In Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Cask of Amontillado," Poe narrates the story through the character Montresor, a seemingly wealthy socialite in the 1800's Italy. The story begins with Montresor describing how he had tolerated a tremendous deal of insults and injuries from a man called Fortunado. Montresor had finally had enough and would be avenged. He plans to take revenge on Fortunado by luring him into a false sense of security and trust in order to kill him in secret without anyone suspecting him. Montresor very clearly establishes that he is going to be lying to Fortunato's face, acting very friendly while thinking of murder. This may be an indication that Montresor is not a reliable source to tell the story of his revenge. If he could so confidently
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In the 1st paragraph of the story, Montresor describes "thousand injuries (pg.)," and how those insults had finally affected him, and that he would have revenge upon Fortunato. This makes sense in the terms of Montresor's family motto "No one attacks me with impunity (pg.)." It makes Montresor's actions seem honorable since this leads the readers to believe that he took revenge on Fortunato for the sake of his family's honor. The actions of Montresor and the family motto could also be an indication that Montresor comes from a long line of overly aggressive and unstable people, thus unreliable in the telling of this tale. But then, the times have changed, and people don't really settle their differences by murdering them in duals or walling them up in an underground wine cellar. But despite Montresor's claims to honor, and his explanations for murdering Fortunato, it would seem that the true reason being this whole plan of revenge goes beyond simple insult. At a point in the story, after urging Fortunato very insincerely, to go back for the sake of his health, Montresor says that Fortunato is "rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as I once was. You are a man to be missed, for me it is no matter (pg.)." Montresor has no family, he is not happy, and his comment that the Montresor's were once a great and large family suggests that his family's name and honor has been lowered. Montresor is envious of Fortunato, which seems to be the most likely reason behind his motivation, but he does not openly state it. Not only does Montresor reveal his true motivation for murdering Fortunato as jealousy, but his reliability is also put into question by the tone he uses in telling of this event to the
In the 1st paragraph of the story, Montresor describes "thousand injuries (pg.)," and how those insults had finally affected him, and that he would have revenge upon Fortunato. This makes sense in the terms of Montresor's family motto "No one attacks me with impunity (pg.)." It makes Montresor's actions seem honorable since this leads the readers to believe that he took revenge on Fortunato for the sake of his family's honor. The actions of Montresor and the family motto could also be an indication that Montresor comes from a long line of overly aggressive and unstable people, thus unreliable in the telling of this tale. But then, the times have changed, and people don't really settle their differences by murdering them in duals or walling them up in an underground wine cellar. But despite Montresor's claims to honor, and his explanations for murdering Fortunato, it would seem that the true reason being this whole plan of revenge goes beyond simple insult. At a point in the story, after urging Fortunato very insincerely, to go back for the sake of his health, Montresor says that Fortunato is "rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as I once was. You are a man to be missed, for me it is no matter (pg.)." Montresor has no family, he is not happy, and his comment that the Montresor's were once a great and large family suggests that his family's name and honor has been lowered. Montresor is envious of Fortunato, which seems to be the most likely reason behind his motivation, but he does not openly state it. Not only does Montresor reveal his true motivation for murdering Fortunato as jealousy, but his reliability is also put into question by the tone he uses in telling of this event to the