A View through the Eyes of Another
An FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin contends, “Psychopathy is the most dangerous of the personality disorders. To understand it, one must know some fundamental principles about personality. Individuals' personalities represent who they are; they result from genetics and upbringing and reflect how persons view the world and thinks the world views them” (Babiak 3). In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Poe directs his attention to Montresor who is a man that Fortunato continues to torture with sick and foolish pranks. Very little is recognized that Montresor is a psychopath that will acquire his revenge. Psychopathy is a mental illness that could possibly exist through hereditary and genetics. Montresor’s family motto is,
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Paul Babiak addresses, “If psychopaths commit a homicide, their killing likely will be planned and purposeful, not the result of a loss of emotional control; their motive more commonly will involve sadistic gratification” (Psychopathy 7). The revenge Montresor is planning to implant on Fortunato was not by chance. He sought out his plot to manipulate, pathologically lie, and send Fortunato onto his death. Afterward, Montresor felt no sense of guilt or remorse. Montresor didn’t show a lack of empathy towards the situation. He admits, “There was then a long and obstinate silence. I laid the second tier, […]; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, […], that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction” (Poe 9). His satisfaction of the furious vibrations of the noise that he stays concentrating on is merely an act of feeling no sense of remorse, guilt, or empathy towards the suffering he is causing Fortunato (Poe …show more content…
Expressing that psychologically, psychopathy is a mental disorder that typically has a tendency to lead back to a cell deficiency in the brain. Knowing that what Montresor believes is correct in his mind will show that he may possibly have a cell deficiency. The control the brain has over the mind is fascinating, therefore one can only follow actions that the brain pursues the mind to do. Montresor continues to use his manipulative skills that he is possessing from being a psychopath. He has a lack of remorse and guilt which leads him to happily feel sadistic gratification. Perceiving his revenge, he sub stains to pathologically lying so that he is able to put his revenge into action. Along with the traits Montresor possesses of psychopathology, his family motto “nemo me impune lacessit” has the possibility of maintain a genetic cause due to his family history of exulting revenge on those who treat them wrong. Montresor enjoys the revenge he is instilling on Fortunato, which follows his death. He pushes his family motto to the limits of exactly what it is meant to imply. Noticing that overall, the traits Montresor shows of a psychopath remains certainly made aware
Montresor’s actions can then be explained due to Antisocial Personality Disorder. “A person who has this disorder overlooks the rights of others, is incapable of loyalty to others or to social values, is unable to experience guilt or to learn from past behaviors, is imperious to punishment, and tends to rationalize his or her behavior or to blame it on others" (MacKenzie). Antisocial personality disorder affects a person and their ability to function properly in society. Montresor had Antisocial Personality Disorder since he acted irrationally and blamed his action on Fortunato. Montresor kept justifying his actions and convincing himself he was doing what was right. By Montresor refuses to recognize his actions he further showed that he had Antisocial Personality Disorder. Montresor also was unable to ever feel remorse to Montresor and did not have any guilt. For these reasons presented, it can be justified that Montresor suffered from Antisocial Personality Disorder. This diagnosis would help justify to the reader his strange behavior and his desire to seek revenge on Fortunato. By analyzing the characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder, it explains Montresor’s desire for revenge, manipulation and lack of empathy for
Narcissism is a disorder of high self-appraisal. Individuals who encounter narcissistic views, tend to not only hurt loved ones, but can also blindly guide themselves to tragedy. This personality disorder has a tendency to lead one to “chronic feelings of depression, and suicidality” (Whitbourne). Greed is the ultimate power of defeat and according to both stories created by Kate Chopin and Edgar Allan Poe, some of the characters result in just that. Armand in “Desiree’s Baby” and Fortunato in “Cask of Amontillado” are both portrayed as narcissistic characters in terms of lusting for pride and arrogance, to get what one wants for their own good nonetheless, hurts those around
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.
Montresor, the narrator, successfully murders Fortunato, but ultimately fails when he confesses out of remorse after half a century. He tells the reader that “it is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (Poe 183). Montresor shows Fortunato who killed him and how he was killed, but Fortunato still does not comprehend why he was killed by Montresor (Clendenning). He wanted to kill Fortunato and not get caught for his crime either; however, he gets caught up in his mind and confesses on his deathbed after fifty years of the committed murder. G.R. Thompson points out that "Montresor, rather than having successfully taken his revenge 'with impunity ' ... has instead suffered a fifty-years ' ravage of conscience" (qtd. in Baraban). He argues that Montresor has failed to accomplish a perfectly planned murder. He buried Fortunato alive in the crypt and took the revenge that he sought, but the guilt caught up after five decades. Therefore, Montresor fails to punish Fortunato as he wanted – with
Montresor is portrayed as a man that turns on his former friend, leaving him to die showing little to no remorse for his deed. The reader can use these clues to believe he is insane, or possibly just a heartless person. The reader knows that the two characters had a previous dispute that created tension between the two. Fortunato seems to not be bothered by this previous argument, but Montresor appears to be a holding a grudge to no end. After he had almost sealed Fortunato’s death, he says “My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.” (169-170) That statement shows the reader that it is not the man he just killed that is making his heart sick, but it is the atmosphere he was standing in. Any man in his right mind, would feel guilty for these actions, but Poe showed through Fortunato, that no guilt was shown whatsoever. The reader does not know if she can trust the narrator because he is obviously a little
Hoping to obtain revenge, Montresor, the narrator, lures Fortunato, one of his friends, into the depths of his catacombs to be murdered. Montresor says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge"(149). This is the first line in the story, and this is why Montresor seeks revenge. There is no explanation of the insults that Montresor received, so the reader may infer that Montresor is just lying. The insults that were received could possibly be just outdoing in the business arena. Montresor might be using that excuse for his desire to kill Fortunato, because he may be killing Fortunato out of jealousy. Montresor is likely telling this story to a family member, friend, or his doctor while lying on his deathbed. Montresor says, "…your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter."(150). Montresor just admitted that he knows Fortunato is better than he. Montresor may have been under the influence of jealousy. Redd 4 There are different theories to ...
