Premium Essay

How Does Montresor Kill Fortunato

Submitted By
Words 627
Pages 3
In the short story Cask Of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, a character whom would be deemed such a grim prize is Montresor. In the story Montressor seeks out to murder Fortunato in a torturous way. By planning to kill Fortunato, and carrying out plan, Montresor deserves to be penalised in court with the sentencing of 1st degree murder by Illinois law. In the text, it is shown that Montresor plans to kill Fortunato when he carries a trowel to the catacombs in order to seal Fortunato in the walls. He planned to kill Fortunato in this manner. This shows that he planned this murder because in order to seal Fortunato in the walls he would have to bring the trowel with him. With this premeditated plan in mind, he carried the trowel. The fact that he carried the trowel is evidence to say that he planned to kill Fortunato, which is evidence for pre-meditated murder. Also Montresor already having locks chains and spare brick to cover and chain Fortunato shows premeditation because he brought in forethought of killing Fortunato. When Montresor carried the trowel with the intent to kill fortunato and already having the equipment for Fortunato’s confinement, he demonstrated premeditated murder which is sentenced with 1st degree murder by Illinois law. …show more content…
A place where he and Fortunato could have been alone enough to kill him in the manner that he did. Fortunato being as drunk as he was, was more than likely unaware of his environment until it was too late. Montresor planning for Fortunato to drink willingly, took advantage of the situation that he set and killed Fortunato. By taking him down to the catacombs Montresor was able to avoid witnesses, lawmen, and diminishing a drunk Fortunato’s chance of escape, a murder with opportunity too great to be committed by a man of

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How Does Montresor Use Revenge In The Cask Of Amontillado

...done you wrong so much that you want to kill them? Revenge might help you cope with what happen but is never the right choice especially if it involves killing another person. In the story The Cask Of Amontillado, Montresor feels his friend Fortunato has done him wrong a need revenge. The author Edgar Allen Poe never writes what Fortunato did. Was it worth murder, probably not. Have you ever not liked someone but just tried to get along with them so they didn’t notice. Well, the story all starts when we find out that Fortunato has insulted Montresor. Montresor feels so angry with him he needs revenge. Montresor sees a drunk Fortunato at the carnival and knows it is now time to take action and avenge himself. He lures Fortunato into a trap by telling him he has Amontillado a very high-end wine but is not sure if it’s 100% real and wants to get someone to make sure. Well, Fortunato jumps into the trap and says he can do it after all he is the best for the job....

Words: 655 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

...create foreshadowing, justify the action of characters, and create humor. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor seeks to get revenge on Fortunato, since Fortunato has supposedly wronged Montresor in some way. Throughout Montresor’s quest...

Words: 1166 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

The Cask of Amontillado

...story of man, Montresor, and his brutal revenge against his former friend, Fortunato, who had insulted him. Poe’s story is riddled with examples of dramatic, verbal and situational irony which highlight the brutal revenge and brings humor into the story. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something that one of the characters does not. Such is the case in “The Cask of Amontillado” as the story begins with Montresor stating “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”(510). This statement sets up dramatic irony throughout the story as the reader knows Montresor has sworn revenge on Forunato, while Fortunato believes they are still friends. This irony is evident through the whole story as Montresor pretends to be friends luring Fortunato to his cellar where he would eventually trap and kill him. The irony enhances the brutality of the murder as the reader knows throughout Montresor is planning some revenge while Fortunato believes he is going to sample his friends wine. Secondly Poe weaves verbal irony, a statement in which the meaning that a speaker employs is sharply different from the meaning that is ostensibly expressed, throughout to add humor to the story. The story is filled with verbal irony as Montresor is planning on killing Fortunato so almost every word he speaks is ironic as he convinces Forunato continue into his catacombs to his eventual death. This is seen when Montresor tricks Fortunato...

