An Analysis Of Fortunato In Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe

Comparing the Narration of The Cask of Amontillado and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe

When trying to decode “Edgar Allen Poe’s” work you must realize his background is puzzling and that his work is intimate with many facets and niches in his life. The story I chose was “Edgar Allen Poe’s” “The Cask of Amontillado”, I chose it because I have extended exposure to “Edgar Allen Poe’s” work and do not know the others as well as him. Interpretation is what gives a person’s work meaning and staying power, “Edgar Allen Poe’s” work is best to be described as literary Rorschach tests in where many people have different interpretations but they are not wrong.

By this time, Fortunato is so drunk and trusting of Montresor that he blindly follows Montresor deep into the back of a catacomb. During their journey Montresor gives Fortunato plenty of chances to turn around; Montresor tells his victim at one point “we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed.” (Poe 1316) Upon reaching the end of the cavern, Montresor does not explain himself, and does not gift his enemy with a bottle of wine, but instead sentences him to a slow and horrific death.

In the short story " Cask of Amontillado ", written by the famous poet, Edgar Allen Poe, the main character Montressor shows his deceptive side. Montressor wants to kill Fortunado as revenge for something Fortunado did in the past. So he unfolds a plan that he has set up to kill an enemy of his named Fortunado. One instance is when Montressor tempts Fortunado into the catacombs with a cask and wine called amontillado proving his skills in deceit. Montressor must have experience in tempting and deceiving people. He then plies Fortunado with good wine so that he will follow him and be swayed easier to go farther since he is not in the right mindand not recognize his deceit. Another time is when on Montressor asks Fortunado about his health when

According to R.J Russ “poe tells a tale of revenge and humiliation ,the way this particular story symbolizes poe’s work that has a mind boggling ending. although there is no motive,poe uses symbolism to try to answer questions in the short story ;amontillado clown costume , the way fortunato dies .” “My dear fortunato , you are luckily met. ” in the “cask of amontillado” there are plenty of things that mean something else for example fortunato , he is anything but fortunate.

In the Cask of Amontillado, our narrator’s situation is one he is quite happy being in. Our narrator is Montresor, an Italian man rich with pride, and you quickly learn through his narration that he is intelligent, conniving, and extremely sinister. Throughout the story, everything Montresor does is motivated by one thing, his own thirst for vengeance. Montresor explains his actions are a result of Fortunato constantly abusing him and finally going too far, but he never explains anything Fortunato has done to insult him. When we meet Fortunato, he is extremely friendly towards Montresor, albeit a little intoxicated, so much that he makes Montresor’s story of “a thousand injuries” seem unbelievable (Cask 1). Compared to Gilman’s narrator whose spiral out of control was triggered by her forced seclusion from the outside world, it seems that Montresor’s insanity come from inside his own head. There is no evidence that suggest any attempts by Fortunato to belittle or insult Montresor in any way. I believe that Montresor may have been jealous of Fortunato’s success in life, and that is what drove him to vengeance. For example, on their way to the catacombs Fortunato makes a hand gesture of the Masons, a secret brotherhood, which Montresor doesn’t understand. Fortunato ask if Montresor is a Mason and for him to prove it, and Montresor lies and shows his trowel (Cask 5). This proves that

Poe's, The Cask of Amontillado is a story about fear and revenge. The story begins with Montressor's vow of revenge, foreshadowing future actions. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult vowed revenge..." Montressor had to be sure not to raise suspicion of what he was going to do Fortunato. Montressor knew that Fortunato had a weakness that he could use towards his advantage.

Knowing the type of person Montresor can have a manipulative sane personality and can be a crazy balanced person who wants revenge for not getting a smile back. Fortunato was foolish for falling into a trap knowing that Amontillado was not in season however, the mind of a man can easily be beguiled and manipulated. I find Fortunato’s death ironically because his name in Spanish sounds like fortunate, in the start of the story he has virtually everything he wants, but seems to be depressed because he drinks quite often even though there is a festival. To pride yourself in wine a person might have to drink often. In my opinion he responsible, for his own death I find that even if he did not want to die it was his journey that couldn’t been avoided at least he died what was at the most pride full thing in his mind tasting wine, but this wine was literally to die for. In the end he did get the best sip of wine the relief of

Montresor does not tell the audience what was the insult Fortunato had given him. Fortunato could have possibly insult Montresor’s knowledge of wine. The two have a competition in wine tasting. They compete to see who had the best wine skills. Fortunato insult Montresor by saying, I am better than you. I can tell this wine from this other wine and you cannot. As a result, Montresor is angry and wants revenge. Montresor said, “…but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially: I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and brought largely whenever I could” in the Cask of

Fortunato was very prideful in everything he did. Although pride in everyone else's eyes was negative, he saw it as a way to make himself look better , which eventually lead to death and destruction. Pride flaws are mostly found in people who only try to better themselves in this case Fortunato tried to look like he has exquisite wine abilities.He got drunk enough to where it lead him to disrespect and at act like a complete fool of himself. You could say pride leads him to his misery. In lines 78-90 Fortunato starts getting a cough a harsh cough. “ ugh, ugh ,ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh , ugh!” Fortunato is clearly sick so Montresor responds with “ my poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes.” He replys with “ it is nothing”.