Plot Of Cask Of Amontillado

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Read on for a helpful analysis of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe.

"The Cask of Amontillado" Assay

In November of 1846, Edgar Allan Poe published a brusk story titled "The Cask of Amontillado." In short, this story is virtually a man who desires to become revenge on someone else considering of the insults he received. The whole plot deals with the inebriation and, ultimately, the live burial of the antagonist, Fortunato. The nigh prominent theme running through this story is the theme of revenge.

Main Themes

What makes this story so popular can be seen in how it was written. It plays on the people's fearfulness of death and curiosity almost alive burial. It also plays on many people's way of jumping into things and not thinking of the consequences beforehand. Ultimately, this story allows you to enter the mind of a murderer. This story likewise reflects many views of society in this fourth dimension period.

From the very beginning of the story, even from the first line—"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I all-time could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge"—the theme of revenge becomes credible and obvious. Revenge is a popular subject area among people, as much now every bit it was back when this story was published.

The reality of revenge is that it is impractical. Everyone has heard the saying, "two wrongs don't make a right." This is a true and relevant argument. One must ask themselves several questions before going about things vindictively. Is it worth going to jail over? Will it ease my pain and suffering? Is it just a good idea? In this story, the protagonist thinks carefully about the field of study of revenge and the subject of his revenge: "I must not only punish, merely punish with impunity."

Master Character's Motives

The motives behind the main character's vengeful actions are, in his mind, very practiced ones. Even with clear motives, the leading character is still quick to think. I'm nearly certain that he does not know the truthful consequences of his deportment. He is too quick to act, and he acts with acrimony. His actions cause a sort of hurried, spur-of-the-moment action.

Historical Context

This reflects a possible way of thinking during the fourth dimension period that this story was written. A great example of such rash thinking is the gold rush of the 1840s and 50s. The discovery of gold in this faraway land of California led to ane of the United States' biggest migrations. So it tin can be said that these migratory folk that traveled 2000-3000 miles were quick to act. They risked their lives, their families, and all of their possessions for a pocket-size chance of getting rich in California.

It wasn't chosen the "gold rush" for cypher. People literally dropped everything to 'rush' to California for their take a chance to strike it rich. Depending on the state of affairs of each person in that era, information technology would accept, or would not have been, a skillful idea to travel to California for gold. Therefore, one could conclude that rushing to California on a whim is an irrational decision and is not thought out to the fullest extent information technology should be.

In Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the character Fortunado drunkenly places his trust in Montresor, a man he insulted earlier. This leads to Fortunado being buried alive under a wall of brick.

Fortunato's Trust

Trust is an upshot in this story. Fortunato, who had been insulting and offending Montresor to the highest degree, decides to foolishly trust him and accept his offer to go to his house and beverage with him. This activity of Fortunato, to me, seems cool. If it were I that insulted a man and then was invited to his home to drink together, "[we] to your long life," I would not trust him.

Fortunato trusts Montresor enough to drink past healthy drunkenness and to walk the dark halls of his firm with him. Montresor even goes every bit far as to convince Fortunato to step into "the near remote finish of the catacomb." It is at that place that Fortunato is shackled to the wall and buried alive under a wall of bricks. Fortunato's misfortune was due to his trust in a dishonest and vengeful friend.

The Role of Alcohol

The one object that places the biggest role in the control and direction of the story is alcohol: "'Drinkable,' I said, presenting him the wine." Montresor repeatedly gives Fortunato more than and more wine, non because he is a warm-hearted man, but for the sole purpose of using Fortunato's inability to be coherent with the world around him to pb him to his downfall unknowingly.

Montresor's cellars are full of many types of wine, which only adds to the temptation to drink. Some other fact is that Montresor seems very hospitable. He willingly gives his prized vino to Fortunato to drink. Fortunato willingly accepts for he cannot resist a free drinkable.

Fear of Beingness Cached Alive

The horror of being cached live is a fear that near everyone has thought about at in one case or another. It is the fear of this burial that Edgar Allan Poe plays upon. Instead of making the burial a quick and brusque-lived scene, Poe makes this scene exceedingly long and draws out the elements of fear. He prolongs the burial scene by start describing how he is shackled to the wall:

"He stepped unsteadily frontward, while I followed immediately at his heels. In an instant, he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested past the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more than and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally. From one of these depended a brusque chain, from the other a padlock. Throwing the links about his waist, information technology was simply the work of a few seconds to secure information technology. He was as well much astounded to resist. Withdrawing the key I stepped back from the recess."

Curlicue to Continue

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This makes the story much more interesting and creates much more than suspense for the reader. The word option and writing way pull the reader in and swallow them in vivid imagery and rich, detailed descriptions.

The Story Awakens and Answers Man Curiosity

Even 150 years after it was published, this story is still very pop. It allows the reader to envision the gruesome death of being buried live. It fulfills the human want to know most the unknown. It prods at, awakens, and gives and reply to human curiosity, at least the curiosity to know what it would be like to be buried alive. Again, Poe makes the burial a long and fatigued-out process. He draws the burial out over several paragraphs. Until the concluding few lines,

"No respond nonetheless. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and permit information technology fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My eye grew sick--on account of the dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to make an stop of my labor. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I reerected the quondam rampart of basic. For the one-half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In step requiescat."

