After travelling in the East to continue his education (and to plot his revenge), Dants reappears nine years later, in 1838, as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, a title he has purchased. Mercds Mondego (ne Herrera): A Catalan girl, Edmond Dants' fiance at the beginning of the story. Madame Hermine Danglars (formerly Baroness Hermine de Nargonne ne de Servieux): Once a widow, she had an affair with Grard de Villefort, a married man. She is the daughter of. When the Cardinal and his nephew attend a lunch presided over by the Pope, both die after drinking poisoned wine, leaving the treasure abandoned. When serving a hashish jam to the young Frenchman Franz d'pinay, the Count (calling himself Sinbad the Sailor), calls it, "nothing less than the ambrosia which Hebe served at the table of Jupiter". After relating the story, Dants rewards Caderousse a diamond worthallegedly50,000 francs that can be either a chance to redeem himself or a trap that will lead to his ruin. Hlose de Villefort: The murderous second wife of Grard de Villefort, mother of douard. Fechter moved to the United States in 1869 and Monte Cristo was chosen for the inaugural play at the opening of the Globe Theatre, Boston in 1870. With the money earned he bought the title of "Count de Morcerf" to bring wealth and a more pleasant life for himself and his family. Eugnie Danglars: Daughter of Baron Danglars and Hermine Danglars. In port, Dants sells some of the diamonds in order to purchase a yacht, sails to Monte Cristo for the rest of the treasure, and returns to Marseille in search of information which may lead to his vengeance. Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet wrote a set of four plays that collectively told the story of The Count of Monte Cristo: Monte Cristo Part I (1848); Monte Cristo Part II (1848); Le Comte de Morcerf (1851) and Villefort (1851). According to Villefort, his agents lost track of her shortly after she left Chalons. The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. This resulted in the removal of the chapter The Count first meets him in his role as Abb Busoni, the confessor to Bertuccio, whose past is tied with M. de Villefort. Bertuccio visits Andrea who is in prison awaiting trial, to tell him the truth about his father. Having paid the sum of 55,000 francs and after receiving the deed of the property and the keys, they both proceed to the residence. She also dies in the incident. Original plot was slightly changed and some characters are not mentioned in the musical. In a small boat, he sailed around the island of Monte Cristo, accompanied by a young prince, a cousin to Louis Bonaparte, who was to become Emperor Napoleon III of the French ten years later, in 1851. After being assisted by the delivery nurseto whom Villefort and Danglars lied, attributing the wound to a duelVillefort travelled to Versailles to recover from his wound. She is portrayed as a compassionate, kind and caring woman who prefers to think of her beloved ones than of herself. The jeweller offers Caderousse a sum of 40, and then 45,000 francs for the diamond, but Carderouse demands to be paid the sum estimated by the Abb (50,000 francs), which the jeweller rejects, not only telling him that he will not buy it for that price, but also threatening to report him to the authorities if he refuses to sell it to him at the price he requested, for the story of its acquisition sounds highly unlikely. Two English adaptations of the novel were published in 1868. In Rome, at Carnival time, Dants arranges for Viscount Albert de Morcerf, the son of Mercds and Mondego, to be captured by the bandit Luigi Vampa. At the time, Napoleon planned to set up a kingdom covering the whole Italian peninsula, notwithstanding, of course, opposition from the neighbouring kingdoms. Since then, there have been another 22 Chinese translations. Benedetto, however, begins to engage in criminal activities from an early age, partly caused by Assunta's tolerant treatment of him, and takes up a life of crime by age 11. In June 2017, Manga Classics, an imprint of UDON Entertainment, published The Count of Monte Cristo as a faithfully adapted Manga edition of the classic novel.