823.
THE COUNT’S REVENGE
By keeping in the background, the Count of Monte Cristo condemns the Count of Morcerf as a traitor to his country. He thus succeeds in taking sweet revenge from his archenemy. He first gets the articles published in the newspapers and later in the Chamber of Deputies, he backs his charges by giving convincing proofs. It is at this point, in the play, that the Count of Morcerf is, at least exposed as the Villain that he is.
HEROIC DECISION
Owing to the intervention of the Countess, his beloved of yester-years, the Count of Monte Cristo consents to spare her son’s life. Monte Cristo gives his word that Albert will come to no harm and that he will die, in his place. However, it is the villain who dies and the Count of Monte Cristo is thus avenged.
CONCLUSION
There is no denying that the Count of Monte Cristo is the pivot around whom the whole play revolves. He is indeed a man of integrity and honour. He has a charming personality. He is kind and noble who is rewarded in the end for his virtuosity.