The cask of amatilldo

The main lesson Edgar Allen Poe was trying to illustrate, in “The Cask of Amontillado”, is that the outcome of revenge is never as sweet as it appears. The narrator, Montresor, has been wronged by Fortunato and Montresor plans to make Fortunato pay for his actions one hundred percent. Montresor thinks that killing Fortunato will resolve his feelings and he will feel empowered and triumphant afterwards. He wants revenge but does not want Fortunato to have any effect on his feelings: “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (1593). Although Fortunato does not respond in the manner that Montresor had expected. Everything goes exactly how he had planned, that is until he is about to final place the last brick. Up until that point Montresor is so proud of himself and he feels like his plan is finally coming together perfectly. Somehow sealed behind a thick wall, Fortunato has managed to kill Montresor’s enthusiasm. Montresor called Fortunato’s name numerous times and he heard no reply: “There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” (1597). For the last time, Fortunato would insult Montresor once again. Poe’s main metaphor in the story is Montresor’s family crest: “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel” (1595). This crest is a perfect illustration of this short story. Montresor is the human walking in the field and Fortunato is the serpent. Montresor could have chosen just to avoid the snake and both parties could have not suffered and consequences. But, Montresor went out of his way to crush the snake, and through that ended up injuring himself. Although the man won the altercation and the snake will most likely die, they both would have been better off if they left each other alone. Montresor began to put his revenge on a pedestal. He thought he would achieve so much if he