In the course of Dantes' revenge plot against Mondego, Fernand is publicly vilified and humiliated, and Mercedes and her son Albert head to far-off lands where their names and pasts will not be known and they can begin new lives, away from the shame brought to them by Fernand Mondego as their husband and father. Both Mercedes and Albert are basically good people, and their shame at Fernand's actions

Caderousse does nothing to prevent an innocent man from being accused. He has only a superficial role as part of the plot to frame the young man, and does not profit from it because of his incompetence and addiction. He even understands, however dimly, that Dantes will be able to take revenge, should the plot be discovered. When "one gets out of prison,' said Caderousse, who, with what sense

Fernand demonstrates that hope can be an engine fueling acts of wanton and selfish cruelty as well. Ironically, this would also become a significant dimension of the hope harbored by the Dantes himself. While there was a portion of his imprisonment in which the hope of young Dantes helped to sustain him with notions of escape and freedom, he still remained frustratingly uncertain about the factors which placed him

If one views Dantes as a man who embodies a kind of Divine Retribution and acts according to the principles of justice, the novel appears in an entirely different light. One is willing to accept Dantes' actions, even if they do appear to be extreme (and murderous) at times. However, one is placated by Dantes' ability to show mercy to Danglars. On the other hand, if one chooses to read

Though of questionable morality, Dantes' eventual desire to succeed in achieving revenge is instilled and made feasible by his mentor's guiding hand and by the hope which is introduces into him. And it is only in Faria's death that his teachings begin to manifest as aspects of a real future, not for the impertinently youthful Dante's, now dead after year's of captivity, but for the inexorably patient and newly emergent Count

Upon first meeting, Albert is not the most noble of men. However, we begin to see aspects of Albert that are more worthy as the novel progresses. We learn that Albert is quite devoted to his father Fernand. When the Count of Monte Cristo speaks badly about Fernand, Albert reacts in a very noble way, wanting to fight the Monte Cristo for the harsh words he has spoken. Mercedes