Montresor Unreliable Narrator

The Cask of Amontillado "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story centered around revenge. Montresor, the narrator, tells of how he plots his revenge upon Fortunato, an old friend, who has insulted him greatly. Focusing on Montresor, the story shows Montresor's pride in his family; and how Fortunato will be punished for the insults. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge....At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely settled....I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." Now Montresor began to develop the perfect plan of retribution. During this time, Montresor was careful not to arouse Fortunato's suspicions. "...[N]either by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued...to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his [destruction]" (Poe 1 "The Cask of Amontillado"). The character focus is Montresor, whose personality has shown …show more content…
"An unreliable narrator is a character who tells a story in such a way that we can't trust whether what he's saying is true" (Lineberger 3). This could be the case when the narrator has a mental illness or is not completely sane. "So is Montresor an unreliable narrator? He is a cold, unrepentant murderer, telling the story 50 years after the fact. Except for one tiny moment in the story, he shows no remorse for what he's done. After he has only one brick left to complete the wall that will seal off Fortunato forever, he says, 'My heart grew sick...' but he immediately blames that twinge of guilt on the dampness of his surroundings" (Lineberger 4). There is no intent of sympathy for Montresor because of Fortunato's wrongdoing of him, but instead to judge him. Montresor's point of view, intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror; delving into the inner workings of a sinister