For ages, people have speculated what lies within someone. Some people think that all that lies within a person is good and love, others think evil and hate. No matter how much a person tries to push the evil and hate out of their life, it always remains. In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, The Veldt by Ray Bradbury, and The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, the evil in the characters comes out. Throughout all three of the stories, the reader realizes that the characters have evil planted deep within them. Because humans are typically good natured creatures, no one ever stops to think about the darkness that lies within a person’s heart which can be seen in the refusal to change tradition, protecting one’s pride, and doing whatever possible …show more content…
Technology is one of the things that has been part of their lives since birth and they are too dependent upon it. Pride is a very big thing for certain people. They will protect it at all costs and make sure everyone knows of it. In The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, the whole story is based on Montresor's hatred for Fortunato because he had made fun of his family name by saying, “The thousands of injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe 1). Not only did he want to make Fortunato pay, but he wanted him to realize why and who was making him pay for insulting his family name. Montressor would go as far as killing someone to protect him and his family's pride. When Fortunato poked fun at him and his family, Montresor retaliated by plotting to kill him. Montresor thought of Fortunato as a threat to his family’s reputation which is why he reacted the way that he did. Pride is a value that people treasure more than anything. The Lottery shows the protectiveness of pride but in an understated way. When the whole Hutchison family is drawing the slips of paper, and Tessie …show more content…
On the other hand, some people will endure whatever they deem necessary to protect whatever plan they might have. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor was obsessed with taking down Fortunato. Montresor was very pleasant and kind whenever he was around Fortunato so he would trust him. Montresor even says, “It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my in to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” (Poe 1). Once again, Montresor is not afraid to endure and do whatever he has to do to make sure that his plan is carried out flawlessly. Montresor is willing to be around a man whom he despises just so when he kills him, it will be perfect. Because most people believe humans to be good natured creatures, no one ever thinks about the darkness that lies within a person's heart, which can be seen in people's refusal to change tradition, protecting and making one’s pride known, and the way that people will do whatever they feel necessary to protect the things that they love or are obsessed with, proves that the dark side of human nature is rooted deeply within a person no matter how hard they try
Montresor, fifty years after it happened, confesses to the murder of his foe, Fortunato. He justifies his actions by saying that Fortunato caused him a thousand injuries and therefore is seeking revenge.... ... middle of paper ... ... He tempts her by offering to give her independence from them, saying he is her lover, playing into her weakness of men.
Montresor does not so much satisfy the necessity of clarifying his intention to Fortunato. Such a deed as Montresor's is mind boggling to him with the exception of as a few massive jokes; however, this trust is slaughtered by Montresor's joke. Whether Fortunato really comprehends the purpose for Montresor's awful revenge specifically, that he is constantly rebuffed for his arrogance and for insulting somebody who is equivalent or better than him—doesn't block an effective fulfillment of Montresor's plan.
Hoping to obtain revenge, Montresor, the narrator, lures Fortunato, one of his friends, into the depths of his catacombs to be murdered. Montresor says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge"(149). This is the first line in the story, and this is why Montresor seeks revenge. There is no explanation of the insults that Montresor received, so the reader may infer that Montresor is just lying. The insults that were received could possibly be just outdoing in the business arena. Montresor might be using that excuse for his desire to kill Fortunato, because he may be killing Fortunato out of jealousy. Montresor is likely telling this story to a family member, friend, or his doctor while lying on his deathbed. Montresor says, "…your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter."(150). Montresor just admitted that he knows Fortunato is better than he. Montresor may have been under the influence of jealousy. Redd 4 There are different theories to ...
Pride is a powerful thing. In some cases it can be seen as a good or bad thing. If the person yields their wrong doing does not necessarily make his or her pride “the only crime,” but the outcome of it as well. Society sees goodness of other by his or her actions, but can be blinded by what others tell them and believing them knowing what they know.
