Preview

Archetypes In The Cask Of Amontillado

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
755 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Archetypes In The Cask Of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado

“The Cask of Amontillado” is an interesting short story about a man, Montreso, who feels he has been wronged in the past and who seeks extreme retaliation on the person who has committed this evil deed. Evidence of this is found in the passage from the story: “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.” This is a clue as to what is to follow in the story. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story filled with trickery and deception. It takes place in stage five on the epic map, in which a man strives to get his revenge and satisfaction. Several unusual and strange archetypes can be found throughout the story. The narrator, Montresor, speaks many times in the story about how he has been wronged in the past by Fortunato. The narrator never indicates as to what the evil deed was for which Montresor is seeking retaliation. We know that the story takes place at station five on the epic map, the work. Montresor appears to be striving to get out of the pit. He feels as if his friend, Fortunato, has put him in the pit because of an unspecified insult that occurred many years ago. To emerge from the pit Montresor feels he must get revenge by burying Fortunato alive, deep
…show more content…
It is rather difficult to archetype this character, because the reader is never told why Montresor is seeking vengeance. Fortunato can be archetyped as the scapegoat. The name Fortunato is an Italian word meaning fortunate, and this is very ironic, since he is not so fortunate at the conclusion of this story. I feel as if Fortunato may have never personally done anything to wrong Montresor, but instead, it seems as if Montresor may be jealous of Fortunato. With Fortunato being the archetype scapegoat, Montresor seems to be satisfied because of the ultimate misfortune of Fortunato. This idea of jealousy is also evident in the following quote. “You are rich, respected, admired, beloved: you are happy, as once I

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    First, we will speak about Fortunato’s tragic flaw: His ego. We see throughout the story that Fortunato believes himself to be the best at what he does. Believes himself to be the best wine connoisseur there is. It is due to this flaw that Montresor was able…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Revenge is a very prevalent attribute in everyone 's mental thought process especially if you…

    • 861 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cask of Amontillado

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon, I vowed revenge.” Montresor has felt that he has been insulted by Fortunato and he seeks revenge upon him. Since Montresor is seeking revenge Fortunato has to watch out, but that may be hard because throughout the story Fortunato is gullible, full of pride, and is an alcoholic.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Due to the fact that Montresor is crazy he is able to plot a big revenge on Fortunato. Montresor is aware of what he is doing which makes it all the more crazy."I ceased my labors and sat upon the bones(P.4,Li.2-4). This shows that Montresor is crazy because he wants to hear his friend suffer basically crying in his last breathes. It is easy to see that Montresor is not very stable in his own mind.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Cask of the Amontillado” is a short story by Edgar Allen Poe. It is about a most likely deranged man who exacts revenge on his old friend for an unknown insult. The sotry’s tone is very dark and serious and has an equally dismal atmosphere. The plot contains many literary elements such as symbolism and foreshadow.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    mostresor essay 1

    • 559 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To begin with, Montresor is an unreliable narrator. I think this because in the beginning of the story,(174) Montresor does not give any background or evidence of being insulted by Fortunato. The texts says, “ The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could...” Usually, when you are blaming someone that has done wrong to you, you would give a background, or evidence that they are in the wrong. My reason number two is that Montresor exaggerates his feelings and actions in the story, which is also why I believe he is bragging about his crime. “There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time...I well knew, to ensure their immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned.” (176) Here is a perfect example of Montresor's bragging. He's basically saying that, he the best of the best, the head chief, and everyone knows when he says to do something, they do it.…

    • 559 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Due to the revenge that arises from jealousy and pride, the Montresor, the protagonist, is so deeply involved in his thoughts of revenge from Fortunato, he does not even state why he seeks out revenge and the motive behind it. Pride, jealousy and the concept of killing someone go back to the time when people first came around. In the article, by Renee, she states when thoughts of revenge are developed in a person’s mind, it causes him to go insane and there is no time for second thoughts (1). The very first sentence from the story is “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge,” this clearly depicts the major theme of the story, enrooted in Montresor’s mind (DiYanni…

    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    in a certain way, fortunato may have deserved some type of punishment for the continuous insults that he heaped upon montresor. whether that is true or not, montresor saw it that way. becuase of the various breaches of etiquette performed by fortunato, along with montresors background, it is clear that montresor did not later disagree with his decision to kill fortunato. even though by many standards, he was in the wrong, montresor felt justified through himself and his family. because of this, he will never show remorse for his…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Still, it also is a complex situation open to individual interpretation. Montresor plan of murder is motivated by a number of insults which are never mention in the story. However, the constantly indication of his family to be involved on the conflict may well take the reader to believe on a possible payback for some past encounter between families of society and power. The narrator’s tone when describing Fortunato, is a held feeling of likely envy, “You are rich, respected, admired, beloved, you are happy, as once I was.” Montresor sees on Fortunato, what he proclaims had once and misses at the moment. Therefore, Montresor reliability is to be…

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Cask of Amontillado” is quite an abusive story written by Edgar Allan Poe. The story starts off when Fortunato, the antagonist, insults Montresor, the villain protagonist. Montresor plots for revenge against Fortunato in harsh ways. In order to succeed, he has to maintain characteristics of being deft, cautious, and hard-hearted.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Also, he is clever when he tricks Fortunato into accompanying him down into the taste the wine, and when he plan to take revenge on Fortunato. He made perfect plan to murdered Fortunato by making him “Drunk more win than was good for him” (page 69). Another personality was heartless, “will not they be a waiting us at the palazzo, the lady Fortunato and the rest let us gone, yes, I said; let us be gone For the Love of God, Montresor There came forth only the jingling of the Bells” (page 72). He listens to the begging of Fortunato to be let go, but he ignores him. Also, he keeps him from pushing in the final brick and sending Fortunato to…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Cask of Amonitillado” is a great example of a revenge story but why the narrator deserves this revenge is not clear. The atmosphere of the story gives of a very dark and sad place already portraying the crazy and sad world the narrator lives in. And the narrator believes that he has the right to revenge himself from Fortunato. While the narrator is luring Fortunato into the catacombs he plays mind games and play on words to…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The thousand injuries at the hands of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (Poe, 173). Montresor is so convinced of the righteousness of his convictions that he "must not only punish but punish with impunity" (Poe, 173). Montresor also states how he must not fail to "make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong" (Poe, 173). Montresor's words prove how his prideful obsessions have deluded his mind enough to believe that Fortunato's wrongs justify his agonizing death. Furthermore, Montresor believes he should go unpunished for his…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery Symbolism

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In “The Cask of Amontillado” the theme revenge can be perceived with Montresor’s wishes to make Fortunato pay for insulting him. Montresor, an unreliable narrator, kills his rival (Fortunato) without thinking about it twice. Although, he does give Fortunato a chance to save himself by asking if he wishes to go back, when…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first thing I realized about Montresor was his vengefulness, or his desire to harm. At the opening we read that Montresor has vowed revenge against Fortunato. The story opens with “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (Poe, 1). It is there we see the animosity Montresor had toward Fortunato. In the beginning Montressor also said “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (Poe, 1). That too revealed the resentment he had towards his friend.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays