Pride in "The Cask of Amontillado"

"Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” The gothic novella, “The Cask of Amontillado”, was written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1846. The main characters, Montresor and Fortunado, are seemingly civilized acquaintances that have crossed paths in the past. Montresor had multiple reasons for murdering Fortunado, and had no doubt in his mind that it was necessary and just for him to do so. The main reason is pride, which both characters show an abundance of throughout the entire story. Fortunado insulted Montresor’s family and Montresor swore his revenge, making his life goal and duty to make sure Fortunado receives his deserved fate. Even on his deathbed, Montresor is still full of pride, seen as he makes his last confession, proving that he is proud of the murder he committed fifty years prior.
It is important for the reader the realize not only that Montresor murdered Fortunado out of revenge, but why the insult meant so much to him and how Montresor actually felt about it. The story itself gives almost no historical background to either of the characters, and the only fact learned about them is the fact that they are prideful men. Fortunado shows pride in his wine connoisseurship and his membership in the masons. The wine connoisseurship was also ironically Fortunado’s weak point and ultimately led him to his death. Montressor took advantage of the fact that Fortunado supposedly knows wine better than anyone else to lure him into the vaults. According to Robert E. Morsberger, “The pride…becomes grotesquely disproportionate and leads him [Fortunado] into the trap.” (4) Montresor was obviously angry with Fortunado and murdered him for some reason. Evidence read in the story proves to the reader that in actuality Montresor murdered out of revenge because his pride was treaded on more than lightly. From the very beginning of the story, Montresor’s pride in himself is spoken of