How would you assess Montresor's mental stability? Give examples from the text to support your analysis. You may also make up certain incidents in the past - for instance a few of the thousand injuries or the ultimate insult - that put him over the edge!
Alternatively, you write "the paragraph that Poe left out", about what happens immediately after Montresor leaves the wine cellar.
Pay attention to Poe's style of writing, his vocabulary, syntax and use of Latin. Can you imitate his style?
Trivia question of the week: Which of Edgar Allen Poe's animals keeps repeating, "Nevermore"?
47 comments:
Marieke van Lith - DENS3A
Montresor seems like a very unstable person. We don't really know what has happened in the past that was so insulting for him to act this way but it seems very drastic. "AT LENGTH I would be avenged." It seems that an insult was enough for him to kill Fortunato. And not just kill him. Bury him alive. I would think a relatively sane person would not resort to these kinds of revenge plans.
However, it does seem that he has some sort of doubt in this mind at times. "I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight; I placed it partially in its destined position." In the end he does call out for him when he doesn't get a response in the end. He even rushes to get the last stone in to get out of there. He might even have regretted it even though that seems a bit farfetched.
Given the fact that he hasn't spoken of this for 50 years time might have caught up with him and he actually does regret it.
Analyzing the mental state of Montresor is not as easy as it seems. Even though his mental stability can be highly questioned by his actions in this short story, it appears that his mental health was still balanced enough and his intellectual capacity was large enough to survive and go unpunished for his actions that were going on for half a century. That being said, it seems obvious that he does suffer from a pathological disorder which causes him to show extreme and markedly abnormal behavior.
Montresor was able to create a horrific plan to execute Fortunato, because this man had hurt him so many times that it was clear to him he needed to get his ultimate revenge: death. The very first line of the story, “A thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could” indicates that his frustrations or maybe his feelings of abasement might have taken over his sense of reality, resulting in the immensely exaggeration of Montresor (‘thousand’).
The fact that he mentioned the name of Luchesi in order to persuade Fortunato to come to the vaults with him, indicates a certain level of intelligence: he is deliberately playing with the feelings of his ‘target’ by repeating the name of an opponent and acting as if he doesn’t want to disturb him during Carnival. “My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive you have an engagement. Luchesi—”
I’m not quite sure what to make of the end of the story. On one hand, Montresor does appear to know exactly what he is doing, which is luring his victim to his final destination by using alcohol and lies. On the other hand, he seems to experience some other feelings when he is almost done with the execution of his plan: “ “Fortunato!” No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in reply only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs.” Is it really the dampness that causes the sickness of his heart, or is it something else, like arising feelings of fear or guilt that make him feel uncomfortable?
His final words though, “In pace requiescat!” (Latin for “Rest in peace”), and in particular the exclamation mark, demonstrate that this man is ruthless and doesn’t seem to have any regrets.
* Trivia question: The Raven!
Ymke Went (DENS3/4A)
Noor Gudden DENS3A
Montressor wants to take revenge on Fortunato. The fact that that we don’t know what Fortunato did to him, makes us question whether he has good reasons to take a revenge. It also makes us question his mental stability. The fact that an insult, so only words, are enough for the Montressor to kill somebody, are a sign that he is mentally unstable. It seems that Fortunato’s words have caused so much distress in the Montressor’s head that he doesn’t see any other way to solve this than by this sinister act. He is unable to put Fortunato’s words aside and leave them to rest, unable to put his words into perspective. Fortunato must have said something that heavily damaged Montressor’s sense of pride. It could be that that he didn’t invite him to meetings with important men in town or that he questioned his leadership qualities. The name of Montressor indicates qualities of a leader and organizer.
Montressor is obsessed with his plan to take revenge and there is nothing else he can think of. He has thought out his plan well and wants to minimize risks. He says ‘I must not only punish, but punish with impunity’. It seems that impunity is a big theme for him. Later on in the story he also cites the Latin quote: ‘Nemo me impune lacessit, which means ‘no one attacks me with impunity’. He has a very strong sense of pride, but also seems to have lost contact with the real world.
Another sign of his mental instability is that Montressor claims to be a Mason, but he doesn’t recognize the Mason hand sign of Fortunato. This makes us believe that he takes on an identity which is false. We don’t know the facts and fiction in this story, which gives it a mysterious feel.
Iris VENS3A
I do not think Montressor’s mental state is very stable and a one hundred percent sane, for killing people, in my opinion, remains an unforgivable deed sane people cannot perform, even if it is meant for vengeance. ‘A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.’ is a citation that exposes Montressor’s insanity. It shows his extreme way of thinking and his ability to go the extent of murder.
The only possible insults made by his enemy that I could come up with is the possibility of the always drunk Fortunato passing off a certain type of wine for the wrong kind, which disadvantaged Montressor who regularly came to him for testing. I think Montressor lost his faith in his former friend for this. Also my depiction of Fortunato always being drunk is based on both the story where he is drunk all the time and his very name ‘Fortunato’, which may indicate to his lifestyle of happy times accompanied by alcohol.
Missing paragraph:
‘Sir, there you are. We’ve been waiting all the time. Where have you been?’ Five of his servants stood by the door while Montressor entered the Palazzo. Initially he felt puzzled. How could his servants have obeyed him? They never did. They always escaped the Palazzo the moment they know he is away. Not knowing how to react, Montressor exclaimed that he had business to do in his room and did not want to be disturbed but suddenly five more of his servants stood right before him.
‘Sir, you always distrust us. You treat us badly. We saw you go to the vaults with Fortunato. Where is he?’
‘How dare you all speak to me like this. Mind your own business, as for Fortunato is currently still testing the Amontillado in the vaults.’
‘But the door is locked. Sir, what have you done to the Palazzo’s beloved wine tester?’
Desperately Montressor went to his room and locked the door, while a little while later a loud scream could be heard from below. It would not last long till one of his servants betrayed him, and he knew all too well the price for a deed like this.
At length, I would be avenged. One day or so and my body too will be found between the remaining bones of the catacombs.
