The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 8 summary
Chapter 8 of 117 · Volume 1 · 13 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 8, Dantès trusts Villefort’s assurances until his guards deliver him to the Château d’If, where his hope of release gives way to despair. When the jailer refuses access to the governor or contact with Mercédès, Dantès threatens him and is moved into a deeper dungeon as a supposed madman.
What happens
- Dantès waits in prison, expecting release, but armed guards take him by carriage and boat toward an unknown destination.
- He passes Mercédès’s lighted room without calling out, then discovers that the boat approaches the Château d’If.
- Dantès tries to leap into the sea, but the guards restrain him and deliver him to a cell.
- After a sleepless night, he demands to see the governor and regrets trusting Villefort instead of escaping.
- The jailer refuses his offer of money to carry a message to Mercédès, and Dantès threatens him with a stool.
- Soldiers move Dantès into a lower dungeon under the governor’s orders, treating him as mad.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The reply contradicts Dantès’s expectation that he can still explain his innocence. His transfer appears settled despite his trust in Villefort.
Quick check
Why does the jailer refuse to carry Dantès’s message to Mercédès?
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