Justice In The Count Of Monte Cristo

What would one do if there was no judicial system to handle crimes committed such as murder? Would achieving justice through revenge be justified? When no one is on your side, you need to get your own vengeance. In Alexander Dumas’ novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes is wrongly arrested by his envious acquaintances, once referred to as his friends. Both Fernand Mondego and Baron Danglars are responsible for getting Dantes detained, while Monsieur de Villefort’s crooked prosecution ways ultimately lead to his imprisonment. This forces Dantes to choose his trespassers fate, taking a path of justice through retribution. Driven by vengeance and rage, Dantes’ conception of justice takes the form of revenge. He is eventually successful

in his quest for justice, yet not entirely, due to innocent people being hurt in the process. The story’s significance is shown in Dantes’ journey, Dumas demonstrates that revenge driven by anger causes damage to the people nearest you, including those who weren't originally targets.
After his unjust incarceration, Edmond realizes he must achieve his own form of justice through the act of revenge. Just recently being imprisoned, Dantes is alone in a dungeon as he goes through the many stages of insanity. He also starts to ponder about those who betrayed him, leading him into his current predicament. Thinking about what he will do to those who crossed him, Dumas writes, “He doomed these unknown men to all the tortures his fiery imagination could contrive, but even the cruelest ones seemed too mild and too short for them” (Dumas 42). The thoughts of Dantes shapes his idea of revenge rather than going along with justice. The author’s usage of “doomed,” shows Dantes’ plan of action towards the men that caused him his pain. The word “doomed,” emits feeling of hopelessness, and a sense of insecurity, leading a reader to believe that Dantes’ plan of justice must be to obliterate those who hurt him. It also reveals Dantes’ lack of trust in the justice system, and how he plans on relying purely on his own plan of revenge. Furthermore, “... all the tortures his fiery imagination could contrive,” is written to show exactly how much hatred he has to the ones who caused his arrest. While Dantes vividly expresses his viewpoint through his thoughts, he also proves to change from what he once was. Still in prison, Dantes converses with another prisoner across from him, known as Faria. The two conversed about information regarding exactly who the people were who tricked Edmond. After Faria realizes what this information has done to Dantes, he expresses his concerns, and saying to Dantes, “Because I’ve instilled in your heart a feeling that wasn’t there before: vengeance” (58). This quote shows how betrayal and his hatred of his wrongdoers has shaped his perception of justice, that being vengence. The phrase’ “instilled in your heart,” demonstrates Dantes’ devotion to avenge the youthful life that withered away in prison. It shows to be deeply engraved in his personality, vengeance becomes its own person within Dantes. Also, “wasn’t there before,” illustrates the difference in Dantes, before, and after his arrest. Once being a young and joyous boy, with a great life ahead of him; he now proves to be a dark soul. Edmond Dantes’ view of justice is transformed into an idea of revenge, after being betrayed by his once good friends.
While Dantes is successful in his journey for revenge towards his wrongdoers, he is not free from guilt, because of the innocent casualties he caused.

After being out of prison for some time, Dantes ventures back to his wretched house of imprisonment, where he takes on many feelings of nostalgia. Dumas writes, “The victory was complete: the count had twice vanquished doubt” (504). Dumas uses this language to express to the reader that in the mind of Dantes, his definition of vengeance was satisfied by the actions he committed against the people. The word, “complete,” demonstrates that the justice, that was never properly given to the ones who wronged Edmond, was finally done. The charade of The Count of Monte Cristo could stop, and Edmond’s life journey was now subdued. “Twice vanquished doubt,” helps to strengthen the fact that dantes was successful for the justice he needed so greatly. Everyone in Dantes life assumed him to be dead, and also not to be able to touch his successful enemies, yet he did not let that stop him. The fact he twice exceeded expectations is what gives more of a feeling of success to his whole quest. While Dantes proves to be successful for his justice, the damage caused to the innocent is what makes him not entirely successful. Following Dantes’ acts of revenge, reality sets in, making him realize that he has exceeded the rightful limits of justice, leading him to elaborate, “...God grant that I haven’t done too much already” (487). Dantes’

begging for forgiveness towards God proves that even he himself knows that he has exceeded his rightful limits. It was seen in the beginning of the story how in touch he was with God, yet as the story progressed, and anger slowly took over Edmond, he drifted apart from his once close value. The realities of his actions come to change his thought of how successful he was. As Dantes may have been successful in the ultimate journey for justice, losing touch with his idea of Providence led to his unjust treatment of the innocent.
Dumas shows, through Dantes’ journey, that vengeance driven by rage has the ability to harm those not originally targeted.

Following the public embarrassment of his enemy, Fernand, Dantes walks in on the sight of a dead Mercedes and Edouard. This causes Dantes great shock, and realization of his quests’ harm to the innocent around him, causing Dumas to express the following: “Monte Cristo paled at the horrible sight. 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’”

(485).
After all that has happened, Dumas uses Dantes and his personal development to illustrate that revenge isn't always the best form of justice. The word, “paled,” shows how even Dantes knows he has hurt people around him, and what his blindness has done to him. This diction creates a picture of regret in the mind of the reader, as Dantes looks back on the harmful things he has done to the people who never deserved anything. Also, when Dumas writes, “he could no longer say, ‘God is for me,’’’ we as readers are able to understand how the blindness of anger causes a loss of touch with even yourself. As Dantes once carried his idea of religion close to him, the motivation to ruin the lives of the ones who hurt him, is what ruins a part of his life. Instead of getting revenge as a person’s justice, I believe Dumas uses dantes’ ordeal to demonstrate that time and compassion is a much better method to being at peace with justice.
After being betrayed and falsely imprisoned, Dantes realizes the only way to achieve justice is to seek revenge on his own. While Dantes does show to be successful during his journey for revenge, it takes the death of his former lover and her son to show that he has gone beyond his boundaries, and thus, not entirely successful. Furthermore, Dumas shows the significance through the journey Dantes takes, revealing that time and compassion is a better alternative to rage behind an idea of revenge. While revenge is justified when there is no one on your side, people must be arae to not let that concept take over one’s mind, as it can prove to have devastating consequences. Most people see getting justice with someone by making their lives just as bad as what happened to them. In actuality, people need to take a step back from the dilemma, and understand that forgiveness and understanding is the best solution for allowing peace throughout.