Dagmar Dubois DENS3A
The following declaration in the very first paragraph where Montresor states “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” is almost enough to draw the conclusion that Montresor’s mental stability is seemingly questionable. However, Poe leaves the reader to question exactly what had happened prior to this “scene” which also means what we cannot be 100% sure Montresor’s quest for revenge on Fortunado is warranted. We can even argue that since we do know Fortunado must have said something to profoundly offend Montresor and severely bruise his sense of pride and ego, that this is what could have sent Montresor over the edge enough to kill him. Yet, despite any kind of hint of a mental disorder, I do believe Montresor knew full well what he was doing. Perhaps his mental state did impair him from feeling any kind of emotion about his actions.
However, by saying something like “I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight; I placed it partially in its destined position" could perhaps be a hint at a feeling of regret, yet the reader cannot be too sure as the story leaves this notion open-ended.
Claudia Crenshaw DENS3A
Montresor is a man exacting vengeance upon Fortunato for an ultimate betrayal, namely impugning his reputation. He had apparently suffered many injustices at the hand of Fortunato, “but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” Poe does not elaborate or provide any details as to what exactly was said to offend Montresor so egregiously. However, so injurious is the insult that Montresor embarks on a plan to end Fortunato’s life, and in the process not leave a shred of evidence that he might have had a hand in its execution. Montresor wants to exact revenge, and will only be satisfied if no shred of evidence points to his culpability. Montresor displays the qualities of a calculating sociopath who shows no remorse and is obsessed with his plan to the most minute of details. He has the patience and attention to detail that ultimately leads to the perfect act of revenge. Fortunato will never be found, and Montresor will never pay for his nefarious deed.
Montresor has thought of every aspect in order to commit this crime with impunity. He continues to treat Fortunato with “good will” so that the latter will not be suspicious. Montresor also has chosen to punish Fortunato during the hectic and alcohol-laden days of Carnival. He counts on Fortunato being less recognizable in his “motley” or harlequin costume, and he himself is dressed in “roquelaire”, a black hat and cape, that would also make it virtually impossible to notice him in the chaos of the street festivities. Montresor knows that he will surely get his future victim’s attention if he entices him with “amontillado” as he has studied the man and knows that this is his weakness. A further example of Montresor’s calculated plan is that he has released the servants from their duties, and thus ensures that no one will be witness to the night’s events.
Finally, the reader witnesses how deep Montresor’s hatred is for Fortunato as he takes him deeper into the damp catacombs with the promise of a taste of amontillado. He coaxes the man by giving him wine and pretending to care that he is suffering from a cough. Montresor leads the perpetrator of the "unforgivable sin" to a place in the cellar where he chains him up, builds a wall around him and finally throws a flame into the space to complete his desire of killing his enemy by “immolation”. Montresor relishes every moment that he hears Fortunato suffer, “then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones.” Such is his calculation that he has also picked a place to leave Fortunato that is already strewn with bones so that nothing will appear unusual.
Poe has created a calculating killer. A coldblooded character whose only misstep was to not recognize a gesture known to the secret order of masons. Otherwise, his evil plan of revenge with impunity is executed flawlessly. Fortunato has died from immolation (or by burning"), and fifty years on Montresor does not show any signs of remorse. Montresor is the archetypal sociopath - a killer with no conscience.
Saliha Ballah Dens3a 0860327
‘The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge’. This is the first line of Edgar Allen’s short story where it shows us what the story is about, that there’s a conflict between two main characters, Fortunato and Montresor. Apparently, Montresor suffered injustice at the hand of Fortunato. Poe does not provide us of any details to what Fortunato exactly said to offend Montresor so much to snap and murder his friend. But it is clear that Montresor suffered from some form of mental illness. In the following paragraph, Montresor enjoys the suffering of his friend and makes sure he takes it all in. He then proceeds to finish his cruel act without hesitation or remorse.
‘There was then a long and obstinate silence. I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones. When at last the clanking subsided, I resumed the trowel, and finished without interruption the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh tier.’
Montresor has symptoms of paranoia, aggression and maybe even the belief that an ordinary event has a special and personal meaning. It could mean that Fortunato did something small to anger Montresor and left him convinced that murdering his friend was the only valid option.
Saliha Ballah Dens3a 0860327
I do not think we can assess Montressor's mental health by reading this story. His actions are premeditated. He planned his revenge in advance.The story is also very vague about his motivations. The reader only knows that Fortunato has insulted him but does not tell what Fortunato's exact words were or if he comitted other actions which could explain why Montressor has so much hatred for the man. His actions are irrational. It seems that he tries to rationalize his hatred towards Fortunato. One might say that killing someone because of some insults is irrational but irrationalk behaviour does not indicate that someone is suffering from a mental illness or that he is mentally unstable. Poor and unlucky Fortunato (his name is quite ironic) never saw it coming.
Montressor also seems to know right from wrong. He hesitates when his victim starts screaming.He also feels his heart growing sick when he is about to lay the last brick and seal Fortunato's fate. This shows that he is still capable of feeling guilt and knows that what he is doing is wrong. If he can tell right from wrong then we can not say with certainty that he is mentally ill or that he is mentally unstable.
The Montressor family motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit," which is Latin for "No one attacks me with impunity." His family sign is that of a boot stomping on a snake and the snake, in turn, biting the boot. He is the boot and Fortunato, in this case, is the snake that spat venom towards him (the insults).This hints at a family with an history of revenge and also tells the reader that Montressor is a vindictive and prideful man. He might have an ego that is very fragile.Revenge has often been the motive for people to do unspeakable and dispicable things. It can also be said that Montressor IS the snake that bites Fortunato after Fortunato stomped on his ego. Montressor acts like a snake when he manipulates Fortunato with his incincere behaviour, pretending to like Fortunato.
He kept his actions a secret for 50 years.We do not know how he felt about his actions after this time or what he did in those 50 years.
Hamilton Sousa Pires
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 nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. AT LENGTH I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled -- but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. 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.
He had a weak point -- this Fortunato -- although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian MILLIONAIRES. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen , was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him, that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him -- "My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day! But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts."
"How?" said he, "Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible ? And in the middle of the carnival?"
"I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."
"Amontillado!"
"I have my doubts."
"Amontillado!"
In Cask of Amontillado Montresor is set on reprisal, since Fortunato has treated Montresor in a disrespectful way. This is apparent in the beginning of the short story in which the character of Fortunato has been introduced by the narrator. It is mentioned that Montresor encountered many insults from Fortunato, despite the fact that it is unclear what actually happened. I believe that it was the writer's intention to leave it up to our own imagination. It enables us to think about the narrator's nature and his possible madness.
Montresor schemes and actions prove his insanity, especially when he gathers with Fortunato and mentions how happy he is to see him, so thrilled, that he could not wait to carry out his evil plans. In his psyche, Montresor seems capable of carrying out his plan, by using the right words at the right time. Montresor sets out on a journey with Fortunato and shows him the treacherous catacombs in an ingeniously persuasive but not too persuasive way. In the short story evidence is to be found in line 6 that indicates that Montresor was mentally present. He can be very obstinate at times. But does this define his mental illness? I think we are left with too much questions to pass an judgement on Montresor´s mental stability.
Martin Steegmans – Dens2A
Montresor’s mental stability isn’t perfect, but I reckon him capable of evaluating his own actions. Therefore he is accountable for his actions. Of course, in the first paragraph, Montresor come across a bit deluded or maddened by rage. But he planned the abduction en finally the ‘burying’ and therefore murder of Fortunato meticulously. Possibly Montresor had had thousands of plans popping up in his head, equalling the thousand injuries endured by Fortunato. For example the time when Fortunato took advantage of his intoxicated daughter.
The last, forgotten, paragraph:
The thousand injuries of Fortunato were avenged, and avenged with impunity. I turned and smiled as my task was completed. I hastened my way back. Our, or yet my, flambeau started to flame rather than glow again. I paused as my eyes adopted to the light and saw to the ornamented sides of the crypt. The tricking of moisture faded away slowly as I made my way back. Outside the night had taken the place of dusk. As I looked up at the stars I said to myself: “Nemo me impune lacessit”.
The raven is the animal that keeps repeating “Nevermore”.
Ed Kraak, DENS 3A
A first glimpse of Montresor's mental stability is shown in the first paragraph, when he states:
" You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely settled--but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong".
Fortunato's death is not the result of an outburst of anger (emotion); it is the outcome of a rational, cold-hearted and detailed plan to end another man's life. And this is, as Montresor states, according to 'the nature of my soul'. This is also symbolised in the Montresor arms, which consist of a golden foot crushing a serpent that bites the foot against a field of blue; the Montresor motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit," the Latin phrase for "No one attacks me with impunity." Montresor is aware of the fact that he must shut down his emotions in order to plan and perform the ultimate revenge.
Another example of the cold-hearted, evil nature of Montresor is found in the lines:
"I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones. When at last the clanking subsided, I resumed the trowel, and finished without interruption the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh tier".
Montresor sits down upon the bones to listen with satisfaction to the furious vibrations of the chain. This is not the only time he paused. He also does it after finishing the seventh tier. This can be seen as another example of Montresor's sadistic nature. He is delaying the process in order to tune and enjoy Fortunato's reaction.
A last act of evilness is seen in the last paragraph:
"I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells".
It is after this action that Montresor's "heart grew sick", which indicates that he feels remorse. This feeling is quickly set aside though by blaming it to "the dampness of the catacombs". In my opinion, this shows Montresor's nature is not as cold-hearted as it seems. He just needs to eliminate these feelings in order to execute the revenge he believes he is entitled to.
There is a thin line between sanity and insanity. One might think that executing revenge like this could only be the work of a madman. Poe shows us that this is not the case. Every person has a dark side. To what extent will this darkness show when one is put to the test?
Trivia answer: The Raven.
On the one hand one could argue that Montresor is mentally unstable. His emotional declaration in the first sentence (“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”)
followed by directly addressing the reader with a statement that we should understand his reasoning (“You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.”) doesn’t speak in favour of a stable mind. The fact that he can dismiss the death of a human life as something trivial induced by the catacombs is of course not something a ‘normal’ stable person could do. This even leans towards the behaviour of a sociopath.
On the other hand, one could argue that Montresor isn’t mentally unstable at all. The mere fact that he can recall events from 50 years ago and is at liberty to tell them means he has to have a clear mind. One could even argue, by quoting Thomas S. Szasz, that there is no such thing as mental illness.
Trivia: The Raven
Montresor is, in my opinion, not a sociopath (as others may say) but a person who is very angry at somebody else, Fortunato in this particular case. From the very beginning of the story it is getting clear that he hates Fortunato to the bone. “AT LENGTH I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled”. The scary thing about montresor’s anger is though, that it seems to go far beyond the “normal” boundaries of anger. A normal person, for example, would show his anger through mimics or behaviour. Montresor on the other hand, keeps smiling to fortunato for he has evil plans to take revenge, big time!
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.
So why did I start my story by telling you that Montresor isn’t a sociopath? Well for the very fact that a sociopaths behaviour isn’t influenced by emotions but by the lack of them; and as I see it, emotions aren’t what Montresor lacks.
Montresor is a deeply troubled man consumed by his own anger. This is the reason why he was able to plan his vengeance in a professional way. He lures Fortunato away from the crowded streets and into the deep, damp catacombs with a smart trick for he knows Fortunato can’t withstand the idea of Amontillado. At the end of his evil plan he even finds himself enough time to listen to the hallowed screams of his victim and feels deeply satisfied by the success of his evil plan.
It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognising as that of the noble Fortunato.
Ercan Yilmaz DENS3A
When you think about the mental state of Montresor it seems like he is steady enough to function in
society as he’s survived and gone unpunished for fifty years.
He’s also very capable of planning and “executing” his cruel plan. He seems, however, to suffer from a serious personality disorder that has caused him to go that far with his awful plan. He claims that:
“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.”
Part of this “mental” personality is the confusion of reality “a thousand injuries”? most likely to highly exaggeration and surely not deserving suchlike cruel punishment. The opening line of the story supports the pathology. But it is the last paragraph of the story that makes you wonder about his issues. “My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.” This line tells the reader about the lack of empathy and conscious that Montresor shows.
