The Cask Of Amontillado Analysis Essay

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Analysis of The Cask of Amontillado
Intoxicated men at a party mixed with pure insanity can lead to tragedy. In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, a twisted man causes the death of another man who he wants to get revenge on. Montresor, the main character, leads his “friend” Fortunato into some catacombs and convinces him that there is good wine deep in the tunnels. Montresor, however, brings Fortunato down to kill him. This story explores dark themes, and could symbolize pure insanity and hell itself. From the beginning, Montresor comes off as a very unsettling character. His main goal is to get revenge on Fortunato. Montresor seeks pleasure “…at the thought of his immolation” (Poe 250). He feels as though Fortunato was in the wrong
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The reader does not know if Fortunato is truly bad, or if Montresor is the villain in this story. Along with seeking revenge, Montresor displays his unstableness with the amount of drinking that went on. He and Fortunato both had an interest in vintage wine. Montresor was able to use this as an advantage to lure Fortunato to his death. Fortunato, being intoxicated, could easily be convinced to follow Montresor, who claimed to have found a very good wine in the underground catacombs. Only a psychotic man would trick a drunk man into his death. While they were walking through the tunnels, Fortunato would frequently stop because of his cough. Montresor told him that his cough was bad, and that they should turn back. “…’we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed” (Poe 252). Montresor says this to manipulate Fortunato, and to lead him further on. Fortunato does not want to miss out on the special wine that Montresor claims to be in the catacombs. To help his cough, Montresor gives Fortunato more wine, which ultimately led to him to be more intoxicated and unaware of what was happening. These small details