Theme Of Pride In The Cask Of Amontillado

Great Essays
Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” is about vengeful pride and hateful revenge. It is a tale of how the main character, Montresor, having been insulted numerous times, plots to murder his friend, Fortunato. The hierarchy of conflict between the two men are the insults, then the issue of Montresor murdering an upper-classmen like himself, and lastly, the faint hint of sympathy by Montresor when he hears Fortunato’s pleas for pity. The theme of the story is pride, and it is Montresor’s vengeful pride that produces revenge in his soul. This essay will analyze the relation of the theme of pride and how it produced the trait of revenge, as well as examine how the characteristic of vengeful pride can breed treachery, hypocrisy, …show more content…
The pride that fills him also brings out the characteristic of honor. He is pleased to show Fortunato his family’s coat of arms, which he says is, “A huge human foot d’or, I a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel” (868). Fortunato then asks what is the motto means, and Montresor tells him, “Nemo me impune lacssit,” which translates to, “No one harms me unpunished,” (868). Two things are made clear by the coat of arms and the motto: Montresor comes from a long line of family that believes in getting even with anyone who hurts them, and that Fortunato is going to be punished severely. Montresor is excessive in his familial pride which leads him to seek punishment that really does not fit the crime of the insults he accuses Fortunato of committing. As the protagonist, Montresor is a complex-static character because he is composed of many traits such as he is: vengeful, prideful, treacherous, calculating, and lacks compassion. However, throughout the story Montresor does not experience any changes during his quest to get even with Fortunato, thus, he is a static character. Montresor was sought revenge because his pride was attack, and he carried out his revenge in a calculating way, which produced treachery and deceit against …show more content…
Fortunato emerges from a festival already somewhat inebriated but, he is happy to go along with Montresor to test the Amontillado. At this point, Fortunato does not consider Montresor a threat, as he sees Montresor as beneath him and undeserving of his respect; thus, Fortunato is unsuspecting of Montresor’s plan. Montresor offers the happy clown more alcohol as they travel through the cellar. The drinks effect Fortunato’s ability to think straight. There are several events and statements that foreshadow what is in store for him such as when Montresor says, “…he had a weak point-this Fortunato…He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine,” (866). Having met Montresor after consuming a lot of alcohol at the carnival has impaired Fortunato’s thinking in that, at the very least, he does not realize that he has already intoxicated and goes on to drink more at the offering of Montresor. He does not recognize that although he has made insults toward Montresor he is still very friendly with him and greets him graciously (866). His issue of pride goes deeper than just gluttony for alcoholic beverages. His pride is induced by the need to show Montresor that it is he, and he alone, knows a true Amontillado. When Montresor tells him that he asked Luchresi to taste the Amontillado, Fortunato says, “Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry,” (867). His arrogance in believing he alone can

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    From the very beginning Montresor began to use Fortunato pride against him. When Montresor first told Fortunato about the Amontillado he tells him he was on his way to get Luchesi to check the authenticity of the Amontillado. Fortunato who prided himself with his connoisseurship in wine took offense to this and replied “Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from sherry” and proceeded to the catacombs. Montresor notices Fortunato seems ill and recommends that he turns around to leave since his health is too important but despite offering Fortunato a chance to leave Montresor is sure to mention that Luchesi is still an option, after hearing this Montresor knows that Fortunato pride will not allow him to let another person test the Amontillado. Montresor whole plan is depended on by Fortunato’s pride which eventually allowed Montresor to act out his plan and get…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Looking closer at Fortunato's actions, we can see that he is arrogant. Montresor mentions an Amontillado that tastes cheap and that he will have Luchresi test the authenticity of it. Fortunato's arrogance gets the best…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This is just a tale of an angry soul, he takes his anger out on Fortunato who insults his family. And Montresor finally says this is enough, and simply offs the man. And of course, Fortunato is, like stated before very drunk. He does not realize that he is being lead to his death. Montresor knew it too.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Montresor explains Fortunatos outfit the night his death takes place, “He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells (Poe, 165).” Ironically Montresor picked the night of the carnival and also knowingly Fortunato was going to dress as a jester, which will only further his humiliation. Easily convinced, Fortunato was mislead by Montresor down to the catacombs in beliefs that because of his vast knowledge of wine, that he will be able to taste the Amontillado to make sure it was authentic. “Fortunato abandons all reason and common sense in the pursuit of the Amontillado (Baraban).” but not only was Fortunato oblivious to the insults that has said that offended Montressor, but he ignorantly and drunkenly follows him into an obviously dangerous situation in desire of the…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    While navigating through Montresor’s family vault, Montresor continuously offers Fortunato different types of wine. By the time the duo is where Montresor has lead Fortunato to believe the Amontillado is, Fortunato is very intoxicated. While Fortunato is being bricked into one of the recesses in the catacombs, he thinks Montresor is playing a joke on him before finally realizing that he is serious. At this point Fortunato starts to plead for his life, but it is too late, Montresor has made up his…

