Amontillado Thesis

The Cask of Amontillado Argumentative Essay Edgar Allen Poe is a famous writer who is well-known for his short stories. The Cask of Amontillado is one of Poe’s short stories which is about two men, Montresor and Fortunato. Fortunato did something to Montresor, the act is unknown, but it angered Montresor badly enough to make him feel the need to seek revenge. The story portrays Montresor’s long, drawn out plan to kill Fortunato. In the story, it is clear that he was set on killing Fortunato, because of his actions and emotions shown toward Fortunato.

Everybody will eventually want revenge on an old friend or just someone they know. Montressor, similar to many people in the world, wants revenge on one of his old friends, Fortunato. The story opens with, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 212). In this statement, Montressor tells the reader what the cause of his revenge against Fortunato is. “The Cask of Amontillado”, written by Edgar Allen Poe, tells the story of how Montressor brings Fortunato into the catacombs to bury him alive.

Revenge, which is often sought to achieve a sense of justice, can ironically lead to negative consequences and perpetuate a cycle of harm. The act of seeking vengeance often results in more harm than good. The irony of revenge is the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands; the desire to inflict retribution. It’s that seeking to avenge that is a wrong that can often lead to unintended and negative consequences, as the act of seeking revenge perpetuates a cycle of harm. This theme is exemplified in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," where the protagonist Montresor seeks revenge against his perceived enemy, Fortunato.

Montresor has wrath toward Fortunato for insulting and treating him less. Fortunato was tricked into thinking a different result would happen than his death. Montressor tried to make his own justice of the situation ‘’ At length, i will be avenged. ‘’ pg 83 Poe showing he's going to get back at Fortunato for what he did. “He did not perceive that my smile was at his demise’’

Next, Montresor replies, “It is this, I answered, producing from beneath the folds of my roquelaire trowel.” (239). Although Fortunato does not understand that Montresor has lured him into the catacombs of his home with the intentions of murdering him, but the reader knows

Montresor is a grudge holder. In the beginning, Montresor, explains why he is angry with Fortunato, but didn’t come into detail of what he did to him. Evidently, Fortunato injured and insulted Montresor, who says that he has endured peacefully as Fortunato repeatedly offended him thousands of time. Fifty year ago, Fortunato use to deny what Montresor would say about, who he was or what he had done, as if it was untrue. Montresor would argue back and forth with him explaining that it was true.

•Montresor does fulfill this definition of revenge. He boasts about how it has been fifty years since his crime and nobody has “disturbed” the catacomb that he has enclosed Fortunato. Regarding the second part, it is questionable. The fact that he is still telling this story a half century later may suggest that he is obsessed (“overtaken”) with his crime. And the third part, he did make himself known to Fortunato because Fortunato cries “For the love of God, Montresor” as he is being enclosed in the catacomb wall.

The ending of the story implies that the narrator successfully revenged, however, he felt guilty and remorse after he finished his work. This is shown by the quote “My heart sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” (Poe 114). The narrator is an unreliable narrator who has some psychology difference and reader can’t know if he is telling the truth. Montresor knows every thing he does to kill Fortunato because Montresor thinks Fortunato insulted he.

Something Montresor would not do. Throughout all of, “the Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor’s determination is displayed. In the first sentence he tells the reader where his rage began. The story is introduced with, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe, paragraph 1). When Montresor makes this statement, it means he is promising Fortunato and himself revenge.

Montresor repeatedly made it seem as though he thought that they should turn around for Fortunato’s sake. Fortunato’s pride would not allow him to admit weakness and give up. Instead Montresor’s reverse phycology worked to hasten the death of his victim. “Putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person, I suffered hi to hurry me to my palazzo.” (Poe 145)

In this essay I will explain how Montresor’s execution of Fortunato was carried out like an expert. I will list examples of how Montresor manipulated Fortunato, and how he enjoys his revenge. In this story Montresor, the murderer, used reverse psychology, and utilized cunning precondition to fulfill his scheme. He also used clever paronomasia to deceive Fortunato. Montresor first manipulated Fortunato when he met him at the carnival.

Montresor tortures Fortunato, both physiologically and physically. Montresor clearly gives Fortunato “multiple chances to escape his fate” (Delany 34), as he gives Fortunato obvious clues to his true intensions. These include leading Fortunato into a place for the dead, telling Fortunato not to go due to his severe cough that made it “impossible to reply” (Poe 5) at times, reminding Fortunato of his family arms, mentioning Luchesi, and showing Fortunato a trowel. Montresor seems to receive morbid joy out of the fact that Fortunato is so intoxicated that, just like the foot on Montresor’s coat of arms, he is unintentionally “stepping into his own destruction” (Cervo

The first example of Fortunato’s foolishness is his decision to accompany Montresor to the catacombs; it is quite foolish for him to impose, because the nitre within the catacombs could affect his already questionable health. He continues this foolish behavior even after Montresor implores him to leave, and again loses his opportunity to escape death. Finally, his madness is seen in his “distorted perceptions and beliefs”. After being captured, Fortunato shows signs of a distorted perception, and seems to believe his imprisonment is only “an excellent jest” (Poe 240). This however is not the case, and he is unable to fully rationalize the situation he is in.

If you’ve read Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado, you know how evil the protagonist, Montresor, is. He expertly carried out a disturbing scheme that left a man buried alive in the deepest part of the Montresor catacombs to die and rot, all for the sake of revenge. We know that Montresor is a very dark and disturbing character, as his own personality was based off of Poe’s. There is no doubt that Montresor committed a heinous crime of which would not be excused in today’s world. 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.”

As it’s been noted, conflict in Montresor’s life leads him down a path that changes him, but it’s the way he opts to resolve these conflicts that at last fully develops the