[16]. The first Japanese translation by Kuroiwa Shroku was entitled "Shigai Shiden Gankutsu-ou" (, "a historical story from outside history, the King of the Cavern"), and serialized from 1901 to 1902 in the Yorozu Chouhou newspaper, and released in book form in four volumes by publisher Aoki Suusandou in 1905. "[19], Modern Russian writer and philologist Vadim Nikolayev determined The Count of Monte-Cristo as a megapolyphonic novel. New racial discrimination laws were applied in 1802[citation needed]. [11] Another abridged serialization appeared in The London Journal between 1846 and 1847. In 1996, Penguin Classics published a new translation by Robin Buss. As a result, the Count of Monte Cristo is usually associated with a coldness and bitterness that comes from an existence based solely on revenge. Serialization ran from 28 August 1844 to 15 January 1846. Valentine is briefly disinherited by Noirtier in an attempt to prevent Valentine's impending marriage with Franz d'pinay, whom she does not love; however, the marriage is cancelled when d'pinay learns from Noirtier that his father, who he believed was assassinated by Bonapartists, was killed by Noirtier in a duel. On his deathbed, Leclre charged Dants to deliver a package to General Bertrand (exiled with Napoleon), and a letter from Elba to an unknown man in Paris. In 1883, John Stetson, manager of the Booth Theatre and The Globe Theatre, wanted to revive the play and asked James O'Neill (the father of playwright Eugene O'Neill) to perform the lead role. Dants' neighbour, Caderousse, is present at the meeting; he too is jealous of Dants, although he objects to the plot, but becomes too intoxicated with wine to prevent it. In love with Maximilien Morrel. [15] This abridgment was republished by many Collins imprints and other publishers including the Modern Library, Vintage, and the 1998 Oxford World's Classics edition (later editions restored the text). Villefort learns from Noirtier that Hlose is the real murderer and confronts her, giving her the choice of public execution or committing suicide. The Count of Monte Cristo: The identity Dants assumes when he emerges from prison and acquires his vast fortune. The 2009 Everyman's Library edition reprints the original anonymous English translation that first appeared in 1846, with revisions by Peter Washington and an introduction by Umberto Eco. Originally, Dumas wrote part of the story, including the events in Rome and the return of Albert de Morcerf and Franz d'pinay to Paris, in the first person from Franz d'pinay's point of view. There, on the road from Beaucaire to Bellegarde, he decides to make a stop at Caderousse's lodging to shelter. [24] His 2020 novel The Baron of Magister Valley follows suit, using The Count of Monte Cristo as a starting point. However, after the news of the pretender's return was proved false, Danglars ends up losing 700,000 francs, and then, another 8900,000 after a man called Jacopo Manfredisecretly a Count's acquittancemysteriously goes bankruptfor Danglars always considered him creditworthy and "() he paid like a prince"and fails to answer to his obligations. Beauchamp: Journalist and Chief Editor of. When he is thrown into the sea, Dants cuts through the sack and swims to a nearby island, the Island of Tiboulen, where he is rescued by a Genoese smuggling ship that passes Monte Cristo called Jeune-Amlie (Young Amelia), whose crew allow Dants to join them. The Count of Monte Cristo was originally published in the Journal des Dbats in eighteen parts. 1794: He disapproves of the revolutionary terror in Western France. Fernand then confronts the Count of Monte Cristo, who reveals his identity as Edmond Dants; returning home in time to see his wife and son leave, Fernand shoots himself. douard de Villefort (Edward): The only legitimate son of Villefort. The Count arranges for his public execution in Rome to be commuted, causing him to be loyal to the Count. The Marquis and Marquise de Saint-Mran: Rene's parents. Raoul, Baron de Chteau-Renaud: Member of a noble family and friend of Albert de Morcerf. Upon arriving, after having become acquainted with the concierge and then exploring the house, Dants' servant, a Corsican called Bertuccio, becomes nervous and uncomfortable. Picaud was placed under a form of house arrest in the Fenestrelle Fort, where he served as a servant to a rich Italian cleric. The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (pre) completed in 1844. 1846: The novel is published in full and becomes a European bestseller. Feeling cheated and deceived, Bertuccio warns Villefort "() protect yourself as well as you can, for the next time we meet your last hour has come". Valentine, Villefort's daughter by his first wife, stands to inherit the fortune of her grandfather Noirtier and of her mother's parents, the Saint-Mrans, while Villefort's second wife Hlose seeks the fortune for her son douard. Albert de Morcerf: Son of Mercds and Fernand. Monsieur de Boville: Originally an inspector of prisons, later a detective in the Paris force, and still later the Receiver-General of the charities. [20], The novel has been the inspiration for many other books, from Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur (1880),[21] then to a science fiction retelling in Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination,[22] and to Stephen Fry's The Stars' Tennis Balls (entitled Revenge in the U.S.).