What is the setting of "The Cask of Amontillado"? The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Montresor has a strong violent vengefulness. Montresor is not in his right mind. First, Fortunato is a friendly drunk. 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. He did offer Fortunato wine, knowing he would accept because he was prideful in his wine tasting. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy as once I was. ugh! One instance that supports Montresors actions as being for revenge rather than murder is when Montresor tells Fortunato about his noble ancestry. In fact, we think hes less a flesh and blood character than a literary mechanism, meant to provoke emotional responses to reveal our own characters, and ultimately, if we are brave, to give us a more profound understanding of what it means to be human.So, if Poes technique works, and Montresor makes us understand ourselves and other people better, then maybe we can trust Montresor as loathsome as that sounds. Though he is guilty, he is determined not to get caught. I would also describe Montresor as detail-oriented and devious. Once he reached a place where no one can hear them, Fortunato walked into what he thought was another corridor, but it would turn out to be his grave! Throwing the chain around him was easily accomplished in seconds (79). Latest answer posted November 08, 2019 at 11:51:11 AM. This reverse-psychology manipulation works very well. This foreshadows the story's end. In "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor tells us, "A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. He's a type of the guy who you exactly don't want to meet, especially, in an underground catacomb. eNotes Editorial, 13 Dec. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-are-five-character-traits-of-montresor-from-718122. What are the moral lessons that one can get from "The Cask of Amontillado". This quote shows Montresor's intelligence and cunning nature; he is willing to let his revenge take a long time as long as it comes and he is not suspected. Montresor then starts to easily manipulate Fortunato. Also, he was doubtful because during the whole text we still didnt get his thoughts is he confessing to committing murder or bragging about it? The character, Montresor is filled with the Psychological concept known as Id as he acts on his own desires and impulses without even feeling a tinge of guilt. These are still terrible but there are many worse situations than that. Montresor was slowed down every time he would ask Fortunato if he wanted to go back. If his revenge was public -- say, a. Though they have been passing bones and skulls, neither man was moved to mention the divine until this moment. He thinks it is a joke. Based on his actions, we saw that Montresor was very intelligent which made it easier for him to kill Fortunato. Montresor merely says, A thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. (Poe 1108) Montresor never reveals the exact nature of the insult, nor the multitude of injuries that he had supposedly borne. Montresor also continues to impair Fortunato by offering him several droughts of wine while they are in his family's catacombs. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! Therefore, Montresor carefully planned out his attack, he had every detail carefully outlined in his head. Dying of starvation or thirst would be a painful way to go especially in a dark catacomb surrounded by skeletons and the smell of rot and dampness. It is almost as if Poe has Montresors ancestors tell the reader how nicely he fits into the family tree. I had told them that I should not return until the morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. (Poe, 210) Montresor did not decide to kill Fortunato in the moment. He only states, The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (Poe, 360). Science, English, History, Civics, Art, Business, Law, Geography, all free! While Montresor and Fortunato are wandering along through the catacombs, Montresor describes his family's arms, which contain an image of a golden foot crushing a serpent. I can deduce that without Montresor's deviance, he wouldve never been able to trick Fortunato into the catacombs and to his death. (Poe 1108) What is the insult that finally pushed Montresor over the edge? There are many ways to revenge on Fortunato but his word expresses that his desire to give him not only mental but also physical distress. It is only fair that he is killed. Montresor says when he plans to get revenge he has to follow through, it is never just a threat. What is the setting of "The Cask of Amontillado"? When we confess, we want forgiveness; we want to be free of the burden of our secrets. Montresor's entire family values revenge. Montressor is also manipulative, as he tells Fortunato that he will have someone else taste the Amontillado, knowing that by doing this Fortunato will feel compelled to taste the wine himself. Right up until the end, he thinks of Amontillado, and only Amontillado. Looking closely at how Montresor acted when he talked to his attendants, we saw that he was very manipulative" ( p. 2 li. Deliberately using the past tense to describe the decaying state of the Montresor family, Montresor implies how his family had seen much better times. However, there are several quotes and pieces of textual evidence to suggest that Montresor might have done the people a favor by killing the not-so-fortunate "fortunate one." This quote shows Montresor's intelligence and cunning nature; he is willing to let his revenge take a long time as long as it comes and he is not suspected. Ugh! Course Hero, "The Cask of Amontillado Study Guide," December 29, 2016, accessed March 3, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Cask-of-Amontillado/. