Montresor's Manipulation Of Fortunato Analysis

In "The Cask of Amantillado" the dialogue between the Montresor and Fortunato play an integral role in the development of the story. Indeed, it is the primary method used for telling the story in the first place. It seems a heavily emphasized theme in the story is that of falsely-given friendship to achieve your own end goal, as we see Montresor doing throughout. To understand the way in which the two characters interact it is integral we understand the time they lived in. Consequently, the time period can also lead us to greater understanding of why the acts shown in the story were so easy to pull off for Montresor in the first place and why he may have been motivated to commit them at all.

The lack of mental stability, homicidal tendencies, and the large gap in time, it is safely said that Montresor is not a reliable narrator. It is apparent to the reader that he does not have all his marbles. In what society would someone who is not all mentally there be seen as a reliable source? The fact that he is able to pick up on Fortunato’s weakness and exploits them proves how unreliable he is.

The clumsiness of Fortunato and the outline of the murder in the catacombs are effectively shown in order to lead to the impulsive shock that Poe eloquently provides at the dénoument. Montresor is increasingly maniacal with each rigorous facet and perpetual action he takes to make sure his dear enemy pays. Although, his thoughts may represent how many people think, they also convey the state of action people are willing to take for animosity. In this story bitter murder solved a dilemma between two enemies but in reality cases may vary. The thought of a human can stun many to the point of

This is a cruel way to kill someone and as the reader feel like this is alright and we feel for Montresor as he was insulted by Fortunato. Again though, a life is being taken but we don’t mind as Montresor tells us about why he wanted to kill

As we can see from the evidence, Montresor accomplished murder because of his intelligence, cleverness, and his manipulation skills. Due to the fact that Montressor is clever, he was able to lead Fortunato away to murder him. Based on his actions, we saw that Montresor was very intelligent which made it easier for him to kill Fortunato. Looking closely at how Montresor acted when he talked to his attendants, we saw that he was very manipulative"

Montresor is the story 's protagonist, as well as its narrator, meaning that the story is told in the first person point of view. Because of this, the audience has no idea what is true or what Fortunato is thinking; only the information Montresor remembers and chooses to disclose. Clearly, Montresor is unbalanced, and has a complete lack of remorse for his actions. The audience witnesses this most notably toward the end of the story, when Montresor describes “A succession of loud and shrill screams... I replied to the yells of him who clamored.

Throughout the story Montresor expressed his extended hatred towards Fortunato, a fellow friend. With great care and patience he meticulously formed a plan to end Fortunato. However,

After all the years he never forgot how he murdered Fortunato, and throughout the story the reader can see several different characteristics from both Montresor and Fortunato. Montresor is vindictive, manipulative, and murderous. Fortunato believes that he is the best at most crafts. Montresor is able to use his and Fortunato’s characteristics to get exactly what he wants. Once Fortunato pushes Montresor to the edge, he becomes vindictive.

In the “Cask of Amontillado” Montressor is a very angry and vengeful man. He says that he was insulted by Fortunato, but fails to give a reason as to why or how. He begins to enact his revenge by luring Fortunato in with the rare wine and when his “friend” Fortunato is drunk, he t proceeds to bring him deeper and deeper underground, while telling him to turn around repeatedly. 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! For as soon as Fortunato hit the wall, Montressor chains him against it.

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

Montresor targets Fortunato for insulting him and strategically plans out how to murder him. Montresor uses Fortunato’s interest in wine to lure him into his murder. Montresor explains that he has an Amontillado that he needs someone to taste and Fortunato is determined to try it. On their way to the vault, Montresor keeps giving Fortunato wine so he won’t be sober. Suddenly, they enter a room where one of the walls is exposed.

This is ironic because the readers know that Fortunato’s life will not be as long as he hopes it will be. He will be trapped in a niche until he dies from starvation, dehydration, or by the cough he has. I infer that Montressor would like Fortunato to have a long life in that niche so that he will suffer for the unsaid offense he inflicted upon

1. The entire story is based on the fact that Fortunato has wronged Montresor many times, and Montresor dealt with them until Fortunato “ventured upon insult,” which caused Montresor to “vow revenge.” Though it seems the “insult” must be so terrible that Montresor is willing to murder him for it, the reader can not be entirely sure that the killing is justified since Montresor is not of sound mind. Because Montresor is the narrator, and unreliable at that, the reader is forced to learn about the events through a perspective tainted by emotions and bias. For example, the person telling the tale may embellish or downplay events in the story in order to look like the “good guy” without completely lying. Montresor could be making up the entire story, or he could be embellishing or downplaying the story so that he could defend his actions. If Montresor knew he did wrong, he may have left out exactly what Fortunato did, so he could embellish the wrongs to make them seem terrible, when they are the smallest of sins. Embellishing the wrongs helps to justify to the reader that the killing of Fortunato was a suitable thing to do based on the “thousand injuries of Fortunato.” Due to the unreliable narrator, the reader may not be reading the events as they happened, but rather Montresor’s

Montresor told Fortunato that he is a “rich, respected, admired, beloved” (86) man. He does not actually think that. When he says he “must not only punish” (83) Fortunato, but he must “punish [him] with impunity” (83), which he does. The first step in Montresor's plan is to get Fortunato to go in the catacombs. He says to Fortunato, “Come, we will go back, your health is precious” (86).

Jacoby argues that Fortunato is not aware of why he has been entombed so Montresor’s revenge was unsuccessful (Jacoby, 11). Fortunato dies too soon to realize he reason for his fate (Jacoby, 26) Jacoby quotes Dorothy Foote in arguing this point. Foote tells us that “because Fortunato never received ‘an expressed or implied bill of redressment,’ he dies without fully comprehending Montresor’s motives, thus leaving the second condition for revenge unfulfilled” (Jacoby, 13) While agreeing this Foote, Jacoby feels her explanation is “insightful but incomplete” (Jacoby, 14).