Enmity between Edmond Dantes and Danglars

The enmity between Edmond Dantes and Danglars is one of the central antagonistic relationships in The Count of Monte Cristo, a conflict born from petty professional jealousy and escalating into a lifelong struggle that shapes the fortunes of both men. Danglars, the supercargo of the Pharaon, is a man of twenty-five or twenty-six, described as having an unprepossessing countenance, obsequious to his superiors and insolent to his subordinates, and is as much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantes is beloved by them. This contrast in character and standing forms the initial seed of Danglars' resentment.

Origins: Jealousy and the First Provocation

The immediate cause of Danglars' hatred is Dantes' rapid rise. When Captain Leclere dies, Dantes, as mate, assumes command and brings the ship safely into Marseilles. The owner, M. Morrel, immediately recognizes Dantes' competence and promises him the captaincy. Danglars, who had hoped for the position himself, is consumed by envy. He darts at Edmond a look gleaming with hate and immediately begins to undermine him, accusing Dantes of losing a day and a half at the Island of Elba out of pure whim. The rivalry is further inflamed by a personal quarrel: Dantes had once challenged Danglars to a duel, a proposition Danglars refused, a humiliation he never forgets. When Morrel asks Dantes if he would keep Danglars on as supercargo if he became captain, Dantes replies that he would have the greatest respect for those who possess the owners' confidence, but he has observed inaccuracies in Danglars' accounts. This answer, relayed to Danglars, solidifies his determination to destroy his rival.

The Conspiracy: The Anonymous Letter

The enmity culminates in a conspiracy at La Reserve on the eve of Dantes' betrothal feast. Danglars, seeing Dantes' happiness and imminent promotion, decides to act. He writes an anonymous denunciation with his left hand to disguise his handwriting, accusing Dantes of being a Bonapartist agent. The letter is addressed to the king's attorney. Danglars manipulates the jealous Fernand into posting the letter, while Caderousse, drunk, is silenced. The letter proves effective: Dantes is arrested at his wedding feast and, through the machinations of Villefort, is imprisoned for fourteen years in the Chateau d'If. Danglars' motive is purely selfish: he wants to eliminate a rival and secure his own position. As he reflects after the arrest, he is temporarily commander of the Pharaon, with the certainty of being permanently so if Caderousse can be persuaded to hold his tongue.

Danglars' Rise and Dantes' Vow

While Dantes languishes in prison, Danglars prospers. He leaves Marseilles and, recommended by Morrel, becomes a cashier in a Spanish bank. During the war with Spain, he is employed in the commissariat of the French army and makes a fortune. He speculates in the funds, trebles his capital, marries his banker's daughter, and later marries a widow, becoming the Baron Danglars, a millionaire with a fine residence in the Rue de Mont-Blanc. He becomes a banker of immense wealth and influence. Meanwhile, Dantes, after his escape and discovery of the treasure of Monte Cristo, dedicates his life to vengeance. He renews against Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort the oath of implacable vengeance he had made in his dungeon. The enmity is now no longer a vain menace; it is the driving force of a calculated plan.

The Reckoning: Financial Ruin and Captivity

Monte Cristo's revenge against Danglars is primarily financial and psychological. He opens an unlimited credit with Danglars' bank, creating an appearance of immense wealth and trust. He then manipulates the stock market through a false telegraph message, causing Danglars to lose 700,000 francs on Spanish bonds. This loss, combined with other failures, pushes Danglars toward bankruptcy. Monte Cristo also exposes Danglars' role in the original conspiracy, revealing the letter of denunciation to Villefort. The final blow comes when Danglars, having embezzled five million francs from the charity fund, attempts to flee Paris. He is captured by the bandit Luigi Vampa, acting on Monte Cristo's orders, and is held in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. There, he is systematically starved and forced to pay exorbitant prices for food, until he has paid back the entire five million francs he had stolen. He is reduced to a starving, broken man, his hair turned white from the ordeal.

Resolution: Forgiveness and Release

At the moment of Danglars' utter despair, Monte Cristo reveals himself as Edmond Dantes. He confronts Danglars with his crimes: selling and dishonoring him, prostituting his betrothed, trampling on him to raise himself to fortune, and condemning his father to die of hunger. Danglars, prostrate, repents. Monte Cristo then forgives him, stating that his life is safe and that the five million francs he stole have been restored to the hospitals by an unknown hand. He gives Danglars the remaining fifty thousand francs and orders Vampa to release him. Danglars is left by the roadside, a broken and impoverished man, his enmity finally extinguished by the mercy of the man he had wronged.