Introduction to Revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado”
The nature of the character Montresor, how he weaves a web around his victim Fortunate, a character in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, shows that human nature is not only inexplicable but also unpredictable. Even a slight joke, which if considered an “insult” (Poe 1), could be fatal for a person. Montresor states that just a slight insult led him to conclude that Fortunato, otherwise his close friend, in whose death he would demonstrate his true nature. If Fortunato has insulted him by not refraining from making fun of him, he would surely have to pay for it. Even though he belongs to the gentry and lives a highly popular life, once Montresor makes up his mind, he goes for it and takes his life. Commenting about Montresor, Patrick McGrath said, “none are quite as deranged as the narrator of “The Cask of Amontillado” … [whose] story opens with a threat” (McGrath). Not only he makes a plot but goes for its implementation. From the very start, he enters the stage with a bang of “the thousand injuries” (Poe 1). He shows not only his patience but also his fury. He makes up his mind to redress what happened in the past. He then spots weaknesses in the character of Fortunato, picks up his habits, and exploits them to the point where he falls in his lap like a ripe apple. He knows when to choose the right moment, where to trap his victim, and how to take him to the depths of his catacombs. With precise and measured steps, he arranges for his death. Therefore, there is one point that needs debate. It is how he exacts his revenge that is quite clear, but the most important thing is the evil machinations he uses. This is a psychological aspect of his character that he uses all his machinations besides exploiting the weaknesses in the character of Fortunato, then chooses the right time of the year and of that night, and manipulates him through deception.
Exploitation of Human Nature in “The Cask of Amontillado”
Most of the acts of Montresor, the murderer, are based on the exploitation of the weaknesses in human character. As McGrath has further stated about him that “fictional narrative and psychotic illness are mutually exclusive entity” (McGrath) where such characters could possibly be either one of these or both. After swearing to exact revenge on his friend, he starts looking for his weaknesses to exploit them. His major idea is not to put his own life at risk. Like every other person, Fortunato certainly has a weakness and one of them is his expertise in wine, while the other is flattery. It becomes a secondary weakness that Montresor just finds out when mentioning his rival Luchresi, with the idea that he would feel jealous, and it exactly happens. Commenting on his plot, Gargano states that “His reasoned, “cool” intelligence weaves an intricate plot” that destroys his very humanity (Gargano 179). In other words, it makes him different from that the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” He is better in that he succeeds in concealing his murder for more than fifty years, but the narrator of the other tale could not keep it a secret even for fifty minutes and speaks out in the same house where he commits the crime. However, Montresor, not only conceals it but also keeps it in his memory. His exploitation includes flattery at the very start when he praises him for his connoisseurship of wine, and then arouses his jealousy with the mention of his rival. In order to further enhance his thirst and curiosity, he mentions the name of Luchreshi repeatedly saying only he is at the top. He also mentions his disease, and the effects of the seasons on his mind so that he should know that he takes care of him. But his real objective is to strengthen his plot and not to leave him. And up to the point of that hidden corner, he was really successful that he brought him of his own volition.
Psychological Issue in “The Cask of Amontillado”
Had Montresor been a psycho-case, it must have been different on the occasion of the great carnival, but again he displayed his extreme sagacity by choosing the right time to bring him down to his catacombs. He selects the occasion of the carnival not on some premeditated thoughts but just by coincidence. It shows that he is capable of thinking at the moment and weaving his plot accordingly. This just props up in his mind that he could make further excuses to convince Fortunato that he needs “I have received a piple of what passess for Amontillado” (3). It is his shot, and it did not miss his target. The target is with him on his way to his death chamber. The joining of his passion with his taste is really a good idea, but the excellent plot is to weave it at the right moment and then exploit it further. Gabbard states that he “lures his victim” through his tricks” (Gabbard 18-19) and one of them is the trick of using the time to his own advantage. Moreover, when he states that “It was midnight” (Poe 5) which shows that the selection of midnight or to trap and kill at night was not merely a coincidence. He has thought long and hard to conclude that he could kill him and live for another day, only after he executes this task at night. However, it is further supplemented with the use of flattery, jealousy, and extra caution in asking about his health repeatedly. But the real choice is the choice of time that seems to show Montresor working at his best.