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. You Are One Click Away From Getting Your Work Done, The uses of reverse psychology in "The Cask of Amontillado", The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat and the Cask of Amontillado. Montressor may have trouble with his anger. During their journey Montresor gives Fortunato plenty of chances to turn around; Montresor tells his victim at one point "we will go back; your health is precious. Fortunato has just made a hand gesture signaling he is a member of the Masons, a fraternal order (with some history of secret practices). For example, like Montresor, we all have vengeful urges though, luckily, few of us ever follow them as far as murder. Fortunato is tricked by Montresor when Montresor gets Fortunato drunk and lures him into the family catacombs. Montresor felt satisfied and happy with the horrible crime he committed. Any critic will tell you that Montresor is a classic example of an unreliable narrator. And this is probably true: if hes capable of plastering Fortunato into a vault, we cant trust him. Montresor uses Fortunatos vanity against him to get what he wants. Montresor is satisfied with his revenge on Fortunato because he doesn't feel melancholy. This is another sign that the entire Montresor family line is committed to revenge. However, there are several quotes and pieces of textual evidence to suggest that Montresor might have done the people a favor by killing the not-so-fortunate fortunate one. Is Montresor just a selfish evil genius fueled with revenge, or a good samaritan who wants to give the people the vengeance they deserve? This little speech by Montresor achieves two very different functions. He did not perceive that my smile was at his demise Pg 83 Poe. Montresor murdered with impunity. Although he does not want to get caught, he says the victim needs to know who is getting the revenge. All the details are in order. Montresor tricks Fortunato into drinking for his cough, intoxicating him more and more with each sip. Get the eBook on Amazon to study offline. In The Cask of Amontillado, Poe depicts Montresor as someone who acts on behalf of his familys honor and pride rather than someone acting on personal vendetta. Fortunato thinks that Montresor has nothing against him and just wants him to taste wine. 'Come,' I said, with decision, 'we will go back; your health is precious. Through the acts, words, and thoughts of the character, one is able to see him carry out his plan for revenge. He immediately identifies how intoxicated Fortunato is, and he observes the man's cough and his eyes, "two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication." In "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe, the dark side of human nature is exemplified through the character of Montresor and his victim . This means readers can expect him to act broadly and stupidly (as he does). B) prides itself on its ability to obtain revenge on those who hurt them. The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled. Also, the story shows us his proudness and greediness. Montresor's vengeful personality is his most prominent character trait. His plan for vengeance is easily seen through his actions and his thoughts. I reechoed I aided I surpassed them in volume and in strength. (Poe 1112-1113) Not only does Montresor bury Fortunato alive, but he mimics his screams as he entombs, taking sheer delight in Fortunato 's terror. You are a man to be missed" (77). Montresor deceives Fortunato by smiling at him and continuing to act the same, all friendly like nothing happened. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Montresor is also an unreliable narrator, which, as defined by our text, is a fictional character whose knowledge or judgment about events and other characters is so flawed or limited as to make him or her a misleading guide to the reader. (Charters 1745) The audience cannot count on Montresor to give an accurate depiction of the events in the story. He even risked becoming ill due to the niter just to get some of Montresors Admontillado. Montresor does fulfill this definition of revenge. The Cask of Amontillado Study Guide. * " S A> .,. He comes from a lineage that kills when injured. Specifically, the thousand injuries, nobly taken in a stoic manner by Montresor were undoubtedly slights of personal level while the single insult which lead to the death of Fortunato was most likely an offence concerning the. The definition of evil is profoundly immoral and malevolent and is harmful or tending to harm. 29 Dec. 2016. When he says, May he rest in peace at the end of the story, the reader gets the feeling he means, I hope you stay there and rot rather than, I hope you found joy and peace in heaven., Fortunato, I should like your opinion. The citation shows Montresor's deceitfulness since he is trying to guilt Fortunato to come with him. There is no indication of what Fortunato thinks about Montressor. Apart from Fortunato not suffering, Montresor was backing up from his own plan to get his revenge. This is disturbing, and it is another clue Fortunato misses. 35). According to his own words, Montresor hesitated whether he wanted to go through with his revenge, and that was against one of the three features that he considered essential for it to be a, In Cask Of Amontillado Montresor seems to have Fortunato's best interests in mind until his true intentions are revealed through his thoughts, not his actions. He got Fortunato drunk, (Montresor states this when he says "Drink," I said, presenting him the wine), then lured him into the catacombs to where he was going to trap him, leaving him there to starve. One good quote that sums up Montresor's character comes in the opening paragraph. Montresor commits a crime by killing Fortunato in his own basement. ugh!ugh! In the story, Montresor brags about concealing his true feelings by smiling in Fortunato's face and behaving amicably when he meets him during the carnival. Montresor continuously asked Fortunato if he wanted to have a glass of wine and his reply was always yes. He was an intelligent man and knew how to get Fortunato to say yes. Hes a type of the guy who you exactly dont want to meet, especially, in an underground catacomb. Being a man described as someone to be respected and feared, Fortunato undoubtedly further insults Montresors sense of familial worth. For him to explain away a cough like this and say it's "nothing" means he really is a fool (and that he values the wine he wants to taste and his ego in out-tasting Luchesi more than his own health). He is aware of the consequences of his actions but takes careful precautions to ensure that he will successfully get away with murder. He did offer Fortunato wine, knowing he would accept because he was prideful in his wine tasting.