In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe engages the reader by using point of view to emphasize the untrustworthiness of Montresor's, the narrator’s, character. For example, when Montresor had described how Fortunato had inflicted him with “[a] thousand injuries” and “ventured upon insult”, “[Montresor] vowed revenge” (1). This is the moment when the reader first experiences his unreliability as a narrator. Montresor had never specified the copious wounds that he had supposedly suffered from Fortunato and the severity of his offense. Furthermore, when Montresor had voiced out that Fortunato had ventured, in order words proceed with knowledge of risks, he had let bias trickle into his words. Us, the readers do not know whether or not Fortunato had intentionally insulted Montresor with malicious intentions, but in Montresor’s phrasing of words, it implies that he did indeed intended to do so. This not only makes the reader question the extent of exaggeration that Montresor inserts into his statements, but the reliability of the narrator as the story progresses. In addition, after Montresor had successfully, albeit reluctantly, finishes burying Fortunato in the alcove, he remarks: “My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs” (9). Here, one can see that Montresor had almost a moment in which he had felt guilt, yet had been quick to disregard it to the scenery. The dash indicated that Montresor added the latter portion onto his thoughts as more of an afterthought, rather than a…
with similar subject matter, because the murderer tells the reader how he commits his crime. Poe leaves the reader with many questions. The story, according Baraban, centers around the mystery of why Montressor feels compelled to kill. The reader must first answer other questions to make this determination. Has Montressor truly fulfilled his desire to avenge Fortunato…
The story starts out with Montresor running into Fortunato, his enemy who has irreparably insulted him, at a carnival. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (pg. 236). Carnivals put on performances, just as Montresor puts on a show for Fortunato by portraying that they are friends when, in reality, Montresor is plotting out his revenge for him. The setting then moves to the catacombs of the Montresors, where he lures Fortunato with the hope of getting a flagon of Amontillado. Montresor also puts on a show by continuously trying to get Fortunato to turn around, saying he can go get Luchesi, Fortunato’s competition in the wine business, and by mentioning repeatedly his concern for Fortunato’s health. “Come,” I said, “we will go back; your health is precious….Besides, there is Luchesi-” (pg. 238) He makes the reader picture the catacomb as dark, never ending, and deathly by saying, “The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with nitre” (pg. 237). Poe creates this nightmare of “the innermost recess of the catacombs” by describing the bones and intermingled puncheons (pg. 238).…
Claiming to have suffered many insults from the latter, the aristocrat Montresor—whose name mon trésor “my treasure” calls to mind leisurely indolence and curbs our sympathy for the unlikely hero—vows revenge. He leads Fortunato to his doom in the meandering catacombs. The greatest weapon yielded by Montresor is his clever, witty art of manipulation. He utilizes reverse psychology and can thus control many weaker characters. Fortunato, already grappling with the clutches of inebriation, is an easy prey: “You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as I once was”[2], croons our protagonist. The plump Fortunato is deceived into believing that his health and well-being are of importance to Montresor. Reverse psychology plays an important role in the story, without it Montresor would never have succeeded in luring Fortunato into and through the catacombs. Reverse psychology also contributes to the horror of “The Cask of Amontillado.” It is not physical horror; rather, it is a mental…
"the thounsand injuries of fortunaton i had borne as best as i could but when he ventured upon insult i vowed revenge' in thos qoute is dose not relate to whom he is taling to in fortuato has never been described. Fortunato contemplates his desire for his revenage and his plan to 'not only punish,but punish with impunity.' that is.to punish Fortunato without the being caught or punish himself.his detemind not to act in secrecy,for fortunato must know that his pain is handed to him by Montresor.…
An element of symbolism is expressed when the story turns its attention to Fortunato’s and Montresor’s clothes. “He [Fortunato] had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells.” This symbolizes Fortunato’s foolishness in listening to Montresor, and ignoring the growing danger Montresor was leading him into. The symbolism also reveals how Montresor fools Fortunato into venturing deep in the catacombs by getting him drunk. In addition, Montresor uses Fortunato’s…
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…
