The Cask of Amontillado by Allan Poe, Research Paper Example

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story written by author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. In the story, a man who believes he has been insulted narrates for us how he exacted his revenge. It is a chilling tale of unsuspected murder. Through deconstruction of the two main characters in Poe’s story, one can see how the binary opposites of good and evil can work together in one person. Both the character of Montresor and the character of Fortunato display good and evil tendencies throughout the story. These tendencies are shown in their actions, thoughts, and dialogue.

First, it is important to set a base for each character. It is obvious that both men have privileged status in their society. However, it is difficult to necessarily say which man is the more privileged. The story reveals that Montresor is a wealthy man through such tells as his description of himself in relation to the Italian society of wealth and his mention of servants. The layout of his palazzo, revealed by the walk through his home and underground vault to a personal family crypt, as well as the discussion of his family crest, reveals to us that Montresor comes from a very old and wealthy family. But there are hints that his power in society has waned. This is seen in the way that he separates himself from Fortunato and Fortunato’s countrymen (pg. 360). It is also seen in the way he talks about Fortunato, calling him “a man to be missed” and telling him, “you are happy, as once I was.” (pg. 362). Fortunato, on the other hand, is described as being admired in society, maybe involved in politics, and rich. He has a wife and palazzo of his own, but beyond that, his family is not discussed. It seems that while Montresor comes from a family of historical power and wealth, he has been bypassed in society to make way for younger, flashier gentlemen who may not be from such historically sound families. I would like to observe here, that the “insult” Montresor claims to have suffered is never clearly mentioned.

The debate of which man is more privileged aside; both characters perpetrate norms/notions of privilege. Montresor perpetrates notions of privilege in stereotyping the Italian wealthy and their hobbies of wine connoisseurship, painting, and gemmary. For his part, Fortunato perpetrates the norms of privilege by partaking in all of the above mentioned hobbies.

Fortunato especially partakes and prides himself in wine connoisseurship. It is this concession of his senses to drunkenness that enables Montresor’s plan to work. Fortunato looks on Montresor with complete trust. There are no insults or injuries to Montresor from Fortunato during their interaction. There is no reason at all to perceive him as anything other than a good man swayed by the influence of alcohol, except of course for Montresor’s claim. Fortunato’s evil is an addiction. Montresor’s evil seems much more a condition. He belies no notion of his intention toward Fortunato in his exchanges with the nobleman. He even suggests, many times, that Fortunato not follow him through the wine vault, to the crypt and his unsuspected death. These suggestions seem like gestures of concern from Montresor, until you consider that Montresor knows the depths of Fortunato’s taste for good wine. He knows that Fortunato will not turn back.

Though Montresor commits a diabolical act, it is not so simple to call him evil. What I mean is that the action is evil and the methods are evil, but it seems something that he is compelled to do and not an act is that natural to him. The discussion of his crest and the hints of his waning societal power seem to show this as an act of desperation, a stand for his family and himself. Through fear and jealousy he has been moved to commit an act of evil, one that a part of him wishes he did not have to see through. The flash of what was once good in him is seen in the sadness he feels when his friend does not answer him before Montresor sets the final stone in place in the wall. The last paragraph in the story contains Montresor’s line, “my heart grew sick”. This shows us he knows his actions are diabolical. In the same sense, the rest of the line, “it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” again references his dying family power and the evil Montresor’s jealousy and fear has allowed creeping inside his mind.

References

Poe, Edgar Allan. (1986). In The Fall of The House of Usher and Other Writings. Middlesex, Endland: Penguin Books.