The Count of Monte Cristo
Chapter I
1. How does Dumas establish the theme of good versus evil, as well as set the story in motion? 2. What roles do history and politics play in the opening of the story?
Chapter II
1. Describe the relationship between Dantès and his father. 2. What is the significance of Caderousse, the neighbor?
3. What does the reader learn from Caderousse and Danglars’s meeting?
Chapter III
1. What is the relationship between Mercédès and Fernand? What is the source of conflict between them?
2. Who does Fernand encounter after leaving Mercédès’s home, and how does this meeting affect Dantès’s future?
Chapter IV
1. Why is this chapter a good example of dramatic irony? 2. Where in this scene is there an example of foreshadowing?
3. Why would the reader believe that Danglers was involved in Dantès arrest?
Chapter V
1. What is revealed about the upper classes of Marseilles society in this chapter? 2. How does the Marquise de Saint Méran embarrass Villefort?
3. How is this significant for Dantès?
Chapter VI
1. Is the character of Villefort presented as evil or virtuous? 2. Why is this letter a threat to Villefort?
3. How does Villefort become ethically compromised in the story? 4. What is Villefort’s ultimate moral downfall?
Chapter VII
1. What is the significance of the Chateau d’If?
2. How does Dantès react, and how does that reaction worsen his situation?
Chapter VIII
1. Explain two allusions that appear in the beginning of this chapter.
Chapter IX
1. How does Dumas portray the King, Louis XVIII?
2. What finally convinces the King of the seriousness of the threat?
Chapter X
1. What news upsets Villefort during his visit to Louis XVII? 2. Does the reader find out why this news upsets Villefort?
Chapter XI
1. What is the historical setting of the story? 2. Who is most affected by this turn of events?
3. Does the restoration of the Napoleonic Empire free Dantès?
4. How do the reactions of the various characters to Dantès’s imprisonment define them as people?
Chapter XII
1. What is Dantès’s state of mind at the beginning of this chapter? 2. What does Dantès decide to do?
3. What happens to dissuade him from carrying out his plan? 4. Why is hearing a scraping noise significant to Dantès? 5. How does Dantès help the prisoner break through the wall?
6. How does the other prisoner react when he realizes he has nearly broken through to Dantès’s cell?
7. How does Dantès respond to the other prisoner’s discouragement?
Chapter XIII
1. How does the relationship between Dantès and the other prisoner develop during this chapter? 2. Who is the other prisoner, and what does he reveal about his own past to Dantès about his own past?
3. What else does the Abbé do for Dantès?
4. How is Dantès changed by his relationship to the Abbé and by what he learns from him? 5. What bonds the two men even closer as friends?
6. How is Dantès seen as still virtuous, despite his lust for vengeance?
Chapter XIV
1. How does the past affect the story in this chapter?
2. How does Abbé Faria become even more of a father figure to Dantès?
Chapter XV
1. What is the major event of this chapter? 2. What else does Dantès witness?
3. Why are the details surrounding the death of Faria significant?
Chapter XVI
1. Why is Dantès’s escape ironic?
2. What else in this scene illustrates Dumas’s view of the French prison system? 3. How else is this episode relevant to Dantès’s development as a character? 4. What is the significance of the storm during Dantès’s escape?
Chapter XVII
1. How does Dantès avoid being recaptured by the guards at the Chateau d’If? 2. How do the interests of the smugglers fit in with Dantès’s own interests?
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
1. Once alone on the island, how does Dantès unearth his treasure? 2. What does unearthing the treasure reveal about Dantès?
Chapter XX
1. What does Dantès do once he has the treasure in his possession?
Chapters XXI and XXII
1. How does Dantès learn what has happened to all of his acquaintances in the years since he was imprisoned?
2. How else does Dantès ply Caderousse for information? 3. What does Dantès do with the diamond?
4. What is the significance of the red purse?
Chapter XXIII
1. How is the charitable side of Dantès’ character shown in this chapter? 2. What does the Englishman learn about Villefort from the dossier? 3. What is the most ironic moment in the chapter?
