Alexandre Dumas Biography Name ______Period _____ Score ______/30

Early life Alexandre Dumas was born on July 24, 1802 in France. He was the son of a general of the French Revolutionary armies, while his grandfather was from a noble family. Dumas's father died when he was four years old, leaving the family with very little money. Dumas was not a very good student; but, his handwriting was noticeably beautiful so he studied to work as a notary (a public officer who witnesses the signing of important documents and makes them official). As a teen, he discovered his talent for writing. He began with musical comedies and then historical plays in collaboration (working together with others) with a poet friend named Adolphe de Leuven. Historical subjects, as well as his ability to collaborate, were to be permanent elements of Dumas's work during his career. Dumas then found work as a secretary to the Duke of Orléans (later King Louis Philippe, 1773–1850) in Paris, France. He read and attended the theater as much as he could during his time off. He was greatly influenced by the works of William Shakespeare (1564–1616) and wrote his first plays in 1825 and 1826. Others followed, with Henri III (1829) bringing him great success and popularity. The French Revolution of 1830 slowed down Dumas's writing, and he became a strong supporter of the Marquis de Lafayette. His political activities were viewed unfavorably by the new king, his former boss, and he was forced to leave France for a time. A series of amusing travel books resulted from this period of exile.

His fiction When Dumas returned to Paris, he began writing a new series of historical plays. By 1851 he had written alone, or in collaboration with others, more than twenty plays. He also began writing fiction at this time, first short stories and then novels. In collaboration with Auguste Maquet, he wrote The Three Musketeers in 1844 and The Count of Monte Cristo in 1846. Dumas worked with many collaborators who helped him with the outlines of his romances. The scale of his "fiction factory" has often been exaggerated; however, at least a thousand works were published under his name. Dumas's works were received with enthusiasm by his loyal readers which earned him a lot of money. He could never earn enough to keep up with his spending habits, though. Among his problems was his estate of Monte- Cristo in France, which attracted many moochers and female admirers who Dumas ended up supporting.

Later life Dumas, who had never changed his political opinions, was pleased by the Revolution of 1848 and even ran as a candidate for the French government. In 1850, the Theâtre-Historique, which he had founded to present his plays, failed. After Napoleon III (1808–1873) took power in 1852, Dumas went to Brussels, Belgium, where his secretary managed to straighten out his affairs to a degree. Here he was able to dedicate all his time to writing. In 1853, Dumas returned to Paris and began the daily paper Le Mousquetaire, which was devoted to art and literature. The paper survived until 1857, and Dumas then published the weekly paper Monte-Cristo. This in turn folded after three years. In 1860, he was named keeper of museums in Naples, Italy. After remaining there for four years, he returned to Paris, where he found himself deep in debt and regularly chased by debt collectors. He also had many women friends who expected—and received—expensive gifts from him. Working hard to pay his debts, Dumas produced a number of works of lower quality, among them Madame de Chamblay (1863) and Les Mohicans de Paris (1864), which were not very successful. His last years were spent unhappy and he died penniless on December 5, 1870. After reading the biography, answer these text-dependent questions: Please follow the 4Cs. +30

1. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas came from a prominent (important) family.

2. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas suffered loss as a child.

3. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas discovered his love for writing early in life.

4. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas had success due to collaboration (working with others).

5. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas did not manage his money very well.

6. Cite information from the text that supports this statement: Alexandre Dumas’s life ended unhappily.

Name: ______Period: _____ Score:_____/72

The Count of Monte Cristo Theme Analysis

Theme of Revenge

Revenge is everywhere in The Count of Monte Cristo. No matter what the situation, no matter who is speaking, it lurks in the corners, propelling the story forward. We wait and wonder when we're going to see the Count get his retribution, and how he's going to get it. That tension, playing out in our minds and in the words and thoughts of the characters, is essential. At book's end, we have to ask ourselves, as Edmond asks himself, if we're satisfied with the way things turn out. Was the revenge worthwhile? Was it really justified? Was it all Edmond hoped it would be?

