A Cask of Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe opens his story with a conflict. The narrator, Montresor, begins by stating that he has recently been insulted by his acquaintance, Fortunato, and he vows revenge. Slightly intoxicated, Fortunato approaches Montresor after attending a local carnival celebration. Montresor immediately temps Fortunato into entering his family catacomb to verify the authenticity of Amontillado brandy – Fortunato’s weakness. Rehana Whatley’s article states “The time is perfect for Montresor’s plan to punish his friend, Fortunato, an upstart who brags, boasts, flaunts, and bullies Montresor in ignorance and arrogance” (56). Montresor seems to be a psychopath with some narcissistic tendencies. Psychopaths are …show more content…
447). Montresor believes himself to be more intelligent than others. Therefore, he believes he can subtly introduce to his intentions without fear of being caught by Fortunato, which he achieves. Montresor even reveals the trowel under his dress to his victim with no resulting suspicion. Montresor seems to be a confident man from the beginning of his tale, boasting that he had tricked his servants into vacating for the evening’s event. The text does not mention any specific details about the insult that sealed Fortunato’s fate, but whatever he said punctured some deep, unresolved emotional injury from the past. The initial plot reveals that Fortunato and Montresor have a wounded relationship. After continued conflict between the two, Montresor decides he had put up with enough and Fortunato deserves vengeance. As the action rises, Montresor realizes to get revenge, Montresor must win, and Fortunato’s punishment must be permanent. The only permanent punishment for Fortunato results in death. Montresor drops frequent hints and insults to Fortunato as if he is giving him a chance to comprehend his plan. At the climax, Fortunato never considers turning back until it is too late. Montresor chains Fortunato inside an upright casket the depts of the catacomb. Montresor builds a wall of
Montresor must trick and manipulate Fortunato to accomplish his goal of revenge. He tells Fortunato the reason he is at the ...
One catches a glimpse of Montresor’s lost happiness from his obscure past, moreover his distressed self-esteem, in this statement. His façade begins to slip. The strain starts to show. At last Montresor leads Fortunato to the remote niche and secures him to the wall. Surprised Fortunato does not immediately respond.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado,” the main character and narrator, Montresor begins the story by expressing how he has put up with many insults from a man named Fortunato and that he has had enough and vows revenge against him. Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs to taste the Amontillado so as to kill him secretly. Montresor portrays in the beginning of the story that he is going to be lying to Fortunato’s face, acting one way while really thinking another. This fact indicates that Montresor is an unreliable narrator for telling the story because he lies to people he knows, gives hints that he is jealous of Fortunato, does not offer an explanation for wanting to murder Fortunato and his tone of narrating the story.
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.
By vowing revenge, methodically planning and following through with such a meticulous plan, and the feelings of guilt and remorse fifty years after the fact, Montressor shows that he planned the murder step by step, and proves that he is sane. Montressor premeditates the murder from vowing revenge to having the tools in the catacombs ready and waiting. Montressor vows revenge, but not just revenge, he vows that at length he will be avenged. Montressor states, "That neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good-will (Poe 563). " Montressor shows with this statement that he has the capability of knowing what he has premeditated is wrong.
