THE COMTE DE MONTE CRISTO ( ) The French Revolution and the Restoration

Pre-Revolution King Louis XIV  Absolute Monarch  Sun King  Created trade & manufacture  Over ambitious wars (England)

Rules Louis XV ( ) Louis XVI ( )

Eve of the Revolution: Social Classes First Estate: Clergy 100,000 Second Estate: Nobility 400,000 Third Estate: Peasants; Bourgeoisie

Reasons for revolt: Nobles were jealous of the king. Bourgeoisie was jealous of the nobles.

Reasons, Cont. Peasants and Bourgeoisie were upset because of taxation practices.  First and Second estates were exempt.

Reasons Only certain members of society could hold positions of power (officers in the army).

NEW IDEAS: Age of Enlightenment Bourgeoisie becomes more educated and produces new thinkers who challenge the rights of absolute rule and the class. They promote equal rights

Authors Voltaire Rousseau The Encyclopedists

The beginning The National Assembly ( ) Storming the Bastille (July 14 th, 1789)

The Declaration of the Rights of Men Issued on the 26th of August 1789 by the National Assembly GOAL: abolish the class system that was prevalent in France.

Declaration, cont. According to the Declaration all citizens had the right to decide what taxes should be levied and how public revenue should be spent.

Goals Other fundamental human rights included freedom of speech, freedom of the press, religious liberty and freedom from unlawful arrest or imprisonment.

Stages The Constitution 1791  Constitutional monarchy  One chamber parliament

Second stage The REPUBULIC (September 21st 1792).  The Convention and it’s Committee of Public Safety  The Reign of Terror Robespierre

Stage 3 :Napoleon takes over 1799 The Good  His early victories saved France  He established law and order in France

Napoleon, cont. THE BAD  Took away women’s rights  His wars continually drained France  Private interests and rights became subordinate to the Emperor

Stage 4: Restoration of the monarchy 1815 Louis XVIII******  Brother of Louis XVI; proclaimed April 11, 1814 Louis the XVII died in exile

Monarchs  Charles X Younger brother of Louis XVIII; deposed 1830  Louis Philippe 1830

Dumas Background Alexandre Dumas was born July 24, 1802 French noble father that had settled in Santo Domingo (now part of Haiti).

Dumas His paternal grandmother, Marie-Cessette, was an Afro-Caribbean that had been a black slave in Santo Domingo.

Dumas Dumas’ father was a well- known general in Napoleon’s army that eventually fell out of favor.

Dumas Background D. went to Paris in 1823 to find work. gained a position with the Duc d’Orleans (later King Louis Philippe), and did some theatre work and publishing for obscure magazines.

"The Chateau de MonteCristo" He built himself an impressive chateau on the outskirts of Paris and spent two years in exile in Brussels between 1855 and 1857 from his creditors before returning to Paris. He traveled widely to countries including Russia and Italy and assisted in Italy’s struggle for independence between 1860 and 1864.

Death Dumas died in December of 1870 at the age of 68, pursued by creditors and having spent most of the money he had on his lavish lifestyle.

Career He published some 250 books in conjunction with 73 assistants  including August Maquet (used for The Count of Monte Cristo).

Maquet Critics think that Maquet developed subjects for novels and sometimes wrote first drafts for some of Dumas’ most famou serial novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo.

Inspiration Dumas desired to base the novel on the true story of Francois Picaud, who was essentially also a wronged man who became empowered to avenge himself and who returns from exile to become an anonymous instrument of Providence.

Inspiration It is said that the novel may also have been influenced by Dumas’ relationship with the son of Jerome Bonaparte (Jerome was Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother), who Dumas occasionally took on short educational journeys. The two once spotted the Island of Monte Cristo while traveling to or from the Island of Elba, and Dumas determined to write a novel about it.

Influences Arabian Nights  Borrowed names, backgrounds and major themes.

Other Influences “Pyramus and Thisbe” Romeo and Juliet

Themes “God is always more powerful than man.” “Only God has the right to punish and reward.” “Only a man who knows deep sadness can experience true happiness.”

Themes in COM “Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.”