"'I'm not proud, but I'm happy, and I think excessive happiness makes a man even blinder than pride'" (Dumas 13).
The context of this quote was Caderuosse calling Edmond Dantes very proud for bragging in front of the other men about having a girl. Dantes replies like this because he is trying to show how he is just happy, not vain or arrogant about it. I chose this quote because is shows Dantes's personality and wittiness in the beginning of the book. I wanted to see how his character attitude would progress through out the book. The character development of Edmond Dantes started as happy and proud, with a trace of arrogance, as well as wittiness. Dantes is portrayed at the end of the book as more humble and kind around others, but remaining with the same wittiness when he was confronted with problems.
"You're young, you're beautiful; forget me and be happy" (Dumas 439).
The count wants to give Haydee, his love, her father's name and wealth back, as well as a position in nobility. However, Haydee has developed feelings for the count as well. The count wants Haydee to be happy and therefore stands by his decision and leaves. I chose this quote because it shows the feelings of two important characters and how one sacrificed so that the other can be happy. This relates to an aspect of the theme, love, which is shown greatly by the count towards Haydee.
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss” (Dumas 441).
The context of this quote was in a parting letter written by the count to Maximilian Through the use of this passage, the count believes that one must go through extreme despair before getting the feeling of eternal happiness. This relates to how the count found happiness in Haydee's love and that now he no longer lives in the feeling of anguish. I chose this quote because it really portrays the count's character at the end of the story, at how how now he feels happy even after all the despair he has gone through. It is a great sign of character development.