Edgar Allen Poes Story \"The Cask Amontillado\"

¶ … Edgar Allen Poes story "The Cask Amontillado" You write, setting, theme story, point veiw, plt, language signifagace story. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO Edgar Allan Poe (1846) THE thousand injuries Fortunato I borne I, ventured insult I vowed revenge.

Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" - analysis

Edgar Allen Poe's 1846 short story "The Cask of Amontillado" puts across an account involving a vindictive character who tries to reinforce his self-esteem by luring the person he considers his enemy into a situation that would do him justice. It is difficult to determine whether the aggressor actually has the reasons to punish his enemy or if he is simply insane and uses an unspecified event as a motive to go through with committing his crime. However, his insanity is controversial when considering the complex nature of the plot and the obvious feeling of satisfaction that the protagonist experiences as he acknowledges that his enemy is no longer able to hurt him.

The story's protagonist, Montresor, is a particularly proud individual and it appears that he is determined to protect his name and honor whenever he is provided with the chance to do so. He most probably lives in Venice, as he and his companions prepare for the Carnival as the story begins. The fact that Montresor is determined to get revenge regardless of circumstances means that he is an extremely arrogant person and that justice is not necessarily a concept that he considers to be important. Instead, he focuses on using horrible means to punish the person he considers responsible for having hurt him greatly.

It is difficult to look at Montresor as a trustworthy individual, concerning that he is reluctant to provide lawmen with the chance to apply justice and that he decides to be the arbitrator, the board of judges, and the killer in this situation. The protagonist's appearance at the time when he commits the crime further contributes to making him seem as a ruthless person, regardless of the fact that he believes that it would be perfectly normal for him to adopt a vindictive attitude regarding Fortunato.

In contrast to Montresor, Fortunato is dressed as a jester, this making it possible for readers to comprehend that Poe wanted to display this character as a person who is easily fooled and as being a victim in this overall chain of events. Fortunato is particularly impressed with the Carnival and becomes extremely glad when he realizes that it is likely for Montresor to have a pipe of Amontillado. While it is impossible to understand why Montresor wants to murder his friend, it is nonetheless intriguing to consider Fortunato's attitude toward him and the fact that his friend does not hesitate to insult Luchresi when he gets the opportunity to do so.

Considering his opinion concerning Luchresi, one might get the feeling that Fortunato is the type of individual who uses words without actually intending to insult someone, as he simply wants to make a point and does not express interest in the effect that his thinking can have on others. It is very probable that this was the case with Montresor and that this influenced the protagonist in wanting to get revenge.

Montresor is a proud person with a complex family history, this meaning that it is difficult and almost impossible for him to accept being insulted by other individuals. The fact that he emphasizes the meaning of his family's coat of arms further contributes to providing readers with the feeling that this is an individual who cannot possibly accept insults, regardless of whether or not they are meant to hurt them.

Fortunato's failure to understand why Montresor would want to hurt him is essential in demonstrating that the victim did not necessarily perform a horrible act. The story is generally meant to show that honor is valued differently by individuals, as each person involves more or less passion in trying to protect the concept. Some might believe that there is nothing wrong with insulting others in order to make a point while others are likely to feel that the only way for them to recover their self-esteem would be if they murdered the persons responsible for trashing their names.

The conversation between the two central characters regarding the idea of masonry has a series of meanings. While Fortunato brings on the idea of being a mason as being a member of a cult, Montresor actually speaks about literally being a mason. Poe's main intent at this point was to emphasize that the sincerity associated with being a stonemason could actually be more dangerous with the one associating to being a member of the Masonic cult.