This guy...serious issues and he’s very scary.
Gaby Roosenburg
VENS3E
0893572
At first I read this story in a modern translation, but after reading the original version as well I found out that a lot of the original content has been 'lost in translation'. For example, the modern version did not make the horrors Montressor committed seem as disturbing as they were originally described.
As most of the people here, I agree that the tone of the story is set by the first line: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”. Montressor is obviously hurt, and vows revenge. However, it was not until they entered so deeply into the catacombs that I got an eery feeling about the whole story. Then when the story ended, I felt pretty devastated. How could someone leave a person, no matter whether he/she is a friend or enemy, leave to die in such horrid way?
Even though it became clear Montressor has a lack of empathy and shows no remorse, I think the story was rather dark. Signing off the book with the latin phrase for 'rest in peace' added insult to injury in my opinion. He was the one responsible for Fortunado's death, so I would say that 'rest in peace' is not appropriate... And I think that, too, is a sign of showing no remorse. After all, Montressor is a repulsive character and I did not like him at all. The final line just made it even worse.
'The Cask of Amontillado' By Edgar Allen Poe, is a bizarre and elusive little story that leaves the reader in puzzlement. After having finished reading, it feels like there should be more to come, as if the publisher forgot to print the end. Also the preceding part seems to be missing, the part that explains about the 'thousand injuries' that Fortunado caused Montressor, the protagonist of the story, to endure. This makes it more difficult to sympathise with and understand the protagonist's thoughts and actions.
Furthermore Poe's style of writing is highly ambitious, which makes it hard work to read. Not only his vocabulary, but also the way the sentences are built, is very complicated. It forces the inexperienced reader to peruse the text and read certain sentences over and over in order to truly get the meaning. Good examples of complicated vocabulary and syntax are the following sentences:
A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
Who is the redresser? And who is the avenger? To which 'wrong' is it referring? Does it refer to 'the thousand injuries'? Or does it refer to Montressor's cruel action that is yet to come?
Edgar Allen Poe is known to be an innovative reinterpreter of the Gothic genre (very much in vogue in the beginning of the 19th century), in which themes like decay, death and madness are ubiquitous.
Arwen, DENS 3a
Salim el Bouazzaoui
0880341
In contrary to the opinions of others, I think Montresor’s mental state one of absolute soberness. One might call him mad, insane or bereft of logic, but I name him a mastermind. When looking at his actions and words I do not see a man with a rage instilled that controls him, but someone who is precise, conscious and thinks about his actions. He doesn’t act on the spur of the moment and neither does he ruin his victory by gloating about it afterwards.
At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled— but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
There might be even moments where he regrets his intentions and give Fortunato the possibility to escape his ill fate. Moments where he offers Fortunato to return to his humble abode. But this we will never know, as we can see his actions and hear his words but we will never will know if he had any doubts for certain.
“No, my friend, no. I can see that you are not well. And the vaults are cold and wet.”
The lost paragraph
As I set the last skeleton bone on the barricade I hear bells jingling softly and Fortunato's last words reverberate in my mind; “For the love of God, Montresor!”. I contemplate my handicraft and my eyes focus on the last laid brick, imagining Fortunato’s niter induced quietus and finally his last sigh of breath. The paradox of undergoing such an unfortunate funus whilst bearing such a name. “Nemo me impune lacessit!” I retire to my journey back to my palazzo as my grip tightens around the flambeaux. I shall toast my friend tonight.
Trivia: the Raven
Andrea Moreira Santos 0765744
Loïs Berghout
0905131
VENS3C
It is rather difficult to look at Montresor’s mental state. We do not have a back story and because of that it is difficult to see why exactly he is seeking revenge on Fortunato. It is, however, very clear that Fortunato, in Montresor’s eyes has done something terrible and revenge-worthy. Montresor has a whole plan thought out at the beginning of the story and shows that he is very set on getting the revenge.
“It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good-wil. 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”
The fact that he has a complete plan set out and made sure that his servants were all gone and that he had come up with a very good lie to lure Fortunato into the family catacombs, shows to me, that Montresor definitely has some problems, however, it does not specifically mean that there is something wrong with his mental state. Maybe the thing that Fortunato has done was so painful and hurtful that Montresor did not see any other option than severe revenge and locking somebody up in his family catacombs. I have to admit that it is a very big revenge to be taken and that his actions are not very kind or loving but revenge is never loving and what would we do if somebody had done something hurtful or painful that revenge was the only way to get back.
Babette Sutter 0913306
VENS3C
I feel like Montresor’s mental stability is questionable, to say the least. For a reason unknown to us, he feels incredibly wronged by Fortunato (the irony of that name is incredible) and vows to seek revenge. Fortunato seems very trusting of Montresor, so he probably doesn’t know what he did wrong either. Montresor talks about how “at length he would be avenged” which seems very dramatic for someone who seems to have gotten insulted.
Another clue for Montresor’s mental instability is the fact that he claims to be a Mason, even though he clearly isn’t because he doesn’t recognize the hand sign Fortunato makes. He obviously tries to identify as someone he isn’t.
The revenge he has plotted must have taken a lot of thought and planning, which is kind of creepy. I don’t think someone who is mentally stable would murder someone in such a cruel way (or murder anyone at all). Montresor goes out of his way to make Fortunto trust him and seems to know exactly how to lure Fortunato to the crypt, mentioning letting Luchesi taste the Amontillado to convince Fortunato to join him. This makes it seem like, even though Montresor is obviously mentally unstable, he’s still very capable of using his intelligent brain.
VENS3C
Dalina Mahmood
When I first read the story I thought Montresor seems unstable. He seems extremely consumed with taking pleasure in torturing his victim. You can see this within the ending were he imitates Fortunato even louder and more aggressive. Another point worth noting is, the fact that he kept it a secret for 50 years. Personally, it would drive me crazy to murder someone and keep it a secret for 50 years. This could be an example for his insanity. Another reason to question his mental stability is the fact that he turns to murder in vengeance for an insult. Montresor is distressed to the point that he acts upon homicidal thoughts, this shows that he is not mentally stable. He kills Fortunato for something as vacuous as an insult.
However, while I do believe that his actions show mental instability, it does not mean necessary that he himself is insane or unstable. Fortunato’s insults were the snapping point for Montresor to strike back and seek revenge. The fact that he plans every step of his revenge, knows what to say to Fortunato and how to act around him shows just how carefully he has planned his revenge. This could delineate Montressor’s character as narcissistic. A simple insult does not justify deadly retribution unless the revenge passed a great sense of pride and ego. At the end “the Cask of Amontillado shows that Montresor is Bragging about the way he carried out his revenge he shows his overpowering narcissism in his motive of killing his friend.
Lastly, in the story Poe mentions Montressor’s family motto “ Nemo me impune Lacessit” Which means” no one provokes me with impunity” and the foot that crushes a snake. This has been a family symbol, a family that shows a history of revenge, this also could have been a reason, Because Fortunato insulted him and looked down on him. Montressor felt obligated to follow the family rule and take revenge on Fortunato.
To conclude, due to the fact that there is no back story about what Fortunate's insults,and the fact that the story was told after 50 years of the accident, makes the narrator unrelaible. I personally think Montressor was jealous of Fortunato. Montressor mentioned the following about Fortunato: "You are a man to be missed, you are rich,beloved,admired,recpected; you are happy as once I was" This shows possible jealousy. because if Fortunate had "many" insults towards Montressor why did he trusted Montressor and followed him. Montressor revenge passed a great sense of pride and ego.He shows his overpowering narcissism in his motive of killing his friend.
Bart Neven VENS3C
The fact that he killed a "friend" for an insult should tell you enough regarding his mental stability, and if I might add the absolute worst possible way to die (in my opinion). He probably froze, starved to death and you must be mad to think that is justified because he insulted your family. This is something we can all agree on in this day and age.
However, there is a case to be made for his actions. The city-states in Italy were run by families who were more powerful than governments. In those times your family's honor meant everything. So in historic context and point of view, it is not unheard of to take your revenge. (it is still a dick move tho)
In conclusion, in our day and age, we would call him a madman. However, in the 19th century Europe it was not unheard of to take revenge for a petty insult. So I am a bit on the fence about this.
Trivia: It was the raven
The story is about this character names Montresor that tells a story 50 years later of what seems to be a horrible revenge on Fortunato.
The character Montresor is an unreliable, cold, unrepentant murderer. At the beginning of the story it is very noticeable that he is not trustworthy and that he has a mental instability. Montresor is overpowered with the downfall of Fortunato. It because in the past Fortunato has hurt Montresor many times, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.” However, in the story it is not mentioned that there were any insults or unkind acts. This show that he is mentally unstable because in the story it is the opposite Fortunato is very friendly and helpful towards Montresor.
Later on in the story Montresor’s family also cites the Latin quote (“Nemo me impune lacessit”) which means ‘No one attacks me with impunity.’ This shows that he felt obligated to follow the family rule as his family lived by this motto. Therefore he had to take revenge on Fortunato by killing him.
Fortunato trusted him to the fact that he follows Montresor into the catacombs. He knew that he had a weakness for alcohol and used it to get him into the catacomb. At the end Montessor did feel uncomfortable with his plan as he said: “My heart grew sick on account of the dampness of the catacomb. He believed that this feeling was caused by the dampness of the catacomb or was it guilt that made him feel uncomfortable.
He doesn’t seem to have any regrets as he placed the final brick and said “In pace requiescat” (Latin for Rest in Peace). This demonstrates that he indeed is unreliable and cold as he did not show any remorse for his act.
VENS3C - Besha Mahmood
Seda Ozdemir VENS3C
Montresor is mentally unstable since he has planned a murder in order to take revenge. We know that, as a reader, Fortunato has embarrassed Montresor several times at the start of the novel: “Fortunato had hurt me a thousand times and I had suffered quietly.” These embarrassments do not only affect him on a personal level, but he in fact takes these to the next level, his family’s pride. This is mentioned later on: “We are a great family, and an old one. It is not far now. But I can see you are trembling with the cold. Come! Let us go back before it is too late.” However, he has already made up his mind and justifies his plan: “I must not suffer as a result of taking my revenge. A wrong is not made right in that manner.” Moreover, it is certain that he had planned this out because he had indirectly sent the servants away: “I had told the servants that they must not leave the palace, as I would not return until the following morning and they must care for the place. This, I knew, was enough to make it certain that they would all leave as soon as my back was turned.”
After he has set in plan in play, it is interesting to see how he pretends to be a friend of Fortunato. He does this by mentioning that the vault they will be going to and when they are there at some point, the vault is very cold and wet. “No, my friend, no. I can see that you are not well. And the vaults are cold and wet.” At the end he refers back to this by repeating his question in a threatening manner: “Fortunato,” I said. “Put your hand against the wall. You must feel how the water runs over it. Once more I ask you, please, will you not go back? No? If not, then I must leave you. But first I must do everything I can for you.” This part is very confusing at first, but the more you think about it and reread it actually makes sense. The idea behind asking numerous times to go back links to his final action: burying Fortunato alive! By Fortunato entering the wine cellar after he had proposed to go back this final action of him was supposed to justify what he did, because he warned him.
VENS3C - Zeynep Çabuk
Montresor, the narrator, is not able to think clearly when his pride has been injured by Fortunato. Thus, he plans to murder Fortunato by plastering him into his wine cellar. This depicts the instability of his character and that he might suffer from mental health issues. Not only his thoughts of murdering someone makes him mentally ill but also the thought and the way he acts towards it.
Eventually, Montresor managed to decoy Fortunato into his resting place of the dead of the Montresor family where they also kept their finest wines under the ground. Montresor offered Fortunato some of his fine Medoc. Then he said: “And I, Fortunato — I drink to your long life” knowing that Fortunato is about to get killed, by him.
“Fortunato,” I said. “Put your hand against the wall. You must feel how the water runs over it. Once more I ask you, please, will you not go back? No? If not, then I must leave you. But first I must do everything I can for you.” “But…But the Amontillado?” “Ah, yes, yes indeed; the Amontillado.”