Unacceptable insults of Fortunato, apparently seemed it was the motivation of retaliation “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best as could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (1 – 2).” That was the beginning sentence of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado story. In addition, it is a statement about the actual relation between Montresor and his friend. It does not reveal what exactly happen between the two friends, so no one can decide what Fortunato’s punishment is. The word ‘insult’ shows that Montresor has not been physically hurt. Probably the relationship has damage his honour. The term ‘borne’ implies that he probably has returned many of these injuries to immortalize the cycle of vengeance, though it indicates that he has merely endured them. However, now Fortunato has ventured upon insult, and Montresor takes this as a moral affront, punishable by death. “A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself as such to him who has done the wrong”(5-7). The revenge, that Montresor is going to follow, has to have two standards. First, it must not be repeated. This means the act of revenge has to be carefully planned to kill Fortunato, which would make it impossible for latter to punish him in return. Second, the person, who is going to punish, has to
Montresor proves that one should be careful about insulting another because he/she could seek revenge in the story. Montresor proves through his actions towards Fortunato. He states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he
Anything not taken in moderation can be damaging. In one of Edgar Allen Poe's best-known tales of horror, "The Cask of Amontillado," he suggests that pride can be a very dangerous thing, when one is overwhelmed with it. Through the use of foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism, Poe presents a horrific drama of two men. One who will stop at nothing to get the revenge that he deems himself and his family worthy of, and another who's pride will ultimately be the fall of his own death. Fortunato falls prey to Montressor's plans because he is so proud of his connoisseurship of wine, and it is for the sake of his own pride that Montressor takes revenge on Fortunato. Poe utilizes the theme of pride and many other literary techniques such as foreshadowing, revenge, and irony, in order to create a horrific and suspenseful masterpiece.
"The Cask of Amontillado" is one of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest stories. In this story Poe introduces two central characters and unfolds a tale of horror and perversion. Montresor, the narrator, and Fortunato, one of Montresor's friends, are doomed to the fate of their actions and will pay the price for their pride and jealousy. One pays the price with his life and the other pays the price with living with regret for the rest of his life. Poe uses mystery, irony, and imagery to create a horrifying, deceptive, and perverse story.
While Montresor has become fatally involved in his plan of revenge he still has not forgotten that Fortunato is a friend. When they are ready to go to the vaults, Montresor shows concern for Fortunato’s health.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor sets out on a vengeful mission that will end Fortunato’s life in an untimely fate. Montresor appeals to Fortunato’s love for wine to tempt the unsuspecting fellow to his impending doom. While Montresor tricks the foolish Fortunato frightfully, it is ultimately Fortunato’s pride that leads to his demise in the crypt. Poe uses several literary devices to foreshadow this murderous exploit of Montresor. Through the use of irony, symbolism, and imagery, the story entices readers to delve into the relationships and differences between Montresor and Fortunato.
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.
Fortunato “takes possession” of Montresor’s arm, for which he suffers (716) in order to carry out his plan. Poe’s use of possession and suffer give the impression that Montresor is being afflicted again by Fortunato. Once Montresor reveals this meeting at this evening is no coincidence by divulging he made sure none of his attendants would be home. By giving the direct orders to be home. Poe shows us that Montresor was not respected or feared by his servants’ actions. The servants’ leaving after being given a direct order to stay does give credence to the fact that Montresor must be very methodical and unyielding to his schedule. Only once Fortunato to the catacombs does he betray his own premise. Montresor refers to Fortunato as his “poor friend” (716). At this point Poe has depicted this instigator of a “thousand injuries” as a drunken jester that can barely catch his breath at this point in the story. Now Montresor is showing some sympathy towards him. At this point the transition is complete. Where the two men stopped at the entrance to Fortunato’s tomb, this is the moment that leaves no doubt that Montresor is the villain and Fortunato is the
?The Cask of Amontillado? by Edgar Allan Poe is a story about two men at a carnival, the narrator Montresor, who is being eaten by jealousy, and Fortunato, a rich drunk man that has a weakness for wine. It is through deception that Montresor achieves his revenge against Fortunato. He did not believe that killing Fortunato is wrong because of the insults and injures Fortunato brought against him. ?The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne.? (Poe, 75) says Montresor. Montresor brought Fortunato down into the catacomb. This was his chance for revenge.
The Cask of Amontillado, one of Edgar Allen Poe’s most celebrated works, paints a very sinister and dark tale of revenge. It is riddled with symbolism of what is in store for Fortunato who has betrayed Montresor in what Montresor perceives to warrant a grievous end. Throughout their the interaction, there are subtleties in which one might think there is a way out, but ultimately greed takes over which leads to Fortunato 's undoing.