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Literary criticisms of the cask of amontillado
Literary criticisms of the cask of amontillado
Edgar Allan Poe's styles of writing
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Summary of "the Cask of Amontillado" The narrator of the story Montresor clarifies to an obscure audience that in light of the fact that Fortunato has mortally offended him, he has pledged revenge. Notwithstanding, he has shrouded his ill will towards Fortunato because he needs to satisfy his promise without setting himself at danger, since the retaliation might not be finished if Fortunato were to counter or if Fortunato died without knowing Montresor to be his killer. He always keeps up an appearance of good wish towards Fortunato and chooses to exploit Fortunato's fondness for fine wines. During the carnival season’s evening, Montresor discovers Fortunato and invites him to go for a sample of sherry, which he recently procured and wishes to affirm as Amontillado. Fortunato is astonished and energized, so when Montresor recommends that Fortunato could be excessively busy and that Montresor may have Luchesi taste it rather, Fortunato put-down Luchesi's ability with wines and demands going with Montresor to the vaults to taste the Amontillado. Montresor offers a token challenge, saying that the vaults are brimming with nitre and will bother Fortunato's cold. By insisting him, Montresor puts on a veil of dark silk and a shroud and leads Fortunato to his home. Montresor had already told the servants that he might be gone throughout the night and prohibited them to leave, realizing that they might all vanish to join the festival when he cleared out, so nobody is home when they arrive. He gets two tourches and, giving one to Fortunato, going into the Montresor catacombs. The way is soggy and loaded with nitre, this causes Fortunato to cough, yet the masking Montresor indicates false sympathy toward Fortunato's health condition and ... ... middle of paper ... ...ncealing spot is the catacombs. Moreover, if Montresor has a finer privileged heredity than Fortunato, the accompanying lines get understandable that, “Fortunato had himself of my arm. . . I endured him to rush me to my palazzo” (Poe 1846). Montresor does not so much satisfy the necessity of clarifying his intention to Fortunato. Such a deed as Montresor's is mind boggling to him with the exception of as a few massive jokes; however, this trust is slaughtered by Montresor's joke. Whether Fortunato really comprehends the purpose for Montresor's awful revenge specifically, that he is constantly rebuffed for his arrogance and for insulting somebody who is equivalent or better than him—doesn't block an effective fulfillment of Montresor's plan. Reference Poe, E. Allan. The Cask of Amontillado, 1846. Frye, Steven. Critical Insights: The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, 2009.
Montresor wants to get revenge on people who make him mad such as Fortunato. How Fortunato may have hurt Montresor is by insulting him and by threatening him somehow. Therefore, Montresor wants to make sure that Fortunato doesn’t expect anything by being his friend. Once Montresor
He gives very little information about Fortunato, past that he is a wine connoisseur. There is no mention of what Fortunato does for leisure, his family, or even his job. In fact, the only details the reader receives on Fortunato paint him as a fool, with his costume, his drunken attitude, and obliviousness Montresor is focuses on the facts that make Fortunato look bad; he not only wants Fortunato dead but he also wants Fortunato’s name discredited. Montresor tells the reader even less about himself because there is no background to who Montresor is, what he does, or even what kind of contact he has with Fortunato. The only true details of Montresor that are given must be implied and give a sense of intelligence. In addition, he gives little to no details about the carnival, such as where it was, why the carnival was happening, or even why he chose this particular day to enact his plan. From these details, or lack of details, it seems Montresor doesn’t want his audience to know this information. The audience is supposed to simply look at Fortunato a fool and Montresor a genius, the harbinger of death. The facts such as who these people were, the time, or the setting are not important to Montresor’s focus in the
It is constantly seen that people take revenge on each other in the real world so it comes to no surprise that Montresor is taking revenge on Fortunato. Specifically in this story Montresor will feel better if he “not only punish but punish with impunity” (108 Poe). But further on what I found to even more realistic was that this wasn’t normal revenge, this was pure mastermind torture. Montresor knew that Fortunato was sick with Montresor saying “…but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted”(109 Poe) regarding that he didn’t want Fortunato to come down to his vaults, but Montresor true intentions were wanting Fortunato to fight Montresor request of not coming, and it worked. Montresor also knew how well Fortunato was at differencing wine “I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter” (109 Poe). By Montresor exploiting Fortunato’s sickness and skill of wines, Montresor knew that he could get Fortunato in the vaults where he could execute his revenge. At a first glance this may not seem lifelike because there’s an assumption to be made that people aren’t this immoral. But the truth is that the revenge that Montresor conducted is seen constantly in our culture. It’s undeniably real of the monstrosity that was made by Montresor when comparing it to the wicked
Montresor is a man who feels pride in himself and in his family, so when Fortunato—an acquaintance of Montresor— “venture[s] upon insult,” Montresor “vow[s] revenge” against him (1). Montresor hastily decides that he must kill Fortunato, even though his use of the word “venture” implies that Fortunato had not yet insulted him, but nearly did. Montresor’s impulsive need for revenge causes him to formulate a plan to murder his acquaintance. He keeps Fortunato intoxicated by “presenting him…[with] wine,” he “fetter[s] him to the granite,” and he “plaster[s] up… [a wall of] new masonry” to trap Fortunato in the catacombs (39, 71, 89). All of these acts are signs that the need for revenge has made Fortunato insane. A person who has any sense of morals would not commit crimes such as Montresor’s. His impetuous decision to exact revenge caused him to lose his