The over-all tone of the piece is very vital when it comes to truly understanding the passage and the novel as a whole. The tone of this passage is much more positive than the majority of the novel itself. In the last two paragraphs the tone changes from a harsh morning to a light hearted and hopeful mood for the monster. By repetition of the word “pleasant” the reader can easily picture the scene being described and is almost false hope for the monster when he later attempts to socialize with other humans and is bitterly rejected.…
Edgar Allen Poe's dark and gloomy mood lives on in his book "The Cask of Amontillado," which is the story of a revenge seeking companion. Fortunato offended Montresor bad enough to make him crave revenge. Montresor's persuasive and cunning way with words helps him lead Fortunato deep into the catacombs, where Montresor shackles Fortunato to the wall before sealing in him and his fate. If Montresor wasn't so thorough in his crime or his revenge as he calls it, then it wouldn't be possible that he was still innocent after fifty years. Being persuasive, cunning and thorough in life are extremely good characteristics because you can get things done quickly and efficiently, but Montresor uses these traits to trick Fortunato in the most cruel and heartless way.…
I think the author wants the readers to feel suspense and anxious to know what’s going to happen next. I felt anxious trying to figure what Montresor was going to do to Fortunato, I didn’t expect him to intoxicate him with wine and basically bury him alive.…
This proves how Fortunato’s betrayal did not go unpunished, nor ignored by Montresor, who yearned for revenge. Poe continues to portray punitiveness and betrayal by stating, “No answer…
Malingering is considered a fabrication of physical and psychological symptoms for secondary gain, such as financial compensation and drug use (Richie, 2014). This article provides useful strategies for detecting insincere and exaggerated psychotic symptoms. In addition, this article reviews psychometric tools that detect malingering. The author noted that having knowledge and increased awareness of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder symptoms is beneficial in detecting malingering. With the adequate knowledge of psychotic disorders, counselors can be more aware of incongruent affect and behavior. Additionally, the author stated that counselors can provide informal or formal interviews and self-administered assessments to detect…
Antidepressants are generally all the name says, drugs used to treat depression.The antidepressants are drugs that minimizes the symptoms that are related to depression. It’s a perfect balance of chemicals that are often called trigger drugs. The medicine treats the symptoms by using chemical imbalances of the neurotransmitters located in the brain to send correcting signals. To completely understand how antidepressants work you must understand the reason of why they were created and what are the factors that they are trying to work against. The chemicals in the antidepressants send a signal to the brain that that triggers something inside of the human that makes them want to get up and get active which leds to them being more active and more sociable.…
“The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Scarlet Ibis” both utilize symbols to demonstrate suspense and irony in their plots to develop a theme of alienation and isolation. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” there are different symbols to help the invention of suspense and irony. One symbol in particular would be the name Montresor itself. This name shows the characterization of a monster. As Fortunato gives his last plea, Montresor sarcastically converses with Fortunato saying, “‘Yes,’ I said, ‘let us be gone.’ ‘For the love of God, Montresor!’ ‘Yes, I said, ‘for the love of God,’” and by this Montresor is trying to convey that Fortunato will die while Montresor lives on, knowing that he got revenge (Poe 11). Another symbol found in “The Cask of Amontillado” is dusk. Dusk and the lack of light symbolize the closing of the day, and Montresor’s race against time to get his revenge on Fortunato, to close Fortunato’s life. The mood conveyed…
Three sources were searched from Opposing Viewpoints in Context, all peer reviewed and credible. The articles are: Antidepressants Are an Effective Treatment for Depression by Betty Smartt Carter, Exercise Can Be Psychologically Harmful by Rebecca Prussian, & The Results of Electroconvulsive Therapy Are Unpredictable by Benedict Carey. All three have viewpoints on some of the different types of treatments for depression: antidepressants, exercise, plus electroconvulsive therapy. The first article is for antidepressants, saying that they are an effective treatment for depression. The second is against exercise, that it is psychologically harmful. Finally, the third finds shock therapy to be unpredictable and inconclusive. Each article shows the pros as well as the cons of each treatment.…