Cask Of Amontillado

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”-Ghandi. Revenge is a part of human nature. When people are attacked, their instinct will be to fight back or flee; the fight or flight response. If they choose to fight, they will become the avenger and plot the downfall of their enemies. If they choose to flee, they will forgive. Forgiveness lets their injuries heal and all is forgotten. In Francis Bacon’s essay, About Revenge, he uses a harsh tone and alludes to ancient rulers and biblical figures to show his opinion on revenge. In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Cask Of Amontillado, Poe uses an over exaggerated example of revenge in order to show his opinion on revenge. Through the use of tone, allusions, and characterization, the authors assert that revenge

is not justified.

Francis Bacon refers to famous rulers and uses a harsh tone to persuade the reader that revenge is not justified. Bacon opens up his essay by stating. “Revenge is a sort of wild justice. The more people try to take revenge, the more the law should punish them. When a man commits a crime, he breaks the law. But when an injured person takes revenge, the person destroys law itself” (Bacon). Bacon uses the words wild justice to compare vigilantes to wild animals. He is also saying that when people bring chaos upon their enemy to get revenge, it destroys law. There would be no point of having law if everybody could do what they want. It is better to heal than cause anarchy. “King Solomon, I am sure, said it is glorious for a person to forget an injury” (Bacon). Bacon alludes to King Solomon in order to say that forgiveness is better than revenge. Forgiveness lets injuries heal while revenge leaves wounds open. “There was an Italian ruler, Cosimo de Medici, who said the following to his friends who might betray him or injure him.’We read,’ he said, ’that

we are commanded to forgive our enemies. But we never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends’. I think, however, that the spirit of what Job said is truer. He said, ‘Shall we receive good from God and not also be willing to accept evil?’ The same is true, in part, about friends” (Bacon). Bacon alludes to a famous italian ruler and the biblical figure Job in order to say that it isn’t just enemies that want revenge, friends may want to get back too. Friends may hide it well, but inside they are dying to get revenge. Cosimo de Medici said that forgiveness is good against the enemy, but not on friends. Bacon played a spin on Job’s statement and said that accepting good friends means accepting evil ones too. Montresor hid his revenge from Fortunato, and they were friends.
Edgar Allan Poe uses the narrator’s insanity to persuade his audience that revenge is not justified. At first, Montresor is contemplating the ups and downs of revenge. “At least I will be avenged; this was a point definitely settled--but the very definitiveness with which was resolved precluded the idea of risk. 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 61). Poe is showing the risk Montresor is taking to go through with his insane plan of revenge. Montresor feels like he needs to put Fortunato in his place for what he has done to him. Montresor is taking matters into his own hands, or becoming what Francis Bacon refers to as a wild justice. Montresor says he needs to set things right and not even become suspected with the murder of Fortunato, even with the big risk. After Montresor imprisons Fortunato in his crypts, they are talking. Suddenly Fortunato grew silent. “ But to these words I hearkened for a reply. I grew impatient” (Poe 67). As Fortunato didn’t reply, Montresor starts to feel guilt. Poe uses the word hearkened to show that he yearned for Fortunato to respond. Then he gets even worse. “I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick” (Poe 67). As Montresor feels more guilt, he threw a torch into Fortunato’s chamber to give him some light even though he knew Fortunato was going to die anyway. Poe said that Montresor’s heart grew sick. Montresor had realized what he had done. He felt all of the guilt from what he had done to Fortunato.
Many people feel that revenge makes them better than their enemy. At the beginning of The Cask Of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor wants the downfall of Fortunato. ”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” (Poe 61-62). People might get some satisfaction from avenging themselves. Montresor couldn’t wait to avenge himself. However, after a person gets revenge,their wounds remain open. ”People who spend their time worrying about past injuries just waste their time” (Bacon). Whatever is past is gone and can’t be changed. People shouldn’t waste their time worrying about the past. Forgiveness lets injuries heal. Montresor feels the guilt of imprisoning Fortunato to his death.”My heart grew sick” (Poe 67). Guilt may sometimes overtake the avenger for his actions. Revenge is never the right choice.
Revenge is never justified. The past is gone, wounds heal with forgiveness, not revenge. Revenge is risky, and it leaves old wounds open. People become vigilantes when trying to take revenge. Guilt may overtake the avengers. Some people get satisfaction by avenging themselves, but that never lasts long. They are either caught or overtaken by the realization of what they have done. Revenge is a part of human nature, but when a person shows forgiveness, it shows that they are in control. They are better than their enemies. Their injuries heal, and all is forgotten.