General Information

Author

Alexandre Dumas:
-Real name is Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie
-Born 24 July 1802
- Died 5 December 1870
-Wrote The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte deBragelonne: Ten Years Later 
-Also wrote The Knight of Sainte-Hermine, but it was unfinished by the time he died, so a scholar finished it and it became a bestseller
-Wrote plays, magazine articles, and travel books
-Had around 40 affairs
-One of those women being Adah Isaacs Menken at the peak of her career in America
-Had a son named after him
-Had three children


Book Genre: Drama

Year Published: 1844

Book vs. Movie

Movie

-Mercedes and Edmond became one before marriage

-Abbe Faria starts to die underground and Dantes has to bring him back up to the cell

-He didn't land feet first when he was thrown into the water

-It wasn't storming when he landed on the island

-Edmond hangs Danglars

-Villefort was arrested

-Edmond and Mercedes have several encounters talking about his past

-Mercedes cheats on Fernand with Edmond

-Albert is Edmond's son

-Fernand shoots Mercedes

-Edmond kills Fernand

-The only two characters of Edmond are Dantes and The Count

Who would play who in my version of The Count of Monte Cristo

James Franco as Edmond Dantes.

I always pictured Dantes being really attractive before he went to prison.

 

George Clooney as Abbe Feria.

I imagined Abbe Feria being a very intelligent man, and I find George Clooney very intelligent.

 

 

Erin Sanders as Mercedes.

I imagined Mercedes as being a beautiful and independent woman, and that describes Erin's personality.

 

 

Drake Bell as Fernand Mondego.

I imagined Fernand being very attractive but also having a dark side, and I believe Drake could play that character very well.

 

 

Josh Duhamel as Danglars

I imagined Danglars seeming sweet but having a dark side, and that's exactly how I imagine Josh to be.

 

 

 

 

Andrew Garfield as Caderousse.

I imagined Caderousse as someone who would know all evil but never admit it, and I see Andrew as someone who would take a secret to the grave.

 

 

Scott Caan as Monsieur de Villefort

I imagined Villefort being the good guy in the midst of evil, and that's how Scott is.

 

 

Brad Pitt as Monsieur Morrel.

I imagined Morrel being a father figure to everyone, not just his son, and I think Brad Pitt could portray that character well.

 

 

Channing Tatum as Maximilien Morrel.

I imagined Max being attractive and any girl would want to be with him, but he only has his heart set on one, and that's how Channing is.

 

 Jason Dohring as Albert de Morcerf.

I imagined Albert being attractive (because of his parents) and him being an innocent good guy who tries to be tough, just like Jason.

 

Michelle Keegan as Valentine Villefort.

I imagined Valentine being the "fairest of them all". Her fate would be decided for her, but she would always get her way no matter what, just like Michelle.

 

Jerry Stiller as Nortier.

I imagined Nortier being an old man who had so much personality, even though he is paralyzed.

 

Frankie Stanford as Haydee.

I imagined Haydee being sweet, beautiful, and innocent. Frankie is all three of those characteristics.

 

Orlando Bloom as Bertuccio.

I imagined Bertuccio and Villefort being complete opposites, just like Scott and Orlando.

 

Alex O’Loughlin as Benedetto.

I imagined Benedetto being a man who is always on the run, a bad boy, which is how I imagine Alex to be.

 

Leigh-Allyn Baker as Madame d'Villefort.

I imagined Madame d'Villefort being very out there and crazy, which describes Leigh-Allyn.

 

 Ellen Pompeo as Madame Danglars.

I imagined Madame Danglars to be beautiful and independent, like Ellen.

 

 

 Katelyn Tarver as Eugenie Danglars.

I imagined Eugenie being a flight-risk. An independent girl that no matter what you tell her, she'll never obey and she'll always get what she wants, like Katelyn.

 

Video

My mom found this video on YouTube where somebody came up with their idea of who each character would be.

