Revenge is a human concept that affects each individual differently. Revenge most likely forces an individual to perform a task or to say an abundant of words, just like Montresor. Poe expresses revenge through guilt. Guilt is what an individual feels after a wrong deed. Poe uses these tactics to explain the life of Montresor and Fortunato. In Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, he reveals through the use of symbolism diction, and imagery the debilitating effects vengeance reaps upon Montresor’s persona.
Symbols serve a dual purpose in literature; they provide not only a literal meaning, but also a figurative one that enhances the both the message and imagery the author is attempting to convey. Poe uses symbolism in “The Cask of Amontillado” through his setting. For example, Poe places the events of the story during the Renaissance Period at the height of the carnival season. Montresor narrates that he meets the unsuspecting Fortunato “during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (Poe 2). Here, the people of the carnival place their masks over their
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Fortando says, “At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. It’s walls had been lined with human remains, piled to the vault, in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris.” (Poe 9) The wall that was built to keep Fortunado from getting out was dark….the only light was a torch. The hallways were always pitch black and the whole scene of the leading up to the killing of Fortunado was terrifying, but of course, Fortunato did not recognize any of it, because he didn’t think that Montresor would do anything to him. Once Fortunato is buried alive behind that wall, death is awakening. The torch is the lasting of Fortunado. Finally, Montresor has to live and feel the guilt of killing Fortunato, and imaging the last pieces of the victim,
“The Cask of Amontillado” starts out with the narrator, later discovered to be Montresor, positioning himself as a victim of Fortunato. In the opening line, he states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could” (714). Instantaneously one feels sympathetic towards a person that has withstood a thousand inflictions. Montresor goes on to tell a parable of sorts about vengeance, and “when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (715) he has lost. In this instance Poe has set Montresor apart from being at the least an unsuspecting
With a premeditated motive to commit such an act, the culprit, Montressor, thinks, constructs and orchestrates a presumed murder against his insulter, Fortunado. “Poe begins by describing, in characteristically precise and logical detail, Montresor’s (and Poe’s) idea of perfect revenge. At the same time, he needed to end his story by telling how his revenge had affected him. When Fortunatosays, “For the love of god, Montresor!” and Montresor repeats, “Yes, for the love of God,” Poe is indicating that Montresor is already experiencing the closure he sought”(Delaney 39) Unbeknownst why he wants retribution, or what it is that his victim has done to compel Montressor to kill him. What is given is a recount of the night under discussion.
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
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a dark piece, much like other works of Edgar Allan Poe, and features the classic unreliable narrator, identified by himself only as Montresor. This sinister central character is a cold ruthless killer that is particularly fearsome because he views murder as a necessity and kills without remorse. Montresor is a character who personifies wickedness. Poe uses this character and his morally wrong thoughts and actions to help the reader identify with aspects of the extreme personage, allowing them to examine the less savory aspects of their own. The character of Montresor detailing the glorious murder he committed is a means of communicating to the reader that vengeance and pride are moral motivators that lead to treacherous deeds and dark thoughts.
Revenge is the opportunity to retaliate or gain satisfaction for a real or perceived slight ("revenge"). In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor, the narrator, is out for revenge. Montressor seeks revenge against Fortunato and thinks he has developed the perfect plan for “revenge with impunity” (Baym). Montresor never tells the reader why he feels Fortunato deserves punishment. He only says that Fortunato causes him “a thousand injuries”until “[venturing] upon insult” (Baym ?). As a result, Montresor plans to bury Fortunato alive.
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.
In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, the main theme is revenge. Montresor was insulted by Fortunato, we are never told what the insult was, but it was serious enough that Montresor vowed to enact revenge. People want and take revenge every day, and Poe decided to portray that in one of the darkest ways possible, murder. The perfect revenge must be performed flawlessly, without getting caught, having no regret, and the victim knowing why revenge is being taken. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor does not execute perfect revenge.
Montresor is dressed in, “a mask of black silk”, and “a roquelaire” (Poe 544). His costume is reminiscent of death; this detail foreshadows Fortunato’s death at Montresor’s hands. He is portrayed as death leading Fortunato from his world of pleasure to be chained in hell below. This is in stark contrast to Fortunato’s costume which represents a court jester, or a fool; “He had on tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by a large conical hat with bells” (543). This foreshadows Fortunato’s foolishness in his willingness to be so easily manipulated by Montresor.
