The Cask Of Amontillado Point Of View

In the subject of human nature, bias is always present in the perception of others. Such is the case while building relationships; people will hold a certain perspective that may influence their actions toward another person. One specific example can be seen in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado. The point of view of Montresor, the central character from whom this story is told, affects how he perceives Fortunato and communicates his hidden motives in plotting Fortunato’s death to the reader, something that would not have happened if it had been any other point of view. The author’s telling of The Cask of Amontillado through the first-person point of view of Montresor creates notable instances of irony as well as specific …show more content…
Montresor’s limited point of view invokes many instances of irony and illuminates Poe’s theme that downfall results from a blindly desired reward. An example can be seen in his seemingly kind gestures in helping Fortunato overcome the nitre on the walls of the catacombs by offering him salutary beverages when he says, “‘but you [Fortunato] should use all proper caution. A draft of this Medoc will defend us from the damps’ . . . he raised it to his lips with a leer . . . paused and nodded to me familiarly” (Poe 375) and thus allowing him to continue making his way to the fictitious cask of Amontillado. However, his deceit becomes clear when these actions come to light and that they were only to keep Fortunato alive in order for Montresor to kill him by his own means. The information is solely based on Montresor’s view of Fortunato, which then influences the actions toward him due to his bias. Various instances of irony in the plot are created from this limited point of view. Another example can be seen when Montresor plays on the definition of a mason, answering Fortunato by “producing a trowel from …show more content…
When Fortunato is first introduced to the reader, Montresor depicts that “the man wore motley . . . he had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress . . . head surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (372). Montresor’s imagery of Fortunato is specific to only his perspective and clearly conveys the outfit of a jester, foreshadowing his foolish actions and ultimately his death in the catacombs; the alert reader will realize that Montresor uses Fortunato’s pride in his wine connoisseurship against himself in order to cause his downfall. While exposing this disadvantage in the egocentric Fortunato, Montresor was able to communicate his thoughts and motivations to the reader throughout the entire plot as a result of the story’s first-person point of view. Montresor’s portrayal of Fortunato from his limited perspective resulted in his direct characterization, which plays a role in reinforcing Poe’s central idea that desiring a reward with a lack of awareness will cause