HOLD ON I JUST REALIZED
SO we all know Dumas likes to put some Shakespeare parodies in his books, right??
So Maximilien and Valentine are definitely supposed to be Romeo and Juliet with the whole “oh no she’s dead I’m gonna kill myself” and “oh no a Morrel can never be with a Villefort and vice versa” and “but wait! She isn’t actually dead! She just drank the thing that makes it LOOK like she’s dead!”
And Franz is probably supposed to be Paris then
And we all know that Caderousse’s wife is probably supposed to be Lady Macbeth with the whole “Don’t be a coward, you coward! Just murder the guy already!”
So I guess it’s not that far off to compare Benedetto to Edmund of Gloucester? I mean it works out well, with the whole “and I’m not really responsible for anything I do, it’s not my fault I was born lol sorry dad but maybe take better care of your illegitimate kids next time”
I think Dumas probably put a lot more parallels in there that I just didn’t notice?
Maybe Edouard is that kid from Coriolanus? Idk I never read Coriolanus.
Maybe Fernand is Macbeth?
Maybe Albert is Hamlet? ( “I’m gonna avenge my dad/ my dad’s honor! Yeah!” )
Maybe Heloise is both Goneril and Regan? ( “oh boy if only I’d get that neat inheritance money! Also I’m gonna poison people. And poison myself. )
Maybe Edmond is Macduff? ( “my family/ father was killed/ died because of you , and now I’m gonna return to my homeland and get some revenge.” )
Idk can anyone come up with more parallels? I’m sure there are more
I bet every character is a parody of some Shakespearean character