Examples Of Allusion In The Count Of Monte Cristo

“In theory it may seem all right to some, but when it comes to being made the instrument of the Lord's vengeance, I myself don't like it,” is what Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the 54 Massachusetts Infantry, an all black regiment of soldiers in the American Civil War. Obviously, Edmond Dantes did not agree with this statement. This quote explains that although some people may see fit to serve vengeance on their own, others believe it is in the hands of God alone. Judgment Day comes to us all inevitably. We all pay for all evil and injustices of our life, yet sometimes there will be someone so viciously wronged, that he will return like a wrath of nature, with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. Such a vendetta is the building block

for the theme of this novel. In The Count of Monte Cristo author Alexandre Dumas uses imagery and allusion to convey the theme of vengeance.
Imagery paints a vivid image in your head of what is going on. Therefore, it is a perfect literary device to use when conveying the theme of vengeance. When the Count is about to reveal his true identity and get revenge on Villefort, in their conversation he retorts, “‘I the ghost of a wretched man you once buried in the Château d'If. When that ghost 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,’” at that point almost driving Villefort to insanity (Dumas 485). When I read this quote I can clearly see “the ghost of a wretched man” as Edmond Dantes and that he was “buried in the Château d'If” being cast away from society for 14 years. This quote also explains why the count sought revenge to the public prosecutor. Another amazing use of imagery by Dumas used to convey the theme of vengeance is just before Fernand Mondego commits suicide. “Just as the carriage was passing beneath the arch of the gate a shot rang out and dark smoke floated out through one of the bedroom windows, which had been shattered by the force of the explosion,”(Dumas 395). A vivid image is painted here by Dumas as you can clearly see a cloud of “dark smoke” and see the window being “shattered by the… explosion”. All of these enhance the vision of Fernand Mondego being driven to the point of commiting suicide after losing his honor and having shame brought to his name so badly that his own son wants to live a new life and not with his fathers name. A great use of imagery by an author can paint a vivid image in your head and allow the reader to see what was really going on.
Allusion is when the author references another piece of literature in the writing.

Dumas references the bible in his writing of The Count of Monte Cristo a majority of the time although he does reference Sindbad the Sailor, a character from Arabian Nights as one of the many “faces” the count puts on after coming out of the Château d'If. One use of a biblical allusion is when the count is with Albert and Franz as they witness the brutal and savage execution of a criminal. Although Albert and Franz are disgusted at the sight of the dead man “The count was as erect as the avenging angel,”(Dumas 143). The “avenging angel” is a reference to the devil, in this case stating that the count was not bothered by this disgusting execution but rather had the posture of a man who enjoyed it. This gives you an idea that the count is okay with these kinds of long, brutal, painful deaths, and maybe even gives insight to how he feels about vengeance. Another great biblical allusion is at the very end of the book when the count is leaving with Haydee leaving Maximilien and Valentine together. In a letter he left in the hands of Jacopo to be given to Maximilien he said “Tell the angel who will watch over you life to pray now and then for a man who, like Satan, believed himself for an instant to be equal to God, but who realized in all humility that supreme power and wisdom are in the hands of God alone,”(Dumas 530). In this excerpt from the letter, he refers to himself as a man like the devil believing that he was God. He took the work of God into his hands completing his vengeance plan, but also hurting so many other people on the way there. This gives you the idea that although he completed his vengeance, he did realize that what he did was wrong and that he isn’t

God.
In conclusion, we see that vengeance can be a very bad thing for some people, if the thirst for it is strong enough. The uses of imagery and allusions by Dumas really enhance the reader's ability to understand the book. Edmond's revenge is only successful when he realizes he must forgive. Only then does he rise above the level of the men who wronged him in the first place. We too, are never successful by wronging others and doing nothing. We must always forgive even in vengeance.