Montresor is a well-layered character, filled with an unbridled hatred that drives his need for revenge. He uses his skills with deadly accuracy to achieve his ultimate goal: the destruction of Fortunato. Turning Fortunato’s own weaknesses against him, Montresor is able to lure Fortunato deep within the catacombs. He is clever and patient, biding his time until Fortunato is inebriated and away from the sights and sounds of the carnival before approaching him. Montresor is elaborate and methodical in his planning.
Montresor says all cordial comments about Fortunato making him believe Montresor cares about his health. Montresor is actually going to kill Fortunato and Montresor will be overjoyed when Fortunato is dead. Another time irony provides the reader with more than the character’s knowledge is when Fortunato is dressed up for the carnival: he wears a parti-striped clown suit covered with bells (372). This is ironic considering that Fortunato is dressed up as a literal fool. However, he does not know that Montresor is actually treating him as a fool and that he is agreeing to follow Montresor to his death.
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 the beginning of the short story, Montresor defines revenge on his friend Fortunato for believing he has insulted him. Montresor has become angry that his friend is taking advantage of him and overlooking at him like a fool,
Between two families, there was conflict because one family hurt another in a very bad way. Fortunato has wronged Montresor, but his ignorance leads him to think Montresor is his friend. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “A Cask of Amontillado” portrays the symbolic meaning of Fortunato’s death through some examples of instances where Poe symbolizes the Montresor motto, the laying of the bricks, and the jingling bells. First and foremost, the
Montresor and Hop-Frog were both hurt in the same ways; their pride was wounded. Those who hurt these two characters also had great pride. Fortunato prided himself in wine, and considered himself to be a connoisseur of wine. The King and his ministers prided themselves in jokes and practical jokes. Montresor used Fortunato’s love of wine to lure him into the catacombs, where he could take his revenge.
Poe’s love of wordplay and symbolism is ever present throughout the story, starting with the names of the characters holding different meanings. For example, the main characters of the story, Fortunato and Montresor. Montresor’s name comes from the French word “Mon Tresor”, meaning my treasure or wealth (Pittman). However, Montresor’s treasure had somehow been diminished by the slandering done by Fortunato (Poe never mentions what happened between them). The character named Fortunato, the Italian word for fortunate, ironically only
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
While it can be true that pride is always followed by destruction. Revenge can be a deliberate act of inflicting injury on others to right a wrong that was done to ones self. The mind at times can be consumed with the act of revenge, that is can sent one down a path of destruction. Montresor decides to seek revenge against Fortunato who is a prideful man, for the insults that were made against him and his family. This act of revenge follows Montresor for years.
When it comes to writting performance, Poe is so graceful with his purpose from sentence to sentence. Poe starts his story in a strange way because readers do not know exactly about Fortunato’s personaily, he insults Montresor whether seriously or not which enables him to receive severe revenge and the result of Fortunato is seemingly predicted : “ A wrong is unredressed....who has done the wrong” (1). In addition, every single detail contains many implications of irony. The name of the victim, Fortunato, means “ the fortunate one”. The most terrible actions are executed in a carnival atmosphere of happiness.