[23]. Carlos Javier Villafane Mercado described the effect in Europe: The effect of the serials, which held vast audiences enthralled is unlike any experience of reading we are likely to have known ourselves, maybe something like that of a particularly gripping television series. She is consumed with guilt over Edmond's disappearance and is able to recognize him when she meets him again. Bertuccio unearths the child and resuscitates him after escaping from the residence. His captain, Leclre, had died during the passage; the ship's owner, Morrel, will make Dants the next captain. The Count demands this sum to fulfill their credit agreement, and Danglars embezzles the hospital fund. Up in the tower, the Count persuades him to allow him to manipulate the message, by bribing the telegrapher with 25,000 francs. On an occasion at the Count's house, Albert meets Hayde, who tells him the story of how she became a slave. Albert and Mercds disown Fernand and leave his house. After a failed attempt on Noirtier's life, which leaves Noirtier's servant Barrois dead, Hlose targets Valentine so that douard, his other grandchild, will get the fortune. On learning that Morrel's son Maximilien is in love with Valentine, the Count saves her by making it appear as though Hlose's plan to poison Valentine has succeeded and that Valentine is dead. Before he can marry his fiance Mercds, Edmond Dants, a nineteen-year-old Frenchman, and first mate of the Pharaon, is falsely accused of treason, arrested, and imprisoned without trial in the Chteau d'If, a grim island fortress off Marseille. After escaping from their palace, Ali Pasha of Janina, his wife, Vasiliki, his daughter, Hayde, their servant Selim, and a troop of 20 soldiers escort Pasha's family to a fortress. After hiding for some time, four boats reach Pasha's refuge. The original duration was five hours, resulting in Fechter abridging the play, which, despite negative reviews, had a respectable sixteen-week run. 1806: Thomas-Alexandre Dumas dies, still bitter about the injustice of the Empire. ", an iconic line that would be used in many future adaptations. Its influence can also be seen in how one of the first prominent cases of miscarriage of justice in Japan, in which an innocent man was charged with murder and imprisoned for half a century, is known in Japanese as the "Yoshida Gankutsu-ou incident" (). One day, after being refused money by Assunta, Benedetto and two comrades torture Assunta by exposing her feet close to the brazier, which causes her to burst into flames. Like many of his novels, it was expanded from plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet.[1]. Villefort, the deputy crown prosecutor in Marseille, destroys the letter from Elba when he discovers that it is addressed to his own father, Noirtier, a Bonapartist, knowing it would destroy his own political career. [7] As for Dants, his fate is quite different from his model in Peuchet's book, since that model is murdered by the "Caderousse" of the plot. "[17] The title Monte Cristo lives on in a "famous gold mine, a line of luxury Cuban cigars, a sandwich, and any number of bars and casinosit even lurks in the name of the street-corner hustle three-card monte. Monsieur Zaccone: Dants, in the guise of the Abb Busoni, and again as Lord Wilmore, tells an investigator that this is the Count of Monte Cristo's true name. Seizing an opportunity, Dants and the crew disembark, with the excuse of hunting goats ("kids"). The play was first performed at the Adelphi in London in October 1868. In July 1815 Bertuccio encounters Villefort, demanding he intervene and prosecute the killers, but he refuses to do so, stating that "Well, he was smitten with the sword, and he perished by the sword () It is a misfortune, and the government owes nothing to your family". ("all human wisdom is contained in these two words, 'Wait and Hope'"). In 2008 Oxford released a revised edition with translation by David Coward. Forced to pay exorbitant prices for food100,000 francs for a fowl and 25,000 for a bottle of water, for instanceand nearly starved to death, Danglars signs away his ill-gotten gains to survive. Pierre Morrel: Dants' employer, owner of Morrel & Son. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with The Three Musketeers. His servants take the whole of Pasha's fortune stacked in 60,000 pouchesallegedly worth 25,000,000 francs in goldand 200 barrels containing 30,000 pounds of powder to be set ready so, in case of not being pardoned by Sultan Mahmud II, they would, according to Pasha's own wishes, kill themselves in a murder-suicide. The adaptation differs from the novel in many respects: several characters, such as Luigi Vampa, are excluded; whereas the novel includes many different plot threads that are brought together at the conclusion, the third and fourth plays deal only with the fate of Mondego and Villefort respectively (Danglars' fate is not featured at all); the play is the first to feature Dants shouting "the world is mine! Caderousse names Danglars and Mondego as the men who betrayed him, and also that his father has died of self-inflicted starvation. Sinbad the Sailor: The persona that Dants assumes when he saves the Morrel family and assumes while mixing with. Concerned about his safety, Villefort asks to be transferred, eventually ending up in Versailles. After acknowledging the truth of his father's war crimes and the false accusation towards the sailor Edmond Dants, he decides to leave his home with Mercds and start a new life as a soldier under the name of "Herrera" (his mother's maiden name), leaving for Africa in search of fortune and to bring new honor to his family name. Cardinal Spada's attempt failed, however, as neither Spada's nephew nor his descendants were able to decipher the note. Danglars flees to Italy with the Count's receipt for the cash he requested from the banker Danglars, and 50,000 francs. In "Causeries" (1860), Dumas published a short paper, "tat civil du Comte de Monte-Cristo", on the genesis of the Count of Monte Cristo. Jacopo: A poor smuggler who helps Dants survive after he escapes prison. A manga adaptation of the novel, titled Monte Cristo Hakushaku (, ) and made by Ena Moriyama, was published in November 2015. Realizing that Edmond Dants now intends to let Albert kill him, she reveals the truth to Albert, which causes Albert to make a public apology to the Count. Meanwhile, Caderousse blackmails Andrea, threatening to reveal his past if he does not share his newfound wealth. (Source: Chapters 31, 32, 38, 40, 53 & 77 in the 117-chapter unabridged Pocket Books edition.) In 1841 when Dumas made his promise, Louis Bonaparte himself was imprisoned at the citadel of Ham the place mentioned in the novel. Engaged to Baron Franz d'pinay. Monsieur d'Avrigny: Family doctor treating the Villefort family. Faria had been unfairly imprisoned back in 1807 after participating in political upheavals concerning the unification of Italy and then taken to the Chteau d'If in 1811. Dants forces him to write a letter to Danglars exposing Cavalcanti as an impostor and allowing Caderousse to leave the house. [27] Some commentators feel that the plot of A Deadly Secret resembles The Count of Monte Cristo, except that they are based in different countries and historical periods. The moment Caderousse leaves the estate, he is stabbed by Andrea. Learning that his old employer Morrel faces bankruptcy, Dants, posing as a clerk of Thomson and French, buys Morrel's debts and gives Morrel three months to fulfil his obligations. Bertuccio's sister-in-law Assunta was the adoptive mother of Benedetto. The Count is aware of Hlose's intentions and introduces her to the techniques of poison. The reader is left with a final thought: "l'humaine sagesse tait tout entire dans ces deux mots: attendre et esprer!" Sometime later (on Villefort's account, November 1816), Villefort goes back to the Auteuil house in search of the corpse, for he was haunted by the feeling that the babyas he was unable to find the boxmay have survived and, if so, then Bertuccio (whom he doesn't know anything about, except for the fact that he was a Corsican) had kidnapped the baby after stabbing him. 1841: Dumas lives in Florence and becomes acquainted with King Jrme and his son, Napolon. Albert blames the Count for his father's downfall, as Danglars says that the Count encouraged him to do the research on the father of the man engaged to his daughter. The most common English translation is an anonymous one originally published in 1846 by Chapman and Hall. After the assassination attempt of Villefort, Bertuccio and Assunta travel back to Rogliano, Corsica, where Bertuccio returns to smuggling. Lucien Debray: Secretary to the Minister of the Interior, a friend of Albert de Morcerf, and a lover of Madame Danglars, whom he provides with inside investment information, which she then passes on to her husband. Becomes "Andrea Cavalcanti" in Paris. The general was consequently dismissed from the army[citation needed] and became profoundly bitter toward Napoleon. This implied political instability, which would in turn impact negatively on the demand of Spanish bonds in which Danglarsaccording to his wifehad invested six million francs. Faria, who solved the mystery shortly after the death of the last living descendant of the Spada family, was on his way to retrieve the treasure but was captured by the Italian authorities, leaving him the only person who knew the secret. 