Overarching Theme: Divine Retribution and Redemption
Time & Date: February 1815 to February 1831 (16 years)
Place: Marseilles, France; Paris, France; and an island off Marseilles
A romantic yet tragic story of a young French sailor, Edmond Dantes, who is wrongfully accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Stolen from his betrothal feast and the side of his fiancé, Mercedes, he spends 14 years in the Chateau d’If, an island prison off the coast of France. His accusers, a jealous sailor (Fernand) and a greedy purser (Danglars) convince an ambitious and aspiring assistant prosecutor (de Villefort) to use Dantes as the route to profit and power.
With the help of a fellow prisoner priest (the Abbe), Dantes uncovers
his fate and the identity of the individuals responsible for his demise.
On the priest’s deathbed, he tells Dantes of a great fortune hidden
away on the island Monte Cristo. After escaping from the prison and finding
the treasure, Dantes plots his return only to find his mother dead and
his wife married to his nemesis (Fernand). With careful planning and unbridled
wealth and influence, Dantes seeks his revenge.