Words: 669 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cask of Amintallado

...knows of the character, Fortunato, in the Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado, is learned through the unreliable narrator, Montresor. Dramatic, situational and verbal irony develops the character of Fortunato as a naïve, foolish and gullible person. Fortunato has many weaknesses that lead to his eventual death. Although his name gives the impression that Fortunato is a fortunate person, he’s actually very unfortunate and makes himself an easy target for Montresor’s perfect crime. Fortunato does not realize he is being led into his own death. Dramatic irony is shown as Montresor says, “Neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued…to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (127). The reader knows Fortunato is being led to his own death, yet Fortunato remains oblivious. This dramatic irony shows Fortunato as an oblivious, naïve character. Montresor gives Fortunato several opportunities to turn back from this trip, yet Fortunato is too gullible to comply. “Come…we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy… You are a man to be missed. We will go back,” Montresor says to Fortunato after hearing his cough. Too drunk and eager to get a taste of Amontillado, Fortunato refuses. Dramatic irony develops Fortunato as he says, “Enough…the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me.” Indeed, the cough...

Words: 543 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cask of Amontillado

...reader may find him/her self siding with Montresor since we have all been insulted at one time or another, but that doesn’t constitute revenge to the point of killing a person.      Literature containing symbolism can be interpreted or viewed differently by the reader.   Poe put much effort and thought into the details of his literature, he painted a descriptive picture for the reader matter how dark and dreary.   The name “Fortunato” means fortune/fortunate, which is symbolic because it is the complete opposite for the character in this story since his fate has been decided for him,   “derivation from the verb fortunate, blessed by the goddess fortuna, or random fate.   Naturally, to embrace fortuna was unthinkable in the Reformed traditions.   Fate was not random” (87). Montresor is constantly smiling at Fortunato so he will have no suspicion of his bad intentions. “I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (108). A kind gesture such as a smile can be misleading, it is hard to depict whether an individual is a friend or foe.      Fortunato is dressed as a jester during carnival, unaware of the significance of his attire.   “He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (108). He is dressed as a fool and what a fool he is about to become in the events that are about to transpire. Montresor of course gets the symbolism of Fortunato’s...

Words: 1253 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Cask of Amontilliado

...character Montresor from the tale, “The Cask of Amontillado”. The whole tale leads up to a really big decision, a decision of pure perverseness. Perverseness first off, is doing something willfully against what is good or actually right. Poe uses this theme in many of his tales, it is shown in many different and odd ways. So in the tale about “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor wants to get revenge on the second character named Fortunato. Fortunato hurt Montresor in some way that was not really described with in the text. But because of this unknown incident Montresor is going to take things to the next level via trickery and lies, in which the perverseness will begin to show. In the beginning of the tale we were given some background information on both characters, Montresor and Fortunato. Then it leads to Montresor lying to Fortunato about a great cask of the best wine, Amontillado. Montresor knew Fortunato could not resist the temptation of getting his hands on some amazing wine, Fortunato is rich so why wouldn’t he take the offer? Although just believing was not enough for him so he had to go see the cask and taste it which is what Montresor wants. Montresor claimed the Amontillado was down in the way back of the catacombs, so they started heading there to the wine where no one ever goes. Montresor started this mission by slowly getting Fortunato drunker and drunker. As the two made their way down the stairs into the catacomb; Montresor offers more wine to Fortunato in order...

Words: 1062 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Examples Of Situational Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

...Douglas Horton once said, “While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself”. Montresor decides to seek revenge from Fortunato in the worst way possible - by death because Fortunato insults his name. When Montresor sought revenge he thought that he was going to get away without a consequence, but he did suffer a consequence, his grave - guilt and regret. In "The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe utilizes situational irony and tone to express the theme that revenge is sometimes a fruitless and damaging experience. For example, Poe uses situational irony to convey Montresor’s feelings about taking revenge on Fortunato. Before Fortunato’s murder, Montresor couldn’t wait to kill him and to get the satisfaction he desires. Just thinking about killing Fortunato made him “smile ... at the thought of [Fortunato’s] ” ultimate death (Poe 61). Leading up to the death, he planned a lot for the murder. He deceives Fortunato and works hard to get him drunk and when Montresor does kill Fortunato he does not feel the satisfaction and fulfillment that he expects. He assumed Fortunato’s death was going to erase any feelings connected to him, but instead he built more feelings from killing him which was the complete opposite of what he wanted. Moreover, Montresor believed that by killing Fortunato he will feel pleased...