Most people would concord that a deadening decease would be much worse than being killed instantly.

Montresor: The Mind of a Murderer

Many people fear death; information technology is something they don't want to deal with. This story very much has a tone of death. Obviously, in the terminate, Fortunato dies. But it tin can also be said that Montresor dies as well. He doesn't physically dice, simply he is mentally expressionless. He goes every bit far as to kill someone in such a way that he did; his listen is apparently corrupt. For there are many means to solve a disagreement—murder is certainly not a good manner to do information technology.

Montresor had this murder planned from the very beginning. Every particular of Fortunato'due south imminent death was written down and played out in Montresor's listen. He perfected the method of murder. He was attack murder, and his mind could non be inverse. Montresor was sure that murder was the correct respond. By assuasive himself to sink equally low as to kill another human being, he has allowed himself to dice. In some other sense, he has sent himself to expiry. If any authority figures find Montresor and captive him of murder, he could be put to death. I'one thousand almost certain that an equal punishment for this atrocity in the 1840s would be death.

The mind of a murderer is an interesting thing to observe. It isn't also oft that ane tin can read and empathize the thought processes that a man such as Montresor makes. It is interesting to run across what the killer does and why he does it. The more than we empathise the heed of a murderer, the more than we will understand the anguish he goes through. Nosotros would also understand what causes this blazon of behavior.

Similarities to "Teenage Horrors"

Many similarities exist between the urban legends from the "Teenage Horrors" department of the Reading Civilisation book and "The Cask of Amontillado." Like the urban legends, Poe'due south story contains a killer and a victim. In this case, the killer is Montresor, and the victim is Fortunato.

Montresor disguises himself every bit a hospitable human to cover upwardly his desire to kill Fortunato. Like the urban legend "Killer in the Backseat," Montresor also waits until the correct moment to prey on his victim. Although many similarities do exist, these two types of stories are very different from each other.

"The Cask of Amontillado" reflects and shows some of the societal views of the tardily 1840s. For ane, alcoholism was very prevalent in that past gild. And so it wouldn't exist surprising to anyone that a story from this era would have a driving force, such as alcoholism. It was generally okay for people to drink in that era, more and then than today.

Secondly, gruesome deaths were very much a role of everyday life for the 1840s people. Every mean solar day, many criminals were put to death using the guillotine. In "The Cask of Amontillado," a grim decease is the cease of a homo'southward life and the end of the story.

Even so Pop Today

The theme of revenge is a major theme in this story. It isn't often that a revenge story of this nature comes into the hands of readers. "The Cask of Amontillado" is a very pop story for many reasons. Fifty-fifty today, over 150 years later on information technology was published, it is still being read. It is so eloquently written and has such bright and detailed imagery. It as well caters to nigh people; information technology has elements to satisfy everyone'due south taste in a skillful story.

"The Cask of Amontillado" reflects a partial sector of society from the late 1840s. Information technology has elements of fear, especially the fear of death and the unknown. It illustrates some people's way of thinking, such as the fact that some people don't think earlier doing something. It also allows the reader to enter the mind of a murderer, non just to read what he is thinking but besides to empathize what he is thinking. Edgar Allan Poe'south "The Bandage of Amontillado" shall forever alive on in people'southward hearts as a grisly tale of death, murder, and revenge.

Video Summary and Analysis of "The Cask of Amontillado"

Richard Lynas on December 24, 2019:

I do not agree at all virtually the suggestion that Montresor'due south deportment were unthinking and spur of the moment, similar someone rashly going off on a gilded rush. On the contrary, his meticulous planning of every detail in advance, conveys to me the picture of a human who was supremely confident that he could take his grisly revenge and get away with information technology. And of course, in terms of any legal consequences, he did go abroad with information technology. What he did non let for were the feelings of guilt that were to plague him for 50 years and which, I believe, led him eventually to confess his offense. Montresor reminds me in some means of Lady Macbeth. ' A little water clears us of this human action', she says to her husband regarding the murder of King Duncan. Merely it is easier to launder your hands of blood than it is to wash away the stain of guilt from your conscience. And, as nosotros know, the burden of guilt led Lady Macbeth eventually to commit suicide. I think Montresor too carried a burden of guilt that he never anticipated. Indeed, I retrieve that this is ane of the key points that Poe is making. Unless a person is actually insane, and Montresor is not that person, it is not and then easy to condone the vocalization of conscience. Montresor admits in his confession that he began to experience sick at heart towards the finish and had to force himself to complete the walling in of his helpless victim. He claims that it was just the damp getting to him. Only his final words give him away. A completely evil person would never pray that his victim would rest in peace. On the contrary, I call up that Montresor'southward final plea suggests that he also wishes that he could find peace at last from the feelings of guilt that no amount of detailed planning of such a truly awful murder could obviate. On a smaller bespeak, I do non think that Fortunato's following of Montresor is a affair of trust. Information technology is a matter of drunken pride. No one is a better connoisseur of wine than he is. And he volition allow nada to restrain him in his determination to bear witness information technology. Like Montresor himself, his overweening sense of pride is to toll him dear.

leinolua on October sixteen, 2019:

can y'all do me a favorite? i do not no how to analysis this story

Edgar AllAn Poe on May 30, 2019:

You lot spelled Poe'south name incorrect in the title. How can I accept whatsoever of this seriously?

