An unreliable narrator is like a tour guide without a map- they take you on a journey with good intentions, but they made many mistakes. Basically, what this means is that everyone has flaws; and the rest is dependent on what their intention is. Imperfect characters are routinely used in short stories, mainly because every protagonist and antagonist has an intention of some sort. The flaws often add to their character. If there were no flaws, then several elements of the story would be missing; specifically in the narrator. Flawed characters add meaning or conflict to the short stories; which is the most important reason that the characters appeal to the readers.
Most stories do not begin with a flawless protagonist; or a perfect antagonist.
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But what is different about this story is that the main character is a truly vindictive and unforgiving character when the story begins; but they still hold the place of the protagonist. This is because a character named Fortunato is Montresor’s “opponent” or enemy. Montresor’s ultimate goal is to get revenge on Fortunato for the things he had done to him; and decides to lure him to his own brutal fate. His character is revealed almost immediately; as he describes his plan and puts up a facade to welcome Fortunato. He says “ he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of his immolation.”(212). His obligation to kill this man shows his vengeful personality, and also reveals that he is definitely not flawless. However, his opposition to Fortunato is what creates conflict. Montresor chooses to commit this crime to punish Fortunato for the pain he had caused him. Fortunato is lured into the catacombs; promised some Amontillado. Montresor took advantage of him being intoxicated; so Fortunato foolishly follows him to the crypt in which he would be imprisoned. All this time, the reader doesn’t know what Fortunato’s evil deed was. We don’t know if anything deserved that kind of punishment. However, at the end of the story when Montresor is trapping him behind the wall, Fortunato says his final words. Montresor says “those words I hearkened in vain for a reply...no answer...my heart grew sick.”(217). He shows remorse for the tragedy he caused. Montresor was about as foolish as his deceased acquaintance. This factor; this flaw; is what caused these events in the story to happen. He the main character not been flawed, there would be no base for the conflict in the
While confessing his crime, Montresor seems as not having any feeling of guilty due to the peaceful way that he started to narrate at the beginning of the story. But, as soon Montresor started to talk about his feelings of jealousy and hate towards Fortunato, the reader can change the way its reading the story and the point of view towards Montresor. The “Cask of Amontillado” gives an open clue in the beginning of the story of why Montresor killed Fortunato and the motive of madness that he got along the story while confessing his crime. Montresor didn’t start to narrate the story angry or tense but calmly, accepting what he did and how he planned. The “Cask of Amontillado” took place
Montresor’s apparent pride in his having gotten away with the murder of Fortunato and the subtle lies he implants into the story only adds to the cold-hearted man who is Montresor.
The plot of the story is a simple one. Montresor tales revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the tunnels under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a niche. The story is told in first person from the point of view of Montresor
Montresor is trying to lure Fortunato to his vaults by telling him that Luchresi can just come and taste the Amontillado because he knows best. He knows Fortunato will freak out by this statement, and then show Montresor that he is wrong in saying that. Indeed, this leads Fortunato down into the catacombs, just so he can prove Montresor wrong. That 's when Montresor will take his final step in his plan to end Fortunato. This event leads to the most suspenseful part in the short story. The reader doesn’t know what Montresor’s next step is going to be in his plan, along with what stupid move is Fortunato going to take to leading himself closer to his death.
<br>The way the narrator treats his enemy is one of the clearest examples for ironic elements. When the characters meet, Montresor realises that Fortunato is afflicted with a severe cold, nevertheless he makes a point of him looking "remarkably well". Montresor acts in the most natural and friendly way towards the man object of his revenge, and even praises his "friend's" knowledge in the subject of wines. Also upon their meeting, Montresor begins a psychological manipulation of Fortunato. He claims that he needs his knowledge to ascertain that the wine he has purchased is indeed Amontillado. Furthermore, he acknowledges that Fortunato is engaged in another business (i.e.: the celebration of carnival), so he would go to Luchresi, who, one is made to believe, is a competitor of Fortunato's. To these words, Fortunato is forced by his pride to accompany Montresor to the vaults (where the Amontillado is kept), dissipate his doubts and also to prove his higher status than Luchresi as a connoisseur of wine. In fact, during their way down under in the catacombs, the twisted mind of Montresor, dares to give Fortunato the chance to go back, due to the almost unbearable dampness and foulness rampant in the vaults and Fortunato's state of health. The narrator clearly knows about the stubborn nature of Fortunato, and is
The first person perspective allows the audience only to learn basic information about the antagonist, Fortunato, and results in a very skewed perspective on the conflict of man versus man. The conflict centers around the pride and honor of two men, and the lengths that one of the men will go to in order to defend his honor to the other. Fortunato is portrayed as a conceited and arrogant man whose weaknesses are enhanced by the fact that he has had too much to drink. The conflict between the two men is somewhat one-sided because it is probable that Fortunato was ignorant of the fact that a serious conflict existed between himself and Montresor until the very end of his life. What one man likely viewed as a friendly rivalry, the other took as a justification for murder. This story has an absence of the man versus self conflict which is generally found in a first person story because the narrator, Montresor, is completely certain of himself and never has an inner conflict doubting his actions.
