Preview

Revenge In Kate Murphy's The Futility Of Vengeance

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
615 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Revenge In Kate Murphy's The Futility Of Vengeance
The author of the article, “The Futility of Vengeance” explains that revenge is something that can lead to bad and uncomfortable situations for both the initial bully and the retaliator if appropriate actions are not taken. The author believes that revenge should be taken more seriously so that only one person can be considered the one in the wrong when it comes to legal matters. She talks about how the desire for revenge consumes people's lives, and leads them to do awful things. The author, Kate Murphy, includes examples of revenge scenarios such as Allen Kurzweil’s “Whipping boy” about how he got bullied as a kid, and how he finds and tracks down the bully. She uses this example to demonstrate that revenge is a very powerful motive when it comes to some people. She also explains how the victims just want to hear a heart filled apology, and she points out that is ironic because people will not say sorry after you take revenge. …show more content…
Montresor actions are similar to a terrorist and murderer. In the article “The Futility of Vengeance”, the author states, “[..] At its most extreme, the desire for vengeance fuels murder and terrorism”(Murphy 2). This quote can relate to Montresor because Montresor planned out his actions and let the dust settle, like other murderers and terrorists. Another big point in the story that Montresor relates to is the idea that most people seek revenge when their honor or their family’s name has been insulted. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” Poe states,” The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”(Poe 61). This quotes shows that Montresor feels like Fortunato insulted him, and that is why he seeks

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Cask of Amontillado essay

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Considering that he is the only source that we have, we must suppose he is being unreliable. To justify his actions through his words. Montresor was dedicated to his own point of view, which is cruel, vicious, shrewd, and bitter. Montresor doesn’t mind telling us about his torture and murder of Fortunato he thinks what he did was the right way to handle the situation.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To start with, Montresor had two rules on how to get the perfect revenge. Montresor says that, "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity," and to let Fortunado know why he was getting revenge (228). While Montresor was trying to get revenge, he could not get caugh by anyone. He did not want people to be suspicious about what he was doing. So Montresor planned it out so well that he would be able to get away with it. For Montresor's second rule he was suppose to let Fortunado know why he was getting revenge. To Understand each rule and know why Montresor did not get a perfect revenge the reader will have to keep reading.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Due to the fact that Montresor is crazy he is able to plot a big revenge on Fortunato. Montresor is aware of what he is doing which makes it all the more crazy."I ceased my labors and sat upon the bones(P.4,Li.2-4). This shows that Montresor is crazy because he wants to hear his friend suffer basically crying in his last breathes. It is easy to see that Montresor is not very stable in his own mind.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cask of Amontillado

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon, I vowed revenge.” Montresor has felt that he has been insulted by Fortunato and he seeks revenge upon him. Since Montresor is seeking revenge Fortunato has to watch out, but that may be hard because throughout the story Fortunato is gullible, full of pride, and is an alcoholic.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    mostresor essay 1

    • 559 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To begin with, Montresor is an unreliable narrator. I think this because in the beginning of the story,(174) Montresor does not give any background or evidence of being insulted by Fortunato. The texts says, “ The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could...” Usually, when you are blaming someone that has done wrong to you, you would give a background, or evidence that they are in the wrong. My reason number two is that Montresor exaggerates his feelings and actions in the story, which is also why I believe he is bragging about his crime. “There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time...I well knew, to ensure their immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned.” (176) Here is a perfect example of Montresor's bragging. He's basically saying that, he the best of the best, the head chief, and everyone knows when he says to do something, they do it.…

    • 559 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Through his words and subsequent deeds we can also identify the trait of sadism in Montresor. “A wrong is redressed when retribution overtakes its redresser,” claims Montresor. He continues, “It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.” Montresor's aims are clear. Redress his perceived wrongs, punish the man who he feels wronged him, and make himself known to his offender as the one who has killed him. And while doing so, make him suffer in a way equal to the pain Montresor must have felt when insulted by Fortunato.…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Revenge is another way for someone to get justice on someone as shown in the article "Revenge: Will You feel Better" by Karyn Hall. All valid points which she states resonates with everyday people. Her main points were recreating trust, thinking rationally, and how revenge is hardwired in people's own nature. Recreating trust is important in someone's relationship, it's shows that they care about it otherwise without that trust in the relationship can go awry. In which they do not try to carry out revenge on that person who wronged them. Consequently some people are not in the right emotional place to make rational decisions, which results in someone making a decision they will regret. Revenge is hardware into humanity's brain, it's everywhere…

    • 176 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    His emotional response was of controlled anger. Montresor may have had anger but it was hidden anger. Montresor didn’t show it in anyway to hint that he had loathing boiling inside him. He expressed this by saying, “ The thousand injuries of Fortunado I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed my revenge”. Montresor was a very solemn man, for he would not show his greatest anger, but he will avenge what caused it. This is stated when he said, “You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor's Insanity

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Montressor is a man whose heart is filled with nothing but revenge for his friend Fortunato who insulted him. He gets it by killing Fortunato in a very uncommon way during Carnival. Since he was able to successfully kill Fortunato and not get caught in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” this proves his sanity.…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    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…

    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    in a certain way, fortunato may have deserved some type of punishment for the continuous insults that he heaped upon montresor. whether that is true or not, montresor saw it that way. becuase of the various breaches of etiquette performed by fortunato, along with montresors background, it is clear that montresor did not later disagree with his decision to kill fortunato. even though by many standards, he was in the wrong, montresor felt justified through himself and his family. because of this, he will never show remorse for his…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The thousand injuries at the hands of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (Poe, 173). Montresor is so convinced of the righteousness of his convictions that he "must not only punish but punish with impunity" (Poe, 173). Montresor also states how he must not fail to "make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong" (Poe, 173). Montresor's words prove how his prideful obsessions have deluded his mind enough to believe that Fortunato's wrongs justify his agonizing death. Furthermore, Montresor believes he should go unpunished for his…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor is a character that let his anger get out of hand which led it to control his life causing him to spend his time trying to find a way to get impunic revenge. Montresor kicked off his duplicitous plan of retribution by greeting Fortunato with gratitude. “I continued as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile NOW was at the thought of his immolation” (1). By Montresor smiling it created an…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor's Insanity

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages

    First of all, ladies and gentlemen, Montresor clearly showed his insanity in his confession. Any normal person that can handle an insult would not take it to heart and injure him/ her a thousand times, but take the insult and let it go. Montresor proves he is incapable to reason, when he says, “ The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge (page 216).” Not only did he just state this, he has a motto that he lives by. Now this whole piece can prove his insanity by what he says and does. Throughout this whole event, Montresor was “planning” all to himself. Don’t you think that is insane? Also, when he says that he had faced a thousand injuries, but only swear to revenge when insulted, shows his madness. Obviously this proves his psychotic state of mind, because he swore to go choose death as a type of revenge only for an insult.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    my lief steel

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Montresor’s disruption in the story was due to the insult upon his name and family honor by his friend Fortunato. Fortunato used to pick on Montresor all the time. Infect Montresor said” The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could.” (Poe, 37)One example of these injuries is when Fortunato said to Montresor that he is not a Mason. Montresor never saw these injuries as a big issue. When Fortunat insulted Montresor’s family honor, Montresor got very upset, “but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”(Poe, 37). This shows Montresor’s anger .…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays