Internal Conflict In The Cask Of Amontillado

For a story to be a good story, it has to keep the audience thinking during and long after the story is finished, through its display of literary elements. “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe has many literary elements that give identity to the story. Through point of view, the audience enters the story through the mind of a madman, a man that if the audience had a choice, would keep their distance from. Through theme, the venom of revenge is pierced into the minds of the readers. Through internal conflict, the readers are forced to take a deeper look into the story to figure out Montresor. “The Cask of the Amontillado” is the best short story we have read because its elements lead us on an exciting journey. In this story, the point of view makes a huge difference of the reader’s takeaway. Montresor’s thoughts are so vindictive it’s hard to believe. “I continued, as my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe 59). Montresor states here that he smiles at Fortunato, but his smile is deceptive. He is smiling only because he knows that he will
Montresor betrays a so-called friend in order to get revenge for an unnamed reason. “ ‘A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.’ ‘And the motto?’ ‘Nemo me impune lacessit.’(Nobody provokes me with impunity). ” (Poe 61). Here Montresor slyly lets Fortunato in on what he plans to do to him. Obviously Montresor feels like Fortunato is the serpent rampant, and he has to crush him because as he said, nobody provokes him with impunity. This means that Fortunato will not get away with whatever he did to Montresor. I think that this whole story is driven by revenge because Montresor made up a cask, just to lure Fortunato into a trap. He went through all that trouble make sure Fortunato got what he