In my Honors Composition and Literature class my teacher assigned us to read a classic novel and to pick an important reoccurring subject within the novel. The book she assigned me was “The Count of Monte Cristo”, by Alexandre Dumas. When summarizing the book, she stressed how this book is really all about how the main character seeks revenge on the people who set him up in order to send him to prison. So right there I knew what I was going to be writing about, Revenge. Dantes (Monte Cristo) is the main character, he’s about 19 and is the new appointed Captain of The Pharon, he’s recently engaged to the beautiful Mercedes, and is very close to his elderly father. Danglar and Fernand envy Dantes and plan to have him sent away. They write a fake letter showing that Dantes has been helping Napoleon over throw the king, and during Dantes betrothal feast the royal guards came and arrested Dantes. Over 6 years Dantes and his prison mate Abbe come to the conclusion that Dantes was set up by his peers and they plan to escape, Abbe falls ill and passes and Dantes uses this as his way out. For the rest and majority of the novel Dantes disguises himself as different people and seeks to get revenge on his peers, take away everything they ever care about, because killing them would be too good for them.
In the novel Dantes spends from the time he realized he was betrayed to the end of the novel plotting and taking out his revenge on Danglar and Fernand, and even though Caderousse was part of the betrayal Dantes treats him well and never hurts him. Dantes comes to find two accomplices Bertuccio and Haydee to help carry out his plans, this works because Bertuccio and Haydee both have their own reasons to hurt these people as well. Maybe these guys should have been a little nicer right? Dantes revenge isn’t just killing them, because what would that do? Teach them a lesson, no they’d be dead, poof its done. Death wasn’t enough, and I think that’s a really sick thought. He wanted to take way everything that has in value to these men’s life, Their position, Their wealth, Their reputation.
“Considering revenge is a very human response to feeling slighted, human are atrocious at predicting its effects.” Wanting to get revenge on someone is understandable, really it is when you get hurt or betrayed, you carry that around with you, you carry the hurt, you carry the weight of what they did. I get it. When I was hurt by someone I loved, for a good couple of weeks after all I could think about was getting back at this person, was hurting them worse than they hurt me, I wanted them to feel the pain in their chest that I felt in mine. I took over me, it was so toxic to my health and my attitude I wasn’t me anymore. Finally when I snapped out of it I realized how bad I was, how low I sank, and that’s what I’m trying to prevent. I want people to know to see that when you take out revenge your putting yourself just as low as the person you’re taking it out on. Just letting go and moving on is the healthiest way, and eventually it’ll make you the happiest, knowing “Yeah I was hurt, but it was a lesson and now I’m better from it.”
I’m writing this to you, to anyone who has ever felt the need to get revenge, like me, or Monte Cristo. September 11, 2001 was a tragic day. After 10 years the untied state finally got their revenge and killed Osama Bin Laden on May 2, 2011. Revenge in that case is acceptable, and understandable, he was the leader of a terrorist group that kill thousands of innocent people. However after killing Osama, we continued to stay at war and destroy the homes and lives of many innocent people in the middle eastern countries.
Revenge is a toxic feeling. When someone sets their mind to getting revenge on someone who has done them wrong, it tends to consume their life. All they do is think and plot their next move in getting their revenge. Revenge only brings a person lower, and after words they might regret the decision and they will carry that with them and its extremely unhealthy. I want show that being the bigger person and walking away from that toxicity can improve a person’s well-being. Plus, if they did you wrong then tell them boy bye just like Beyoncé.
Dantes spent 6 years in prison obsessing over the wrongs that happened to him. When he finally escaped prison, instead of using Abbe’s treasure to better his life and start over, he uses it to destroy others. Revenge consumed Dantes the happy 19 year old and it turned him into an angry and vengeful “Monte Cristo.”