Chapter XXIV
1. What happens to Morrel in this chapter?
2. What saves Morrel from immediate bankruptcy? 3. Who is the mysterious Englishman?
Chapter XXV
1. What is the benefit of Monte Cristo’s disguises in this chapter? 2. What is the miracle that Monte Cristo arranges for Morrel? 3. How does the story take a turn at the end of this chapter?
Chapter XXVI
1. Why is this part of the story set during the Carnival?
Chapters XXVII and XXVIII
1. How does this section illustrate Dantès development since the previous chapter? 2. Why is he interested in meeting the young Viscount de Morcerf?
3. What information does Franz possess about Monte Cristo? 4. Why is this information significant to the story?
Chapter XXIX
1. What is Monte Cristo’s reward for rescuing Albert from the kidnapper, Luigi Vampa? 2. Since Albert is the son of an enemy, why does Monte Cristo save him?
3. How does Franz influence Monte Cristo’s plan to save Albert?
4. How else has Dantès changed since assuming the persona of the Count of Monte Cristo? 5. Other than being kidnapped, how else is Albert deceived?
Chapter XXX
1. How does Dumas make Monte Cristo’s entrance to the Morcerf home more dramatic? 2. What is the significance of the emerald bonbonniére?
Chapter XXXI
1. What does the portrait of Albert’s mother reveal to Monte Cristo?
2. How is it apparent that Mercédès, now the Countess de Morcerf and Albert’s mother recognizes the Count of Monte Cristo as Dantès Dantès?
3. How is her recognition of Dantès significant?
Chapter XXXII
1. Why does Monte Cristo go to such lengths to purchase Danglars’s horses? 2. How does Monte Cristo embarrass Danglars and set him up for future ruin?
Chapter XXXIII
1. How does Monte Cristo’s possession of the dappled gray horses bring even greater trouble for Danglars?
2. What is the greater design in his procurement of the horses?
Chapters XXXIV and XXXV
1. How is Monte Cristo’s vulnerable side illustrated in these chapters? 2. What is most ironic in this section?
Chapter XXXVI
1. What is revealed in the conversation between Madame de Villefort and Monte Cristo? 2. What hint does Monte Cristo give, suggesting that Madame de Villefort’s interest in potions may have a darker intent?
Chapter XXXVII
1. What does Monte Cristo learn from Albert and Lucien about Madame Danglars? 2. Why does Lucien become upset and leave?
3. What information do Albert and Monte Cristo share once Lucien leaves? 4. How does this revelation affect Monte Cristo?
Chapter XXXVIII
1. What is the relationship between Valentine de Villefort and Maximilian?
2. Why does Valentine believe Madame de Villefort is secretly against her engagement?
Chapter XXXIX
1. In what way is M. Noirtier, Villefort’s father, an especially interesting character? 2. What is his secret, and how is it intimated?
Chapter XL
1. What does Noirtier do to block the engagement between Valentine and Franz d’Epinay? 2. Does this change Villefort’s mind about the betrothal?
Chapter XLI
1. What does Monte Cristo do to sow the seeds of discontent in the Villefort household? 2. How does Monte Cristo begin to wreak his vengeance on Danglars?
Chapter XLII
1. How does Monte Cristo entertain his guests, while at the same time subtly mocking them? 2. Who is introduced in this Chapter?
3. Who is especially pleased to meet Cavalcanti?
Chapters XLIII and XLIV
1. What is revealed about the marriage of Danglars and the Baroness? 2. What else is apparent in the scene between Danglars and his wife? 3. What other trap does Monte Cristo set when Danglars visits him?
Chapter XLV
1. How is it apparent that Monte Cristo has made a great impression on Parisian society? 2. What is the significance of the bouquet that Valentine holds when she appears at the ball? 3. What news does Monte Cristo relate to Danglars at the ball?