Accordingly, Poe is well responsive to this psychological trait of the human brain. Likewise, Poe employs the perception of perversity and remorse in “The Cask of Amontillado.” The reason of burying Fortunato is not only vengeance, but also a robust reaction that is described in “The Black Cat”. There is a passionate yearning in Montresor to hurt Fortunato even if he has not made any harm to him. Although Montresor asserts that he has been injured several times by Fortunato, he cannot defy calling him “respected, admired, beloved,” admitting his “good nature,” and also calling him “noble” (Little 212). These expressions confirmed that Fortunato is a good quality person and the expression “injuries” used in the first phase of the story is simply a hyperbole that Montresor’s psyche has fabricated. Furthermore, wickedness does not come unaccompanied, but it carries itself a sense of remorse. Even if Montresor reflects himself as the diplomat of his family for deafening down rivals, he suffers remorse while walling up Fortunato. Consequently, Poe’s clasp of unreasonableness and culpability of the human mind is
In "Cask of Amontillado", Montresor is the narrator. "The thousand of injuries of Fortunato he has borne as he best could; but when he ventures upon insult, Montresor vows revenge" (Poe 528). As the story unfolds, "Montresor's idea of perfect revenge" is "characteristically precise and logical in detail" as to how he commits his crime (Delaney 1).
Fortunato, Polyphemus, and Malvolio are all tricked and punished by others. While Fortunato is at a carnival, he is persuaded by Montresor, his false friend, into going into a tomb. He is then chained up and left to suffocate. Polyphemus finds Odysseus and his crew in his cave. After swallowing six men and drinking jugs of wine, Polyphemus passes out; and to prevent Polyphemus from eating more men, Odysseus blinds him. Malvolio is tricked into finding a love letter supposedly from Olivia. However, the letter is actually from Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew, in order to give him false hope and lure him into making a fool of himself. . Fortunato, Polyphemus, and Malvolio are all arrogant towards those they deem below them and thus to an extent
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor sets out on a vengeful mission that will end Fortunato’s life in an untimely fate. Montresor appeals to Fortunato’s love for wine to tempt the unsuspecting fellow to his impending doom. While Montresor tricks the foolish Fortunato frightfully, it is ultimately Fortunato’s pride that leads to his demise in the crypt. Poe uses several literary devices to foreshadow this murderous exploit of Montresor. Through the use of irony, symbolism, and imagery, the story entices readers to delve into the relationships and differences between Montresor and Fortunato.
The theme of revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado” is the driving force for the entire short story. The main character, Montresor, vows to take revenge against the other main character, Fortunato, because of an “insult” that Fortunato has apparently made against Montresor (Baraban). This is evident in the opening line of the short story when the narrator Montresor states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (Poe 1612). This opening line makes it obvious that the insult is what directly led to Montresor’s insatiable desire for revenge, but there are also some underlying factors that could have indirectly led to this revenge as well.
His superego is telling him all the things that could go wrong, but his ego is telling Montresor to go through with getting revenge by murdering Fortunato. Kevin J. Hayes states in his book The Annotated Poe, that the motivation for Montresor to murder Fortunato was Poe’s own desire to get revenge on a former friend, Thomas Dunn English (Hayes 351). Montresor, like Edgar Allan Poe, felt like he has been wronged and needed to punish that person. Fortunato shows up wearing a motley, similar to a joker’s attire. Scott Peoples says in the book “Social and psychological Disorder in the Works of Edgar Allan Poe” that his belief is that Montresor is committing this murder out of an act of jealousy. Also, Montresor has created an enemy to place all of his disappointments and failures upon (40). According to Montresor it is accurate because the joke is on Fortunato. Fortunato does not have a clue what is about to happen to him in the catacombs. He thinks he is just showing Montresor the difference between Spanish sherry and Amontillado; he is too drunk to even consider that this is a death trap. After seeing Fortunato’s attire, Montresor decides to go ahead with the murder plan. Montresor is dressed in all black and fits the attire of the carnival, but his clothes have another meaning. Criminals dress in black to blend in with the night. To avoid the victim’s
Poe starts out with a man, by the name of Montresor, wanting revenge on another man, named Fortunato. Most of the story takes place deep in the Montresor family catacombs. As Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs, he chains Fortunato up to a small hole in a wall, bricks it over, and leaves Fortunato to die. Even through the traits of anger, hatred, and revenge, as the story progresses on, Montresor, the main character in “The Cask of Amontillado”, starts to show signs of feeling guilty for wanting to murder Fortunato.