Manipulation of Habit in “The Cask of Amontillado”
Habits are die-hard and never leave a person. A person is often caught or trapped through his/her habits and if you catch a person by exploiting his habits, you are a great dissembler that you do not let the victim knows what, when, or how you pose. Montresor is exactly that sort of person. One thing is perhaps due to the word “mask” in the very title of the story. As Gargano states that Montresor actually has a “black silk” mask and Fortunato is “in the motley of a fool” (Gargano). This is the mask of amontillado that is black and under this mask, he uses his deceptiveness. The mask he wears is complete and perfect in that he never lets his victim knows at any stage what is happening inside his mind. Montresor is hellbent on hiding his ”good will” (Poe 1). This goodwill is to show him that he is the well-wisher of Fortunato. On the one hand, he exploits his habits as stated earlier, and on the other hand, he does not demonstrate any transformation in his own habit “to smile in his face” (2). This is a devilish way of trapping any enemy – a supreme method to exhibit that he has nothing bad against him. But his deception is due to the factor that although Fortunato is a well-respected man in his community, he is also “feared” (2). This is the basis of his deception. This means that had Fortunato known at any moment his evil intentions, Montresor’s own life would have been in danger. Not only does he escort him with glee but also demonstrates the same warmth in return for his “excessive warmth” (2) until he blurts out that “you are luckily met” (3). The extreme moment comes in the catacomb when he brings him to the corner and still hides his evil intentions in his broad smile that Fortunato only thinks it a “very good joke indeed” (7). This is despite the fact that he is almost sure that he has been trapped. This is the point where he hurries to complete his task of trapping him to ensure his slow death. And his deception is executed flawlessly.
Conclusion of Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado”
In nutshell, Montresor is a great dissembler. Leaving aside all psychological theories applied to his mind or character, his selection of the season, time and moment are so perfect that he deserves the praise of a detective. Even there is nothing to detect, as he has ensnared Fortunato where nothing comes out for the next fifty years until he himself reveals his secret. His all machinations of exploiting his nature to his own advantage make him a fearful and terrifying killer among all the other killers of Edgar Allen Poe. Although other characters such as the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” is also as merciless as Montresor, the difference is in the use of machinations and deception, and above all keeping them a secret for long. His machinations and deceptions are so perfect that fifty years pass but nothing is known of this respectable, noble and yet feared person, until he reaches the point where he thinks it harmless to reveal in his story. However, the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” could not hide in the face of confrontation and just passes fifty or so minutes when he exposes everything. However, Montresor is of a different mettle. He has worn a mask that he could not remove until he feels quite safe. Although from the very start, Montresor also thinks that it could be difficult as he is “feared,” he starts using deception not only in his manners but also in his actions. His love, his happiness after seeing Fortunato, his praise, his smile – in short satisfaction and calmness ooze out of every organ of his body. He never lets him suspect that a grave danger is lurking behind his smile. Behind this entire plot and his excellent machinations lie his passion for revenge for the insult that he bears at his hands, though thousands of injuries could not prompt him to this action. Therefore, it is correct to say that his whole body and mind are working in tandem to execute his plan, which is the product of his passion for revenge.
Work Cited about “The Cask of Amontillado”
- Gabbard, Alexandra Lauren Corrêa. “The Figure of the Trickster in Poe’s “Hop Frog” and the Cask of Amontillado.” UMFGO (2009): 18-22.
- Gargano, James W. “The Masquerade Vision in Poe’s Short Stories”. Edgar Allen Poe. 15 Oct. 2010. Web. Accessed 04 Aug. 2020.
- —. “The Question of Poe’s Narrators.” College English 25.3 (2011): 177-181.
- McGrath, Patrick. “Method to the Madness”. The New York Times. 28 June 2013. Newspaper Source. Web. Accessed 04 Aug. 2020.
- Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Cask Of Amontillado”. 1846. Web. Accessed 27 Nov. 2020.
You may read on Shorty Essays Below:
