When we think of someone who is insane, we think of someone who is unstable in their disordered state of mind. We wouldn’t think of someone who is clever; however, in Edgar Allen Poe’s work of literature “The Cask of Amontillado,” perceptions are changed. The protagonist known as Montresor is cruel, twisted, and ruthless. Through Poe’s gothic style of writing, we see vengeance prevail through the psychopathic character Montresor. Despite Montresor’s psychopathic actions, his strategic ability to lure Fortunato to his death with reverse psychology makes him more clever than psychologically distorted. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” we see Montresor’s deviousness from the start when Montresor says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge…I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (Poe 250). From this, it is evident that Montresor is one who is seeking revenge, and already has a plan to murder Fortunato without any punishment or getting caught. As discussed in “The Motive for Murder in 'The Cask of Amontillado,'” Baraban expresses the type of revenge plan portrayed by Montresor when she says, “Montresor elaborates a sophisticated philosophy of revenge” (Baraban). Because of this idea of “punish with impunity,” Montresor has planned the murder of Fortunato down to every last elaborate detail. Thus, making Montresor clever rather than mentally ill like most psychopaths would be associated with. More
Revenge can bring out many people’s inner evil. In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado”, the main character, Montresor carefully plans revenge against Fortunato. Montresor is a man who vows vengeance against a professional wine taster named Fortunato. The wine taster insults Montresor, and he had enough of it. The insult sets him off and he plans a deadly and successful revenge. Throughout the story, Montresor attentively plans his revenge against Fortunato just like an expert.
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
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor is guilty of the cold-blooded murder of Fortunato and should go to jail for his crime. Montresor speaks of the “thousand injuries” Fortunato caused him and, more recently, the “insult” that Montresor cannot forgive. Vowing to seek retribution, Montresor comments on the importance of ensuring his own innocence throughout the process of revenge. He goes out of his way to be friendly to Fortunato. Other evidence that supports the crime as being preconceived includes Montresor preying on Fortunato’s weakness, his love of wine and his conceited nature. He praises Fortunato on his knowledge of wine and taunts him with the full barrel that he just purchased asking him for his expert opinion. In preparation
In my opinion, Montresor is a very clever man. He not only seek revenge, but he also was able to get this man boozed up and murder him. Montresor continuously asked Fortunato if he wanted to have a glass of wine and his reply was always “yes.” He was an intelligent man and knew how to get Fortunato to say yes. “At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. Its walls had been lined with human remains, piled to the vault overhead, in the
In “Cask Of Amontillado” Montresor seems to have Fortunato's best interests in mind until his true intentions are revealed through his thoughts, not his actions. This is showing how Montresor is careful in his revenge; Fortunato disrespected Montresor, being the wicked and revengeful person he is must make him pay for his mistake. Therefore, Montresor carefully planned out his attack, he had every detail carefully outlined in his head. He made no mistakes; while Fortunato unknowingly made the biggest mistake of his life. Montresor felt satisfied and happy with the horrible crime he committed. While he was burying Fortunato alive, he enjoyed the screams of his foe, relishing in the fact that he won. “...felt
In the story, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, Montresor seeks revenge on Fortunato because he made fun of his family name. For years Montresor claims that Fortunato had, “hurt him”, so Montresor gets Fortunato drunk and tricks him into going to his house. When Fortunato arrives, they both go into Montresor’s basement and Montresor locks Fortunato up in addition to leaving him there to die. Montresor commits a crime by killing Fortunato in his own basement. Some people may argue that Montresor was a madman who only wanted to kill Fortunato because he made fun of Montresor’s family name; nevertheless, it is easy to see why one would believe that Montresor wasn’t a madman and that he had more motives rather than just that one reason to have killed Fortunato. What motivated Montresor to seek revenge on Fortunato was that he had made fun of Montresor’s Family name, had a drinking problem which causes him to lash out and say mean things to Montresor, and because Fortunato thought he knew more about fine wines than Montresor did. Theses motivations were also Fortunato’s weaknesses.
In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe a guy named Montresor is seeking revenge on Fortunato because he insulted him. In my opinion Montresor is taking this way to far when he says he wants to kill him just because he said something bad about him. When he says this I can easily see that the narrator is very violent and has a sick mind.
