1. The Count of Monte Cristoby
Alexandre Dumas

2. In theaters

3. Plot (1 of 2) Edmond Dantes is leading a charmed life
Dantes's friends become jealous of him
Fernand Mondego covets Dantes's fiancee
Danglars envies successful career
Caderousse envies Dantes's apparent luck
Dantes is framed for treason on his wedding day
Villefort imprisons Dantes for life to save his father, Noirtier
Dantes learns history, science, philosophy and language from Abbe Faria
Faria bequeaths a large fortune to Dantes
Dantes escapes and retrieves the fortune

4. Plot (2 of 2)
Dantes (Abbe Busoni) learns the details of the plot to frame him from Caderousse
Dantes (the Count of Monte Cristo) emerges in Rome (10 years later)
Monte Cristo saves Albert de Morcerf from bandits
No one recognizes Dantes except Mercedes
Dantes plots the demise of his old cohorts
Dantes exposes Mondego's (Count de Morcerf) darkest secret
Villefort is exposed and driven insane
Danglars is left penniless
Dantes arranges for Maximilian Morrel and Valentine Villefort to be together
Dantes falls in love with Haydee

5. Themes The limits of human justice -
Dantes takes justice into his own hands
Dantes does not believe their is adequate justice for the crimes committed against him
Dantes realizes just human justice is limited by human compassion, tolerance and knowledge

6. Themes Relative versus absolute happiness -
Characters are either sympathetic or unsympathetic
What separates the good from the bad in the novel is that ability of the good to appreciate the good they have done
The bad focus solely on what they lack
Dantes is betrayed by his friends because of their envy

7. Themes Love versus alienation – Dantes exiles himself from humanity
Dantes is obsessed with being the angel of Providence
Dantes disconnected from society when Abbe Faria dies
When Dantes learns of his father’s death and Mercedes’s marriage, his isolation becomes complete
Dantes reconciles when he falls in love with Haydee

8. Major Characters Edmund Dantes
A kind, innocent, honest, and loving man who becomes bitter and vengeful
Disconnects from society
Becomes the agent of Providence
Reconnects with society when he falls in love

9. Additional Links
Grade-saver Summary