The Cask Of Amontillado Pride Essay

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The Dark Side of Pride
Pride is often thought of as a positive trait, but pride can also have a dark side, resulting in disastrous consequences as shown in “The Cask of Amontillado”. In the story, the narrator, Montresor and Fortunato express their pride similarly. They both pride themselves with self-respect and dignity, expert knowledge of Italian wine, and their status in society. What they never realized is that the pride they shared would ultimately cause their demise.
Montresor’s pride of self-respect and dignity is reflected from the very beginning of the story. He speaks about the frequent insults from Fortunato. While the details of the final insult are never revealed, it caused Montresor to seek revenge, to the point of murder. He …show more content…

Right before the last brick is positioned, Fortunato doesn’t express the emotion of fear, instead he tells jokes and laughs before becoming silent. He expresses dignity up until his last moments.
Montresor and Fortunato are both proud experts of Italian wine. Fortunato refers to himself as a “connoisseurship in wine” (248). When Montresor tries to trick him by telling him he will get the expert opinion of Luchresi, he blatantly ridicules Luchresi’s character and states that “Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry” (249). Montresor refers to himself as “skillful in the Italian vintages” (248) and he purchased massive quantities whenever possible.
Both Montresor and Fortunato are proud of their status in society. This is apparent because Fortunato describes his home, which includes catacombs. He also speaks about his attendants. He asked that his attendants stay in the house during his absence, which represents that he had sleeping quarters for them. In this era, one was considered rich to house servants. Montresor refers to Fortunato as a man that is “respected and even feared” (248). He is also dressed in character for the carnival. This attire would not be typical of someone in a low

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