Society thrives on pillars of morality, which could only be attainable from the people that thrive within it. Not all individuals appeal to morality. Some are born with predominantly immoral character traits. Due to this, they display various questionable behaviors that collectively lead up to the decline of the society and its values. All in all, multiple factors contribute to the decaying of community, one of which is violence. Violence takes up different forms, which primarily simulate a criminal nature. The vice has become so prevalent in society that creators of literature art pieces find it hard to resist incorporating concepts of violence in their work. In both The Cask of Amontillado and Trifles, the ability of violence to stand out as the central conflict proves the role that it plays in destroying the society.
A wise man once said, “ Destroy what destroys you.” destroying what destroys you is a common theme of revenge. When it comes to revenge, The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe is the story to go to. The whole story and plot itself revolve around one word. Revenge. The story is based on Montresor wanting revenge for the one who wronged him, Fortunato. Therefore, the theme of The Cask of Amontillado is revenge. The author Edgar Allen Poe uses different literary elements to create this theme. The literary elements Poe uses include: foreshadowing, suspense, and irony.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a frightening and entertaining short story about the severe consequences that result from persistent mockery and an unforgiving heart. Poe’s excellent use of Gothicism within the story sets the perfect tone for a dark and sinister plot of murder to unfold. “The Cask of Amontillado” simply overflows with various themes and other literary elements that result from Poe’s Gothic style of writing. Of these various themes, one that tends to dominant the story as a whole is the theme of revenge, which Poe supports with his sophisticated use of direct and indirect factors, irony, and symbolism.
The third characteristic we see in Montresor is pride. He isn’t modest and boasts even after fifty years about his perfect crime. His pride is what leads him to seek revenge against Fortunato because he doesn’t want him to think he can go with impunity after insulting him. The murder may have not been just out of anger for the insult but more of because he didn’t want to be seen as weak. Montresor takes pride in his extensively planned out scheme and how he plans out all the details.
In “The Cask”, the perspective we are given on the story is limited; which allows for an open interpretation of what his true motives for revenge are. As Baraban states “Montresor elaborates a sophisticated philosophy of revenge: "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (48) presenting the reader with a vibrant view of what he intends to do. The question one begs is, for what reason? Most readers would finish this story and assert that mentally, Montresor is insane. As Baraban states, “Poe's intriguing silence about the nature of the insult that made Montresor murder Fortunato has given rise to explanations of Montresor's deed through insanity. Richard M. Fletcher, for example, maintains that Montresor's actions are irrational and that therefore he is mad.” (50) Montresor states at the opening of the story, “you,who so well know the nature of my soul”( are words likely said on his death bed to his confessor; being that he committed this deed fifty years prior, it would make sense that he is finally coming clean. Moreover, since he is commenting on the nature of his soul, it is plausible to assume that Montresor has been deemed crazy
In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe explores and demonstrates the traumatic horrors one can possess. This story is about, a man named Montresor who seeks revenge on his so called “friend,” Fortunato for all the wrongs he has caused to Montresor. He accomplishes his goal by luring Fortunato into his family catacombs and burying him alive in a masonry. Poe displays the these horrors through the use of irony and first-person narration. Poe’s use of irony in “The Cask of Amontillado” in order to show how easily someone can be betrayed; “Montresor: ...
Revenge can be a primitive justice. Paying someone back for their harmful actions can feel very empowering and make you feel like you have dominance over them. In “The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allen Poe, Poe creates a mood of suspense and anticipation to accompany his theme of revenge. First of all, Poe advances his evil and disturbing mood through the setting and character motivation.
Revenge does not always result in atonement. In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, The Cask Of Amontillado, Montresor seeks vengeance to fall upon his acquaintance Fortunato for insulting him but in such a way that he does not risk getting caught. Montresor approaches Fortunato during the carnival season with Fortunato being dressed as a jester and informs him about the amontillado he suspects to be in possession of. Being quite drunk and letting his ego overcome him, Fortunato jumps at the opportunity once Luchesi is mentioned to be the one who can determine the authenticity of the amontillado. With Montresor already having this planned, both descend into his vaults full of human remains and nitre.