1836: Alexandre Dumas is famous as a writer by this time (age 34). Crowell updated the translation, correcting mistakes and revising the text to reflect the original serialized version. According to Lucy Sante, "The Count of Monte Cristo has become a fixture of Western civilization's literature, as inescapable and immediately identifiable as Mickey Mouse, and the story of Little Red Riding Hood."[2]. Many abridged translations omit the Count's enthusiasm for hashish. Dants' colleague Danglars is jealous of Dants' rapid promotion and, as the two men are at odds, fearful for his own employment should Dants ascend. A short novel titled Georges by Dumas was published in 1843, before The Count of Monte Cristo was written. Assunta tracks down the baby's location following the address stated in the linen cloth Bertuccio retrieved from the burial box and takes him home (he gave half of the cloth to Assunta). In 1889, two of the major American publishers Little Brown and T.Y. Dants tries but fails to resuscitate douard, causing him to question if he has gone too far. Mondego pursues a successful military career, especially after the restoration period, serving in the Battle of Ligny. In 2008, the Russian theatre of Moscow Operetta set a musical Monte-Cristo based on the book with music of Roman Ignatiev and lyrics of Yulii Kim. On the Island of Monte Cristo, Dants presents Valentine to Maximilien and reveals the true sequence of events. The first two plays were first performed at Dumas' own Thtre Historique in February 1848, with the performance spread over two nights, each with a long duration (the first evening ran from 18:00 until 00:00). He abandoned his wife, whom he blames for his losses in stock investments. Madeleine Caderousse, ne Radelle: Wife of Caderousse, who, according to the court, is responsible for the murder of a Jewish jeweller. Imprisoned in the Chteau d'If. During this interview, she learns the truth of the arrest and imprisonment of Dants but still convinces the Count not to kill her son. After Benedetto and Caderousse are freed by Dants, using the alias "Lord Wilmore," the Count induces Benedetto to take the identity of "Viscount Andrea Cavalcanti" and introduces him into Parisian society. "tat civil du Comte de Monte-Cristo" is included as an "annexe" to the novel. As the story opens, the character Dants is not aware of the politics, considers himself simply a good French citizen, and is caught between the conflicting loyalties of the royalist Villefort during the Restoration, and the father of Villefort, Noirtier, loyal to Napoleon, a firm bonapartist, and the bonapartist loyalty of his late captain, in a period of rapid changes of government in France. Monsieur Noirtier de Villefort: The father of Grard de Villefort and grandfather of Valentine, douard (and, without knowing it, Benedetto). [9] This story is also mentioned in the Pliade edition of this novel,[7] and it probably served as a model for the chapter of the murders inside the Villefort family. [33], The governor at the Chteau d'If is promoted to a position at the castle of. Lupton, translated by Henry L. Williams (this translation was also released by M.J. Ivers in 1892 with Williams using the pseudonym of Professor William Thiese). Six years later it won in Daegu International Musical Festival in South Korea. In the novel, Dumas tells of the 1815 return of Napoleon I, and alludes to contemporary events when the governor at the Chteau d'If is promoted to a position at the castle of Ham. O'Neill came to despise the role of Monte Cristo, which he performed more than 6000 times, feeling that his typecasting had prevented him from pursuing more artistically rewarding roles. (Jacopo Manfredi is a separate character, the "bankrupt of Trieste", whose financial failure contributes to the depletion of Danglars' fortune. Since his older brother and sister-in-law are now dead, Bertuccio has no family in Corsica, so he takes Abb Busoni's advice to work for the Count. However, seeing that he had visitors inside, prefers to hide outside of