In this quote, Montresor says that must be able to Fortunato in a way that he will not be caught. He goes on to say that Fortunato has done him an injustice and has not apologized for offending him. So now, Montresor feels that revenge would be incomplete if it was carried out without victim knowing that it was him who killed him.
In the beginning of the story, Montresor appears to be vindictive within the first paragraph. Fortunato insults Montresor by doing something that remains unidentified. Montresor states he “must not only punish, but punish with impunity.” Montresor feels he must do this because he wants to be done with Fortunato and his insults. He also feels that he must live up to his family motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit,” which means, “Nobody attacks me with without punishment.” Because Montresor is single-minded, he is able to plan his scheme so thoughtfully that he knows there is no chance of getting caught. Montresor’s need for revenge continues throughout the story. When Montresor says, “Then I must positively leave you,” he is showing that there is no turning back. Fortunato is stuck indefinitely. Montresor shows that he is not remorseful by his actions while he is walling in Fortunato. “The noise [vibrations of the chain Fortunato is locked in] lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might harken to it with more satisfaction, I ceased my labors and sat upon the bones.” M...
Typically I would never find myself reading something so dark. Shockingly, though, I really enjoyed everything about it. However, it does make me wonder if I’m just attracted to how Poe writes or the actual obscurity involved with this story. I think Poe’s personal life altered how he wrote. Poe was never in the best of mindsets, most likely the reason behind why his story was so hateful. Therefore, I would like to believe I’m more intrigued by how he specifically writes versus typical dark stories.In response to “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, revenge can get the best of everyone. Like most individuals, I too have found myself once glaring from the sidelines annoyed. It takes a lot to make a calm person like myself resentful, but similar to Montresor, it is possible to become so aggravated that a revengeful plot begins to
In the Cask of Amontillado, our narrator’s situation is one he is quite happy being in. Our narrator is Montresor, an Italian man rich with pride, and you quickly learn through his narration that he is intelligent, conniving, and extremely sinister. Throughout the story, everything Montresor does is motivated by one thing, his own thirst for vengeance. Montresor explains his actions are a result of Fortunato constantly abusing him and finally going too far, but he never explains anything Fortunato has done to insult him. When we meet Fortunato, he is extremely friendly towards Montresor, albeit a little intoxicated, so much that he makes Montresor’s story of “a thousand injuries” seem unbelievable (Cask 1). Compared to Gilman’s narrator whose spiral out of control was triggered by her forced seclusion from the outside world, it seems that Montresor’s insanity come from inside his own head. There is no evidence that suggest any attempts by Fortunato to belittle or insult Montresor in any way. I believe that Montresor may have been jealous of Fortunato’s success in life, and that is what drove him to vengeance. For example, on their way to the catacombs Fortunato makes a hand gesture of the Masons, a secret brotherhood, which Montresor doesn’t understand. Fortunato ask if Montresor is a Mason and for him to prove it, and Montresor lies and shows his trowel (Cask 5). This proves that
He shows absolutely no remorse or any true interest in the effect that his actions will have. Even to go as far to make jokes at the expense of the future murder of his so called “friend.” Like Dr. Stout said, sociopaths can lead people to their impaling doom with much ease. The sheer ease of his master plan of revenge unfolding. His use of reverse psychology on people to have them ultimately do his true bidding. Playing with Fortunado’s trust to his own satisfaction and gain. He exhibits many traits of a sociopath throughout the story. Edgar Allan Poe is well known for doing this in many of his works as seen in classic works like The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart. The protagonists of these stories are also sociopathic, insane, vengeful and blood thirsty people who in reality are in fact the true antagonists. In each of their minds they believe they’re rightfully exacting justice and don’t see any error in their actions or just simply don’t care. They’re also cold, unfeeling, persuasive, and sinister murders who escalate small issues out of proportion. A sinister character is a recurring theme in Poe’s work and Montresor is surely no exception to this
In "Cask of Amontillado", Montresor is the narrator. "The thousand of injuries of Fortunato he has borne as he best could; but when he ventures upon insult, Montresor vows revenge" (Poe 528). As the story unfolds, "Montresor's idea of perfect revenge" is "characteristically precise and logical in detail" as to how he commits his crime (Delaney 1).
Poe presents the narrators of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" as devious, obsessed characters. Both are overpowered by the need to consume the life of their victim. Though they use different strategies to carry out the murders in different ways, obsession is the driving force in both. It is this obsession that inspires them to design cunning strategies and carry out the executions.
This immediate familiarity helps the reader to see inside the calculating mind of Montresor, whom we later learn is a killer. When talking about the past insults of Fortunato, he takes on a cold, determined tone: “At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled […] I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (Poe, 618).
Poe starts out with a man, by the name of Montresor, wanting revenge on another man, named Fortunato. Most of the story takes place deep in the Montresor family catacombs. As Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs, he chains Fortunato up to a small hole in a wall, bricks it over, and leaves Fortunato to die. Even through the traits of anger, hatred, and revenge, as the story progresses on, Montresor, the main character in “The Cask of Amontillado”, starts to show signs of feeling guilty for wanting to murder Fortunato.