Edgars Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado portrays two great examples of how greed and ignorance combined can lead to a quick ending, both physically and mentally. The story possesses two different aspects of an ending through two similar but yet different characters. Both characters possess the trait of greed, which hinders their ability to think rationally. The most obvious aspect of greed is carried out by Montresor, because this is a “short story of revenge.” He seeks to make Fortunato, the other character possessing the ignorant and greed trait, feel the pain that he has supposedly dealt onto Montresor. Throughout the book, one can experience how these two awful traits overtake them and eventually end their lives.
By focusing on Fortunato, one can see how ignorance and greed can lead to physical death. He is a man who is “rich, respected, admired, [and] beloved.” With this social status, he prides himself on being the best wine connoisseur. So, when Montresor came to him to identify this wine of Amontillado, he boasted that only he could correctly distinguish if it is or not. This was his first sign of greed, because Montresor stated that another wine connoisseur, Luchesi, could identify the wine if he did not want to. Fortunato responded by saying, “Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry.” This statement shows how he believes that he is the best and that no other wine connoisseur can compare to his skills. His ignorance starts to show through his false exterior, and with Fortunato saying that he is the best, they venture down into the catacombs to see this precious wine. Now, even though the catacombs are where wine is usually kept, they go extraordinarily deep into them. Fortunato does not even notice the protr...
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...rily have to be death like Fortunato or a mental break down like Montresor, but even something as simple as the ending of social skills or a job. If one is ignorant and greedy, they probably will not listen to others or cooperate with them. These types of people will quickly lose support and anyone wanting to work with them, resulting in an end to relationships. People need to control these traits, because ignorance and greed are two natural human tendencies that are very destructive and can lead to an ultimate ending.
Works Cited
Gruesser, John. "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado." The Explicator 56.3, 1998: 129-130.
Platizky, Roger. "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado." The Explicator 57.4, 1999: 206-209.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." In Introduction to Literature, by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto and William Cain, 180-185. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006.
Edgar Allan Poe published in The Cask of Amontillado in 1846. He is known for his gothic and dark writing style. In The Cask of Amontillado, the main character Montresor seeks revenge on Fortunato. The story follows Montresor’s plan for revenge and ends with the murder of Fortunato. Montresor’s actions are bizarre and uncalled for, especially after he never explains the motive for the murder. After analyzing Montresor’s actions and examining his mental state, and the crime he committed, I have concluded that he suffered from Antisocial Personality Disorder. “A personality disorder that is characterized by antisocial behavior exhibiting pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights, feelings, and safety of others starting in childhood
Poe, Edgar A. "Short Stories: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe." Short Stories: The
Dramatic Irony is when an author allows the reader to know more than his/her characters in the story. This technique is used by the authors to add suspense to their literature. Edgar Allen Poe created many suspenseful stories using dramatic irony for the purpose of creating themes about human nature. In the short story “The Cask Of Amontillado,” Edgar Allen Poe uses dramatic irony to develop the theme that one should be careful about insulting another because he/she will seek revenge.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Mankato, MN : The Creative Company, 2008. Print.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “ The Cask Of Amontillado.” Heritage Of American Literature .Ed. james E. Miller.Vol.2.Austin:Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1991.20.Print.
1. What can the reader infer about Montresor’s social position and character from hints in the text? What evidence does the text provide that Montresor is an unreliable narrator? We learned from paragraph 23 to 24 that Montresor owns a Palazzo and also has lot of retainers based on that evidence, the reader can infer that Montresor is a very wealthy and successful man. About his character, the reader can imply that Montresor is a heartless, cold blooded, sneaky, manipulative, and untrustworthy man, as well as a man who hold on to grudges. Moreover, Montresor is an unreliable narrator, because he reveals in the first paragraph that he intends to have a revenge on Fortunato, but he did not indicate or clearly prove to the readers how Fortunato
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.
When they arrive at the Montresor estate, Montresor leads Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs. Down here is where the Amontillado Fortunato is going to taste and where the revenge of Montresor is going to take place. As he get closer and closer, the narrator opens up more and more to how he is going to kill his "friend". It sound like it is a premeditated murder. Montresor seems so inconspicuous that he acts like he cares about Fortunato which is still a part of his plan.
Edgar Allen Poe’s tale of murder and revenge, “The Cask of Amontillado”, offers a unique perspective into the mind of a deranged murderer. The effectiveness of the story is largely due to its first person point of view, which allows the reader a deeper involvement into the thoughts and motivations of the protagonist, Montresor. The first person narration results in an unbalanced viewpoint on the central conflict of the story, man versus man, because the reader knows very little about the thoughts of the antagonist, Fortunato. The setting of “The Cask of Amontillado”, in the dark catacombs of Montresor’s wine cellar, contributes to the story’s theme that some people will go to great lengths to fanatically defend their honor.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." Reading and Writing about Literature. Phillip Sipiora. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008.
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.
I see eye to eye on how the story portrays a theme of love and hate towards the readers. I would also like to point out on how this story expresses that you cannot trust anyone. Fortunato constantly insults Montresor, yet he never complains until, Fortunato took it to far by disrespecting his holy family name.Thus making this, the final straw causing Montresor to seek revenge for his actions, along with his desires to make it permanent. He doesn’t want Fortunato to ever get a chance to hurt him back after his retribution (so he plans to kill him). Montresor finds his weakness (alcohol) and uses it towards his advantage, luring him with the Amontillado; he claims that he bought some but isn't sure if it is the real deal. As they make their way
The setting of a story sets the tone for the entire piece. Without the appropriate setting, what the author is trying to express is lost. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting as a way to set the stage for the events that will come. Poe’s settings make his stories interesting, as well as easy to understand because of his descriptiveness and writing techniques. His use of vivid details and symbols in his settings intrigue the readers and set a particular tone. Each and every setting has a direct meaning and reason attached to that of the story and time.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature. Ed. Wayne Franklin, Philip F. Gurpa, Arnold Krupat. New York: Norton, 2007. 1612-1613, 1616. Print.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “That Cask of Amontillado.” Ibiblio. U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.d.