“The Cask of Amontillado” is a fictional tale written by Edgar Allan Poe that describes Montresor on his quest for revenge. Fortunato, an old friend, has wronged Montresor and given him a thirst for revenge. Though his faults are not expressed in the story, his arrogant and selfish attitude likely leads to his demise. Narrated from Montresor’s point of view, this shows the inner thinking of Montresor and his murderous desires. Montresor is overwhelmed with a desire for revenge which leads him to trickery, lies, and even a motive to kill.
Poe’s character Montresor expresses a burning hatred and desire for vengeance the moment he introduces the story. Within his first lines of the story, Poe describes Montresor’s deep desire for revenge in the …show more content…
Thompson believes the latter saying, “He is neither demented nor Satanic. He has his reasons for what he does, and these are reasons we should he a(b)le to understand.” (White, 551) Montresor felt no remorse for murdering Fortunato solely because to him it was justified. By looking deeper into the arms of Montresor, which he describes as “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel”, his murder of Fortunato can almost be justified despite the irony of it. His motto expresses even more of this irony. Thompson describes this justified feeling when he says “’Nemo me impune lacessit.’ Montresor's family motto has (b)een translated, ‘No one attacks me with impunity’… Any kind of injury or an insult of almost any degree would warrant retaliation” (White, 552). In other words, the entire idea of Montresor’s family is that they must seek revenge against anyone who wrongs them. This can explain the lack of guilt expressed by Montresor in the final words he uses to end the story, “In pace requiescat!” (Poe) This phrase is translated as “May he rest in peace.” Though it seems to portray a sense of remorse, it is counteracted by the fact that Fortunato was not discovered for thirty years. Montresor was filled with a burning desire for revenge that caused him to go to the great lengths, such as murder, to fulfill. He was not truly demonic but instead overcome with a passion that he could not hold
Poe’s character Montresor expresses a burning hatred and desire for vengeance the moment he introduces the story. Within his first lines of the story, Poe describes Montresor’s deep desire for revenge in the …show more content…
Thompson believes the latter saying, “He is neither demented nor Satanic. He has his reasons for what he does, and these are reasons we should he a(b)le to understand.” (White, 551) Montresor felt no remorse for murdering Fortunato solely because to him it was justified. By looking deeper into the arms of Montresor, which he describes as “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel”, his murder of Fortunato can almost be justified despite the irony of it. His motto expresses even more of this irony. Thompson describes this justified feeling when he says “’Nemo me impune lacessit.’ Montresor's family motto has (b)een translated, ‘No one attacks me with impunity’… Any kind of injury or an insult of almost any degree would warrant retaliation” (White, 552). In other words, the entire idea of Montresor’s family is that they must seek revenge against anyone who wrongs them. This can explain the lack of guilt expressed by Montresor in the final words he uses to end the story, “In pace requiescat!” (Poe) This phrase is translated as “May he rest in peace.” Though it seems to portray a sense of remorse, it is counteracted by the fact that Fortunato was not discovered for thirty years. Montresor was filled with a burning desire for revenge that caused him to go to the great lengths, such as murder, to fulfill. He was not truly demonic but instead overcome with a passion that he could not hold