The Cask Of Amontillado Revenge Analysis
“Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.” A quote from Samuel Johnson, a writer who is known to be one of the greatest figures of the 18th century (Folkenflik, 2017). This quote can be related to the mindset of the character Montresor in Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado”; which tells a powerful story of revenge. The story starts with our main character and narrator Montresor wishing to seek revenge on Fortunato, a wine connoisseur who has insulted him. Montresor lures Fortunato to the Montresor family catacombs with the promise of a whole pipe of Amontillado, in which Fortunato agrees. While in the catacombs Montresor then chains Fortunato to a niche and plasters it up leaving
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Montresor already expresses his need for revenge and why he seeks it in the first line of the story; “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne the best I could; but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.”(Poe, 1846, p. 1). When reading this line it is noted that Montresor didn’t bear just one problem from Fortunato but several and what finally broke Montresor to start plotting his vengeance is that specific insult that was addressed to him. Montresor’s reaction can show that he acted out of anger, rage, annoyance or spite and these feelings are what led him to plot his revenge against Fortunato. Another way to look at this line is that the insult in question may have been grave or in a sense of high caliber as it is mentioned that Montresor decided to plot revenge after that insult that has been preceded by said thousands of injuries, this idea can also be supported when the line mentions that Fortunato ventured upon insult; the idea of the insult being ventured can show that this insult could be addressed personally and that Fortunato knows that this insult would offend Montresor, thus the reason for Montresor to seek revenge. Another line that suggests that the insult was Montresor’s basis for vengeance is; “I continued, as was my wont to smile at his face, and he did not perceive that my smile was at the thought of his immolation.”(p. 1). The line states that
Montresor already expresses his need for revenge and why he seeks it in the first line of the story; “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne the best I could; but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.”(Poe, 1846, p. 1). When reading this line it is noted that Montresor didn’t bear just one problem from Fortunato but several and what finally broke Montresor to start plotting his vengeance is that specific insult that was addressed to him. Montresor’s reaction can show that he acted out of anger, rage, annoyance or spite and these feelings are what led him to plot his revenge against Fortunato. Another way to look at this line is that the insult in question may have been grave or in a sense of high caliber as it is mentioned that Montresor decided to plot revenge after that insult that has been preceded by said thousands of injuries, this idea can also be supported when the line mentions that Fortunato ventured upon insult; the idea of the insult being ventured can show that this insult could be addressed personally and that Fortunato knows that this insult would offend Montresor, thus the reason for Montresor to seek revenge. Another line that suggests that the insult was Montresor’s basis for vengeance is; “I continued, as was my wont to smile at his face, and he did not perceive that my smile was at the thought of his immolation.”(p. 1). The line states that