Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cast Of Amontillado”

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Edgar Allan Poe’s; The Cask of Amontillado“The Cask of Amontillado,” which most people refer to as the perfect work of Poe reveals a narrator who no one can rely on. It is hard to tell the name of the narrator at first until the end of the story where the name is revealed. However, it is a tale that invites the reader to understand a plan of revenge that the narrator holds on. By using Montresor’s point of view to tell the story, Poe indulges the reader into the real murderer’s mind. Montresor, the narrator feels intrigued by Fortunato. As a result, he started planning on a way of revenge being careful not to arouse the suspicious of Fortunato. “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.” (12) The narrator reveals his mind and on the other hand trying to be cautious not to mess up with the whole plan.
In some cases, the author feels suspicious that Fortunato may come to learn his intention before he achieves what he wants. Therefore, he feels that his will and other acts maybe known. “… Neither by world nor deed had given I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his [destruction].” (17). However, Montresor was motivated by the weaknesses of Fortunato; he wanted to attack Montresor with his own weaknesses.

For instance, he had a weakness of revealing his interests and abilities to people. He prided to have passion and love for fined wine. Montresor wanted to use the interest as a one way of implementing his plan.
Afterwards, Montresor meets with Fortunato in a carnival where he entices him to join him home since he has a pipe of Amontillado. Fortunato urge and love for wine could not let him have a second thought. Moreover, Montresor had shown no intention of killing him so he had nothing to worry about. Fortunato should have thought of his actions towards Montresor and how he treats him. He had insulted him a thousand times; the act aroused the narrators urge to revenge. Montresor was also favored by the fact that all his servants were gone for the night and so the house was left for him and Fortunato; the plot of the story favors Motresor’s plan. Something strange happens when Fortunato and Montresor arrives at home. They go direct to the catacombs; underground passages where dead people are buried. In the case of Poe’s tale, the catacombs are met for Fortunato. It is a place that Montresor targets to kill Fortunato. The fact is Fortunato was blinded by the taste and love of wine; therefore, he could not easily see or even read the intentions of Montresor. As a result, the tale is built on the aspect where one is being attacked via his/her own weaknesses. Fortunato knew that Montresor could not easily reason after being lured by wine.
Montresor behaves sarcastically when he sees Fortunato has become totally drunk. Rather than helping him get sober, he adds more drinks to show his great concern on the man’s health. Fortunato becomes weak and bit goofy. He accuses Montresor for not being a mason. To respond, Montresor shows him a small flattened shovel; towel which certainly indicates that he is a mason. The catacomb relates to death in the tale. When the two characters arrives at the end most of it, they finds bones of dead humans. It was hard for Fortunato to recognize or reason of why Montresor was taking him on that place rather than being in the house. Fortunato was lured with the pipe of fined wine. Maybe he thought the large amount of wine was hidden underground on the catacombs. It somehow weird how something precious; wine could have been hidden on such place. However, Fortunato was blinded by the wine and fact is he has already been drunk.
The real act of the play was seen when Montresor reached the end of the catacombs and turned his good intention to bad intentions. He tied Fortunato with a chain and starts building a wall with the aim of killing Fortunato. At fast, Fortunato thinks it is a joke that slowly turns to be a reality. Abruptly, Fortunato becomes sober and starts begging Montresor not to kill him. It is too late for Fortunato since it is not a one day plan. Montresor had planned to kill Fortunato after a long experience. He himself provoked Montresor and now it was a turn to get what Montresor had planned for him. “For the love of God, Montresor,” (20) Fortunato tries to convince him but he had already reached a position of no return. Poe uses conflict to make the story interesting. Montresor seeks to carry out revenge but he does not know how. His plan comes directly after he meets with Fortunato in a carnival.
Work cited
Poe, E. & Hutchisson, J. (2012). Edgar Allan Poe, Selected Poetry and Tales: The Cask of Amontillado. Peterborough, Ont. Broadview Press.