Sunday, August 26, 2018

How does Dantes discover his limitations and unintended consequences of his revenge?

After being framed and spending years in an incredibly desolate prison, Dantes's humanity eventually seeps out of him. His thoughts are filled only with exacting divine justice on those who have wronged him and rewarding those that have helped him.
Dantes escapes from the prison and emerges as the Count of Monte Cristo. He is disconnected from human emotion and empathy and feeds only on his mission of revenge. As events unfold, Dantes realizes that his thirst for vengeance on those he deems guilty also has an impact on the innocent. Through his quest for revenge, Dantes learns is that divine justice has human limitations. It is too emotionally conflicting for a mere human to both punish evil and simultaneously reward the good. Dantes feels this type of justice should be left in the hands of God.
The more he deals with others, Dantes is reminded that he is human and susceptible to caring, understanding, and love. He learns this most through his elaborate scheme to save the fiancee of Maximilian, once the man has felt the depths of despair. Dantes's humanity returns and he is able to let go of his painful betrayal and fall in love again.

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