“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe carries a strong resemblance to a real event that took place at Fort Independence in 1817, while still having several differences. In “Cask of Amontillado” Poe doesn’t go into much detail in explaining the motives of his main character, Montresor, in killing Fortunato. Only saying that his friend had insulted him in some way (1). However in the original account, Captain Green had been murdered by his fellow officers after they decided to avenge Robert F. Massie, A lieutenant that the officer had killed on Christmas Eve. The setting of the two stories is also different, While Poe’s story takes place in Italy during carnevale, the version from the article occurs at Fort Independence around Christmas
By saying, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” the first thing noticed is that Montresor wants revenge not just for his injuries, but also for the insult. By using the word “ventured”, Poe literally means “to undertake an action with knowledge that there is risk involved.” This quote suggests that Montresor thinks Fortunato knew what he was risking, but chose to betray him anyway. Betrayal drives the action in The Cask of Amontillado and one character's betrayal sets off a bad chain of retribution. Without trust, there can be no betrayal therefore an inference can be made that Montresor and Fortunato had once trusted each other. The story has much to do with how far human beings will go to feel better when they are betrayed. The tragedy comes when those lengths end in murderous
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allen Poe uses indirect characterization to show the different traits that Montresor possesses while carrying out his revenge. Montresor’s deceitful character is shown by his speech. For instance, it states in the text, “‘And I, Fortunato — I drink to your long life.’” Montresor says that he drinks to Fortunato’s longevity with irony, knowing that later on, Fortunato will face death as a result of his vengeance. Another example states, “‘But is it not late? Should we not be going back? They will be expecting us. Let us go.’ ‘Yes. Let us go.’ As I said this I lifted the last stone from the ground.” In this part, instead of freeing Fortunato the way he sounded like he would, he did the exact opposite. Montresor covered up the only opening of the room. His speech, as he desires strongly to do harm to Fortunato, shows that he is a deceitful man.
Throughout the story, we see how Poe uses irony to develop Montresor’s character in seeking revenge for his own pleasure. As stated by James W. Gargano, “[The Cask of Amontillado] degenerates into an aesthetic trick, a mere matter of clever manipulation…” Without a doubt, we see how the story goes from Montresor’s knowledgeable manipulation over Fortunato to pursue his revenge. His use of irony easily expands, “the theme of revenge for its own sake” (de Assis 225) Despite, the numerous clues of irony Montresor gives in the story; Fortunato’s arrogance does not let him see beyond the real intentions of Montresor; thus, causing his death.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor is a connoisseur of revenge by his confident in acting, knowing Fortunato’s weakness, and how he plans the revenge. Firstly, Montresor’s confident in acting makes him a connoisseur of revenge. For example, Montresor act in front of Fortunato to make Fortunato believe that Montresor is concerning about his health. When Fortunato is coughing hardly, Montresor says, “‘Come,’ I said, with decision, ‘we will go back; your health is precious…Besides, there is Luchesi—’” (Poe 211). Montresor’s sincere confession to Fortunato makes him look like he truly cares about Fortunato, but he does not. His goal is to kill Fortunato because Fortunato insulted him. He knows that Fortunato will be very interested in the Amontillado, so his concern about Fortunato’s health will not impact Fortunato’s decision.
The Cask of Amontillado is a dark and twisted story of revenge. Told from the narrator’s point of view, Montresor. This is a tale of two friends, Montresor and Fortunato and their friendship. All seems fine until Montresor is insulted by Fortunato with a threat unknown to the reader. Just after being insulted Montresor vowed his revenge. Montresor is narcissistic and has sociopathic tendencies, he is planning the murder of a friend because of mere insulted, back when this was first published some would say that Poe’s work showed a satanic/demonic side to humans in the story The Cask of Amontillado by showing the darker side to human nature. Montresor sociopathic tendencies show when the story portrays that he is very careful, precise, and obviously conscious of what he is planning.
Edgar Allan Poe’s revenge driven short story “The Cask of Amontillado” is a tale in which an anti-hero narrates his account of how he carried out a plot to exact his vengeance against his nemesis “Fortunato”. Poe engages the reader with the use of first-person point of view, as the speaker gives an insidious play by play of his deeds to set the tone. Not as quite apparent as this plot for revenge, are the subtle usage of foreshadowing, and symbolism, helped along by the setting used by Poe, to set up the climax. The speaker’s tone and word choice hint to the reader, that something a bit more nefarious is just around the corner. The speaker lures his prey through devious action, to venture into the catacombs “in pursuit of a pipe Amontillado” (536). Unfortunately, all that awaited Fortunato was his undoing. Using these elements Poe eloquently constructs a tale of revenge that builds suspense before a satisfying surprising conclusion.
Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado” is told using first person narration. The narrator Montressor is a cold, merciless and ruthless man who plots to exact his revenge by murdering his friend Fortunato. Could a man of good character really commit such a heinous crime like this or is their more to this man then meets the eye? With an inability to claim himself as Italian decent and believing the French are far more superior, really makes it questionable if Montressor really is who he claims or is he actually an imposter.
Edgar Allan Poe uses a lot of unreliable narrators in his short stories, One example being Montresor, in “The Cask of Amontillado”. Throughout the story, Montresor seeks nothing but vengeance on his old friend, turned enemy, Fortunato for insulting his family’s name. The reason Montresor is an unreliable narrator is because the reader knows he cannot be trusted. When Montresor tells Fortunato about his inheritance of Amontillado, Montresor lures him down deep into the catacombs, chains him up, walls up the entrance, and leaves Fortunato for death, the reader now knows that Montresor is unreliable, and is not credible. “Throwing the links about his waist, it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it. He was too much astounded to resist.
The short story “The Cask Of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is about how Montresor feels that he need revenge to right a wrong. Fortunato did him wrong and he feels that it is necessary to retaliate. Fortunato was drunk and Fortunato used that time to take his revenge. Montresor took Fortunato to a room that really didn't have space and had no one in there. Montresor dexterous and intelligents makes him an effective villain in this short story.
In "The Cask of Amontillado" the reader sees that Montresor has some sort of issue with Fortunato and wants to see the man dead. Montresor even says in the story, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” (Poe) It is clear that Montresor has been wanting revenge for quite some time with intentions that Fortunato had made a fool of him for the last time. Now, the man from “The Black Cat” had zero intentions of killing his wife. The man’s reason behind his wife’s death is due to the fact that his insanity with his dead black cat makes him insane. Causing him to accidentally killing his wife with an axe to her head, because he was attempting to get rid of the black cat once and for all. Since Montresor actually plans to kill Fortunato, his murder ends up being more clever and successful than the
If proceeding in a cold dark cask, surrounded by the mysterious thoughts of the antagonist, and learning a dark side of a character is an ideal increasing horror story mood, “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe descriptively brings the imagery to life. The story event pours some devastating news about when two ‘friendships’ die in a horrible revenge full of a dying protagonist. Both characters, Montresor and Fortunato emphasize their personalities from a journey of a drunk or someone who loves revenge. Poe’s first person point of view, characterization and setting in “The Cask of Amontillado” creates the mood of a horror story.
“The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe, takes place during carnival in Italy. The reader can figure out that it is in Italy because of the Italian names of the characters. Based on the description of the character’s costumes and the type of the language that they speak, the reader can assume that the story was in the renaissance era. Catacombs, where the characters’ journey takes place, can even be considered as a character. It is damp and dark and it is apart from the rest of the society. No one can hears Fortunato’s screams and also no one can realizes what was happened down there for fifty years until the time that Montresor confesses in his dead bed. Montresor commits the crime
In the Cask of Amontillado, the author's use of irony, foreshadowing and setting develops the steps of vengeance Montresor creates to obtain his ultimate revenge on Fortunato. Irony develops the false characteristics Montresor conveys to intentionally trick Fortunato into following through his premeditated plan of revenge and his lust of betrayal. Foreshadowing surmounts the ability to reveal exactly what the results are at the end of the story but demonstrated a coming of revenge in which many of Montresor's hints cover the coming of betrayal. The setting determined the state of Montresor's plan as it initiated and how all the other literary elements adjoined along the story until the resolution of the Cask of Amontillado. These elements played the essential role of deciphering the true conflict of this story.
In this short story “The Cask Of Amontillado” I think that there is a lesson and that lesson is be careful who you trust and don’t let what you love kill you. Edgar Allan Poe shows that what you love can kill you and the people you know and may trust my not be the ones that you should trust after all.
Decisions between life and death shake people every time. Although, the stories, “Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe and “Lady or the Tiger” by Frank R.Stockton, compliment each other with their plots, “Cask of Amontillado” has a better plot twist. Poe makes a mysterious plot starting with revenge. Montresor, the main character, seeks revenge on Fortunato who insults him. Montresor locks Fortunato behind a wall to suffocate in catacombs. Stockton creates a story in which it takes place in early Europe and the consequences for crimes. The princess's love was sent to face either a tiger or a fair maiden whom the princess has a strong hatred for. No one knows who will come out from behind the door. Readers are left with the question, "Who