An Analysis of the Cask of Amontillado
Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” tells a story through the point of view of the first-person narrator Montresor. The tale begins immediately with his declaration that he has been insulted by a man name Fortunato, and vows to acquire revenge against him. Montresor states that he and Fortunato have something in common, their interest and knowledge on wine.
The story then jumps to a scene during a carnival of sorts. Montresor does not waste time approaching Fortunato and setting his plan in motion. Knowing that he considers himself a great wine expert, Montresor inquires his opinion on a newly acquired cask of Amontillado. He lures him in and walks him through the vaults slowly easing him into enough of a drunken state to keep him from letting his coughing distract from his ambition to keep going. He is then led to a small crypt where Montresor says the Amontillado lies. Fortunado steps inside as Montresor quickly locks him to the wall with a chain. Fortunado is too drunk to realize his fate as Montresor walls up the entrance with stone entrapping him and leaving him to his death. The story is being retold many years after the deed was done, and he seems to be addressing someone.
This aspect is significant in that he is revealing his diabolical acts to “You, who so well now the nature of my soul” Therefore either a confession to a priest or a loved one. This confession reveals his acts are not at peace within his mind. Edgar Allen Poe highlights the fact that sought revenge doesn’t always bring relief. The setting in this story holds a significant purpose. The beginning environment of the party and the “madness” in the air foreshadows mistakes taking place due to the carelessness that comes along with excessive drinking and partying. This scene however is also ironic because this is the time Montresor carefully chooses to act on his diabolical plans of retribution. While everyone else is in happy spirits and having a good time, gruesome and deceitful acts take place.
The second setting is more aligned with the story line. The vaults physically entrap them and symbolize Montresor’s mental crypt of his feelings of confinement to Fortunado’s actions or words that have caused insult. He allows Fortunado’s proceedings to be so important to him that he takes these measures to make sure Fortunado pays for them. He lets Fortunado’s actions hold weight instead of simply dismissing them. As they proceed further and further he is physically carrying on his plan with no intent to turn back, attributing to his mental scorn felt in cause of this man. He attempts to gain release by ridding of the person entirely and to diminish these feelings of disrespect as he actually literally is ridding of the body in these buried secret catacombs.
The description of this setting also goes along with Montresor’s character. The catacombs are cold and attentively filled with the bodies of other deceased people. This is much like Montresor as he is very calculated in his decisions and keeping them an enclosed secret. He is also not a forgiving or warm person. He is deceitful and cold, much like the area where most of the story takes place. These character aspects set up the reasons for his terrible and dark actions, adjectives that could as well describe the setting.
The fact that this story is told through Montresor’s point of view gives the reader an inside look into his twisted thoughts. He at the time describes his brutal actions as if they are just and rightfully deserved. It is also key that the reader receives the story through his voice because he describes the main aspects that must be present in order for revenge to be successful. He must punish, punish with impunity, and the person must know they have wronged and are getting pay back for their proceedings. It is called into question if Montresor ever even successfully achieved revenge as he never explains to Fortunado what he is doing and why. Fortunado is too drunk to even understand what is taking place and even thinks it is some sort of joke. This could be a significant factor in why Montresor is not feeling relief or peace from his actions. He failed to meet his own requirements for retribution, which is why so many years later this event is being recalled.
Although it isn’t specified who exactly Montresor is presumably confessing to, it is clear that it is someone who knows him and he feels comfortable recalling this to. Since they are declared to be someone who knows his soul so well, the reader can assume that they may not be surprised by these acts. He is a lot older at this point and the fact that he hasn’t resolved or gotten past this, shows that it may very well be a confession to a priest in order to relieve his conscious. He feels guilt even so many years after, as he is haunted with Forutnado’s last words “For the love of god, Montresor!” (20), which may be perceived as a threat against his soul. He could very well be on his deathbed thinking heavily on the life he’s lived. This relates back to the theme that even though he assumed that these measurements he took to seek retribution would ease his mind, they in fact did the very opposite of giving him relief.
