Theme Of Reverse Psychology In The Cask Of Amontillado

In a psychological perspective, the author’s life is linked with the behavior and motivations of the characters in the story. In the story “Cask of Amontillado” the author is Edgar Allan Poe, who portrayed himself in the story. The miserable and depressing life of Poe can be measured through “The Cask of Amontillado” character Montressor, as he showed indifferent feeling towards his victim. His tragic life is somehow connected to his writings in which he portrays himself through the curtain of the narrator of the story. In the story Montressor was upset towards a character name Fortunado for some reason and he wanted to take revenge against Fortunado by burying him alive. This story is a true representation of Poe’s anguish and torment nature

Numerous times in the story, Poe demonstrates how a human being can achieve something from someone without even demanding for it. An example of how he uses reverse psychology in “The Cask of Amontillado” is when Montresor asks Fortunato to experience Amontillado, but then at the same time says, “…I will not impose upon you good nature. I perceive you have an engagement” (Poe 4). In the same way, when Fortunato coughs due to the nitre walls, Montresor uses reverse psychology and says, “Come,… we will go back, your health is precious… We will go back; you will be ill and I cannot be responsible. Besides, there is Luchresi” (Poe 5). Knowing how much Fortunato loves wine and hates Luchresi, Montresor uses reverse psychology by making Fortunato want to go fall deeper in the trap even

Likewise, Poe employs the perception of perversity and remorse in “The Cask of Amontillado.” The reason of burying Fortunato is not only vengeance, but also a robust reaction that is described in “The Black Cat”. There is a passionate yearning in Montresor to hurt Fortunato even if he has not made any harm to him. Although Montresor asserts that he has been injured several times by Fortunato, he cannot defy calling him “respected, admired, beloved,” admitting his “good nature,” and also calling him “noble” (Little 212). These expressions confirmed that Fortunato is a good quality person and the expression “injuries” used in the first phase of the story is simply a hyperbole that Montresor’s psyche has fabricated. Furthermore, wickedness does not come unaccompanied, but it carries itself a sense of remorse. Even if Montresor reflects himself as the diplomat of his family for deafening down rivals, he suffers remorse while walling up and killing Fortunato. Consequently, Poe’s clasp of unreasonableness and culpability of the human mind is