Dumas delighted in the idea of creating a character possessed of a fabulous fortune who was an avenger in some great cause. This impulse was natural, for Dumas, in spite of his exuberant exterior, harbored many grievances against society at large and against individual enemies in particular. His father had been persecuted; he himself was harassed by creditors and slandered. He shared with other unjustly treated writers that longing for vengeance that has engendered so many masterpieces. (Patricia Ann King). Argument: The personal experiences dealing with emotions of grievance, bitterness, and resentment, transpire into Duma's works. Claim: Within the counte of Monte Cristo just as in Duma's life, both he and Edmond seek vengance for those who have wronged them. Evidence:"His father had been persecuted; he himself was harassed by creditors and slandered. He shared with other unjustly treated writers that longing for vengeance..." I can utilize this within my work if I decide to relate past experiences within Duma's life to that of those of the main characters within his novel. The correlation between the lives and emotions between Dumas and Edmond is quite remarkable.

What character development there is in the novel comes from its hero. Dantes is first seen as an uncomplicated youth to whom life's mundane pleasures and basic values are adequate. He wants only to perform his job well, respect his father, and grow old with the woman whom he loves. He has no desire to play any great role in life. He is content to cultivate his own garden until forces he cannot control change him into a man with a mission. Dantes is so consumed with a passion for revenge that he does not realize that he is in danger of losing his soul. This awareness comes to him only after the humiliation of Villefort. "Tell the angel who is going to watch over you, Morrel," he writes to the son of his old patron, "to pray for a man who believed like Satan that for a moment he was the equal of God, but who in all Christian humility now acknowledges that supreme power and infinite wisdom are present in God alone." ( Kleine-Ahlbrandt 1). Argument:One who is so entranced upon the thought or idea of revenge is unaware of the physically and mental transformation that occurs within ones self. Claim: Within the Counte of Monte Cristo, Dante looses sight of himself in the midst of vengeful and a revengeful state of thought. Evidence: "Dantes is so consumed with a passion for revenge that he does not realize that he is in danger of losing his soul. This awareness comes to him only after the humiliation of Villefort." I can use this within