In the words of early twentieth century novelist Jeffery Farnol, “For vengeance is an emptiness, and he that seeketh it wasteth himself.” Just as Farnol implies, Edmond Dantès was drowned in his desire for revenge. Dantès’ life was ruined when three men, jealous of his perfect life, framed him for treason and sentenced Dantès to fourteen years of pain and sorrow in the Chateau d’If, France’s most notorious prison. When Dantès eventually escapes, he sets out on a quest to avenge himself by making his enemies suffer just as he did. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas uses figurative language and imagery to explore the theme of vengeance.
The first example of figurative language presents itself in the form of an allusion when the count, …show more content…
The first example of imagery is found near the end of the novel, when Villefort is trying to save his wife, Héloïse from the lethal fate he bestowed upon her. He soon realizes that it’s too late to save her, and resorts to the last thing he has left in the world: his son, Edouard. As Villefort is trying to find the boy, he has to pass his dead wife’s body, which is looking up at him with “open, staring eyes and a terrifying smile of mysterious irony” (Dumas 483). This paints a disturbing image of Héloïse as she guards her son, who we soon find was killed at her hands, from the monster that is Villefort. This also shows how Héloïse felt when Villefort ordered her to poison herself: if she had to die, she was going to take Edouard with her. Monte Cristo didn’t plan for the innocent boy to die when he planned his revenge, so after this incident, he starts to question his limits. The second piece of imagery shows itself in the same portion of the novel when Villefort realizes that he has absolutely nothing left to live for, and starts to lose his sanity. The count’s vengeance has nearly reached its peak at this point, and he is witnessing Villefort suffer as his “eyes seemed ready to burst from their sockets” (Dumas 486). Villefort’s “nails were red with blood” from maniacally clawing at himself in a state of pure madness. Whilst revealing a disturbing picture of Villefort losing himself to Monte
The first example of figurative language presents itself in the form of an allusion when the count, …show more content…
The first example of imagery is found near the end of the novel, when Villefort is trying to save his wife, Héloïse from the lethal fate he bestowed upon her. He soon realizes that it’s too late to save her, and resorts to the last thing he has left in the world: his son, Edouard. As Villefort is trying to find the boy, he has to pass his dead wife’s body, which is looking up at him with “open, staring eyes and a terrifying smile of mysterious irony” (Dumas 483). This paints a disturbing image of Héloïse as she guards her son, who we soon find was killed at her hands, from the monster that is Villefort. This also shows how Héloïse felt when Villefort ordered her to poison herself: if she had to die, she was going to take Edouard with her. Monte Cristo didn’t plan for the innocent boy to die when he planned his revenge, so after this incident, he starts to question his limits. The second piece of imagery shows itself in the same portion of the novel when Villefort realizes that he has absolutely nothing left to live for, and starts to lose his sanity. The count’s vengeance has nearly reached its peak at this point, and he is witnessing Villefort suffer as his “eyes seemed ready to burst from their sockets” (Dumas 486). Villefort’s “nails were red with blood” from maniacally clawing at himself in a state of pure madness. Whilst revealing a disturbing picture of Villefort losing himself to Monte