the house, crossing the fence and hiding in a shed parallel to the inn. In another of the true stories reported by Ashton-Wolfe, Peuchet describes a poisoning in a family. Assunta then decides to bring up the child, giving him the name "Benedetto" (meaning blessed in Italian). Louise d'Armilly: Eugnie Danglars' music instructor and her intimate friend. Baron Danglars: Dants' jealous junior officer and mastermind behind his imprisonment, later a wealthy banker. [17], George Saintsbury stated that "Monte Cristo is said to have been at its first appearance, and for some time subsequently, the most popular book in Europe. She is free-spirited and aspires to become an independent artist. He is described as a very kind-hearted, joyful and carefree young man, and fond of Monte Cristo, whom he sees as a friend. He became partly paralysed during the second, in which Dants revived him by supplying him with a liquor. Wanting information on how Albert's father made his fortune in Greece years earlier, Danglars researches the events, and the information is published in a French newspaper while Albert and the Count are in Normandy. [6][7] The archivist was Jacques Peuchet, and the multi-volume book was called Memoirs from the Archives of the Paris Police in English. Dants told them of the 3,000 francs he had buried there, to start life once he married, before all his misfortunes. Emmanuel Herbault: An employee of Morrel & Son, who marries Julie Morrel and succeeds to the business. Eugnie Danglars flees as well with her girlfriend. Dumas was a member of the Club des Hashischins. Valentine de Villefort: The daughter of Grard de Villefort and his first wife, Rene. She is also abandoned by her partner in investing, whom she hoped to marry. At the same time, on 3 June 1829, during a journey to the Gulf of Lyon for business affairs, Bertuccio's ship is surroundeddue to increased surveillanceand he is forced to escape by swimming through the Rhne, finally reaching Beaucaire. At the end of the three months and with no way to repay his debts, Morrel is about to commit suicide when he learns that his debts have been mysteriously paid and that one of his lost ships has returned with a full cargo, secretly rebuilt and laden by Dants. "[18] This popularity has extended into modern times as well. Picaud then spent years plotting his revenge on the three men who were responsible for his misfortune. 1846: Louis Napoleon escapes from his prison. Fernand Mondego: Count de Morcerf (former Catalan fisherman in the Spanish village near Marseilles), Dants' rival and cousin of Mercds, for whom he swore undying love and the person he eventually marries. On 28 February 1829, exactly 14 years after Edmond's imprisonment, Faria succumbs to catalepsy after his third attack. This novel is of particular interest to scholars because Dumas reused many of the ideas and plot devices in The Count of Monte Cristo. Louis Napoleon is elected its first president but Dumas does not vote for him. After his service in the French Army, he eventually gains the favour of the restored Bourbon monarchy and ascends with rapidity in the Arme, becoming captain in 1823. Villefort prosecutes Andrea. The original work was published in serial form in the Journal des Dbats in 1844. Baptistin: Monte Cristo's valet-de-chambre. David Coward (ed), Oxford's World Classics, Dumas, Alexandre, The Count of Monte Cristo, p. xvii. In Paris, Dants dazzles Danglars with his wealth, persuading him to extend him a credit of six million francs. Having found peace in reviewing his vengeance and deciding he cannot play God, Dants leaves the newly reunited couple part of his fortune on the island and departs for the East to find comfort and begin a new life with Hayde, who has declared her love for him. [11] The translation follows the revised French edition of 1846, with the correct spelling of "Cristo" and the extra chapter The House on the Alles de Meilhan. He goes bankrupt and is left with only 50,000 francs after stealing 5,000,000 francs. The book was "translated into virtually all modern languages and has never been out of print in most of them. This character thinks of Lord Wilmore as a rival. Buss' translation updated the language, making the text more accessible to modern readers, and restored content that was modified in the 1846 translation because of Victorian English social restrictions (for example, references to Eugnie's lesbian traits and behavior) to reflect Dumas' original version. Albert and Mercds renounce their titles and wealth and depart to begin new lives, starting in Marseille, at the house where Dants and his father once lived.