1. Explain whether or not Edmond is justified in seeking his revenge. +5

2. Explain whether or not he is really successful when he finds it. Are his years of planning well spent? +5

Defend or refute the following statements:

3. Edmond's revenge is only successful when he realizes he must forgive. Only then does he rise above the level of the men who wronged him in the first place. Explain what you believe to be the most accurate statement AND why. +6

4. Though Edmond manages to escape from prison after fourteen years, he may as well have remained there for an extra ten years. His thirst for revenge is just as confining – mentally and morally speaking – as his jail cell ever was. Revenge keeps him from truly living his life. Explain whether you agree with this statement AND why. +6

Theme of Perseverance

Conventional wisdom says good things come to those who wait. At book's end, the Count of Monte Cristo seems to agree; in fact, he couldn't make his thoughts any clearer: Wait and hope, he tells Jacopo, wait and hope. Edmond's life is so full of hardship; his prospects are so low, that only 100% perseverance and patience will help him feel justice is served.

5. Edmond spends years planning his revenge, whereas Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort spent a considerably shorter time putting Edmond away. Can we assume that Edmond is fueled by hatred for the men who imprisoned him? If we do, can we really respect him? Is it better to casually ruin someone's life or to plan their fall meticulously? Explain your thinking. +5

6. Edmond's ability to see his plan through might be called a triumph of the human spirit, but it's a triumph for humanity's dark side. Explain whether or not you agree with this statement AND why. +6

7. At its core, Edmond's plan for vengeance can be summed up as obsession. Explain whether or not you agree with this statement AND why. +6

Theme of Justice and Judgment

It's no coincidence that one of the main characters in The Count of Monte Cristo is a prosecutor. Dumas wants to see you thinking long and hard about justice and judgment, whether it be human or divine, swift or lingering, inside court or out in the world. Villefort may be a lawyer, but he doesn't have a monopoly on justice. Far from it. Time and time again, we see that justice is a slippery thing; even the most righteous characters find themselves wondering if they're on the right side of the line between moral and immoral, good and evil.

8. Wronged by the justice system, Edmond decides to take matters into his own hands. He calls himself an avenger and a servant of God, but couldn't you just as easily call someone like that a dangerous vigilante? Explain whether or not you agree with this statement AND why. +6

9. How do the Count's associations with men well outside the bounds of traditional law – for instance, bandits and smugglers – reflect upon him? How do they change the way we look at these so-called criminals? Explain your thinking. +5

Defend or refute the following statements:

10. Given the tumultuous times and his equally tumultuous past, Edmond's quest for personal justice is understandable; only by taking matters into his own hands can he settle himself and his scores. Explain whether or not you agree with this statement AND why. +6

Theme of Hatred

As a wise man once said, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." OK, that was Yoda, and Yoda's not technically a man, but you get the point. Hatred is powerful stuff, and powerful stuff is hard to control. It may lead the hater into some uncomfortable positions, and, more often than not, it has unintended consequences. Many of the characters in The Count of Monte Cristo, the Count included, wonder if their misfortunes spring from some kind of divine hatred, but more often than not, it's a human doing the hating.

11. As far as Dumas is concerned, is there any justification for hate? If so, what is it? Explain your thinking. +5

12. Hatred may have ultimately motivated the Fernand and Danglars to commit the heinous act upon Edmond; do you think Edmond is motivated by hatred? Why or why not. +6

Defend or refute the following statements:

13. In The Count of Monte Cristo, we learn that hatred cannot lead to good, no matter what has inspired it. Explain whether or not you agree with this statement AND why. +6

The Count of Monte Cristo – Text-Dependent Questions

Name ______Period ______Score/ 160 Characters in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

If the d ,n, s ,t are at the end of a name/word it is silent unless an "e" is present afterward.

EDMOND DANTES (Ehd-mohn Don-tay) victim of a conspiracy and imprisoned wrongfully.