Montresor sounds indecisive about his revenge of Fortunato. He may have shown a hasty sign of sympathy. However, it could be a psychopathic thought to scare Fortunato in some way.
“I heard no answer. “Fortunato!” I cried. “Fortunato.” I heard only a soft, low sound, a half-cry of fear. My heart grew sick; it must have been the cold. I hurried to force the last stone into its position. And I put the old bones again in a pile against the wall. For half a century now no human hand has touched them. May he rest in peace!”
The narrator seems not to care about people’s lives at all since he makes some very sarcastic and ruthless comments referring to the anxiety Fortunato is in. He thrills to manipulate people and lead them to a slow death.
Trivia: the Raven
Montresor is certainly mentally unstable. "I must not only punish but punish with impunity." His words seems to revolve around punishing Fortunato and seeking revenge for the deeds that he has done against him. Montresor's desire to seek revenge seemed so powerful, to the degree where he thought out a plan to lure Fortunato to his deathplace. He did this by winning Fortunato's trust: "It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will." "...he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation." Continuing his evil plans, the story explains how he carefully thought this through and how he knew Fortunato's well enough, to be able to take advantage of his weak point. He promised that "we will go back; your health is precious." This way, Montresor is winning his trust and making him feel as if he has the option to go back whenever, while we know that that was not Montresor's plan.
Besides the evil impression we got from Montresor, it seems that he is afraid and unsure of his acts. At the last page, he shows signs of fear and doubt in his own acts. Because of the impressions that I have perceived from Montresor, I believe that his mental state has a link to the past. It seems that someone in the past has insulted Montresor often with harsh insults, to the point where Montresor lost his sanity and it became his weak point.
Trivia: the raven
When I first read the short story, I did not think of Montresor as mentally unstable. His actions were built on feelings, but did not fluctuate that much or show more instability than human. Of course, his murderous thoughts that he acted out – a horrific kind of murder, not to mention - are not normal and might even be called inhumane, but personally I did not think of it as something unstable to do whilst reading. Especially because he mentions in the first paragraph that Fortunato has done many things to get him to the point of his evil plan.
Next to that, the fact that Montresor kept on suggesting they should head back due to Fortunato’s health made me think twice about his mental stability. He keeps saying that Fortunato’s cough was bad and that they should go back, but Fortunato insists on going to the wine cellar. These actions show a little humanity in the form of regret of Montresor. Fortunato’s choice to keep on walking is the motivation Montresor might have needed and it could have relieved his regret. After all, Fortunato had plenty chances to walk away and live, therefore it was partially his own choice.
All in all, I do not think Montresor was mentally unstable, per se. Throughout the story he stayed quite rational. Nevertheless, his ways of acting and thinking were off and not entirely healthy. They just were not unstable in my belief.
Montresor's mental health isn't everything it should be; however, it seems Montresor himself seems to think himself completely rational and just in his actions.
He is not so much 'unstable' as he seems quite cool and collected in his manners and his way of behaving. The thought patterns he displays however, are not healthy at all.
This kind of 'revenge' that he feels justified to take is, to be blunt, completely out of whack. Even if Fortunato had done something horrible like kill someone close to Montresor, it is no man's right to be judge, jury, and executioner. Montresor however, seems to think it completely fine to take these three roles upon himself, and exacts his revenge on Fortunato by walling him in and letting him die. (which gives a whole new meaning to Montresor saying he's a mason).
So overal; Montresor probably thinks he's completely fine. The reader on the other hand might deduct that he is not mentally healthy and actually could use some professional help.
The Cask of Amontillado written by Edgar Allen Poe is a short story in which 2 main characters have a conflict. The conflict between the two main characters becomes directly clear from the first line: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”.
The information given about Montresor is inadequate to judge his mental stability. We don’t even know what has happened in the past and why he is seeking revenge on Fortunato. We only get to know that Fortunato has insulted him which is still vague. Further, we get to know his plans and hateful thoughts: “I must not only punish but punish with impunity."
Trivia: The Raven.
Meryem Öztürk
0913990
VENS3C
Lisa Aalmers VENS3C
In my opinion, someone who is capable of killing someone out of revenge, isn’t mentally stable at all. I don’t think Montresor is a sociopath though, because he is capable of feeling remorse and guilt. Montresor shows signs of remorse on several occasions in this story. For example, when he leads Fortunato into the catacombs Montresor suggest turning back several times because of Fortunato’s cough. Even though Montresor may not be a sociopath, I don’t believe a sane person would bury a man alive just because he was insulted. Therefore, Montresor must have some kind of mental disorder.
Trivia: The Raven
Felicity Postma 0881014 Vens3C
Montresor seems to be a very proud and narcissistic man. He is only concerned about his own pride and about how other people judge him it seems.
When he says 'But then I learned that he had laughed at my proud name, Montresor, the name of an old and honored family' he explains how he feels about himself, he feels superior because of his good family name that he feels must protect. Montresor then says 'I promised myself that I would make him pay for this - that I would have revenge' This section basically summarises the whole book.
His plan to do this in secret worked out very well because he sent the servants away and at the end of the book he states 'For half a century now no human hands has touched them, may he rest in peace' -> "Them" refers to the bones he put in front of the wall he just closed, capturing Fortunado.
The paragraph that Poe left out:
'As soon as I left the deep, dark, dripping vault I stepped into the bright sunlight. Knowing my revenge was sweet, I walked into the direction of another secret vault on my family's large estate. There was my ultimate prize to this prodigious service I had just done for all the good in the world. There, waiting for me alone, was the precious cask of Amontillado. It was there, I celebrated my sweet revenge.'
Trivia answer: The Raven.
Cornelis van der Klooster VENS2B
Kicking off the story with ‘’ THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.’’ Made it seem as though Montreso has been living under oppression of this Fortunato and his choice of seeking revenge is a justifiable route to take. When he follows it up saying that he would most definitly be avenged it felt like he took the psycho killer approach as becomes more apparant by stating ‘’I must not only punish, but punish with impunity’’ and the fact he was now smiling at Fortunato at the thought of causing him harm. That pretty much sums up his mental stability…shaky at best.
