Revenge in Edgar Allen Poe´s The Cask of Amontillado Essay

In Edger Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado the narrator, Montresor, seeks revenge against his friend Fortunato who he claims had cause him many injuries. The story takes place during carnival time and many are celebrating even Fortunato who was dressed as a clown and wore a colorful hat with bells. Fortunato had been drinking which made him even less aware of any sort of plot against him. Montresor lures him into his wine vaults and easily chains him to a wall deep inside a small crypt. Fortunato is too drunk to even comprehend what is happening or even resist. Finally Montresor builds a stone wall confining Fortunato inside to die. In the story we can distinguish many notable characteristics of Montresor. He may be perceived as heatless†¦show more content†¦Montresor has held this grudge against his friend who according to him had given him â€Å"thousands of injuries.† This grudge he has makes him vindictive as he seeks revenge against Fortunato for his ins ult against him. His family’s motto is â€Å"Nemo me impune lacessit meaning â€Å"No one attacks me with impunity†. The motto implies that the entire Montresor family history is filled with acts of revenge. Montresor becomes obsessed with his vengeance and when he has Fortunato chained to the wall he mocks at his cries and moaning, â€Å"I replied to the yells of him who clamored. I re-echoed, I aided, I surpassed them in volume and in strength.† Montrosor never mentions what the insulting act was which can tell us that the actual act wasn’t as important as him just getting some sort of revenge. The third characteristic we see in Montresor is pride. He isn’t modest and boasts even after fifty years about his perfect crime. His pride is what leads him to seek revenge against Fortunato because he doesn’t want him to think he can go with impunity after insulting him. The murder may have not been just out of anger for the insult but more of because he didn’t want to be seen as weak. Montresor takes pride in his extensively planned out scheme and how he plans out all the details. Edger Allan Poe wrote characters, like Montresor, with these certain characteristics so we could relate to the emotions and feelings in the story. Montresor seeks revenge, takes pride in his vengeful acts andShow MoreRelatedThe Cask Of Amontillado And The Masque Of The Red Death Analysis1403 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allen Poe was a famous American short story writer, who expressed literature through mystery and horror. Poe elaborated his writing, to be able to tell stories, within imagination, and suspense towards his readers. Moreover, the majority of Poe’s life relates to his storytelling through, mystery and suspense, considering his sudden death at the age of 40. Edgar Allen Poe created a unique voice in his stories, The Cask of Amontillado and The Masque of the Red Death, through common theme, dictionRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado : William Shakespeare1450 Words   |  6 PagesFinal Paper 17 December 2014 The Cask of Amontillado: Shakespeare in American Literature There are a few names in literature which represent the ability to captivate an audience with suspense and gloom. Though masters of different genres, Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare both embody this unique ability. One of Poe’s work in particular resembles the beauty and darkness that is found in Shakespeare’s tragedies. In the intriguing short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† two wealthy gentlemen from anRead MoreThe Precedent Of Gothic Horror1031 Words   |  5 PagesThe Precedent of Gothic-Horror The king of the gothic-horror genre, Edgar Allan Poe, is well-known for intriguing short stories, especially â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. In cinematic art, Alfred Hitchcock, â€Å"The Master of Suspense†, uses similar techniques in his film such as foreshadowing, and suspense to give the audience a sense of an adrenaline overdose. Fear, terror and suspense are the most vivid emotions created by Poe’s stories and by Hitchcock’s films have paved the road for future horror entertainmentRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1052 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allen Poe was one of the most famed authors of death, decay, and depression in the 18th century. Poe started his writing career during the Romantic literature period, a period focused on nature, emotions, and a fascination with the supernatural elements. As writers started to write in this new genre, works started becoming dark, with an eerie feeling and a tone of death. Out of the Romantic era came the sub-classification of the Gothic genre. Poe started to embrace this new genre and his writingsRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1575 Words   |  7 Pageshas committed the perfect murder in just such a tale, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Montresor plots and kills an unwary friend/foe during carnival time for motives that are unclear. The author of this tale, Edgar Allan Poe, influenced by his somewhat tragic life and one of the most influential Gothic writers, uses symbolism and irony to show the multitude of complicated motives of the narrator in his famous horror story. Upon examining Edgar Allan Poe’s life, one is not surprised that he chooses toRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe992 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allen Poe had many pieces of literature, but one in particular â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† reflected his personality. It is a short story that can be read easily, and can take on many ironies. The several ironies can point to the fact that Poe himself was implanted into the story as he was a mysterious man. There are several characters with different personalities often interpreted as Poe hiding his dark side which would be â€Å"Montresor†. The other personality Fortunato could be that drunken personalityRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allen Poe s The Cask 1563 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature 10 November, 2015 Gothic Elements in Poe’s Captivating Stories Edgar Allen Poe can be described as a master of gothic literature. Poe enjoyed incorporating the gothic theme into his stories (â€Å"The Cask† 52). The free dictionary website describes gothicism as a style in fictional literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence. Edgar Allen Poe experienced many failures and disappointments throughout the course of hisRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Cask Of Amontillado 1493 Words   |  6 PagesInto to Literature: American I Dr. Julia Pond 12 October 2017 The Cask of Amontillado The Cask of Amontillado is a tale of terror written by Edgar Allen Poe. This short story is from the point of view from Montresor’s memory. The setting of this story is in a small unnamed European city, at a local carnival and then at the catacombs under Montresor’s home, around duck. The brief synopsis of this story is about the revenge that the Montresor, the antagonist and narrator, wants against FortunatoRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1204 Words   |  5 Pagesas I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge† (Poe 1). This line draws the reader into the story by bringing up questions like, what insults could have been done to deserve such revenge? The uniqueness in the question itself is that it turns the table of a classic mystery or gothic story (Mcgarth). Instead of asking â€Å"who did it,† the question is, â€Å"why did he do it† (Baraban Motive for Murder in Cask of Amontillado ). Montresor uses Fort unato’s strengthens and turns themRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Poe1402 Words   |  6 PagesNewton Oguma. Eng 102. Instructor: Iris Barbour. Date: 2/13/2017. The Cask of Amontillado. The historical content in Poe’s story correlates with an era between nineteenth and twentieth century during which premature burial and underground cemeteries were ordinary to ancient Rome. According to (Theodore Npg), â€Å"one of Poe’s concerns shared by several people of his time was premature burial†. The story happened during Carnival which was a celebration before ancient catholic lent. This celebration