Poe cleverly uses foreshadowing to contribute to his menacing tragedy. Poe delivers countless hints that provide readers the ability to predict what will happen next. Montresor is disconcerted that Fortunato imposes so much pain on Montresor’s life, but justice has not been served. In the short story, Montresor conveys his coat of arms and his family motto, “‘the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel… Nemo me impune lacessit’” (375-376). This expresses that a foot crushes a snake whose fangs are in the foot’s heel and his family motto means “no one injures me with impunity.” The snake closely resembles Fortunato, who is inflicting pain on Montresor by “biting” him.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor is a diabolical character set on revenge for an injustice he perceives as unforgivable. While the nature of such injustice is never justly stated, it is clear Montresor takes his family motto “Nemo me impune lacessit” (Poe 16), to heart. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 14). This final injury, although never stated, is the unraveling of Montresor and at length he would be avenged (Poe 14). Hatred and revenge are the driving factors of Montresor’s disquiet and he cannot rest until Fortunato has been dealt the punishment he believes he deserves.
Have you ever been insulted or judged by someone for something you did or the way you represent yourself to society? In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, it talks about two friends Montresor and Fortunato, whose fates are determined by murder and revenge. Montresor planned to seek revenge on his friend for the insults he has committed despite Fortunato who isn’t aware of Montresor anger. The author of “The Cask of Amontillado” used symbolism and imagery to describe the theme of revenge. In the beginning of the short story, Montresor defines revenge on his friend Fortunato for believing he has insulted him.
THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO The short story by Edgar Allen Poe contains various critics in terms of its design and preciseness has over the years critically analyzed “The Cask of Amontillado.” In this paper, it will look at a critical review that was provided by Thomas Olive Mabbot from the Carlson University of Connecticut. He mainly focusses on the irony that is in the story to provide his analytical view in regards to this story (Sova 45). The irony in this story begins in the first line of the opening sentence whereby it is quoted as; ‘The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge (218).’ This is quite ironical because in reality, people are more accustomed to hearing things such as, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.’ However, in this case, the narrator states the opposite that the physical injuries that he has endured over the years, from Fortunato did not bother him, that he could bear them. What he could not bear was the insults of his family name by Fortunato. This is what made him swear revenge in regards to the issue at hand (Poe 144-148).
As the reader begins to read the story the author makes it very clear that Montresor wants revenge. The author tells us that the relationship between Montresor and Fortunato was not a good one. The first line of the story goes as follows “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” (Poe) Apparently, Fortunato had caused pain to Montresor multiple times in the past and Montresor was fed up with it, and finally decided to do something about it. As the story progresses the reader learns the different characteristics of each one of the men. Fortunato, the one who is killed is a jokester, the way the author tells the reader that is by describing his outfit at the carnival, which was a grand
In his time with his enemy Fortunato Montresor had used many of his words against him for what he had said to him before. Montressor greeted Fortunato in a classic matter stating "My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day!”. The saying represents how cultivated the 1700s character is by showing a formal greeting. Montresor also lives by his family morals and is also apparently well taught by them, trying to pass the family
Poe shows Montresors violent demonstration as macabre. Second, Poe represents the horror of the eventual death of Fortunato as macabre. Poe relates this horror through Fortunato thinking his situation to be “a very good joke” and a request to “let us be gone” (240). Although death is evident, Fortunato’s tries to negate his horror of death with the idea that he would be released due to it “growing late”, and his predicament being a rouse (240). Lastly, Poe uses Montresor’s succession of a murderous plot, and Fortunato’s suffrage and demise by a volatile nature as macabre as well.
In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor, the narrator, seeks revenge and justice for being insulted by his friend, Fortunato. Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs where a cask of amontillado is kept and buries him alive and then keeps it secret for the half of a century. However, Montresor does not explain how Fortunato insults him and the story seems to be a lack of evidence to support his motivation to kill Fortunato. In additional, the nature of their friendship is never fully explained which makes the readers wonder if they were ever truly friends or not. While Montresor pretends to be a good friend to Fortunato, it is strange that Fortunato does not realize the problems between them.
The short story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe is about revenge on Fortunato. After Fortunato says some insulting words he gets tricked into walking into a trap. His passion for wine made it easy for him to get fooled into walking down into a cellar. Once he gets to the end of the cellar he gets trapped by a wall that is built around him as a form of revenge. Fortunato is motivated to go into the cellar because he takes pride in knowing the best wine and he wants to prove that he would have better judgement than Luchesi.
It was known at the time that Montresor comes from a very proud family, and of course he had to punish Fortunato so he does not appear weak. The greatest example of Montresor’s pride is when he said “I must not only punish but punish with impunity.” (179). Although this is Montresor’s judgment, he will not accept it if it was for him “A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.” (179). Furthermore, Montresor obviously has planned for this revenge ahead of time and been waiting for the day that Fortunato will show up.