    • 1051 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He then offends Montresor and Luchesi by stating that “You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado” (4). This then had a major result on the story for the reason that Fortunato is certain that he can speak and achieve whatever he pleases due to his high and mighty skills. Unfortunately this leads Fortunato directly into Montresor’s…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Montresor does not consider himself a despicable man as he notes “You, who so well know the nature of my soul” (Poe, para. 1). However, because his patience has already run thin he can’t bear the abuse anymore. The following lines illustrate this idea, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe, para. 1). It seems to me that Montresor is a good man who has been enduring the abuse of Fortunato for an extensive time. After reaching his limit, Montresor believes that he is entitled to carry out revenge without facing punishment since he has the worthy purpose of restoring fairness.…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Firstly, in Edgar Allen Poe's The cask of Amontillado, pride incites to acts of vengeance. The character of Montresor and Fortunato are ideal to study the effects that pride can incite because they both have a huge sense of vanity attached to their being. Montresor is part of a noble family while Fortunato is a wealthy man who is proficient in fine wine. Both their pride will lead to acts of vengeance. In the first line, Montresor gives us an essential preview of the actions that will come in the story.…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Having carried Fortunato in his mind and heart, Montresor feels free at last. When Montresor confesses after fifty years on his deathbed, remorse is not paramount (Confession 57). Although Fortunato thought him and Montresor were friends, its…

    • 2215 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Montresor’s charm plays in the most when he flatters Fortunato’s knowledge of wine and therefore manipulates him into wanting to follow Montresor into his vaults. Montresor continues by exploiting Fortunato’s knowledge and fondness of wines when after he tells Fortunato that he has come across a cask of Amontillado, he successfully lures him into his trap when he states “I am on my way to Luchresi. If anyone has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me—,” to which Fortunato is fully convinced that Montresor did indeed have the Amontillado and was intent on joining him (Poe…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Montresor feels justified to lead Fortunato to his deathbed because he is not going to be insulted without justice being served. Fortunato has no idea that Montresor has such a vindictive plan against him and may be totally unaware that Montresor feels this way. Montresor’s family crest "A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel” (551). This makes Montresor feel justified when he states “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (549). Montresor must have justice, he could no longer allow Fortunato to insult him.…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During his recall of events he mentions a conversation between himself and Fortunato about his family motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit” which translates into “No one provokes me with impunity”. (167). Montresor was raised with the belief that anyone who provokes him must be punished; therefore, Montresor is able to rationalize that his act of revenge is the only answer to the insults he received by Fortunato. Growing up in a family that preached and lived by its motto, it is reasonable to say that Montresor knows no other way of handling this situation. The family motto contributes to Montresor’s justification that retribution must…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Therefore, both pride and revenge are the circumstances behind Montresor decision to seek revenge against Fortunato, who is a prideful man. Nevertheless, Montresor seeks revenge for the years of insults that Fortunato has made against his family and himself. This act of revenge has followed Montresor for many years. As we see in Edgar Allen…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although what Fortunato does is unknown, Montresor seeks extreme revenge. Montresor completely blindsides Fortunato by doing this as he does not know he is in the wrong. A character analysis of Montresor reveals the theme of desire for revenge through exploitation of Fortunato. Montresor’s first way of…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is mankind’s human nature to be overcome with jealousy to a point where they feel the need for revenge. The Cask of Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe, is a fictional short story where the narrator expresses his thoughts and choices as it leads up to the act of revenge. The narrator, Montresor, leads his “friend,” Fortunato, into the catacombs by tricking him into thinking that there is amontillado, and he buries him alive in the catacombs. Human beings are not born evil, but instead are born good. It is their surroundings and the choices they make that influences and pushes them over to the dark side.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays