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Revenge in The Cask of Amontillado Essay

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Sweet Revenge

When looked at for the first time, Montresor in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillado may seem disturbing. Montresor has plans to murder a man, Fortunato, for insulting him and plans on doing so by walling him up in the catacombs under his home. Montresor devises a clever plan that will leave Fortunato clueless as to what his intensions really are. Upon a closer look, Montresors character is admirable. Montresor carries out his plan successfully without being caught. Montresor is Poes most admirable character in Cask because he is patient, extremely confident, and very calculated.

Montresor is admirable because throughout the story, he is very patient. In the beginning of the story, Montessori tells of how he will get his revenge on Fortunato over time. He says: At length I would be avenged (Poe 60). What Montresor means by saying this is that he will wait as long as he has to, to punish Fortunato in retaliation for the thousand injuries that Fortunato had caused him. Through all of the time that he waits to enforce his plan upon the unsuspecting Fortunato, Montresor smiles at Fortunato when he sees him. This smile is not one of friendship, but a smile of happiness at the thought of Fortunatos death. Montresor does not approach Fortunato in efforts to persuade him to fall into the trap that he has set for him. He wants to make himself feel when he has completed his revenge, and to do this he has to wait for the moment when Fortunato feels comfortable going with him to a place out of the sight of by passers. Montresor waits and finally finds his moment: during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend (Poe 60). By Montresor having enough patients to wait as long as he did for an occasion to come up where all the townspeople will be distracted and drunk, it will finally pay off for him. He has waited long enough and now is the time.

Poes Montresor is admirable because he is also incredibly confident. Before he starts on his journey with Fortunato, Montresor confidently asks Fortunato if he would like for him to get another person to taste the wine. Fortunato replies: Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry (Poe 60). Montresor is taking a big risk by giving Fortunato a chance to bring along another wine connoisseur which would have changed the whole story. Throughout their walk through the catacombs, Montresor repeatedly asks Fortunato if he would like to go back. Fortunato, being conceited about his abilities to tell a good wine from an imitation, thoughtlessly agrees to continue to go deeper into the catacombs with Montresor, even though he is sick with a bad cough and seems to be getting worse as they go further and further into the dark, damp catacombs. Montresor even asks if he would like to go back because of his health. Fortunato couldnt answer him for a few minutes but finally says: the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me (Poe 61). What Fortunato doesnt know is that it isnt his cough that will kill him, but Montresors confidence will. As they continue a gesture is made by Fortunato pertaining to him being a mason. He asks if Montresor is a mason and Montresor replies: Yes, yes, yes, yes (Poe 62). He then holds up a trowel. Fortunato laughs about it but fails to wonder why Montresor has a trowel under his coat. Montresor hints to Fortunato in these subtle ways and Fortunato continues to be unsuccessful in being alarmed by them. His confidence is so great that Montresor asks Fortunato if he would like to return enough times that one would think he does not want Fortunato to go any further.

Another admirable trait of Montresor is that he is very calculated and careful with his plan and the way he carries it out. He waits to carry out his plan because he does not want to alarm Fortunato. When the time is right, Montresor knows just how to tempt Fortunato into going into the catacombs under his home. Fortunatos weakness is wine and Montresor knows that he prides himself upon his connoisseurship in wine (Poe 60). Montresor knows that if he tells Fortunato that he has a rare wine, Amontillado, Fortunato will not be able to resist going into the catacombs to taste the wine. Montresor mentions another wine connoisseur and that many believe he is just as good as Fortunato in doing so. Mentioning this angers Fortunato and he is compelled to taste the wine instead of being insulted by Montresor getting another to taste it for him. Montresor takes everything into consideration. He also knows that Fortunato will be intoxicated on such an event as the festival. Because of this, Fortunatos guard is let down. Montresor even accounts for the attendants at his home. He thinks of a sure way to get them out of the house without being obvious. He explains that: There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time (Poe 61). Again, another calculated plan to make sure no one was at the house when he brought Fortunato there. Everyone has gone to the carnival to have a good time. Montresor grabs bottles of wine along the way of the catacombs to keep Fortunato intoxicated. While keeping up the conversation heavy with irony, Montresor leads Fortunato into the cellar to the deepest crypt (Merriam-Webster). When Fortunato gets close enough Montresor throws a chain around Fortunatos waist to secure him to the wall. As a mason, Montresor begins to wall up the entrance. The bricks that he uses to wall the entrance of the niche; he covers with bones from the tombs.

Poes main character in The Cask of Amontillado, who would usually be thought of as a demented and disturbing character, is admirable. Being patient enables Montresor to not make thoughtless errors. His confidence ensures that he completes his plan without change and that his plan goes smoothly. He knows his plan is a good one because it is calculated and brings everything into perspective when making his plan. Through being patient, confident, and calculated, he admirably is able to commit his crime without difficulty.

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