Chapters XLVI and XLVII
1. What bad news befalls the Villefort household?
2. What makes Mme. de Saint-Méran believe so strongly she is dying that she sends for a notary?
3. What are the conflicting views of authority that Dumas expresses in this chapter?
Chapter XLVIII
1. What major secret is revealed, and what impact does it have on the story?
Chapter XLIX
1. How is Danglars’s greed most evident in this chapter?
2. What does Danglars do to encourage Cavalcanti and discourage Albert?
3. How has Monte Cristo actually encouraged Danglars, while on the surface protesting that Albert is a suitable fiancée?
Chapter L
1. Who is Haydee, and why is she important to the story? 2. What happened to Haydee’s family?
3. Did Haydee’s mother die in the battle, like her father?
Chapter LI
1. How do we see Monte Cristo’s plots begin to come to fruition? 2. What is the result of the plot?
Chapters LII and LIII
1. What disrupts the happiness in the early part of the chapter when Valentine and Maximilian are apparently about to be united?
2. What makes Dr. D’Avrigny diagnose poison as the cause of death? 3. What is the doctor’s action?
Chapter LIV
1. How does Haydee help execute her own plan of vengeance, as well as Monte Cristo’s? 2. How does Dumas set Morcerf up for his fall and further embellish Morcerf’s dishonor? 3. What other evidence does Haydee present?
Chapters LV and LVI
1. How does the concept of honor define both Monte Cristo and Albert in this chapter? 2. What else does this episode show about these two characters?
Chapters LVII and LVIII
1. How does Monte Cristo’s humane side interfere with his vengeance? 2. How else does Mercédès exert her influence?
3. How does the story’s viewpoint on vengeance evolve in this part of the story?
Chapter LIX
1. How is Monte Cristo’s revenge against Morcerf realized, despite the fact that he has spared Albert?
2. What does Monte Cristo do to help Albert and Mercédès?
Chapter LX
1. How is Monte Cristo’s vengeance again futile in this chapter? 2. How else is Monte Cristo changed?
3. How is Valentine exonerated of any suspicion in the poisonings? 4. How does she escape immediate death?
Chapters LXI and LXII
1. What is the major revelation in this section? 2. How does Monte Cristo protect Valentine?
Chapters LXIII and LXIV
1. Even though he does not appear in the room when Valentine is found supposedly dead, how is Monte Cristo’s presence apparent?
2. How does Monte Cristo eventually enter the room without anyone seeing him? 3. Why is Noirtier smiling in his sleep the next morning?
Chapter LXV
1. How does Monte Cristo make Danglars’s financial situation even shakier than it already is? 2. What is shown about Danglars’s character in this chapter?
Chapter LXVI
1. Why is Monte Cristo anxious to see Maximilian? 2. What stops Maximilian from killing himself? 3. What is the irony in the situation?
4. How does Monte Cristo’s intervention in Maximilian’s plan for suicide reflect a change in his character?
Chapter LXVII
1. Compare and contrast the parallel storylines of Madame Danglars and Mercédès in this chapter.
2. How does the way that each lady handles her altered situation reveal her character? 3. What does Albert do to take care of his mother?
Chapters LXVIII and LXIX
1. How does Monte Cristo’s ultimate vengeance against Villefort prove to be more than he bargained for, and how does it change him even further?
2. How does Dumas present Monte Cristo’s revelation for maximum ironic, dramatic effect?
Chapter LXX
1. What is left for Monte Cristo to do, now that his plot for vengeance has come to an end? 2. How does the scene between Monte Cristo and Mercédès show an emotional resolution for both characters?
3. What is the common theme in both Monte Cristo’s scene with Mercédès and the following scene with Maximilian?
4. How does he exhort Mercédès and Maximilian to maintain hope in their hearts?
Chapter LXXI
1. How are the remaining storylines resolved in the final chapter, and how are those resolutions linked thematically?
2. What is the other major theme in the resolution of Monte Cristo’s story? 3. What is the final message about vengeance?
