The Cask of Amontillado (Essay Sample)

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The Cask of Amontillado
Introduction
Should individuals avenge any wrong committed against them? Does “perfect revenge” really exist? Is it possible to plan and execute the perfect revenge against an aggressor? Are there any consequences of taking revenge against others? These are some of the major questions from “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. The story is considered one of Edgar Allan Poe’s best short stories and it ranks highly among great literary works. Although the “The Cask of Amontillado” is a relatively short story, the author manages to convey a deep message of revenge to his audience. Fortunato arouses Montresor’s vengeance after he repeatedly insults the Montresor’s family name and demonstrating an ignorance about the family’s values. For instance, Fortunato toasts to Montresor’s dead ancestors. Fortunato also points out that he does not remember the appearance of the Montresor family’s court of arms. Such insults literarily seal Fortunato’s fate as Montresor plans to avenge the insults. Montresor vows “not only to punish but to punish with impunity” (Poe and Gary, 7).
Montresor understands that Fortunato’s greatest weakness is wine, and he lies to Fortunato that he has some Amontillado that he could offer to him. Montresor also knows that his servants would leave the castle whenever they knew he would be away. By telling his servants that he would not be around, Montresor strategically plans to have the castle all to himself to ensure that nobody would witness his crime. Montresor has no difficulty in luring Fortunato to the depths of the castle where he intends to kill Fortunato. Everything goes according to Montresor’s plan, and Fortunato becomes a willing victim as he resolutely asks Montresor to take him where the Amontillado was stored. However, Montresor implores Fortunato to turn back and leave catacomb due to the damp conditions in the catacomb. This demonstrates Montresor’s hesitation of killing Fortunato, and this makes the revenge imperfect. Although Montresor succeeds in killing Fortunato and sealing all the evidence, he seems to regret his actions. This paper will discuss the theme of revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Poe.
The Theme of Revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado”
Although revenge is not necessary for all transgressions, it is normal for any individual wronged by another to contemplate avenging the misdeed. Many individuals have attempted and lusted after the perfect revenge for insults and offenses against them. The perfect revenge is an almost impossible feat to achieve and requires a lot of planning and emotional commitment to the action. The major characteristics of the perfect revenge include punishing the offender successfully without arousing any suspicion and performing the deed devoid of any feeling of regret. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor almost succeeds in executing a perfect revenge against Fortunato but is betrayed by his guilty conscience after killing his foe. Montresor understands the characters of his servants, and he wittingly sends them away from the castle by lying that he would be away for the night. He knows that the servants would surely join the carnival as soon as he left the castle. Montresor also knows that Fortunato is addicted to wine and that he can easily find him in one of the nearby pubs. Montresor points out that Fortunato, “prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine” (Poe and Gary, 8). Montresor has little difficulty in finding Fortunato whom he meets coming from a drinking spree. Montresor easily convinces Fortunato to visit the Montresor family castle so that Fortunato may confirm to Montresor that the wine Montresor doubted was indeed Amontillado. Fortunato’s weakness for wine eventually leads to his demise as Montresor lures him into the depths of the castle’s catacomb. Fortunato’s pride proves to be his undoing as he tries to prove that he is a better connoisseur of wine than Luchesi. Fortunato’s pride also causes him to insult Montresor’s profession of masonry unknowingly.
While Montresor succeeds in luring Fortunato to his death without raising any suspicion from his servants, he fails in achieving one of the prerequisite conditions for the perfect revenge. Montresor seems guilty for his actions, and his mind is not at peace while executing his revenge. There are numerous indicates throughout the short story suggesting that Montresor had second thoughts about the crime he had planned and had committed. Although Montresor’s intention of killing Fortunato was to redeem the family’s honor, Montresor manages to develop a guilty conscience that haunts him forever and denies him the sweetness of avenging Fortunato’s insults. Montresor seems to be confessing his crime more than fifty years after murdering Fortunato. The tone of his conversation betrays his feelings about the crime. Montresor appears to be confessing out of regret rather than revel. It is probable that he does not experience the same level of hatred that he had for the man who repeatedly insulted the “great Montresor’s family” name. It is also possible that as Montresor is on the verge of his death as he confesses his crimes. Montresor has apparently lived throughout his life with the guilt of killing Fortunato, and he needs to relieve the guilty conscience. As he is being sealed in the crypt, Fortunato exclaims, “For the Love of God.” (Poe and Gary, 20). The comment is more than the last plea for mercy; it is a warning to Montresor to consider the consequences of his actions. Montresor’s lust for revenge blinded him so much that he fails to consider how his actions would affect his life and soul. Fortunato’s last words may have haunted Montresor for many years. The guilt eventually forces Montresor to confess his crimes, and this makes his revenge imperfect.
As Montresor lures Fortunato to the depths of the catacomb, there are several indications that Montresor will not have the peace of mind that he anticipated. Montresor gives Fortunato several opportunities to turn back and escape the fate that awaited him in the catacomb. Montresor feigns concern for Fortunato’s health due to the damp conditions in the catacomb, and he offers Fortunato a drink to help him persevere the conditions. Had Montresor been fully focused on killing Fortunato, he would not have allowed any thought of allowing Fortunato to go back to the carnival to cross his mind. Once Montresor had started his mission, he had no other option but to complete it. Montresor could not undo all that he had done, and he could not convince Fortunato to stop his persistent insults on Montresor and his family. Releasing Fortunato would only subject Montresor to more insults, and this would only increase Montresor’s anger. In addition, threatening to kill Fortunato could result in Montresor’s imprisonment. Consequently, the only way Montresor could avoid complicating the situation further was by killing Fortunato and concealing all the evidence.
The doubts that Montresor had achieved his objective of a perfect revenge against Fortunato by avenging his tarnished honor without any guilty conscience. As Montresor places the last stone that will seal Fortunato in the crypt forever, he calls Fortunato but does not receive any reply. Montresor points out that his, “heart grew sick” and “it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” (Poe and Gary, 21). However, Montresor’s claim that the damp conditions in the catacombs had made him sick is irrelevant because he could not have suddenly become sick due to the cold. Furthermore, Montresor had not...