That’s was just the beginning however. Progressing into the story we see him lure his ‘friend’ into a wine cellar (in Game of Thrones fashion presented to the reader) and I thought he would have some elaborate poisoning scheme planned out. When it turns out his plan is to get Fortunato drunk enough to not notice an obvious deception and plaster him behind a wall to rest with the dead it dawned on me that Montreso wasn’t just an angry lunatic. He had all of this planned out and even thought of a one liner to end their friendship indefinitly with; turning this character into a proper Hollywood psycho killer.
Fred de Zoete, VENS2D
-
When considering the mental stability of Montresor as a person, the logical place to start would be the motive and means of committing the murder central to the tale. The opening paragraph presents in great clarity the tenets by which he intends to have his revenge. Quote: "A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong."
Translated: If you're going to take revenge, make sure they know, and make sure you're not caught. The motive (perceived insults) and location (the underground family vaults) fit this reasoning. However, it is the means by which the crime is committed that draws attention to this case.
The slow and arduous process of bricking someone into a room, in itself nothing compared to the fate of the victim, stands out for one reason: it requires no bloodshed. The image painted here is of a man who desperately wants cruel revenge, but can at no point admit his intentions to his target. Only when Fortunato was completely out of sight and incapable of response did Montresor see fit to seal his fate. While it makes for a good cover, the true purpose of this staging is purely one of emotional distance. It implies that Montresor cannot stand to be challenged on his actions or reasoning, with this elaborate scheme as a result.
The particulars of this murder are morbid enough by themselves, but the conclusion I draw here is that this was, most likely, the only way in which Montresor could bear to commit it. That exact disregard for the victim's fate in favor of simple self-justification is the clearest example of Montresor's mental instability to me.
Tamara Salem - 0920243 - VENS3C
In my opinion, a person who tries to kill someone out of anger is mentally ill. A normal person would just talk to the person in question and ask why they did what they did.
What I found most disturbing is the fact that he tries to convince Fortunato to back after his really bad cough and in the end he burries him alive.
I think he lacks empathy for any living creature. He doesn't care about Fortunato dying and suffering nor the pain his family will have when they find out what happened.
If he had just tried to forgive him, Fortunato would be alive an well today.
Lisanne Bakker VENS3C
Upon first look at the first paragraph, there’s the quote “A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” It certainly makes the reader question Montresor’s mental stability.
And as the story progresses we find that even Montresor himself doesn’t really have a defined motive to go after Fortunado except for the part “But when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” Perhaps he simply felt that this man did enough wrong to be the source and victim of his injured pride and ego.
He finds Fortunado during a carnival, slightly drunk, dressed in costume, and tells the man of a stash of “Amontillado” that he wishes to show to Fortunado. Intoxicated, Fortunado might be more easily persuadable as well as less recognizable due to the costume he’s wearing. Clever, if you ask me.
As they ascend into the catacombs, Montresor even shows a sense of care by saying “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.”
Though, Fortunado refuses and they go forth to the amontillado; where he is chained, buried alive and then murdered by ‘immolation’.
The Montresor’s coat of arms is a snake that is stepped on by a boot, which the snake bites in. It can be viewed that Montresor is the boot that steps onto Fortunado, the snake, and the insults are shown as the fangs of the snake in the boot.
So, is Montresor mentally stable? Certainly not, Montresor shows a several symptoms that lead to belief that he’s a psychopath. Psychopathy is a personality disorder with the ‘holder’ showing no remorse or empathy for whatever is happening. Even at the end there is the “and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction”
Bedra Mohamud / 0908880 / VENS3C
Montresor is a multifaceted character with underlying issues that are somewhat disturbing. It all stems from the unhealthy obsession he had with Fortunato after he had supposedly insulted him in which he felt a desperate need for vengeance. What was troubling was how he did not see it as revenge but rather justice, not only that, but for the justice to count, he must get away with it.
‘I must not only punish, but punish with impunity’.
It is evident that the protagonist is a crafty character, who is eager to put his diabolical plan into motion. We do not know exactly what Fortunato had said to Montresor to receive such a vile and unorthodox fate. Montresor’s actions prove that he has sociopathic tendencies, perhaps it was already buried deep inside and Fortunato just triggered it. No sane person would relish at the idea of another person’s impending doom.
‘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’.
One might wonder if the author had written this short story as a means to indirectly retell a part of his own life using Montresor as a self-inserted character, leaving clues for the readers to figure out. Or perhaps to get a burden off his chest, after all, Poe’s life is an unsolved mystery and the story was written close to his time of death. Questioning Montresor’s mental stability puts the author on the spotlight, as a lot of his writing has the same recurring theme of death.
Trivia: The Raven
Yessica van der Veere, VENS3C, 0893804
As a reader, and presumably in most cases not a professional psychologist, it can be quite challenging to properly assess Montresor’s mental stability. Nor would it be appropriate to just label him a psychopath (this is actually ableist, so don’t).
In the first line of the short story Montresor spoke of “The thousand injuries of Fortunado I had borne as best as I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” This first line portrays Fortunado as a villain, one whom Montresor suffered multiple injuries from, though the quantity of the injuries sounds like quite the exaggeration. Due to this exaggerating we have to consider the possibility that Fortunado’s insult was not a real insult and Montresor might just have been overreacting. (<see what I did there? I used logic without labeling him with a mental disorder because that would be ableist)
The possibility that the insult might not have been a real insult could also mean that it was not “a lack of mental stability” but hurt pride and hate. Close to the last part of the short story Montresor shows small signs of guilt and remorse when he hears Fortunado scream for the first time. “For a brief moment I hesitated – I trembled.” Yet. he still walked away from his former friend, I believe this shows hurt pride or hate. We all know some people have a very fragile ego, so for all we know Montresor might be one of those people.
Trivia question of the week: it’s the raven
“The thousand injuries of Fortunado I had borne as best as I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” (first line of the short story The Cask of Amontilladi By Edgar Allen Poe)
“For a brief moment I hesitated – I trembled.” (The Cast of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe)
Melisa Maria VENS3c
Montresor’s mental health is clearly questionable. Not only because the story doesn’t mention what Fotunado really did but what could he have done to deserve a death like the one he received. To “bury” someone alive is to bring great torture upon that person so the hatred Montresor felt was intense. His family moto might have been no one attacks me with impunity but no sane person chains someone to a wall and closes it up with bricks. And the funny thing about it was his last words towards Fotunado were for the love of God. Maybe he compared himself to God, taking justice upon himself. Also, not wanting to be messed with. He must have thought he was making an example out of Fotunado because sometimes he felt he was doing something wrong but still convinced himself to go on because Fortunado needed to be punished. Montresor is indeed insane.
Joline Hooker VENS3C
0892901
Montresor is cold, calculating and manipulative. I believe the root of all his hate was Fortunato’s very existence. Fortunato seems to be very popular with his peers which means he had a certain charm about him that Montresor probably lacked. Fortunato was “rich, respected, admired, beloved; and happy, as I once was” Because of this Montresor was jealous of him since he was everything Montresor wished he could be. His jealousy ultimately turned into hatred and obsession. The things he perceived as “injuries” was Fortunato just living and breathing.
Both Montresor and Fortunato are connoisseurs. Fortunato of course is a vain, boastful and prideful man. He likely insulted Montresor by belittling or mocking his skills not knowing that Montresor is a deranged sociopath. That was the last straw for Montresor because a man can only take so much. Not only was he insulted but also humiliated because the insult was publically done.
Montresor felt it just to end his life. He knew by law that it was illegal but he probably didn’t think it was fair to be punished for something he felt was justice.” A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser”. To redress means literally to correct an error. Montresor feels he needs to teach Fortunato a lesson. Not to mention his family coat of arms. “Nemo me impune lacessit.” Which means no one insults me and gets away with it.
Furthermore, Montresor mocked Fortunato’s screams. It suggests that it gave him a sense of superiority over him. Hearing Fortunato’s suffering made Montresor feel powerful. I think it is because Fortunato made Montresor feel insecure and small.
Fifty years later, Montresor feels no regret for his crime. He is actually very proud that he murdered a man without ever being caught and felt his act was perfectly correct. He is a sociopath since he lacks empathy for another man’s suffering. It is highly possible that he has more victims in the catacombs or that Fortunato was not his first murder.
Kristine Trimon VENS3C
The mental stability of Montresor’s can be seen as evil. By reading the short story of Montresor, he can be seen as someone who holds grudges against people when they do not fulfill his desire. Montressor seems someone who is easily insulted and who takes things to the extreme. In the beginning, he already says “ The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (p.2) (Poe).
People who are so evil, do not see the consequences that they can encounter in the near future. In the case of Montresor’s, in his head, he was severely insulted that he did the unthinkable by chaining Fortunato in the catacombs and close him off with bricks while he was still alive. People who is in his right mind won’t do something this extreme to hurt somebody else. He was someone who was in desperate need of help to overcome his mental issues.
In other words, Montresor’s was very hurt about the insults of Fortunato, that led him to become a sociopath. He may be seen as someone who is a cold-blooded murderer. On the other hand, we cannot judge Montresor’s because we do not know the degree on how Fortunato insulted Montresor’s. This can be a reason that we cannot judge him for being a cold-blooded murderer.
Saffren, H. W., & Poe, E. A. (1976). A cask of amontillado. Philadelphia, PA: HS Press.
Yesse
0916855
VENS3C
POE
To start of, I don’t think M is mentally unstable. More so I find he has a mental illness.
I think Montresor is clearly a sociopath. Sociopaths don’t have any remorse, but, contrary to a psychopath, they can act like they care if it serves them a particular need. In this case, Montressor seems to care for his friend, wanting to share this special wine with him, warning him time and time again for the nitre on the walls. But it’s all an act to lure Fortunato into a fake sense of safety, dosing him with alcohol leading him to his own demise, playing the part of caring friends wonderfully.
To further prove my point, Montresor shows no signs of morality, ethics or remorse. In a time where judgement was done by god, he throws this in the wind and becomes his own judge. We don’t know what crimes Fortunato committed against Montresor, but by the context of it, it seems nothing more than a few insults and perhaps a jest or two. Nevertheless he finds Fortunato guilty of crimes punishable by death and carefully plans out the punishment. By lying and acting like a friend he gets his victim alone at a time where nobody will look for him because of the chaos of carnival.
After he chains Fortunato to the wall, his attitude changes. He has no need to be friendly anymore, because his victim is caught in the trap. Even during the hours of building the wall to close of the tomb, he does not show any empathy nor does he even speak. Not a single moment during the hours listening to his friends lament he reconsiders his actions. It is as if he is doing a boring chore, mindlessly building like he has no conscience.
So to conclude; Do I think Montresor is mentally unstable? No. He is a cold manipulative sociopath who acts as his own judge and executioner, meticulously planning every step of the way, luring a simple drunk to a cruel grave for making the wrong comment to the wrong man.
Montresor can be described as calculated in such a way that it isn’t obvious when the reader is first introduced to the story. The decision to end Fortunato’s life has been planned and is completed to the upmost detailed standards that suit both men. Their common interest for rare wines gives an indication of a mutual friendship and understanding. Fortunato’s willingness in which he is lured to his death in contrast to Montresor’s animosity is undetectable at the start but unravels in a sinister way; “ my poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes”.
When Fortunato is under the impression that his brutal ending by his friend is still a prank being played on him the reader is introduced to the cold-hearted intensions of the ever so calm Montresor; “ We will have many rich laughs about it at the palazzo”.
When Montersor is faced with a certain emotion he plays is down tot the environments conditions; “ My heart grew sick- on account of the dampness of the catacombs”.
In conclusion I would say that Montresor has narcissistic tendencies combined with non-existing moralities when it comes to the value of an other persons’ life.
Trivia question of the week: Which of Edgar Allen Poe's animals keeps repeating, "Nevermore"?
The animal that keeps repeating “ nevermore” is a raven from the poem ‘The Raven’.
Bea Viergever DENS3A
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