1. The Count of Monte Cristo By: Ben Meleton & Joaquin Camacho

2. The Count of Monte Cristo AUTHOR: Alexandre Dumas PUBLISHER: Le Journal des Débats PUBLISHED: 1844 SETTING: The story takes place in France, Italy islands in the Mediterranean and the Levant.

3. ALEXANDRE DUMAS 1 ALEXANDRE DUMAS WAS BORN in 1802 in the village of Villers-Cotterêts, fifty miles northeast of Paris. His father, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, had been a general under Napoleon, and died in 1806 leaving the family almost penniless. Dumas taught himself to read and as a child he was especially fond of adventure stories and mythology. He was determined to become an author himself and in 1820 made his way to Paris to do so.

4. ALEXANDRE DUMAS 2 Dumas believed in the principles of social equality and individual rights, and he tried to infuse his dramatic works with these principles. Dumas went further than writing about his beliefs, however. He took an active role in the Revolution of 1830. As a result he was not popular with the new king, and left France in exile.

5. In 1844, the same year he The Three Musketeers, Dumas began the serialization of The Count of Monte Cristo. He continued writing prolifically for most of his life, publishing his novel, The Prussian Terror, in 1867, three years before his death. ALEXANDRE DUMAS 3

6. Historical Context 1 The novel takes place during the years following the fall of Napoleon’s empire. The story begins in 1815 and ends in 1844. Though most of the action takes place in Paris, key scenes are also set in Marseilles, Rome, Monte Cristo, Greece, and Constantinople. The Count of Monte Cristo is a novel set firmly in history, with many key plot points based on external political events.

7. Historical Context 2 The key figure in French politics during the first quarter of the nineteenth century was Napoleon Bonaparte, who, though he does not appear in the novel, plays such a significant role that he can almost be counted as one of the major characters.

8. Historical Context 3 Napoleon was a general who rose to prominence during the French Revolution, which occurred in 1789. He saved the revolutionary government from an angry mob and led the French army to victories over Austria, Italy, and Egypt, claiming all of these lands for France. In 1799, Napoleon led a coup against the existing government of France and formed a consulate, installing himself as its dictatorial leader.

9. Major Characters 1 Edmond Dantès - a young man who is wrongfully improsoned; later known as the Count of Monte Cristo; sometimes called Abbe Busoni, Lord Wilmore, or Sinbad the Sailor Danglars- an employee of Morrel; later a Parisian banker Mercedes- Edmond’s beautiful fiancée Abbé Faria - A priest and brilliant thinker whom Dantès meets in prison. Abbé Faria becomes Dantès’s intellectual father: during their many years as prisoners, and bequeaths to Dantès his vast hidden fortune. Fernand Mondego - Dantès’s rival for Mercédès’s affections.

10. Major Characters 2 Baron Danglars - A greedy, envious cohort of Mondego. Caderousse - A lazy, drunk, and greedy man who is somewhat involved in the plot against Dantès. Gérard de Villefort - The blindly ambitious public prosecutor responsible for sentencing Dantès to life in prison. Monsieur Morrel - The kind, honest shipowner who was once Dantès’s boss. Morrel does everything in his power to free Dantès from prison and tries to save Dantès’s father from death. His one true friend. Louis Dantès - Dantès’s father. Maximilian Morrel - The son of Monsieur Morrel. Brave and honorable like his father, Maximilian becomes Dantès’s primary beneficiary.

11. Major Characters 3 Albert de Morcerf - The son of Fernand Mondego and Mercédès. Unlike his father, Albert is brave, honest, and kind. Valentine Villefort - Villefort’s saintly and beautiful daughter. Haydée - The daughter of Ali Pacha; Haydée is sold into slavery after her father is betrayed by Mondego and murdered. Dantès purchases Haydée’s freedom.

12. THEME: Several themes exist in the book such as Revenge and Free will vs. Fate. Revenge- Revenge is everywhere in The Count of Monte Cristo. No matter what the situation, no matter who is speaking, it lurks in the corners, propelling the story forward. Fate vs Free Will- The characters in The Count of Monte Cristo tend to stop to consider the repercussions of their decisions way after the fact. When things start going badly for certain characters, they feel that unknown forces have turned against them. Theme

13. The novel begins with the handsome young sailor Edmond Dantes. He has just returned from a journey aboard the Pharaon. The Pharaon's shipowner, M. Morrel, rushes out to meet the ship. He finds that the captain has died en route, and Dantes has assumed the post with admirable skill. He thus plans to make Dantes officially the next captain of the ship. Dantes will not get the chance to realize his bright future, however. His success has earned him three conspiring enemies. They write a letter falsely incriminating him in a Bonapartist plot. Eventually escaping from jail, Dantes' only reason for living now is to have vengeance upon those who threw his life away. Brief Plot Summary

14. Setting The story takes place in France, Italy islands in the Mediterranean and the Levant during the historical events of 1815–1838 (from just before the Hundred Days through to the reign of Louis-Phillippe of France)

15. Rigged: fitted or equipped with necessary rigging Rigged Laden: filled with a great quantity Laden Strait: a narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water Strait Sedately: in a sedate manner Sedately Vague: lacking clarity or distinctness Vague Disquietude: feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable Disquietude Skiff: a small boat propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor Skiff Bulwark: an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes Bulwark Mulberry: any of several trees of the genus Morus having edible fruit that resembles the blackberry Mulberry Quits: on equal terms by payment or requital Quits Key Vocabulary 1

16. Vicinity: a surrounding or nearby region Vicinity Promontory: a natural elevation Promontory Wainscot: wooden panels that can be used to line the walls of a room Wainscot Slender: having little width in proportion to the length or height Slender Strewing: the act of scattering Strewing Supple: moving and bending with ease Supple Wretchedness: a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune Wretchedness Quarrel: an angry dispute Quarrel Key Vocabulary 2

17. Groan: an utterance expressing pain or disapproval Groan Headlong: with the head foremost Headlong Hark: listen; used mostly in the imperative Hark Arbor: a framework that supports climbing plants Arbor Betrothed: pledged to be married Betrothed Usurper: one who wrongfully seizes and holds the place of another Usurper Jest: activity characterized by good humor Jest Dusky: lighted by or as if by twilight Dusky Piquant: having an agreeably pungent taste Piquant Key Vocabulary 3

18. Worksheets: http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading- worksheets/literature-units/the-count-of-monte-cristo/ http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading- worksheets/literature-units/the-count-of-monte-cristo/ http://dl.pearson.co.jp/resources/9781405881807/searchdata/ pdf/AW-Count_Of_Monte_Cristo.pdf http://dl.pearson.co.jp/resources/9781405881807/searchdata/ pdf/AW-Count_Of_Monte_Cristo.pdf https://www.prestwickhouse.com/samples/302336.pdf Online Book(Readable): http://literature.org/authors/dumas-alexandre/the-count-of- monte-cristo/ http://literature.org/authors/dumas-alexandre/the-count-of- monte-cristo/ Links

19. Resource Links: http://www.shmoop.com/count-of-monte-cristo/themes.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Dumas http://www.biography.com/people/alexandre-dumas-9280725 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/montecristo/characters.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_era https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Napoleonic_era http://www.britannica.com/event/French-revolutionary-wars Resources