Revenge in The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most celebrated literary authors of all time, known for writing very suspenseful, dramatic short stories and a poet; is considered as being a part of the American Romantic Movement, and a lesser known opinion is he is regarded as the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. Most recognized for his mystery and macabre, a journey into the dark, ghastly stories of death, deception and revenge is what makes up his reputation. The short story under analysis is a part of his latter works; “The Cask of Amontillado”, a story of revenge takes readers into the mind of the murderer.

With a premeditated motive to commit such an act, the culprit, Montressor, thinks, constructs and orchestrates a presumed murder against his insulter, Fortunado. “Poe begins by describing, in characteristically precise and logical detail, Montresor’s (and Poe’s) idea of perfect revenge. At the same time, he needed to end his story by telling how his revenge had affected him. When Fortunatosays, “For the love of god, Montresor!” and Montresor repeats, “Yes, for the love of God,” Poe is indicating that Montresor is already experiencing the closure he sought”(Delaney 39) Unbeknownst why he wants retribution, or what it is that his victim has done to compel Montressor to kill him. What is given is a recount of the night under discussion.

There's a great deal of symbolism through out the story given: through the culprit's (Montressor) family crest;"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." a foot in a blue background crushing a snake whose fangs are embedded in the foot's heel, with the motto Nemo me impune lacessit (No one attacks me with impunity). The nam...

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...or mocks him harshly about leaving him there and waits around the newly built tomb to be witness to his victim's dying words. Afterword he recants this entire story in narration on his death bed while mentioning that the wall he has entombed Fotunado isn't been bothered in 50 years. “THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge...For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.”(Poe)

Works Cited delaney, bill. "Poe's THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO.." Explicator. 64.1 (2005): 39-41.

may, charles. "The Cask of Amontillado." Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition . (2007)

Poe, Edgar. "http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/amontillado.html." Literature.org. Knowledge Matters Ltd., Web. 4 Feb 2010. .