Poe's Cask of Amontillado
In "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allen Poe explores the depths and perversity of the human mind. The protagonist and narrator Montresor endured being the brunt of many jokes and one insult made by his friend Fortunato. Montresor reached the point where he could not take this treatment anymore and reconciled to the idea of punishing Fortunato with impunity. In order to bait Fortunato into his well-devised trap, Montresor remained on the surface an amiable comrade so that Fortunato would not expect the horrific tragedy that waited for him. Ultimately Montresor achieves his goal of punishing the unsuspecting Fortunato by flattering him on his connoisseurship in wine and luring him into the catacombs of the Montresor family. I believe Montresor probably thought he would forget about his sin over time, but he did not. Fifty years later Montresor cheerfully confesses to the reader that he buried Fortunato alive and escaped punishment. Montresor calculated the murder of Fortunato very well. One can see that he gave serious thought and time to the orchestration of the murder because it was performed flawlessly. Montresor was not apprehended or suspected by the police for he went for fifty years without any penalty. On the su
Montresor states, "Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me" (Poe page unknown). It is hard to believe that Montresor even had a conscience because of the callous steps taken to entomb his foe. He believes that everything that transpired was a series of natural causes and effects and that he is not mad. Poe leaves little doubt that the narrator has violated his own mind and humanity, that the external act has had its destructive inner consequences" (313). His rationalization of how the large black cat appeared on his wall is farfetched to his audience but makes perfect sense to him. Montresor does achieve his goal of making Fortunato suffer and ponder what he has done to deserve this death sentence. Montresor does not attempt to give Fortunato a motive for his actions or even try to hint to Fortunato what he has done wrong. Fortunato does not understand what he has done to deserve this torture, and remains silent as Montresor finishes his work. However, there are some like the protagonists in Poe's literature that lose control and act out in inconceivable ways. His chilling stories are intended to warn people of what the mind is capable of. To add insult to injury, Montresor taunted Fortunato outside of the tomb while slowly walling up the cavity. However, Montresor does not have peace of mind because he remains fixated on what he has done and is never sure if Fortunato realizes the error of his ways.
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Acceptance Essays