Words: 598 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Pride In The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe

...saying phrases similar to how “Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry” (237), which is another way of explaining just how poor of a taster Luchesi is in Fortunato’s eyes. Analyzing the numerous instances of symbolism with the use of Fortunato, Montresor, and a Motto in Edgar Allan Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado” to portray pride and pain. Fortunato is a man full of pride all the way to the brim, but because of that he ends up falling into a trap set to cause him pain, even though he is of royal status and his name means blessed, happy, or...

Words: 1639 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Compare & Contrast

...Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” were two short stories written by him. Both of these stories consist on some sort of paranoia, obsession, and death. The “TBC” and “TCOA” are stories being narrated by the ones that have committed the crime of the story, such as murder. On the “TBC” the narrator is a man that with time turned into an aggressive, alcoholic, obsessive person. The man’s name was not revealed on the story. On the other hand, the narrator of “TCOA” was Montresor. This man was seeking revenge. Montresor stated “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (“Amontillado” 144). On both stories the narrators kill someone due to their obsession. These two short stories written by Poe had similar altercations but different outcomes; such as Montresor never getting caught for what he did and the man from “TBC” got sentenced to the death penalty for the crime he committed. The story of “The Black Cat” talked about how this man murdered his wife due to his obsession with the black cat. This man had a cat named Pluto. As he was growing older his personality was changing. He turned into an alcoholic and aggressive person. All of his pets run away except the black cat. One day the man arrived home and saw the cat and stabbed the cat on the eye, he then killed the cat by hanging him. The man did not feel remorse for what he had done. Days later he finds a cat that looked like Pluto. At first...

Words: 1246 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Final Paper English 210

...CJ Loehner Eng. 210 Tina Crossgrove 9/19/13 Montresor: Criminal or Hero? “Amontillado” a type of sherry wine that cost a man his life and all because he had a deceptive friend who fools him into thinking he needed some wine tasted. Edgar Allen Poe uses many types of literary devices in his writing to give his readers an enjoyable story to read. One of the devices is double entendre. One of the finest examples of this writing technique is in Edger Allan Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado”. In Poe’s short story we meet the interesting character of Montresor, a rich man who is out for revenge. Revenge most people would not even consider worth killing someone over. Not only does he have this revenge, Montresor is not much of a man for he does not want to fight this battle fairly. Actually, he is a two-faced person who is friendly and caring to Fortunato’s face while planning on killing him the entire time. During this story Montresor sometimes speaks using a double entendre. A double entendre is when you say one thing but mean something altogether different. When one realizes this it makes it hard to understand and causes one to wonder if Montresor can be trusted as a narrator. Edger Allan Poe’s use of this literary device makes one wonder if the reader can really trust what Montresor has to say, an if he is a reliable narrator or not. The act of getting revenge on someone is one of the oldest actions taken throughout the history of mankind. Revenge is harming somebody...

Words: 2419 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

The Cask of Amontillado Analysis

...The Cask of Amontillado | By: Edgar Allan Poe | “Nemo me impune lacessit” | Sigmund Freud Theories | Premises | Proofs | * Most of the individual’s mental processes are unconscious Montresor do not want his plan of killing Fortunato to be ruin but as explained by Freud our hidden desires are shown by the unconscious part of us. Montresor himself gave hints to Fortunato to his true intensions. | When Montresor said their family coat of arms, "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." Motto, “no one assails me with impunity”. With that he means, he will ultimately crush Fortunato...Another is when he said, “I drink to your long life” that is in irony. What he really implies is that Fortunato will eventually die soon. With those words that he did not really meant to say comes from his mouth because of the unconscious part of him that shows what he conceals. | The mental processes have three psychic zones: id, ego, super ego | Proofs | * id It is the dark, inaccessible part of our personality, and most of this is of a negative character. * Settings * It was about to dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season...... * The vaults are insufferably damp, dark and the vault in the end of the catacombs is piled with skeletons. * “A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally...

