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Literary insight on the cask of amontillado
1. Revenge symbolism in Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado”
How does 'the cask of amontillado' relate to edgar allan poe's life
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When Fortunato and Montresor ventured into the Montresor vault, Fortunato’s cold begins to get worse due to the mold on the walls. Montresor offers to have them go back but Fortunato replies with “Enough …the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough” (Poe 145). Montresor agrees with him as if thinking to himself that the cold will not kill him, but he will shortly. Fortunato asks about Montresor’s coat of arms and he replies “A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." (Poe 146) This imagery symbolizes that Fortunato has taken a bite out of Montresor and he is bringing his foot down on his attacks. The motto of Montresor’s Family "Nemo me
Montresor, fifty years after it happened, is confessing to the murder of his foe, Fortunato. He justifies his actions by saying that Fortunato caused him a thous...
One of the most horrifying lines in the story is given by Montresor after Fortunato says, “I will not die of a cough” (Baym ). Montresor says, “True— true....” (Baym ). It seems that Montresor 's murder plot became subconsciously manifest in those two words. Dramatic irony is irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the story (“dramatic-irony”) and Poe uses this effectively in this story. For example, Montresor expresses concern about Fortunato and says, "Come, I said, with decision, we will go back; your health is
Continually drawing Fortunato’s attention to the nitre on the walls, seems a symbolic manifestation of the web of lies Montresor must weave throughout the journey. He uses Fortunato’s vanity as a weapon against him, "Come," I said, with decision, "we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter” (Poe).
Montresor's family crest states their motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit", meaning no one attacks me with inpunity. When Fortunato, a "friend" of his, "ventures on insult," Montresor vows revenge. He does get his revenge: by walling in and suffocating Fortunato in the catacombs. Although Montresor is mad, he is intelligent, carefully plans out his actions, and does not think of the remorse from his actions, which is a deadly combination.
Edger Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” talks about how Montressor feels like he was insulted by his friend Fortunato. Also Montressor’s family motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit.”(Allan Poe 362), which means “No one insults me with impunity.”, and Montressor doesn’t want to let his family motto down so he uses it as a reason and make his revenge on Fortunato as a goal that has to be accomplished. Montressor tricks his friend Fortunato which was drunk at the moment, by asking him to follow him to his house and to check an expensive wine that he just purchased to be sure that he didn’t get tricked. Fortunato follows Montressor to his house and went down to the down stairs of Montressor’s house. When they get to the catacombs, Montressor chains up Fortunato and places him in a niche in the wall, and started to build a brick wall leaving him sealed inside to die in the catacombs.
...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)
Thompson discusses the significance of Montresor’s family motto, “These details are essential to our understanding of the family imperatives rooted in Montresor 's mind as he plans and carries out the killing of Fortunato. ‘Nemo me impune lacessit.’ Montresor 's family motto has been translated, ‘No one attacks me with impunity’"(Thompson 552). This means that anyone who attacks the family name is warrant for
Fortunato had in some way insulted Montresor in the past. He never thought about what might be coming for him. Fortunato is the type of man to put people down and not think much of it. "So he knew a lot about fine wines, and proudly beloved that he was a trained judge of them". (Poe) This shows that Fortunato comes off as arrogant. Because Montresor had not reacted to being insulted in the past, Fortunato
For instance, Montresor’s family crest is a serpent biting into an ankle treading upon it. The emblem is symbolic of Montresor’s response to being bitten by Fortunato’s foolish pride. The snake on the crest and the family’s motto, “No one wounds me with immunity,” both address Montresor’s seemingly inherited nature to retaliate. Another instance of symbolism in the story, is the reference to the secret society, the Freemasons. As a sign to prove his fellowship, Montresor pulls out a trowel to show his brotherhood. Ironically, this is the same trowel that will seal Fortunato’s tomb. The final major symbol in “The Cask of Amontillado,” is the Amontillado wine. The way the wine is created is through the deprivation of oxygen, the same way Fortunato is killed. The thought put into the murder portrays Montresor as a genius, but also shows the regard he has for his victim. Montresor sees his victim like a cheap bottle of sherry instead of the fine Amontillado that is revered and mature. Taking it upon himself, Montresor decides to mature Fortunato and views it as a masterpiece. The death of Fortunato is Montresor’s art (Lewis
on Montresor's hatred for Fortunato because he had made fun of his family name by saying, “The
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
Furthermore, just as Fortunato's words may have caused Montresor years of distress, as does both characters fulfillment of Montresor's coat of arms. Montresor is the heel, crushing and ending the life of a serpent, which fittingly represents Fortunato.
...By doing this, Montresor was making sure that nobody would be able to blame him for the murder of Fortunato. Montresor also uses reverse psychology while he is leading Fortunato to his doom in the depths of the catacombs. He constantly suggests that the two return back up stairs. “ ‘Come,’ I said with decision, ‘we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, [and] beloved… You are a man to be missed.” Montresor knows that if he keeps saying things like this, it will only fuel Fortunato’s longing for a taste of the amontillado.
Montresor meets his fake friend Fortunato and tells him about amontillado. Montresor had probably been humiliated or embarrassed by this jest, because he is angered once he lays eyes on him from a distance. Fortunato was wearing a jester outfit which makes him seem that he is not meant to be taken seriously. Once met he then manipulate Fortunato into following him into the catacombs of the montresor’s. Once in the catacomb, Montresor then precedes to tell Fortunato about his cough. Trying to lead Fortunato into thinking that he deeply cares about his health, but Fortunato not wanting Luchresi to come along he keep moving forward. While walking
The main reasons for Montresor’s traits are his family arms and family motto. He mentions his family arms as, “[a] huge human foot d’or, in a field of azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel” (Poe). This quote, to me, means as, “[a] ...