Who Is Montresor Justified As The Narrator?

1. By using first person point of view, Poe tremendously impacts the readers' understanding of the piece by confining us to Montresor’s perspective. It causes the retelling of events to be biased and tailored to how Montresor wants to tell them. The limitations that most certainly accompany an unreliable narration beg the question, ‘Did Montresor purposely leave out details to better suit his own agenda and therefore make the story much more grand?’ It seems when analyzed he did many times over through exaggeration. Using this technique, Poe crafts a story that gives a sense uncertainty about how the events truly transpired and whether or not it was justified as the narrator says it is. Thus, Poe greatly impacts the reader’s understanding of …show more content…
Through analyzing Montresor’s actions and tendencies, it can easily be seen that he reflects the traits of these mental diseases in different ways. However, a full evaluation of him on the basis of one action as it is cannot be made as his tendencies over a longer period of time are unknown. If episodes like this one had been recurrent in Montresor’s life, psychopathy and his literal genomic makeup would be to blame. Conversely, a sporadic event caused by a period of difficult life circumstances would brand him a sociopath. It can clearly be seen within the story that he appears to be afflicted by one of the two. Obvious by the cold calculation and premeditation, it can be seen how this seemingly unjustified murder was an outburst that was caused by something that had built up for a long while. Apparent in his lack of feeling and real emotion, he cares little about those around him especially Fortunato. Another characteristic that Montresor seems to lack is a consciousness. This is another factor that confirms him as either a sociopath or a psychopath. Lastly, it seems that Montresor lacks many social connections and has a hard time keeping hold of them, which can be drawn from his lack of participation in the festivities of carnival. Thus, Montresor displays many characteristics in his dealings with Fortunato and throughout his plot of revenge to classify him as psychopath or a sociopath, but due to the lack of prior information, it is unclear as both could be possible …show more content…
Through examining Poe’s use of irony and its extended form sarcasm, it is obvious that both are important tools that make Montresor’s scheme of retribution even more bone-chilling. Expertly inserting these devices at different points in the story vividly expresses how Montresor insults his enemy. Also, it provides information that foreshadows how he slowly but surely brings Fortunato closer to his immolation while seeming caring and kind. Many of these can be presented as verbal irony, although some of the examples have a sinister undertone that mock Fortunato. Examples of verbal irony taken as sarcasm can be seen in many of Montresor’s words such as when he greets Fortunato and mentions that he is luckily met, where in reality it is extremely unlucky for Fortunato due to the plot that Montresor has set up for him. Another example of these forms of irony is when Fortunato asks if Montresor is a mason and he replies that he is. In this case Montresor actually means that he is a stoneworker not a freemason like Fortunato. This ironic statement foreshadows his plans for Fortunato and also presents dramatic irony as the reader knows more of the plot and the fate to befall him before he does. Also present in terms of irony is how Montresor constantly implores Fortunato to go back due to how precious his health is. Although not actually intending to return it provides an artful air of how calculated that this entire ordeal was, and in turn making it even more eerie. Other