The Count Of Monte Cristo Essays - English-language Films

The Count Of Monte Cristo The Count of Monte Cristo is a very powerful book. So powerful in fact, that was controversial when it was first released. The Catholic church in France condemned it because of its powerful message it presented the reader. This theme was one of revenge and vengeance. Monte Cristo had two goals- to reward those who were kind to him and his aging father, and to punish those responsible for his imprisonment and suffering. For the latter, he plans slow and painful punishment. To have spent fourteen years barely subsisting in a dungeon demands cruel and prolonged castigation. Setting: The Count of Monte Cristo is set within the nineteenth century of France in large and populous cities. This was a time of great disruption. There was confusion all over the land in regards to who led France, King Louis or Napoleon. The citizens of France became divided by the two ruling parties. Royalists and the Bonapartist cut at each others throats in order to declare that their ruler was supreme. This si tuation has a profound effect on the events of the story. Dantes' enemies used the rivalry between the two parties in order to convince the Royalists that Edmond is a Bonapartist, therefore it is the basis for his arrest and inevitable captivity in the Chateau D'If.. Basic Plot: The Count of Monte Cristo is a story about a sailor, Edmond Dantes, who was betrayed during the prime of his life and career by the jealousy of his friends. His shipmate, Danglars, coveted his designation as the captain of the mighty Pharon. Ferdinand Mondego wished to wed Mercedes, who was affianced to Edmond. Danglars and Ferdinand wrote a letter accusing Edmond of carrying a letter from Elba to the Bonapartist committee in Paris. Caderousse, a neighbor, learned of the plot but kept silent. On his wedding day Edmond was arrested and taken before a deputy named Villefort, a political apostate, who, to protect himself, had Edmond secretly imprisoned in the deepest dungeons of the Chateau D'If. There Dantes' incarceration was secured by the plotting of his enemies outside the prison, particularly towards Villefort, who wished to cover up his own father's connections with the Bonapartists. Dantes suffered for fourteen grueling years. While in prison, he was determined to escape and beg an digging a tunnel in hopes that it would lead to freedom. During this exercise, he met an elderly inmate named Abbe Faria whose attempt to dig his way to his salvation had led him only to Edmond's cell. The two meet daily and an incredible relationship flourished. The old man taught Edmond history, mathematics, and languages. In Edmond's fourteenth year, Faria became mortally ill. The wise elder told Edmond where to find a massive buried fortune. When Faria finally did die, his body was placed in a burial sac. Edmond seized the opportunity of escaping and replaced Faria's corpse with himself. Jailers threw the sack into the sea which allowed Dantes to escape. He is rescued by a passing ship which gives him a position on the boat. After paying homage for the noble act, Dantes recovered the buried treasure and became extremely wealthy. He returned as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and dazzled all of Paris with his extreme wealth and social graces and also he ingeniously manage d to be introduced to the cream of French society, among who he goes unrecognized. But, Monte Cristo, in contrariety, recognized all of his enemies, which now are all powerful and influential men. Therefore, he was slowly plotting the ruin of the four men who had caused him to be sent to the Chateau D'If. Ferdinand had married Mercedes and was now the Count de Morcef. Monte Cristo released information to the press that proved that Morcef is a traitor, and Morcef is ruined socially. Then Monte Cristo destroyed Morcef's relationship with his family, whom he adored. When they leave him, he was so distraught that he committed suicide. To revenge himself on Caderousse, Monte Cristo easily trapped Caderousse because of his voracious greed. Monte Cristo awakened this greed with the gift of a diamond. Later, urged by his wife, Caderousse committed robbery and murder. Now escaped from prison, Caderousse

The Influence Of Religion On Society Essays - Anti-Protestantism

The Influence Of Religion On Society Essays - Anti-Protestantism The Influence Of Religion On Society Ever since the dawn of the 16th Century, much of the European countries were controlled or greatly affected by reining religions. Throughout much of history, the dominating Roman Catholic Church was the major cause of battles and wars. This was especially a causing factor of the Thirty-Years War in Western Europe. Many rulers used religion as an excuse to disturb the peace and take control of another country. During those times, religions were used as force. Whenever the Emperor or Empress of a different belief inherits or steps into power, their whole country is officially under their religion. (Modern World History, Unit 2) The most significant religion change came when Henry VII of England wanted to divorce to have a boy. The pope denied this right, thus leaving him without a heir. Acting as a very desperate man, he banned the Catholic Church and became Protestant. (Modern World History, 51) Church is where everybody, poor and rich gather for a prayers. Sometimes people go to church for salvation and a passage to heaven. Unfortunately the Roman Catholic Church took advantage of those people, taking money from people to be forgiven by God. Indulgences occurred during the time of Pope Leo X whereas people paid large sums of money to the clergymen for the clergys own well being. Adding to the fact, popes of the Roman Catholic Church had the luxury of eating well, dressing well and hunting; which disturbed many people to see the head of the church act this way. This upset many people, thus lead to the Reformation. (Martin Luther: Saint and Sinner, 70) The Reformation, as it was know began when a scholar, Martin Luther saw follies of religious and moral deficiencies of certain sections of the clergy of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany in 1517. However, the reformation was much influenced by political and economic factors. The sale of indulgences to gain salvation gave large sums of money, most of which contributed to the wealth of the clergy. ( http://members.aol.com/RAToepfer/webdoc7x.htm) In the meanwhile, there was a growing reaction of princes and jurists against the materialism of the papacy and the growing wealth of the clergy in Germany. Action came about, the princes and jurists revolted changing their religion to Lutheranism. More so did it help the wealthy than the paupers did. (Martin Luther: Saint and Sinner, 134) The German nobles adopted the new ideas of the Lutheran doctrine that enabled them to appropriate Church property, challenging the authority of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, thus challenging the right of ownership of land. The acquisition of land and church was synonymous. ( http://members.aol.com/RAToepfer/webdoc7x.htm) If the German noble was of Lutheran persuasion, it was then decreed that all of his subjects were Lutheran. Therefore, all of the tithe made by the subjects would be paid to the noble. In addition, churches and cathedrals that were formerly Catholic was confiscated, and became the property of the Nobles. All former Holy Roman church property, and all of the subjects, were gained as property of the Nobility, thus increasing their wealth and power. ( http://members.aol.com/RAToepfer/webdoc7x.htm) Meanwhile in the science community during 1564-1642, Galileo had found out that many previously held beliefs about nature to be false. One of the most important was that the universe revolved around the Earth. This brings Galileo into conflict with the Church because many of these deceits were part of church dogma. He denies that psychological knowledge can be studied scientifically thereby preventing the development of psychology. Galileo showed that several of Aristotle's truths to be false and, by using a telescope. He extended the known number of bodies in the solar system to 11. Galileo also argued that science could deal only with objective reality and that because human perceptions were subjective, they were outside the realm of science. The Church found this very disturbing, thus forced him to deny himself the truth and put him under house arrest. After 4 centuries, we have proved that Galileo was right. The Pope apologized sometime in the 1930s. (http://wizard.ucr.edu/kmcnei ll/psy575/15-1700.htm) In 1571 the pope called on all Catholic princes to take up arms against the Ottoman Empire. So King Philip II of Spain acted immediately sending two hundred