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The cask of amontillado character analysis
"cask of amontillado": character analysis Montresor
Morality in literature
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“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe 173) is how the story begins. Straight to the point and certain, it is clear to see that Montresor has an unstable state of mind. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” shows this through Montresor’s perseverance, his plan of retribution, and his verbal statements. To begin with, it is definite that Montresor is very determined to do what he needs. In the text, it states how this narrator has a completely thought out plan that he has prepared to put in effect in order to kill Fortunato. It states, “There were no attendants at home… I had told them that I should not return until the morning, and had given …show more content…
The author writes how in the beginning of the story, Montresor had reacted from all the hurt he had gone through. It states, “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” (174). This shows how Montresor is stating how he will create a plan that will make up for the actions that Fortunato himself had done. This would make them even, as Montresor’s plan wouldn't fail. Not to mention, Montresor clearly states that he is seeking revenge in the beginning of the story when he states, “but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge… At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk” (173). This explains the thought in Montresor’s head of why he wanted to kill Fortunato for Fortunato had hurt him. As a cause of the insults, Montresor would leave Fortunato in the catacombs to die. Last but not least, Montresor has very unusual statements. For example, the last sentence of the story states what Montresor said as he placed the last stone in the wall. He said, “In pace requiescat!” (179). This translates to In peace he rests. Someone looking to hurt another would probably not wish that they would live happily after death, so it is unusual that Montresor wishes that Fortunato rests in
Have you ever met someone so clever, determined, and cruel to leave a man to die over an insult? Montresor is the perfect example of these character traits. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor uses all of these character traits to get revenge on Fortunado for insulting his family name. Montresor’s clever planning, determination for revenge, and cruel murder are the perfect combination for his unequaled revenge.
Montressor had said “In pace requiescat!”, but rest in peace Fortunato did not. As Fortunato took his last breath he heard Montressor yell his name and then leave. A strange sensation then came over Fortunato and he could sense the energy flowing out of him, a rising feeling held him above the ground as he became a restless spirit. He thought to himself “Why am I not allowed to go? What must be keeping me here?”, and then recalled that it was Montressor that had done this to him, Montressor that had led him into the vaults and then sealed him up to die of pneumonia. Revenge, that was what had drove Montressor to murder, and what was keeping Fortunato in the mortal world. Fortunato realized that he must find Montressor, and exact his revenge before he would be able to pass over. And down there, in the deepest, darkest vault, he planned his revenge.
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
When he does Montresor tries to be firm in his conviction of revenge, notwithstanding reacting briefly to Fortunato’s desperation, “I hesitated—I trembled” (Poe). After a
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).
These imperfections cause him to murder his former friend Fortunato, because “when he ventured upon insult, [Montresor] vowed revenge” (212). Montresor goes to severe measures in order to maintain his pride, demonstrating that he is arrogant, cruel, and a generally imperfect person. However, while Montresor appears cold and cruel on the outside, after he killed Fortunato “[his] heart grew sick” (216). Although Montresor perceives his emotional response as a physical reaction to the dampness of the catacombs, the reader sees it for what it truly is: a sign of remorse.The reader can discern that Montresor’s pride and cruelty are battling against his conscience, and that his flaws catalyze his actions. Observing Montresor’s faults instead of speculating he is comprehensively inhumane conceives him to be a profound and deep
In her article, Renee utters that when the thought of vengeance build up in an individual’s brain, it coerces him insane and does not tolerate him to present it a second thought. The first sentence of the story, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge,” clearly describes the whole theme of the story as a deeply enrooted revenge in Montresor’s mind” which is an absolute portrayal of retribution that occurs due to arrogance and jealousy. Author sees himself as a superior individual and was victimized by a superiority complex which is quite visible through the phrases which he wrote in the story that Montressor expresses superiority as showed his victim as a foolish person by attributing weird physical appearance and dress appearance in which he described his dress code of “tight fitting parti striped dress and head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells.”
Most readers would agree that Montressor, the protagonist in Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", is mad to at least some degree. Is Montressor merely a twisted individual bent upon revenge or a man who lacks a superego? Assuming the latter is true, Fortunato was perhaps doomed for no reason discernable to someone possessing an ordered subconscious in which the superego assists the ego in policing the id. The injuries and insults visited by him upon Montressor might have been based on something so trivial as to confound the average man, or perhaps they existed only in the mind of the madman.
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
Montresor seeks revenge, and is rather demented and berserk. He obtrudes Fortunato’s evening by taking him to test wine and along the way he lashes out at Fortunato a few times in the story which is rather scary. He says at the very beginning, “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (p. 372). No matter what happened Montresor vowed that he would get revenge on Fortunato no matter how and when he got his revenge. Montresor had a long time to develop a strong plan that wouldn’t get him in trouble or caught because he didn’t want to go to jail for committing a murder. Both of these characters are different, and have strange reasons for their
The first indirect factor that could contribute to Montresor’s vengeful act, and thus the story’s theme of revenge, is the character of Montresor. Montresor tends to harbor feelings of resentment and has a hard time not taking things out of context (Womack). He also plans the murder of Fortunato in advance and devises it in such a way that he will not be caught. In killing Fortunato, Montreso...
as a result of taking my revenge.” This indicates that Montresor is well prepared and have carefully planned out everything to take his revenge. It also states, “I continued to smile in his face, and he did not understand that I was now smiling at the thought of what I planned for him, at the thought of my revenge.” Montresor puts up a facade as his mind is full of thoughts on how to make Fortunato suffer. Based on Montresor’s evil thoughts, the reader can tell that he is a man full of
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).
After Montresor had executed his plan, the reader should realize that his plan was perfect. He timed it so no one would hear them when they went down to the catacombs, he made sure the location he chose was secluded and hardly visited, and made sure that Fortunato died the way he wanted him to, a slow and painful death. After Fortunato dies, this can make the reader horrified that someone could do this to another person. Montresor was successful and was most likely never caught since he is telling the story 50 years later.