The Cask Of Amontillado Literary Analysis

Conflict: For Montresor to revenge himself for Fortunato’s insult, he has to get away with it – if Fortunato can revenge him back,

In Poe’s story, The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor is plotting to get his revenge on Fortunato. There is no exact reason why he wants his revenge, other than he states he has been insulted and he would not let this get away without Fortunato being punished for his wrongdoing (par. 1). He thoroughly thought his scheme well through because a good plan takes time to sketch out, and it also has goals that need to be achieved by the end of it. He decided that in order to have a successful revenge he would have to punish Fortunato and get away with it, he would have to make sure he would not turn back from his revenge, and Fortunato has to know who is doing the punishing. Therefore, Montresor seeks to find Fortunato’s weakness, which is wine, and confront him about a type of wine that he

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” is told through the eyes of a wine enthusiast, called Montresor. The author chooses to write the story through Montresor’s point of view, because it makes the reader really think, and shows them how a murderer thinks. It also adds suspense, leading up to the immolation of Fortunato. In the story Montresor talks about how he is in a toxic friendship, with a man named Fortunato. Montresor apparently suffered many injuries due to Fortunato, but when Fortunato insults him, Montresor can not tolerate it any more. He swears revenge; however, he takes it to the next level. Throughout the story, information is exposed about Montresor's personality. He paints Fortunato out to be a terrible

Montresor uses his knowledge of Fortunato to lure him into his trap. He tells Fortunato that he bought a cask of Amontillado and that Luchesi, a man who Fortunato is not fond of, is going to taste test the wine for him. This hurts Fortunato’s pride, which is made obvious when he repetitively states that Luchesi cannot tell the difference between Amontillado and Sherry. Fortunato predictably insists on tasting the Amontillado rather than allowing Luchesi to do so in order to prove how useful and important he is. Montresor leads him into the catacombs where he claims the Amontillado is being stored. Montresor lures Fortunato further and further into the catacombs by using reverse psychology. Montresor insists that they must turn around or else Fortunato will become sick from the nitre on the walls, which causes Fortunato to obsess over tasting the wine himself. While walking

In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, the dark side of human nature is illustrated through the character of Montresor and his victim, Fortunato. Montresor is a manipulative and vengeful person whom is obsessed with the downfall of Fortunato. Through the acts, words, and the thoughts of Montresor, one is able to see him carry out his plan for revenge.

<br>The way the narrator treats his enemy is one of the clearest examples for ironic elements. When the characters meet, Montresor realises that Fortunato is afflicted with a severe cold, nevertheless he makes a point of him looking "remarkably well". Montresor acts in the most natural and friendly way towards the man object of his revenge, and even praises his "friend's" knowledge in the subject of wines. Also upon their meeting, Montresor begins a psychological manipulation of Fortunato. He claims that he needs his knowledge to ascertain that the wine he has purchased is indeed Amontillado. Furthermore, he acknowledges that Fortunato is engaged in another business (i.e.: the celebration of carnival), so he would go to Luchresi, who, one is made to believe, is a competitor of Fortunato's. To these words, Fortunato is forced by his pride to accompany Montresor to the vaults (where the Amontillado is kept), dissipate his doubts and also to prove his higher status than Luchresi as a connoisseur of wine. In fact, during their way down under in the catacombs, the twisted mind of Montresor, dares to give Fortunato the chance to go back, due to the almost unbearable dampness and foulness rampant in the vaults and Fortunato's state of health. The narrator clearly knows about the stubborn nature of Fortunato, and is

The opening two paragraphs of The Cask of Amontillado early on allow the reader to comprehend two of Montresor's character traits; he is very deceptive and vengeful. Consequently, Montresor is able to hide his true intentions of vengeance through a persona of someone who is calm and benevolent. Montresor makes it clear that his revenge against Fortunato is based on him being offended or insulted by something that was done by Fortunato. Nevertheless, Montresor’s motivation is true because the text continues to say that Montresor is not the type of person to get offended easily; but he is smart and patient when it comes to seeking vengeance. Moreover, one is able to understand this from the very first sentence when he says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge,” which leads us to conclude that Fortunato must have done something extremely grave to deserve death as revenge (Poe, 1). Furthermore, Montresor justifies his revenge by reasoning that he needs to defend his pride/status after being “insulted” by Fortunato. When Montresor continues to say, “a wrong is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong,” it is important to understand that Montresor wanted to feel as satisfied as the person who had insulted him, who in this case happened to be Fortunato (Poe, 1).

After a couple of drinks Montresor warns Fortunato about the danger of consuming this wine because of the high levels of nitre that it has, foreshadowing for the audience, telling us the venom Fortunato is consuming. When Fortunato starts to feel bad Montresor offers him a drink to make him feel better, this is not an act of sympathy, it's just to keep Fortunato alive until his burial ground; and also to keep the audience waiting for the action to come.

The entire story is based on dramatic irony, with Montresor vowing revenge in the opening sentence, and Fortunato remaining ignorant until his fate (and tomb) had already been sealed. Slightly later Montresor says “"It must be understood that neither

As the narrator, Montresor explains that although a friend named Fortunato has insulted him and deserves to be avenged. However, he has hidden his goal from Fortunato, giving no “cause to doubt [his] good will.” Montresor, aware of Fortunato’s influence, knows he must “not only punish, but punish with impunity.” Instead, he lures Fortunato to his grave with the promise of fine wine.

To begin, Montresor does not explain what Fortunato said that offended him and caused him to take such extreme measures of revenge. Montresor said with a calm malice “But then I learned that he had laughed at my proud name, Montresor, the name of an old and honored family. I promised myself I would make him pay for this - that I would have revenge.”(Poe 68). Montresor may feel a need for revenge but the man wants to eliminate, Fortunato has only insulted his name.

The act of revenge means to avenge oneself or another by retaliating in kind or degree. Many people seek revenge for a variety of different reasons. While some situations warrant vengeance, other times it is unnecessary or goes too far. Every person is not the same, so it varies from person to person what initiates the want for revenge. In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, Fortunato wrongs his friend Montresor, the protagonist. Although what Fortunato does is unknown, Montresor seeks extreme revenge. Montresor completely blindsides Fortunato by doing this as he did not know he was in the wrong. A character analysis of Montresor reveals the theme of desire for revenge through exploitation of Fortunato.

In the story Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe often uses words and actions to imply the opposite of their literal meaning. Poe uses this technique to develop the story by showing what had happened in an ironic way so it made it seem like it was normal to kill Fortunato. The setting is at a carnival, and Fortunato is dressed like fool, which he turns out to be an actual fool when Montresor kills him. Montresor states that no one, injures me with impunity, and that Montresor says that Fortunato is not a freemason, these situations are all ironic when it comes to the end story.

Revenge is something that can be moments after you decide you want revenge to planning it for months in advance, it can also range from just being annoying to being violent. In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe Revenge shows a driving force that pushes the Narrator to carry out his revenge. A central theme of revenge is revealed in the story through extensive foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism of the two main characters. Through the extensive foreshadowing, irony, and, symbolism of the two main characters, we learn that the story ultimately shows us how much revenge can affect a ones mind. Throughout the story, Poe commonly shows irony as a central them for revenge.

As I read about different types of literary criticism, I felt compelled to apply the Marxist school of literary criticism to Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Fortunato character appears to have a rising distinguished social status, a nobleness forming an equality, and or possibly surpassing the Montresor character. This changing social status acts as a symbol of the status the Montresor family name and crest used to have but it’s in decline. The success of the Fortunato creates the thousand injuries that aggravate the Montresor to plot and commit murder for revenge of the Fortunato’s success.