Edmond Dante’s Revenge

Revenge is a form of self-administered justice, giving oneself assurance that punishment has been delivered in a way that is more righteous than societal justice. Sometimes, reprisal can be taken too far, which can be seen in Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, using the main character, Edmond Dantes, as an illustration. It can be seen throughout the novel that Dumas does not believe that Dantes' revenge is justified.

Revenge is alluring, and Edmond Dantes has fallen victim to its temptation; thus, leading him to believe that his actions are all according to the will of God. There is a noticeable change in Dantes' mindset for revenge when he steers his wrath towards Villefort, indirectly being responsible for the death of his wife and son. That was when He realized that he had gone beyond the limits of rightful vengeance and that he could no longer say, 'God is for me and with me.' (Dumas 485). Up until this moment, Edmond had truly believed that he was carrying out God's will, doing the morally just thing. But when he saw how his vengeance was engendering anguish upon those who did not deserve it, Dantes started to have a change of thought.

Once the notion of revenge is implanted into one's mind, it is difficult to uproot it. During the time Dantes spends imprisoned in the Chteau d'If, Abb Faria helps him uncover the source of his imprisonment, which he regrets soon after doing so: Faria looked at him steadfastly and said, 'I regret having helped you clarify your past and having told you what I did.' 'Why?' 'Because I've instilled in your heart a feeling that wasn't there before: vengeance' (Dumas 58). Faria recognizes that vengeance is an evil feeling and was regretful because During those hours of meditation, which flowered by like seconds, he [Dantes] formed a terrible resolution and swore a fearful oath (Dumas 58). It can be foreshadowed that Dantes' revenge will cause tribulation and become rampant.

When it comes to revenge, it can often feel overdone after it has been carried out. In this case, Dantes writes a letter to Maximilien noting, Tell the angel who will watch over your life to pray now and then for a man who, like Satan, believed himself for an instant to be equal to God, but who realized in all humility that supreme power and wisdom are in the hands of God alone (Dumas 530). Dantes admits that his revenge was unjust; comparing himself to Satan. He realizes his error of trying carry out justice by his own means and admits to his fault of trying act out the role of God.

All things considered, Alexandre Dumas makes it known that he does not think Dantes' revenge is justifiable. It is shown through the novel that, although in the beginning he was more than willing to exact revenge on those who wronged him, Dantes began to feel remorse for his actions. Why would Dumas include this if he felt the revenge was fully just? In addition to the remorse Dantes felt, the one who helped him identify his victims, Abb?© Faria, felt guilty right after he helped reveal the names of the men that had wronged Dantes, knowing that he would seek out some form of vengeance. The root of Dantes' remorseful feelings sprouted along with the realization that he was not only harming the wrongdoers, but also the innocents that had not been a part of his torment. In conclusion, the revenge carried out by Edmond Dantes is not justified.

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