The Cask of Amontillado
Kaela MacLaren
Alan Harrington
English 192B
February 4th 2013
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe
Montressor is a psychopath. Montressor’s rage and hunt for revenge is evident from the beginning when he says, “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (101). Although we never knew what true insult had offended Montressor to the point of plotting revenge; but we do know he wasn’t happy about it. He says he “must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (101). His revenge was to be severe. From this much planning and plotting the demise of someone, there must be some sense of pride that goes along with it. Montressor was proud of his murderous act. He is gloating about committing the perfect crime, “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them” (105). He had committed the perfect crime. He has kept the bones in his closet, so to speak, hidden for over fifty years. Montressor plays on his friends’ pride, his pride in knowing the best wines. Even though travelling down to the catacombs has a troubling health consequence Fortunato still chooses to follow Montressor down because he does not want to by upstages by another. “Let us go, nonetheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado” (102). Montressor feeds on this pride, he feeds Fortunatos ego the whole way down to the tomb.
He also doesn’t show any remorse for his crime. Even while committing his crime he felt nothing but the sheer satisfaction of fulfilling his revenge. Screaming “Yes...for the love of God!" (105) after Furtunato, in shock, yelled the same thing. Also while imprisioning Furtunato joining in as he “replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I reechoed -- I aided -- I surpassed them in volume and in strength” (105). All the while he was gloating, reveling in his revenge. Revenge is
Alan Harrington
English 192B
February 4th 2013
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe
Montressor is a psychopath. Montressor’s rage and hunt for revenge is evident from the beginning when he says, “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (101). Although we never knew what true insult had offended Montressor to the point of plotting revenge; but we do know he wasn’t happy about it. He says he “must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (101). His revenge was to be severe. From this much planning and plotting the demise of someone, there must be some sense of pride that goes along with it. Montressor was proud of his murderous act. He is gloating about committing the perfect crime, “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them” (105). He had committed the perfect crime. He has kept the bones in his closet, so to speak, hidden for over fifty years. Montressor plays on his friends’ pride, his pride in knowing the best wines. Even though travelling down to the catacombs has a troubling health consequence Fortunato still chooses to follow Montressor down because he does not want to by upstages by another. “Let us go, nonetheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado” (102). Montressor feeds on this pride, he feeds Fortunatos ego the whole way down to the tomb.
He also doesn’t show any remorse for his crime. Even while committing his crime he felt nothing but the sheer satisfaction of fulfilling his revenge. Screaming “Yes...for the love of God!" (105) after Furtunato, in shock, yelled the same thing. Also while imprisioning Furtunato joining in as he “replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I reechoed -- I aided -- I surpassed them in volume and in strength” (105). All the while he was gloating, reveling in his revenge. Revenge is