Montresor proves not to mess with someone's feeling. He explains, “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (Poe 372). Fortunato does not know that he is going to die, yet Montresor and the reader do know, making the situation dramatic irony. By punishing him with impunity he is going to get revenge that he has wanted now for years ever since he did wrong to Montresor and now that he finally gets the chance of course he will seek revenge on Fortunato. And it is dramatic irony because Fortunato is oblivious to the situation. Montresor proves that one should be careful on what they say. He speaks, “I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe 372). Montresor is saying
The carnival, a public event, displays Montresor’s actions and feelings towards Fortunato in a public setting. He is very cheerful and still jokes around with Fortunato as if nothing is wrong between them “It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good-will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” (1118). During their descent into the Montresor’s family catacombs Montresor’s actions begin to show his true feelings towards Fortunato, as he gives him some Medoc even though Fortunato is already drunk. Montresor is not acting bitter towards Fortunato yet because they are not close enough to where his revenge will take place, Montresor shows false friendship in a sense by continuing to say that Luchresi can tell him if the cask of Amontillado is real or a fake to keep him going deeper into the damp catacombs. Knowing that Fortunato will demand that they continue Montresor is leading him to his death by Fortunato’s own hubris to his
Fortunato does not think anything of it and just goes on with life instead of taking Montresor seriously. This is a way of showing how Fortunato is arrogant and does not really care what Montresor has to say.
At one point Fortunato is coughing for over a minute because of the mold that is present in the old catacombs. Montresor stresses to Fortunato that he would not want to risk his health for the pursuit of wine but Fortunato exclaims that he is fine and must press on. After a long walk into the deep catacombs Montresor chained his helpless victim up to a section of the wall. Fortunato is stunned and pleas for his life.
Montresor wanted revenge in a way that no one would know. During a time when everyone normally celebrates, Montresor decided to kill Fortunato when he saw him at the carnival in Italy. He lured Fortunato into the catacomb vault by telling him there was Amontillado wine for him to drink. Fortuna believed him and followed him into the vault. Once he got to the vault and saw there was not wine, Montresor pushed him into a hole in the wall. Next Montresor starting closing the hole up with bricks. As he was finishing, Fortunato screamed for him to stop. Montresor continued then walked away leaving him to
In “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor wants revenge on Fortunato and will do anything it takes to make Fortunato feel his
Montresor is leading Fortunato to his own cemetery, yet he never realizes that because of the caring nature displayed by Montresor. The verbal irony, he uses to lure Fortunto is really amazing. He greets and treats Fortunato with, “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met” shows that it was a coincidence, although everything was pre-planned (Poe). Fortunato
In the story, Montresor is very sneaky and deceitful. Montresor made it appear as if he were Fortunato’s friend when he told Fortunato in the cave after a coughing fit occurred, “‘Come,’ I said, with decision, ‘we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed,’” (2). Montresor managed to sneakily deceive Fortunato into thinking he wished him no harm! Fortunato was very sure that Montresor was a friend, not an enemy, and Montresor gave no hint to his plan! You see Montresor acting like Fortunato’s friend after they discuss the masons, “...replacing the tool under my cloak and again offering (Fortunato) my arm. He
Carefully, cautiously the Montresor plotted precisely how he would exact revenge upon Fortunato. Much time and great energy was devoted to this plan, selecting a time that would be best: during carnival when the town would be celebratory, his servants apt to run off and join the celebration, when the two could silently disappear without notice or question. No detail is forgotten; he allows for no deterrents. He follows through with such a confidence that never does he stumble or hesitate in carrying out his plan. The Montresor indicates that he had never given. To continue with this ploy, he even goes so far as to express false concern for Fortunato as they pass through the catacombs. Blaming the nitre and damp, the Montresor suggests that they turn back as not to compromise Fortunato’s ill health, though he has no intent of doing so. Never once until the very end did Fortunato have cause to suspect that there were any foul plans afoot.
Montresor is filled with regret that he took revenge so cruelly, “My heart grew sick,” (Poe 548). He was manipulated by his own pride and became the fool in the end, rather than Fortunato. Poe displays the Fortunato as a proud man at first, however Montresor’s pride is shown when he feels the first pangs of guilt but refuses to release Fortunato. He regretted his decision to kill Fortunato, however Montresor’s pride wouldn’t allow him to stop. Poe used these moments to subtly reveal Montresor’s
When they arrive at the Montresor estate, Montresor leads Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs. Down here is where the Amontillado Fortunato is going to taste and where the revenge of Montresor is going to take place. As he get closer and closer, the narrator opens up more and more to how he is going to kill his "friend". It sound like it is a premeditated murder. Montresor seems so inconspicuous that he acts like he cares about Fortunato which is still a part of his plan.