3.) Was the Count justified in seeking his revenge? No.

While, the count was justified in

inflicting punishment on those who wronged him. He had no right to drag innocent people into
his bloody scheme of vengeance. Evidence of this can be found when he says, especially since
you have every reason to hate me: Im the cause of all your misfortune.(Dumas 494) Here the
Count admits that he is the cause of the misfortunes of an innocent woman. The Count had no
right to inflict pain on those who never wronged him.
5.) The most prominent theme in this novel was vengeance and its many costs. Vengeance is
the Counts main drive and it pushes the Count to make decisions that affect others. Evidence of
the counts dedication to seeking retribution from those who wronged him can be seen when he
states, may the god of vengeance now yield me his place to punish the wicked! (Dumas 131)
This quote identifies the counts theme and dedication toward vengeance.
7.)The Count learns at the end of this literary journey that while he is a powerful being. He is still
a human and he has built himself upon to high of a hubris. Evidence of his new humility is when
he states, 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) This statement proves that the
Count learns that even with all his power he is still only a man. He cannot perceive the future.
8.) The Count takes his revenge by the end of the book by punishing, humiliating, and even
killing those who wronged him of a happy life. While, these acts of revenge give him remorse
and humility in the end he is a happy man. Evidence can be found as the count finds out that
Haydee loves him, God,who raised me up against my enemies and made me victorious, didn't
want me to have this penance at the end of my victory. I wanted to punish myself, but God
wishes to forgive me. (Dumas 529) At the end of this novel The Count has his revenge and
indescribable joy.
10.) The happiest characters at the end of this novel are Maximilien and Valentine. They are
truly the happiest because after much despair and distance from each other they find each other
alive and well. An explanation for their joy is described by the Count when he writes,Only a
man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. (Dumas 531) By feeling
ultimate despair through the loss of one another Maximilien and Valentine are able to feel more
bliss than anyone else in the novel once reunited.
11.) Throughout this novel Dantes take vengeance into his own hands by going outside the law.
This under some circumstances was the correct procedure. No one could know of Dantess
problem without him being convicted so he went outside the law to accomplice justice.
Therefore, according to the circumstances this was the most logical course of action. Evidence
of Dantess reasoning is when he states,the man who made you undergo long years of mental
and emotional suffering has undergone a few seconds of physical pain?(Dumas 138) These
lines described how Dantes intends to bring justice. It is fair and just way to punish given the
circumstances.

12.)When Dantes describes misery and bliss he tells us the true meaning of many of lifes ideas.
Throughout the novel we find that Dante's believes that there is not one thing or another but the
comparison of those two things that make up an idea. For example darkness is only a lack of
light and cold is only a lack of heat, these ideas exist only through comparison. Another place
where Dante's emphasises comparison in the novel is when he states,Only a man who has felt
ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. (Dumas 531) This shows Dantess
unchanged belief that in order to understand an idea you must first compare it to its opposite.
13.)In this novel we find that socioeconomic status affects how the characters in the book
behave. For instance since Dantes has overwhelming amounts of wealth he is able to enact his
revenge outside the law. Whereas without his wealth he would have had great trouble enacting
his revenge. An example of how socioeconomic status effects one of the characters can be
found when the author states,On the twentieth of august it was learned that he had taken a
seat in a coach leaving Marseilles.This immediately gave rise to the suspicion that he's
declaration of bankruptcy had been set for the end of the month. (Dumas 124) THis quote
demonstrates the need for money in order to remain honorable in social standing.
14.) If I could have dinner with one of the characters I would have dinner with Dantes. I would
want to understand why he did what he did. I would want to know if there is still a remnant of the
boy who he was in the beginning.