Essay on Revenge, Insanity, Murder & Poe

What this shows is a disturbed, confused, and sick mind that finds pleasure in his task. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story nothing more than the behavior of a sociopath and psychologically deranged killer.

Furthermore, the narrators in both these stories seem to be unreliable and possibly insane. In “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the narrator continually stresses the fact that he is not mad, but the audience can easily suspect that he is probably insane because he kills the old man with no justifiable reason. Montressor in “The Cask” seems to not be totally insane, as Fortunato did criticize his family’s honor, which was considered a

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.

This leads to another step in Montresor’s perfect plan of revenge and makes it one step closer to murdering Fortunato.

The narrator of “The Tell Tale Heart” is unreliable because he exaggerates many of the “sane” actions he performed. The narrator boasts to the audience how, “[he]

In the short story of Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator talks about an insane mad man who speaks to himself. He describes what his intentions to kill an old man who he loves, but allows his emotions to overwhelm him with the thoughts that the old man’s eye in which he identifies as a vulture’s eye is invading his every emotion. He goes on to expose his every move insanely and vividly to murder the old man.

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.

Violence is a vice that drives individuals to engage in immoral or criminal behaviors and actions. Often, violent individuals conduct violent acts whose outcomes they had not meant to occur. The literature piece The Cask of Amontillado has its storyline based on a carefully premeditated murder scheme orchestrated by Montresor on Fortunato. Throughout this story, it is made clear to the reader that violence takes not only physical but also emotional and psychological forms of harm. Montresor’s thirst for violent revenge against Fortunato does not just arise from nowhere. The story starts off with a statement offered by Montresor, where he reveals to the

Sometimes friends can get into an argument and some things can hurt them, but not to a point where they want to hurt each other physically. Vengeance can bring justice to someone, but as well bring pain to the other. Revenge is a horrible emotion which can lead someone to do horrible things. Two companions, Montresor and Fortunato, destinies are controlled by one thing only, vengeance and murder. In the story, the narrator seeks revenge on Fortunato because he mortally insulted him. Montresor succeeds in luring Fortunato to his death without raising any suspicion. A horrible revenge made significantly more awful by the way that the retribution is being taken when no genuine offense had been given. In the short tale, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar A. Poe, the major conflict of revenge is between Montresor and Fortunato, but it is interesting because Montresor is the only one who is aware of the conflict. The author uses the conflict to build suspense and to change the mood of the reader.

In the story “The Tell Tale Heart” the narrator wants to show the reader that he is not insane. As proof, he offers a story. In the story, the initial situation is the narrator’s decision to kill the old man so that the man’s “evil” eye will stop

Another indirect factor that could contribute to Montresor’s vengeful act, and thus the story’s theme of revenge, is his state of mind. Some critics have analyzed the opening line of this short story and have determined that it could contribute to an insane state of mind. When the opening line states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge,” it does not describe what the insult is. The fact that Montresor does not give a specific description of the insult leads many critics to believe that Montresor has acted irrationally in murdering Fortunato and that he is insane. Another example of Montresor’s insanity is found when he replies to Fortunato’s screams (Baraban). In the story, Montresor states, “I replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I re-echoed, I aided, I surpassed them in volume and in strength” (Poe 1616). Critics view this statement as contributing to Montresor’s unstable state of mind, and thus contributing to his act of revenge (Baraban).

In Edger Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado the narrator, Montresor, seeks revenge against his friend Fortunato who he claims had cause him many injuries. The story takes place during carnival time and many are celebrating even Fortunato who was dressed as a clown and wore a colorful hat with bells. Fortunato had been drinking which made him even less aware of any sort of plot against him. Montresor lures him into his wine vaults and easily chains him to a wall deep inside a small crypt. Fortunato is too drunk to even comprehend what is happening or even resist. Finally Montresor builds a stone wall confining Fortunato inside to die. In the story we can distinguish many notable characteristics of Montresor. He may be perceived as heatless

As for Montresor, he acts calmly from beginning to end. First, he wants to take revenge on Fortunato and plots it carefully in order to avoid the punishment. He knows his “enemy” very well, from Fortunato’s interests to his weakness, so he can easily kill Fortunato. During the process of murder, he is really calm and controlled. Step by step, he lures Fortunato to his gloomy cellar and kills Fortunato. He works in a place filled with bones and feels no terror. He even stops his “labour” just to hear Fortunato’s cry with “more satisfaction”. Though “for a brief moment [he] hesitated, [he] trembled”, he does not tremble for guilt but for the worry that Fortunato may escape. After Montresor take the revenge successfully, he feels satisfied and pleasant. The differences on their psychological changes create a terrified atmosphere which makes readers suffocate.

I believe that Montresor is telling his story fifty years after committing murder probably because he is on his deathbed. In the lines “You who so well know the nature of my soul” possibly indicates that he decided to confess his perfect crime with a priest trying to purify his soul. In fact, when he is telling his story, he does not show any signal of guilt. Demonstrating that he was okay with what he did to Fortunato. Moreover, Montresor maybe was not satisfied with his revenge.

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe tells the tale of a man that is wronged and avenges this wrong in the most sinister way possible. After being insulted by a man named Fortunato, the narrator “[vows] revenge” but more specifically wants to “punish with impunity” (qtd. in Meyer 536), this is the primary conflict in the story: the narrators hope to avenge this insult without getting caught. The narrator creates an elaborate scheme to murder Fortunato, but never explicitly states what Fortunato did to insult him. The narrator uses Fortunato’s weakness for wine and lures him into the “catacombs of the Montresors” (qtd. in Meyer 537). Montresor plays to Fortunato’s pride and tells him he has come into possession of a bottle of Amontillado, a rare wine, and would like for Fortunato to use his extensive wine knowledge to see if the wine is genuine or not. The climax of the story is the moment at which Fortunato is chained to the wall of the catacombs. Under his ploy, Montresor is able to get Fortunato into the deepest part of the catacombs where he has set up supplies to bury Fortunato alive behind a brick wall. Poe builds suspense in the story through Montresor’s slow reveal of his plan. Although the reader is aware he plans to take revenge we are not aware of the severity until later in the story.