The Count of Monte Cristo begins in 1815, when Edmond Dantès, a young and successful merchant sailor, is falsely accused of treason by his supposed friends and sentenced to life imprisonment. Dantès is betrayed by Fernand Mondego, Mercédès' rival suitor, and Danglars, his business partner. After years of imprisonment, Dantès befriends an elderly inmate, Faria, who shares with him the location of a hidden treasure on Monte Cristo island.