Values in Monte Cristo and V For Vendetta

Categories: Alexandre Dumas

Justice is an artificial construct that humans use to punish individuals that violate the laws a society establishes. Sometimes, the punishment that a criminal receives may not be what they actually deserve. When the punishment does not fit the crime, some individuals seek to bring an equal amount of suffering to the criminal. Mainly, the use of vengeance is personal as an individual wants to achieve retribution for a past action that negatively affects them. One such example of vengeance in society would be the famous case of the 47 Ronin during the 18th century.

The Ronin plan the assassination of the man who is responsible for their master’s murder and two years later, they decapitate him. They avenge their master as a sign of loyalty and respect towards him. The theme of vengeance is also in use in various mediums such as in films and novel.

Alexandre Dumas uses the theme of vengeance in his novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.

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Similarly, the prevailing theme of vengeance is in use in James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta. What certain techniques help portray the prevailing theme of vengeance in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta? The characters of Edmond Dantes and V in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta, respectively, present the prevailing theme of vengeance.

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The plots in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta also help portray the prevailing theme of vengeance. The use of dialogue in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta similarly express the theme of vengeance. Therefore, vengeance is the ruling theme in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta and this is evident through the techniques character, plot and dialogue.

To begin, the theme of vengeance exists through the technique character in the characters of Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo and V from V for Vendetta. First, the theme of vengeance exists through the character of Edmond Dantes. For example, during his time in the prison Chateau d’If, Edmond meets Abbe Faria who tells Edmond that his imprisonment is unjust. Faria soon regrets the information he gives Edmond “Because it has instilled a new passion in [his] heart—that of vengeance” (Dumas 168). Vengeance is present in the character of Edmond through his desire to seek vengeance on Fernand, Danglars and Villefort, who are the men who betray Edmond during his successful time as a young adult. Second, the theme of vengeance exists through the character of V in V for Vendetta. For instance, V’s only motivation is to seek vengeance on the individuals that break him emotionally and those who corrupt England’s government.

Evey finds V’s murder of Lewis Prothero disturbing, but V believes that “Violence can be used for good. Justice” (McTeigue V for Vendetta). Vengeance is present in the character of V who murders corrupt individuals on his journey to seek vengeance. Even though the theme of vengeance exists in both The Count of Monte Cristo and the V for Vendetta through the technique character, both characters have contrasting reasons as to why they commit their respective vendettas. Edmond Dantes’ quest for vengeance solely relies on him trying to destroy the lives of Fernand, Danglars and Villefort. Contrastingly, V’s vendetta not only relies on getting back at the people who hurt him, but he also fights for the freedom of the British citizens.

The theme of vengeance is present through the technique character. Indeed, the theme of vengeance exists in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta through the technique character. Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo embodies the theme of vengeance through his role as an agent of Providence. Similarly, the character of V from V for Vendetta presents the theme of vengeance through his personal vendetta. While the theme of vengeance exists in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta through the technique character, the technique plot similarly portrays the theme of vengeance.

To continue, the theme of vengeance exists through the technique plot in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta. First, the theme of vengeance is present through the plot of The Count of Monte Cristo. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès transforms himself into a vengeful, inhuman person that goes by the name of Monte Cristo to act as an agent of Providence “. . . because the thing that I know which is finest, greatest and most sublime in the world is to reward and to punish” (Dumas 556). The plot of The Count of Monte Cristo presents the theme of vengeance through the technique plot by the portrayal of Edmond as the almighty judge, jury and executioner. Second, the theme of vengeance exists within the plot of V for Vendetta. In V for Vendetta, V kills members of the totalitarian government of England in an effort to liberate the country, as his belief is that “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government.

Governments should be afraid of their people.” (McTeigue V for Vendetta). The theme of vengeance is present through the technique plot in V for Vendetta . Although the plots of The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta have their differences, both feature a similar approach in how the plot progresses. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes turns himself into Monte Cristo to exact vengeance on Fernand, Danglars and Villefort. Similarly, in V for Vendetta, V murders the people responsible for his torture and prominent political figures to liberate the country. Both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta feature a single character that emerges from the worst possible situation to exact vengeance on those that did them wrong. The theme of vengeance exists through the technique plot in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta. To be sure, the technique plot presents the theme of vengeance in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta. In The Count of Monte Cristo, the theme of vengeance exists through the embodiment of the justice system.

Likewise, in V for Vendetta, the plot follows the character of V and his personal vendetta against the British government. The technique plot presents the theme of vengeance in The Count of Monte Cristo and the V for Vendetta while the technique dialogue also helps to emphasize the theme of vengeance. Last, the theme of vengeance is present through the technique dialogue in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta. First, the theme of vengeance is present through dialogue in The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond’s discovery of the treasure on the island of Monte Cristo instills the thought that God gives him the treasure so that he can act as an agent of Providence. For example, Edmond turns himself into a man with no forgiveness to carry out his quest of vengeance by stating “farewell, goodness, humanity, gratitude . . . Farewell all those feelings that nourish and illuminate the heart! I have taken the place of Providence to reward the good; now let the avenging God make way for me to punish the wrongdoer” (Dumas 300).

The theme of vengeance exists in The Count of Monte Cristo through the technique dialogue that express Edmond’s change in his character. Second, the theme of vengeance is present through dialogue in V for Vendetta. V’s experiences in his past turn him into a ruthless killer who is on a quest of vengeance to justify his pain and to take down the corrupt British government. To illustrate, V believes that “The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous” (McTeigue V for Vendetta). Vengeance is present within the dialogue of V for Vendetta, as V expresses himself through his powerful statements. In comparison, the technique dialogue emphasizes the theme of vengeance in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta, through the revelation of the protagonists’ inner thoughts and feelings. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas uses dialogue to present the radical changes in the character of Edmond Dantes. Likewise, the use of dialogue in V for Vendetta similarly expresses the various morals that V follows and the application of those morals in his vendetta. The theme of vengeance is present through the technique dialogue in The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta.

The ruling theme in both The Count of Monte Cristo and V for Vendetta is vengeance and this is evident through the techniques character, plot and dialogue. In Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the techniques character, plot and dialogue emphasize the theme of vengeance. Similarly, James McTeigue effectively uses the techniques character, plot and dialogue to signify the theme of vengeance in V for Vendetta. The use of vengeance in mediums such as literature and film helps communicate the main idea within them. As with many novels and films, the themes that are present in them base themselves on some form of reality, which is the case with the theme of vengeance. One such example in society would be the famous case of the 47 Ronin, a group of Japanese samurai who avenge their fallen master by decapitating his killer. People view justice as the universal mediator in which the victim receives compensation for a crime done to them. On the other hand, people see vengeance as a personal quest for the victim to find compensation for harm done to them, no matter the cost. While monetary compensation and imprisonment may be ideal for some situations such as fraud and theft, is it acceptable in the case of a murder? Should people consider justice and vengeance as two different concepts? After all, justice represents fairness and that is what vengeance is about, just not in a morally right approach.

Works Cited

  1. Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. London, England: Penguin, 2003.
  2. V for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. Perf. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., 2006. DVD.

Works Consulted

  1. Print. SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Count of Monte Cristo.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
  2. "V for Vendetta Quotes." Goodreads. N.p., 16 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Updated: Nov 01, 2022
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Values in Monte Cristo and V For Vendetta. (2016, Apr 01). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/values-in-monte-cristo-and-v-for-vendetta-essay

Values in Monte Cristo and V For Vendetta essay
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