CAPTAIN LECLERE (le-kle-rre) Captain of the ship, Pharaon (fair-oh) who dies at sea

MONSIEUR MORREL (Meh-sihr Mo-rrell) Owner of the Pharaon; a faithful friend to Edmond Dantes

DANGLARS (Don-glar) Ship’s purser (the financial officer on a ship) on the Pharaon; coconspirator against Dantes; later, he becomes Baron Danglars and steals his own bank’s money

NAPOLEON Overthrown Emperor of France; banished on Elba, he plots his return to power

KING LOUIS XVIII (18th) King of France

MERCEDE MORCERF (Merr-se-de Mor-sef) Dantes’ fiancée; later, married to Fernand Mondego

FERNAND MONDEGO (Fer-nan Mon-de-go) Jealous conspirator against Dantes; later, becomes Count de Morcerf and marries his cousin, Mercedes. Calm down, it is estimated that as many as 80% of the marriages in human history have been between first or second cousins.

CADEROUSSE (Cad-roos) a drunken neighbor of the Dantes family and greedy false friend of Dantes.

VILLEFORT (Veel-for) Ambitious young prosecutor who imprisons Dantes to protect his father; husband first of Renee and then of Heloise

NOIRTIER (Nor-teer) Villefort’s father; the man Napoleon wrote the letter to

FATHER FARIA (Far-ee-ah) imprisoned in Chateau D’If (Shah- to Deef) the for his political beliefs.

ALBERT DE MORCERF (Al-behr de Mor-sef) Son of Mercedes and Fernand; later, kidnapped by Luigi Vampa and rescued by the Count of Monte Cristo (Mon - tay Kree-sto)

HAYDEE Greek orphan rescued by Edmond from slavery; the daughter of Ali Pasha, a Greek leader, she is in love with the Count of Monte Cristo

JACOPO (ja-ka-po) a smuggler who befriends Edmond.

Setting: Time: 1815 – 1830 Place: Marseilles, France and Livorno, Italy

1. Explain what happened to the captain of the Pharaon prior to its arrival in France. +5

2. Describe the protagonist, Edmond Dantes. +5

3. Why does Danglars hate Edmond Dantes? +5

4. Why does Fernand hate Edmond Dantes? +5

5. Caderousse said, “In stories, one lover gets rid of a rival by a well-placed knife thrust. But perhaps real men are too timid for that.” Explain the impact this statement had on Fernand. +5

6. Explain the letter that was given to Dantes AND how the men who hate him are going to use it against Dantes. +6

7. Explain what the conversation between Dantes and Villefort reveals. +5

8. Explain what Villefort is ashamed of? +5

9. Explain to whom Dantes is to have delivered the letter to AND why? +6

10. Explain the outcome of Edmond and Mercedes’ wedding. +5

11. Provide a quote from the text that shows Edmond’s reaction to his unfair imprisonment. +5

12. Describe Dantes’s cell. +5

13. Explain how many years pass until Dantes hears a noise in his cell AND explain the significance of this to Edmond. +6

14. Explain with whom does Dantes make contact. +5

15. Explain what the man Dantes makes contact helps him discover about the reasons for his imprisonment at the Chateau d’If? +5

16. Explain the significance of the Spada family to Father Faria and Dantes (what secret did Father Faria share with Edmond before his death)? +5

17. Explain what happens to change Dantes’ mind about suicide and opt for escaping instead. +5

18. Explain how Dantes escapes. +5

19. Describe where Dantes first ends up after escaping. +5

20. Explain the story Dantes first makes up to tell the sailors on the ship who rescue him. +5

21. The smugglers stop at the island of Monte Cristo and Edmond wanted to get ashore. Explain the story he tells them AND what he is really looking for.+6

22. Edmond disguises himself as a priest in order to speak to Caderousse. Explain his mission. +5

23. Describe what the priest gives Caderousse AND why. +6

24. Explain Caderousse’s story about Dantes’ father’s death.+5

25. Explain what Caderousse tells the priest about Dantes being framed. +5

26. Explain what the priest learns about M. Morrel. +5

27. Explain what the priest learns about Danglars +5

28. Explain what the priest learns about Fernand. +5

29. Explain how Edmond Dantes transforms into the Count of Monte Cristo AND why. +6

30. Explain the way the Count gains his revenge on Villefort. +5

31. Explain the way the Count gains his revenge on Danglars, +5

32. Albert Morcerf challenges the Count to a dual. Explain why. +5

33. When Mercedes goes to the Count, she addresses him as Edmond. Explain how she knew his true identity. +5

34. Edmond resolves to allow Albert to kill him rather than hurt Mercedes, but this does not happen. Why not? +5

35. Explain how Edmond gained revenge on Fernand. +5

36. Explain what Edmond learns about seeking revenge. +5

37. Explain what YOU think happens to Dantes in the end after he sails away. +5

The Count of Monte Cristo Essay Rough Draft Name______Period _____ Score_____/15 After reading the novel, explain how the exposition, characterization, and theme work together to advance the plot. Introduction Paragraph:

Hook the reader with a question, startling fact, anecdote or statistic

Link: Link your hook to the author and the title (italicized) by the author (first and last name)

Thesis/Controlling Idea: This is what you will be proving in the next three body paragraphs. Body Paragraph 1:

1st Point— Exposition: Explain why the exposition is a crucial element in literature—what does the reader usually learn in the exposition?

EX1: When and where is this story taking place? (how do you know this?)

EX2:What is the main conflict (internal—man v self or external—man v man, man v nature, man v society) Provide evidence from the story to back up your thinking. Body Paragraph 2:

2nd Point—Characterization: Explain why characterization is also important in a story.

EX1: Explain who the protagonist is and if he is dynamic OR static (provide definition of the one you choose). How do you know the protagonist fits this description?

EX2: Explain if the protagonist is flat OR round (provide definition of the one you choose) How do you know the protagonist fits this description? Body Paragraph 3:

3rd Point –Theme: Explain what theme is and why it’s important to the reader.

EX1: What is the main theme of The Count of Monte Cristo?

EX2: Explain how you know this is the theme. Conclusion Paragraph:

RT: Restate your thesis in a way that reflects but does not repeat.

Link Reflection: address the author’s skill to captivate the reader by his/her expert crafting of the literary elements.

Create a clincher that possibly reflects on the hook OR a clincher that leaves the reader thinking about what you wrote.

You must complete the following 15 boxes with the proper information for all parts of the essay +15

Hook

Link

Thesis

1st PT

EX1

EX2

2nd PT

EX1

EX2

rd 3 PT

EX1

EX2

Restated Thesis

Restated Link

Clincher

Category Points ✓

Times New Roman 1

Double Spaced 1

Size 12 1

Name Block (Name, period, assignment title) 3

Your title (centered & capitalized) 2

Hook: question /statement / statistic/ anecdote 1 Link (author’s first/last name & title properly spelled, capitalized, and quoted) 3

Thesis Statement 1 Body 1: Exposition (Explain why this is important element in the story) 1 EX 1 2 EX 2 1 Body 2: Characterization (Explain why this is an important element in literature) 1 EX 1 2 EX 2 1 Body 3: Theme (Explain what theme is and why it is an important part of the story) 1 EX 1 2 EX 2 1 Restated Thesis 1 Link Reflection: 1 Clincher: question /statement / statistic/ anecdote 1 The 4Cs were followed 4 5 Paragraphs (indentations) 5 Voice: 3rd person 1 Total 38

Classifying Characters Round vs. Flat Round characters are characters who are complex and realistic; they represent a depth of personality which is imitative of life. These characters have been fully developed by an author, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and are detailed enough to seem real.

A flat character is distinguished by its lack of a realistic personality. Though the description of a flat character may be detailed and rich in defining characteristics, it falls short of the complexity associated with a round character. Supporting characters are generally flat, as most minor roles do not require a great deal of complexity.

Dynamic vs. Static A dynamic character is the one who changes significantly during the course of the story. By definition, the protagonist is nearly always a dynamic character. In coming-of-age stories in particular, the protagonist often undergoes dramatic change, transforming from innocence to experience.

In contrast, a static character does not undergo significant change. A static character is a literary character that remains basically unchanged throughout a work. Whether round or flat, their personalities remain essentially stable throughout the course of the story.