Words: 2614 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Foreshodowing Fortunato

... It is revealed by Montresor who confesses to the murder of his old friend Fortunato over fifty years ago. Montresor led Fortunato to the catacombs where he was entombed. Fortunato, is led into the catacomb to his impending death with the assurance of a magnificent sherry, amontillado. As Montresor pilots Fortunato deeper into the catacombs, Poe foreshadows the impending murder.  The word cask in Cask of Amontillado, is an abbreviation for the term casket. Fortunato is being led to his casket or final resting place in the catacombs. Elena Baraban, of “The Motive for Murder in “the Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe”, believes that “the whole imagery of the crypt suggests that the word “Amontillado” is a metaphor” (55). This is symbolic of the way Fortunato is killed. The title could easily have read “The Grave of Fortunato.”   Special importance is placed on Carnival in the story. Montresor saved his revenge until the Carnival celebration began, because it would be an excellent time to carry out his plan of revenge “during the supreme madness of the carnival season,” (Poe 227). Nothing is as it seems during the Carnival. People pretend to be something that they wish they could be. Carnival is an escape for the people. Many things happen at Carnival, during the merriment, that the law prevents. It is the perfect opportunity for Montresor to kill Fortunato without guilt. Montresor was, Fortunato’s victim up until Carnival. Montresor talks about many insults...

Words: 1180 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Scarlet Ibis And The Cask Of Amontillado

...intentions of Montresor and the reality of how Doodle learned to walk. Both “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Cask of Amontillado” are influenced by Appearance versus Reality as the plot progresses in both of these stories. The process of maturation in Doodle and Brother demonstrate the theme of Appearance versus Reality in “The Scarlet Ibis”. When Doodle was born, his family and the doctor presumed that he would not live to experience a full life. Even his own mother did not think that he would remain...

Words: 735 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Tale of Horror

...Instructor October 4, 2012. The Tale of Horror In “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, in his story Montresor is the protagonist and also the narrator. Poe uses his narrator to explain situations that are going on in their characters life. Montresor reveals from the beginning of that story that he intends to have revenge over Fortunato. On the other hand “The Goose Girl”, by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm in their story, the chambermaid plays the role of the antagonist. Grimm brother’s story is of a good-hearted princess usurped by her chambermaid and is turned into a common goose girl in a classic fairy tale. The chambermaid does not have any intent at the beginning of the story to usurp the princess place, but she is taking advantage over the princess, because of the circumstances that are happening over the course of the story. Regardless that the Poe story and as well Grimm’s Brothers story utilize common characteristics such as, development of manipulation, betrayal, deceitful, sly and calculating characters. Montresor from Poe story and the chambermaid from Grimm Brothers story, they both have similar characteristics in order to satisfice their own beliefs and desires. Montresor character of Poe’s story initially opens with a clear and specific purpose, which is to kill his friend Fortunato to be able to obtain revenge. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the...

Words: 919 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Nothing

...characters’ ways of thinking and their actions. Stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Masque of the Red Death” are all short stories that convey this notion. It is my intention to, based on the evidence found and presented, to prove this point. Let us first look at how Poe’s use of irony proves this point in “The Cask of Amontillado.” . The setting of the events is an “evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (Poe, “Cask” 426). This setting alone is symbolic for in this time during a carnival, people dressed themselves in costumes, becoming for a short time something other than their normal selves. Both Fortunato and Montresor are outfitted. Fortunato is wearing “a tight-fitted parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (426). In short, his attire was much like that of a jester, a fool if you will. Montresor’s costume is that of “a mask of black silk and…a roquelaire…” (427). Montresor and Fortunato. What do these names mean? Montresor’s name means puppeteer in Latin and Fortunato’s name means rich or fortunate. The irony here is that Montresor, the puppeteer, leads Fortunato to the catacombs under his families estates and walls him in. To...

Words: 2682 - Pages: 11