Conqueror Worm Thesis

Dezzie B. Ligon III 10/30/12
English 5 Mr. Rabot
Without Recourse
Thesis: The act of death is that of many intricate parts. It is destined, at times a mystery that is sought, frequently sudden and ill accepted, and recurrently caused by vengeance lacking true justice.
Title: “Conqueror Worm” In life lies destiny, in destiny lies death. The poem “Conqueror Worm” by Edgar Allan Poe exemplifies this fact by portraying man as a tragedy and a worm as the hero. The poem is set as a play with a plot telling of
After the curtain’s fall the angels then confirm “that the play is the tragedy “Man”, and its hero the Conqueror Worm.” The theme of this poem is conveyed to the reader in the quote “The mimes become its food”. The meaning of this is that in the end, all of man is destined to die and become worm food. His use of diction in the choosing of the word “become” instead of a word such as “are” tells the reader that man is not born as worm food, but as destiny catches up they will inevitably succumb to such a fate. Additionally, although the Conqueror Worm is the collection of all worms that ultimately devour man’s bodies, it is also the embodiment of death itself. Surprisingly, Poe uses this embodiment of death as the protagonist of the story. This then creates the conflict of Man vs. Death, or
The short story “The Cask of Amontillado” portrays this idea through the recount of a vengeful plot devised by the narrator Montresor. At its beginning it is shown that Montresor held a grudge against Fortunato. Montresor says “when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”. Fortunato’s insult is unknown but to the narrator it is quite serious. He then with the use of reverse psychology, tricks Fortunato into becoming intoxicated and into a niche hidden deep within the Montresor catacombs. Montresor then easily overcomes the drunken Fortunato and chains him within the niche. To finish his plot of revenge he walls Fortunato into his newfound tomb. The underlying theme of the story is conveyed in the quote “I hastened to make an end of my labor”. At first glance it would seem this is simply referring to Montresor and his completion of his makeshift wall, but it has a much stronger hidden meaning. The use of the word “end” refers to the sentence given to the convicted and the use of the word “labor” is that of the arduous take of being jury, judge, and executioner. Montresor, driven by vengeance, creates his own untrue law and condemns the accused to a penalty not of death but that which will inevitably lead to such a fate. This odd “sentence” of Fortunato by Montresor can also be originally seen in the line “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.” Here Montresor says he has to punish him, but in a paradoxical