Treachery And Revenge In Edgar Allane Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado

Treachery and revenge are the most horrific ways to express the anger toward friends, but what happens when they lead to a painful death? “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (5). This is how Montresor, the main character in Edgar Allane Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado, described his desire to kill his friend Fortunato, the second character. Montresor was seeking for vengeance of his friend Fortunato, because the latter had insulted him. The narrator during his telling the story did not refer to the reason that motivated him to kill his friend or even not mention to the readers what kind of insult he received form Fortunato. During the carnival festival, Fortunato is mesmerized by Montresor through reverse psychology.

Unacceptable insults of Fortunato, apparently seemed it was the motivation of retaliation “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best as could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (1 – 2).” That was the beginning sentence of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado story. In addition, it is a statement about the actual relation between Montresor and his friend. It does not reveal what exactly happen between the two friends, so no one can decide what Fortunato’s punishment is. The word ‘insult’ shows that Montresor has not been physically hurt. Probably the relationship has damage his honour. The term ‘borne’ implies that he probably has returned many of these injuries to immortalize the cycle of vengeance, though it indicates that he has merely endured them. However, now Fortunato has ventured upon insult, and Montresor takes this as a moral affront, punishable by death. “A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself as such to him who has done the wrong”(5-7). The revenge, that Montresor is going to follow, has to have two standards. First, it must not be repeated. This means the act of revenge has to be carefully planned to kill Fortunato, which would make it impossible for latter to punish him in return. Second, the person, who is going to punish, has to

He did not show even by words that he is going to kill. Also, he did not let Fortunato to know that he intended any grudge against him “..neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will... He did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation (8-10).” One night while Fortunato was drunk, Montresor told him that he bought a barrel of wine called Amontillado “But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts (25).” He understood that Fortunato “prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine (12).” He attracted him to going to his house to check the drink by saying that he might invite Luchresi to do it, a seeming rival of Fortunato 's, instead “As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me (37-38).” When they left, Montresor put on a mask and quickly took the way to his property. He was sure nobody could see them together on Fortunato 's last night. Moreover, Montresor completely knew Fortunato and used the knowledge versus him. He planned his deed carefully and carried it out slowly. It seems that Montresor anticipated his revenge with joy. While they traveled down the cavern, Montresor gives Fortunato many opportunities to leave. Fortunato looks weak against the niter, which is growing on the walls, and repeatedly coughs. Montresor commented on Fortunato 's health and asked