The Count of Monte-Cristo

At the age of nineteen Edmond Dantès seems to have the perfect life. He is about to become the captain of a ship he is engaged to a beautiful and kind young woman Mercédès and he is well liked by almost everyone who knows him. This perfect life however stirs up dangerous jealousy among some of Dantès's so-called friends. Danglars the treasurer of Dantès's ship envies Dantès's early career success; Fernand Mondego is in love with Dantès's fiancée and so covets his amorous success; his neighbor Caderousse is simply envious that Dantès is so much luckier in life than he is. Together these three men draft a letter accusing Dantès of treason. There is some truth to their accusations: as a favor to his recently deceased captain Dantès is carrying a letter from Napoleon to a group of Bonapartist sympathizers in Paris. Though Dantès himself has no political leanings the undertaking is enough to implicate him for treason. On the day of his wedding Dantès is arrested for his alleged crimes.