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Vowing Revenge in Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Cask of Amontillado

Decent Essays

In Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado” begins by telling us that Montresor feels as Fortunato has hurt him. Fortunato has greatly insulted him, “the thousands of insults of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.” (Poe 165) Although, the lack of evidence throughout the story, we readers never know what the insult ever was. Montresor must get revenge. As Montresor is conducting hits revenge on Fortunato, it is the week of Carnival in Italy and people were dressed up in all sort of costumes. Fortunato was dressed in a jester’s outfit that later provides irony in the short story because he is a fool to go down into the catacombs and face his death. Montresor is engulfed with secret murder and revenge that he makes a grave pit in the wall for Fortunato because as the family motto of Montresor, “No one provokes me with impunity” (167). The coat of arms of Montresor was “A huge human foot of gold, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the hell” (167) which the foot represents Montresor and the snake would be Fortunato. Although Fortunato has hurt Montresor with his quick venomous insults, Montresor will ultimately crush him and arise the true victor. To lure Fortunato to his death and fulfill his thirst for vengeance, Montresor mentions he’s found a barrel of a rare wine called Amontillado. Punishment is the only thing that Montresor has in store for Fortunato instead of the wine

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