The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado is a story that is mainly about vengeance. It mainly revolves around the conflict of the two main characters Montresor and Fortunato leading to the death of the later. It starts with Montresor who, is having an internal dialogue about the wrongs he had been dealt with by Fortunato. He vows to seek revenge but in a discreet manner so that he doesn’t endanger himself. He is well aware of Fortunato’s propensity for wine and decides that it would be the best method to use. The two characters met at the carnival, whereby Montresor brags to Fortunato that he had acquired a sumptuous brand of wine that he claimed tasted as good as the famous Amontillado. Montresor then tricks Fortunato into taking the wine. He does this by claiming her could offer the drink to Luchesi if Fortunato wasn’t willing to taste it. He knows very well the two are in direct competition and that Fortunato would take the bait. The two accompany each other to the dark crypts where Montresor claims to have stored the Amontillado. At this point, Fortunato is heavily intoxicated and can barely move properly. Montresor takes this opportunity to restrict Fortunato in the crypt using a chain tied onto one of the stones. He taunts Fortunato for a while then proceeds to build a layer of wall across the only entrance to the crypt. Fortunato’s pleas fall on deaf ears as Montresor walks away with a grim look satisfied with the work he had done.
Montresor’s character is portrayed to be very cunning and manipulative in nature. This is witnessed through various incidents in the story. He is well aware that Fortunato is a proud man so, Montresor taunts him by saying he would give the wine to his competitor Luchesi. “As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical taste, then he does. He will tell me…” (76). His conniving ways are also seen in the story when he ensures that Fortunato is heavily drunk such that he cannot defend himself. It should also be noted that Montresor’s attire which, he wore to the carnivore, spoke a lot about his character. The black silk and the bulky cloak which covered his entire body showed that he was a man on a mission trying to conceal his true intentions.
Fortunato is seen as easily gullible and proud throughout the story. His trusting nature is what ultimately leads to his downfall. He is fooled by a simple trick whereby he is pitted against his competitor and, he falls for the trick. This is made clearer by the fact that Fortunato still assumed that Montresor was playing a trick on him even after he had been chained up in the crypt and a wall built across the entrance. “Indeed an excellent jest” (80). His clothing at, the very beginning also spoke highly of his trusting nature. He wore a cone shaped white cap and a constricting dress which was stripped coupled with bells mounted on his head.
Montresor is also an unforgiving man who lacks empathy. Only a man of his nature would plan down to the very last detail. This is seen when he had an internal dialogue about the many ways he had endured injustices from Fortunato which, he let go but, abuse is what he saw as a bridge too far. “One thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne the best as I could but, when he ventured upon insults, I vowed revenge” (75). His lack of empathy is portrayed when he built a wall of bricks around his victim and walked away grinning.
Montresor can be seen as very calculative in nature. Everything he did up to the death of Fortunato is according to plan. First, he asked all his workers to have time off and attend the carnival. This was to buy himself time and reduce the chances of being caught. He then tricked Fortunato into going to his place to taste the wine then he ensured that his victim was heavily intoxicated to resist. “As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical taste, then he does. He will tell me…” (76).
The story as a whole has a dark tone to it as it dives into the raw nature of both the characters which, are day and night. Montresor is seen as a cunning and manipulating individual who has no regard for his victim. Fortunato on, the other end of the spectrum, is seen as an individual who is susceptible to trickery and mind games. He is also a very proud man who would go down without proving himself. All in all, the story gives an illuminating insight into humans and how we all vary from each other.