Monte Cristo releases Danglars from the captivity of the bandit Vampa:
“Do you repent?” asked a deep, solemn voice, which caused Danglars’ hair to stand on end. His feeble eyes endeavoured to distinguish objects, and behind the bandit he saw a man enveloped in a cloack, half lost in the shadow of a stone column.
“Of what must I repent?” stammered Danglars.
“Of the evil you have done,” said the voice.
“Oh, yes! Oh, yes! I do indeed repent.” And he struck his breast with his emaciated fist.
“Then I forgive you,” said the man, dropping his cloak, and advancing to the light.
“The Count of Monte Cristo!” said Danglars, more pale from terror than he had been just before from hunger and misery.
“You are mistaken,—I am not the Count of Monte Cristo!”
“Then who are you?”
“I am he whom you sold and dishonoured,—I am he whose betrothed you prostituted,—I am he upon whom you trampled that you might raise yourself to fortune,—I am he whose father you condemned to die of hunger,—I am he whom you also condemned to starvation, and who yet forgives you, because he hopes to be forgiven,—I am Edmond Dantès!”
Danglars uttered a cry and fell prostrate.
“Rise,” said the count, “your life is safe; the same good fortune has not happened to your accomplices: one is mad, the other dead. Keep the 50,000 francs you have left, I give them to you. The 5,000,000 you robbed from the hospitals has been restored to them by an unknown hand. And now eat and drink; I will entertain you to-night. Vampa, when this man is satisfied, let him be free.” (The Count of Monte Cristo pages 1446-1447)
Somehow I just don’t buy this. Even though Monte Cristo releases Danglars, his proclamation that he forgives him just doesn’t ring true to me. He has spent about 1,200 pages seeking and taking revenge, and now, 15 pages before the book ends, he forgives? That doesn’t seem like very significant forgiveness to me.
I would really like to hear the thoughts of other people who have read this book.
Mary Jo
Hi there Mary Jo…I read the book over 18 months ago, in a very short time so..it is hard ofr me to make any insightful or profound comment..I need to reread it slowly..CM style..but….as I reacall there is a sense over time that his heart is experiencing change each time revenge is meeted out…see the quote whrer he mother and child have died..that he is wrestling with the issue of revenge as his motivation and now it becomes increasingly clear that Providence may not have a hand certainly not the heart of revenge…I recall sensing (in the whirlwind of passion of this bbok) a feeling of a deep change occurring..slowly but surely..by the time he gets to danlgar the revenge that so passionaltely drove him has been fizzeling..prhaps his forgiveness is not “real” in a purposeful biblical sense but rather he no longer has the impetus to meet out judgements..his heart is no longer able to distance itself and just take revenge…I guess the hardness and hatred have given away to yielding….
don’t know if that makes much sense but I really enjoy this book and look forward to reading it again…your question was thoughtful and I so enjoy learning to think about what I read
many blessings (we are praying for Forrest every night!!!)
rich blessings my sister in Christ
Clara in Miami(pardon the typos I have to run!!!!)
I agree with Clara’s comments.
In my opinion, the hurt, the bitterness and the anger are the impetus for revenge. Yet time has a way of softening even the worst of hurts, dimishing pain and defusing anger, thereby diminishing even the lustiest of drives for revenge.
Lovely blog, by the way. I love books. My “dream-home” sketches always include a library.