Research Paper on “The Cask of Amontillado”
In comparison to Montresor, Fortunato’s character is flat and static through the story. Fortunato is full of pride and vanity, but other than this, the reader doesn’t really know much about him. Since the story is told by Montresor, the reader understands his attitude, and can have a good sense of who he is as he commits this act. In the exposition of the story, Montresor states that he must take revenge upon Fortunato for his insults with impunity, indicating that his actions may ot bring the justice he claims.
When Montresor meets Fortunato in the street, and says “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met”, “Poe has introduced a sense of irony and amoral cruelty, as the reader knows that Montresor has vowed revenge upon his enemy and his pleasure springs only from the possibility of revenge. The meeting is indeed lucky, but not for Fortunato” (Bloom 54). Another sense of irony used in the story by the author takes place when Montresor leads Fortunato to the entrance of the catacombs.
Even as Montresor insists to not bother Fortunato, he plays on Fortunato’s pride nowing he will absolutely follow Montresor to the vaults to prove he knows more about the wine. Montresor also uses this inverse psychology with the servants to leave no witnesses at the house, “In an ironic twist, Montresor has given his servants ‘explicit orders not to stir from the house’ during the carnival, thereby ensuring ‘their immediate disappearance, one and all’ and eliminating any witnesses to the crime he plans to commit” (Mustafa).
As the two go into the caverns of the cellar, Montresor, knowing the determination of Fortunato in finding the Amontillado, suggests Fortunato to leave before etting sick. When the proud Fortunato says “I shall not die of a cough”, Montresor ironically agrees knowing that he is going to kill Fortunato instead. His family motto “Nemo me impune lacessit”, ironically, is spoken of as they continue into the vault. When Montresor speaks it to Fortunato, Fortunato is ignorant of what it means, but too proud to ask. Instead, he says “Good! Montresor also talks of his family arms; a serpent being stepped on by a boot its fangs in the boot. The arms are another clue to the motto and to the impending revenge, but Fortunato doesn’t recognize it. In the climax of the story, Montresor again implores Fortunato to leave with him as they near the end of the vault, and once again, he declines as he finds the Amontillado and is sure he will now prove his substantial worth as a connoisseur. Montresor then fastens him onto the floor of the vault. Fortunato becomes frightened and sobers at first.
As Montresor pulls out a trowel and uncovers some bricks he had covered with some bones, he lays a row of bricks upon the floor in front of Fortunato and hastens to build a brick wall encasing him into the recess. “Loud shrill screams” came from Fortunato s he realizes what Montresor intends to do. As the final bricks are laid, Fortunato begins to laugh and says “… an excellent jest… we will have many a good laugh about it… ” Montresor toys with Fortunato in the last moments being louder, and more jovial. As it becomes clear to Fortunato the nightmare is real, he goes silent, and only the jingle of the bells on his cap can be heard.
As the story ends, the resolution is uneventful but chills the core of the reader. At this point it is difficult for the reader not to remember something Montresor said earlier. When the two regard Fortunato’s cough, Fortunato rinks “to the buried that repose around us”. Montresor comes back with a toast as well when he toasts “and I to your long life”. At that point of the story it seems innocent enough however, after the reader witnesses the crime, it seems cruel as the reader then knows if Fortunato’s life lasts for even several days, it will be torturous.
Montresor leaves the vault sickened, not by what he has done, but because of the dampness of the vaults. “My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so”. He speaks of Fortunato’s bones at the last sentence. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them”. He adds “may he rest in peace” as a final ironic moment, for the reader feels that the last thing Montresor would want is for Fortunato to rest in peace. The irony continues as Poe adds imagery into the story by using words that the reader can smell, taste, feel and hear. He says “… the bells upon his cap jingled… as the two were descending into the crypt which would eventually be the resting place of Fortunato. The “… foulness of the air… ” caused by the dampness, and not the decaying family members of Montresor. He also uses “ugh! ugh! ” to relate to the reader that Fortunato coughs. Even though the tone of the dark story, it is ironic that Montresor speaks flamboyantly and almost brags about the deed he has done. Poe has fun with the act of Montresor luring Fortunato, and even uses humor in some places. Montresor clearly has not rested since he committed the act, or he wouldn t be telling the confession fifty years later.
While he presses ‘rest in peace’ to Fortunato, however, he himself has not. The symbolism of the story focuses on the crest and motto of Montresor’s amily. Though Fortunato does not understand it, if at any point he had asked, Montresor may have told him and he may have become enlightened of his danger. The big foot smashing down upon a serpent who strikes through the boot into a supposed enemy is symbolic of the relationship between Montresor and Fortunato. The motto of ‘no one attacks me without punishment’ is also symbolic of what Montresor does to Fortunato. “Ironically, however, the arms portray a moment of mutual ruin.
The snake has presumably poisoned the foot, but only at the moment in which it is itself rushed” (Bloom 55). Poe has introduced a sort of chess match carefully constructed by Montresor to lure Fortunato successfully into a trap where he faces his demise. The irony filling the story is entertaining and assaulting. Though the reader can see it coming, knowing that Fortunato is unable to is interesting and almost compels the reader to side with Montresor for Fortunato’s pride and vanity gets him killed. Even so, the readers are left with a bitter taste in their mouth as they think of Fortunato wasting away in the sealed recess of the vault.
