An ancient theme and major characteristic of mankind is “Revenge.” As long as man has inhabited the earth, retribution has played the role of a recurring vice for all. As a chief part of society, as well as a dominating motif in literature, people consistently seek revenge. Sustained from the beginning to the middle, and from the middle to the end of the novel, a major theme in Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo is “Revenge” because the protagonist, Dantes, seeks justice for a crime he did not commit.
The novel begins when Dantes faces charges that threaten him with severe consequences. As a result of hi