Revenge in The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Revenge is a scary thing! Take Edgar Allen Poes The Cask of Amontiado for example. In the story, Montresor, a cynical, yet organized man, seeks revenge upon Fortunado, an arrogant wine enthusiast, because, before the story started, Fortunado insulted him. Apparently, the insult was so harsh that it drove Montresor to homicide, because he devised an intricate plan to exterminate Fortunado in the harshest way possible. Due to the fact that Montresor is cunning, vengeful, and a good talker, he is able to successfully murder Fortunado without getting caught.

Before planning to kill Fortunado, Montresor told his servants not to leave the house, and that he was not going to be there, therefore insuring that the servants wouldnt be there when he was planning the murder. This shows that he is cunning and thinks things through before he does things, making him a good planner. As well as insuring the servants would be out, he allowed Fortunado to get as drunk as possible, before leading him into the catacombs. He knew that if Fortunado were drunk, his judgment would be hazy, and he would be easier to fool. Another way Montresor got Fortunado into the catacombs was that he told him there would be wine there. That may not make sense to you, but to the drunken man, it seemed sensible. Its cold underground, and Montresor would want the wine to be cold. He also must have been very persuasive.

The fact that Montresor was able to sweet-talk Fortunado into going into the treacherous underground catacombs for a simple bottle of Amontiado wine reveals to the reader that he is quite a good talker, and even, if it becomes necessary becomes a mooch. Montresor, being a sweet talker, talked Fortunado, a man whom he hates, but pretends he is friends with, into going into the dark and frightening catacombs, where no one would hear him scream, let alone find his well-hidden body. During the walk down the catacombs, Montresor used reverse psychology again, like he did with his servants, telling Fortunado, Oh, you should go back, I can get someone else to see this wine. While saying this, he knew that Fortunado would want to see it even more. He also told Fortunado what an incredible wine enthusiast he is, sort of buttering him up. It was all acting though, because, really, Montresor is quite a cynical man.

In the story, Montresor shows that he is truly a vengeful man by plotting to kill a man who is supposedly his friend. He says that Fortunado insulted him before the story started, but, since he followed him down there, in a secluded place, Fortunado must not have known that he insulted him, or thought that it wasnt such a big deal. Obviously, Montresor did not feel the same way, and used his cynical nature against him. He must have been incredibly angry, because he chose the cruelest, slowest form of death possible: starvation. He chained Fortunado to the wall at the farthest end of the mausoleum, then, as to make sure nobody would find him, he placed the bricks and skulls that were originally behind Fortunado, in front of him, so it looked just like the wall. Montresor is really an awfully vengeful man.

Based on the evidence in the text, we can see that Montresor is cunning, vengeful, and a good talker, giving him the necessary qualities of a good murderer. The abilities of a good talker helped him commit the crime because he could easily persuade Fortunado into the secluded catacombs, when that would otherwise be odd. His vengeful nature was key, because without it, he would have seen no need for revenge. His cunningness and ability to plan ahead were very important to the crime as well because he was able to commit his crime without getting caught, and, according to Poe, Fortunados body has not been found. The catacombs have been closed for fifty years.