The story of Edmond Dantès, the hero of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, is one of the most famous and enduring tales of revenge in all of literature. But what many people don't know is that the character of Dantès was based on a real person: a French sailor named Pierre Picaud.
The Real Count of Monte Cristo
Pierre Picaud was born in Marseille in 1769. He joined the French navy at a young age, and by the time he was 19, he was a captain. In 1802, Picaud was falsely accused of treason by three of his fellow officers. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Château d'If, a notorious prison on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Picaud spent the next six years in prison. During that time, he befriended a fellow prisoner, a priest named Abbé Faria. Faria told Picaud about a vast treasure that he had hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. When Faria died, he gave Picaud a map to the treasure.
In 1808, Picaud escaped from prison. He used the map that Faria had given him to find the treasure, and he became a wealthy man. Picaud then spent the rest of his life traveling the world, seeking revenge on the men who had betrayed him.
The Glory Revolution Betrayal
The Glory Revolution was a turning point in British history. The revolution took place in 1688-89, and it resulted in the overthrow of King James II and the accession of William of Orange and Mary II to the throne.
The Glory Revolution was sparked by a series of events that began with the birth of James II's son, James Francis Edward Stuart. James Francis Edward Stuart was a Catholic, and his birth raised fears that England would become a Catholic country again.
In response to these fears, a group of Protestant nobles invited William of Orange, the Protestant ruler of the Netherlands, to invade England. William landed in England in November 1688, and he quickly gained the support of the English people.
James II fled to France, and William and Mary were crowned king and queen of England in February 1689. The Glory Revolution was a significant victory for Protestantism, and it helped to secure the Protestant succession in England.
The Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in journalism. The prize was established in 1917 by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American newspaper publisher. The Pulitzer Prize is awarded annually to journalists, writers, and composers for their work in the following categories:
- Journalism
- Literature
- Music
- Drama
- Photography
The Pulitzer Prize is a highly competitive award, and it is considered to be one of the greatest honors that a journalist, writer, or composer can receive.