However, Montresor has a characteristic that, not shown prominently, but given through little hints until the end. That secret characteristic is guilt, guilt for wanting to kill Fortunato. Some of those hints show at the carnival, down in Montresor’s catacombs, and even as Montresor is building in the wall to keep Fortunato in to die. At the carnival, Montresor calls Fortunato his ‘friend’. “It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend.” (Poe). In addition, Montresor is talking about Fortunato, with the term friend being used. Another is, “I was so pleased to see [Fortunato]...” (Poe). In this part of the story, Montresor even says himself that he was happy to see his friend, Fortunato. He shows signs of actually liking Fortunato, but for strongly believing in his family motto and arms of revenge, he feels the need to get revenge on Fortunato for what he did to Montresor. Montresor greets Fortunato kindly and with warmth, “[m]y dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day!” (Poe). Montresor
It is often said that revenge is sweet, but that phrase does not hold to be extremely true throughout The Cask of Amontillado. There are various themes and lessons throughout the story, but there is one theme that seems to be shown more than others. The most prevalent theme is that jealousy can lead to vengeance, and ultimately lead to the downfall, or even death, of a person. This theme is clearly evident through the two main characters, Montresor and Fortunato. By looking closer at Montresor’s words and actions toward Fortunato, it is apparent that there is a superfluous amount of jealousy between them. This jealousy that is between them ends up playing a major part in Montresor ultimately killing Fortunato, someone who was thought to be one of his best friends. The author uses the characters and their actions to develop a solid plot line and prove the point that jealousy and revenge can destroy a person, both figuratively and literally.
The first person narration happens in an untrustworthy viewpoint on the focal conflict of the story, man against man, because the reader perceives scarce information about the thoughts of the antagonist, Fortunato, and concludes in a very skewed outlook on the conflict of the main characters. The dispute essences around the pride and honor of two men, and the measures that one of the men will go to in order to protect his honor to the other. Fortunato is described as a vain and arrogant man whose weaknesses are magnified by the fact that he has had too much to drink. The dispute between the two men is somewhat one-sided because it is likely that Fortunato was ignorant of the fact that a serious disagreement existed between himself and Montresor until the very end of his life. What one
Edgar Allan Poe portrays conflict by creating tension between Montresor and Fortunato. In the story, tension is merely only seen through the eyes of Montressor because of the animosity that he has against Fortunato for the cursing of his family's name which was one of an old and honored one. Montresor states his revenge by saying “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed my revenge.” Montresor is stating that he had been able to bear insults, but once his family's name was insulted, he was driven to seek revenge from this humility. Montresor's evil intentions to murder Fortunato come solely from Fortantos insulting demeanor. The conflict that is shared between Fortunato and Montresor is the main factor which creates the theme of revenge in this story.
Through the acts, thoughts, and words of the protagonists Montresor, the reader is able to feel the psychological torment that Fortunato is about to endure. The first line in the story Montresor said “The thousand of injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured
I chose to write about the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”. Considered one of the world’s most perfect short stories, every line alludes to the overall message Poe wanted to achieve. This creates what seems a simple horror story, but upon analyzation, it is much more. Using murderous revenge to avoid using traditional legal routes, as law was nowhere on Montresor’s mind.
The poem “The Cask of Amontillado” has plenty of themes when reading it. The narrator has mix emotions on what Fortunato has done to him and wants to take revenge. It all started when the narrator tell us that his been emotionally hurt a couple of times by Fortunato. The narrator name was not mention till the end so for now I’m going to call him narrator. The narrator see Fortunato at a carnival and takes advantage of him since he was drunk.
Montresor takes the vengeance route and seeks revenge on Fortunato for a grudge he seems to been holding for a while. Montresor is a villain protagonist because killing someone is wrong, but he is the protagonist of the story. He believes he is doing what is supposed to be done to Fortunato for however he has wronged him. Montresor family motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit”, which means “ No one attacks me with impunity”. Montresor takes getting revenge to another level by taking what Fortunato loves to do and tricking him into his own death.
narrator Montresor uses revenge as a motive to trick and murder and old friend, Fortunato, in the