Photos

Abbe Faria

 

 

Abbe Faria and Edmond Dantes

 

Abbe Busoni

 

Edmond Dantes

 

Edmond Dantes and Fernand

 

Fernand

 

Mercedes and Fernand

 

Mercedes

 

Abbe Busoni and Mercedes

 

 

Edmond Dantes

Plot

-The Count of Monte Cristo is about a man named Edmond Dantes who is wrongfully accused of treason by his fiancé's cousin, Fernand.
-The book explains how he is seemingly omniscient without anyone else besides the reader knowing
-Everything that happens in this book is all part of his plan to get revenge
-Everything works out perfectly for him

Main Characters

Edmond Dantes- protagonist; smart, truthful, and lovable man until he gets sent to jail; becomes vengeful

The Count of Monte Cristo- Dantes's alter ego after he gets out of jail; cold and bitter

Lord Wilmore- eccentric side of Dantes that randomly gives generously; opposite of The Count of Monte Cristo

Abbe Busoni- Dantes as an Italian priest; helps gain trust from people before the count punishes them

Sinbad the Sailor- Dantes's personality while he's in Italy

Mercedes- ex-fiancé of Dantes; mother of Albert; wife of Fernand; never stops loving Dantes

Abbe Faria- priest; fathers Dantes in prison; teaches him history, science, art, and languages

Fernand Mondego- cousin and husband of Mercedes; Dantes's rival; frames Dantes for treason; receives plenty of money and names himself the "Count of Morcerf"; first victim of Dantes's revenge

Baron Danglars- helps Fernand frame Dantes; wealthy and powerful; hates Dantes

Caderousse- around when Fernand and Danglars devise a plan to frame Dantes, but he doesn't do anything; never gains a fortune

Monsieur de Villefort- public prosecutor; sentences Dantes to prison; Monte Cristo's main enemy

Monsieur Morrel- tries to free Dantes from prison; ship owner; Dantes helps him out of debt

Maximilian Morrel- son of Monsieur Morrel; loves Valentine; the Count's right hand man

Albert de Morcerf- son of Fernand and Mercedes; Mercedes loves him unconditionally

Valentine Villefort- daughter of Villefort; loves Maximilian; is under the count's wing

Nortier- Villefort's father; paralyzed by a stroke

Haydee- daughter of Ali Pacha; sold into slavery and bought by the count

Bertuccio- steward to the count; holds a grudge against Villefort

Benedetto- son of Villefort and Madame Danglars; Andrea Cavalcanti; buried alive as an infant

Madame d'Villefort- wife of Villefort; devoted to her son Edouard

Julie Harbaut- daughter of Monsieur Morrel

Emmanuel Harbaut- husband of Julie

Madame Danglars- wife of Danglars

Eugenie Danglars- daughter of Madame and Monsieur Danglars; engaged to Benedetto

Debray- tells his lover, Madame Danglars, secrets about the government so that she can spend her husband's money wisely

Ali Pasha- father of Haydee

Luigi Vampa- Roman bandit; in debt to Dantes

Edouard d'Villefort- son of the Villeforts'; spoiled

Franz d’Epinay- fiancé of Valentine

Marquis of Saint-Méran- father of Villefort's first wife

Marquise of Saint-Méran- mother of Villefort's first wife

Jacopo- smuggler; helps Dantes and receives a ship and crew from him

Literary Elements

Setting
"On February 24, 1815, the watchtower at Marseilles signaled the arrival of the three-master Pharaon, coming from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples." ~pg 1

Imagery
"When Madame de Villefort pronounced this name, Nortier's eyelids fluttered like lips trying to speak and released a flash of lightning." ~pg 245

Flashback
"'I am the ghost of a wretched man you once buried in the dungeon of the Chateau d'If. When that ghost finally came out of its grave, God placed on it the mask of the Count of Monte Cristo and covered it with gold and diamonds so that you wouldn't recognize it until today.'" ~pg 485