Montresor’s anger was probably sensed in the carnival by the people surrounding him and even if the carnival was meant to celebrate and enjoy a good time. There was no way Montresor would forgive and forget Fortunato.
Montresor had had enough and was going to finally get revenge on Fortunato. The problem with planning out his revenge was that he had to make sure that he did so without getting caught. It is clear that Montresor has rolling around this idea within his head for quite some time. The fact he says that he must punish him with worrying about being caught shows that he knows it is immoral to kill another man. Alas, as stated before whatever offense dealt was the straw that broke the camel’s
At the beginning of the story Montressor says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”(Poe 108). This means that Fortunato had said something that insulted him and Montressor’s pride is driving him to feel the need not to retaliate immediately but to plan out a revenge that will ultimately lead to him killing Fortunato. It is not told in the story what Fortunato said to insult Montressor in order for him to justify his revenge against Fortunato. Instead of Montressor simply forgiving Fortunato for what he said he decided to take the easier route and sought out his revenge. As Author Ellis Cose said, “[Revenge] is so...
As one can see, Montresor shows the qualities of a person that is vindictive, determined, and manipulative multiple times throughout the story. By describing Montresor with these characteristics, the reader can clearly see that he is not right in the head. His thoughts become words, and his words become actions.
The text of this story serves a good example to others who have yet to actually consider their levels of anger and how far they are willing to take their vengeful plans. Before reading this, I had never really investigated what I would do if put in a similar situation and I’m sure I’m not the only person who has never examined this topic. It also makes me curious if anyone has ever read this story and actually viewed Montresor as valid for killing Fortunato. Furthermore, it would be interesting to examine their reason for believing Montresor was not in the wrong and what influences their choice. For example, my upbringing taught me otherwise, but for the person who agrees, how were they
By carrying out this murder with no apparent qualms or remorse, Montresor also shows himself to be heartless and cruel. He leads Fortunato straight down to his death and never hesitates or seems to empathize at all with his victim. The way he describes his crime is clinical and emotionless, and he comes across as an unfeeling psychopath. Even years later he is proud of what he has done: “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!” (paragraph 89). Even fifty years later, Montresor appears not to care at all that he killed a man only for insulting his
Montresor went out of his way to be nice to Fortunato; meanwhile inside of him the jealousy burned. ?Neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will?(75), he did things for Fortunato and continued on making everything seem normal so that Fortunato would not expect Montresor to do anything to him. ?I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation?(75,76), Montresor continued to smile as he has been doing all the time, but now he smiled when he saw him because he was thinking of his demise.
One reason Fortunato was an easy target for Montresor was that he was foolish. Fortunato and Montresor are on their way to the Amontillado. "In niche, and finding an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered" (p. 3 li. 55-60). This shows that Fortunato was foolish
Carefully, cautiously the Montresor plotted precisely how he would exact revenge upon Fortunato. Much time and great energy was devoted to this plan, selecting a time that would be best: during carnival when the town would be celebratory, his servants apt to run off and join the celebration, when the two could silently disappear without notice or question. No detail is forgotten; he allows for no deterrents. He follows through with such a confidence that never does he stumble or hesitate in carrying out his plan. The Montresor indicates that he had never given. To continue with this ploy, he even goes so far as to express false concern for Fortunato as they pass through the catacombs. Blaming the nitre and damp, the Montresor suggests that they turn back as not to compromise Fortunato’s ill health, though he has no intent of doing so. Never once until the very end did Fortunato have cause to suspect that there were any foul plans afoot.
The story begins with, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” Montresor cites what must have been in his mind, the ultimate betrayal imaginable, at least in his mind. A betrayal that
The first indirect factor that could contribute to Montresor’s vengeful act, and thus the story’s theme of revenge, is the character of Montresor. Montresor tends to harbor feelings of resentment and has a hard time not taking things out of context (Womack). He also plans the murder of Fortunato in advance and devises it in such a way that he will not be caught. In killing Fortunato, Montreso...