Emerson on April 01, 2018:

Should've include an MLA/APA citation

Bailey on September 27, 2017:

What is the symbolism of the word "Amontillado" as a wine would it exist symbolic to the alcoholism dorsum then or the crazed state of Montresor?

smith on Apr 24, 2017:

Thanks for the note it help me a lot in the schoolhouse.i hope to come across another story similar this with this text analysis i dearest this topic.

Michael Slattery from Toronto on March 21, 2015:

Great analysis! I really liked how you made connections, it was very interesting to read. But, I don't call back Montresor acted rashly or on impulses, because he planned this attempt to kill Fortunato. Call back he fabricated sure that his servants would be out of the firm and that in that location would be a spot to bury Fortunato in the catacombs. Also, he said he wished to punish with impunity, which means he wants to go revenge without consequences; therefore, he definitely did not act quickly because he would have had to call back his plan out to ensure he did not get defenseless. I likewise really liked your annotate near how Montresor, in a sense, is dead. That was really interesting and cool!

Fred Arnold from Clearwater, FL on July 05, 2014:

This is a very well idea out analysis. I did a hub (linked here: https://fredarnold.hubpages.com/hub/For-Those-with... most hubris and the art of revenge. I used Hamlet, withal. I portrayed the ideal of revenge as the far right to the "Golden Hateful" in Aristotle's Virtue Ideals. In his ideals one must constantly act upon certain virtues. Hamlet acts upon his acrimony in such a way he truly embodies revenge. This can be juxtaposed to Montresor too every bit the protagonist in "The Tell Tale Middle".

Also, Montresor speaks to Fortunato upon hearing Fortunato'due south cough, "...we will get back; your wellness is precious. Y'all are rich, respected, admired, dear; you are happy, every bit once I was. You lot are a human being to be missed. For me information technology is no matter.", which gives some insight into what insults Montresor is referring to.

And terminal, to me the most important question to ask is how reliable is the narrator? Due to Montresors obvious mental break, he can be seen as an "unreliable narrator". This is a large theme in Poe's stories. "The Tell Tale Heart" is some other one where the ambiguity is even more than forceful. With that in mind, it is prudent to inquire who is he talking to? For what circumstances? And why now? (Since he has not spoken of the murder in fifty or and then years).

I enjoyed the read and shared on Facebook and Hubpage!

LastRoseofSummer2 from Arizona on June 28, 2013:

Have you lot ever heard Vincent Price reciting this story? It was part of his Evening with Edgar Allan Poe from 1970. Bang-up Hub!

puddin tang on May 07, 2013:

the cask of A. is virtually definitely a not bad story indeed. i beloved the dark side of poe. in that location is definitely a dark side in all of us. if in fact someone does something then wretched to others then, they can but expect that the victim will exact revenge. that revenge may even be of equal or greater merit. i say that if yous don't want others to verbal revenge and so follow the rule of practice unto others... revenge is indeed sweet. i absolutely love it. if you lot crumble my cookies, then i will CRUSH YOUR CAKE!

Christopher Wanamaker (author) from Arizona on April 23, 2013:

Thanks for the comment. I consider this story to exist one of Poe'due south best works.

Will English language on April 23, 2013:

The beginning thing by Poe I ever read (well ok, first after the Raven) and I yet dear it. Good analyses. *voted up*

kylesanderson on Nov 19, 2012:

Very prissy hub. Edgar Allan Poe is somewhat of an obsession of mine. Thanks!

Butthole on November 04, 2012:

Yes.

travonkelley@yahoo.com on November 01, 2012:

Very interesting.

Kali on October 09, 2012:

What is the authors purpose of this story

DJJohnson on January 17, 2012:

This is a great story only you take missed so much in it. Revenge is the main theme but yous say that Montessor acted quickly and rashly. This is very far from the actual truth. He had planned this moment for a long time evidenced by the preparations that he had to make in his crypt in order to carry out his program. The alcove in which he imprisons Fortunato had to be built offset of all because it was tall plenty for the two men to stand up in. Recall that this is a crypt, whose principal inhabitants are dead and do not stand upright and so there was no need for an alcove of this sort. Also, the bricks and mortar that are in that location gear up to be used. These are not normal supplies that would exist laying around on the floor of the deepest office of a catacomb. Lastly, in the very first paragraph Montessor says, "At length I would exist avenged," indicating that he was willing to bide his time in social club to ensure that he attained his desire to "punish with impunity." This was a well thought out scheme drawn upwardly by a brilliant and patient mind.

jen.borbe on Dec 28, 2011:

The story of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe was so great!—The Cask of Amontillado. I believe that this story was the way of saying that many people didn't know how to deal with the disability to take revenge on their contrasting strength. They seemed to hurt theirselves to an unreal level by taking into their life things like gambling and drinking alcohol to probably forget the pain. They probably seek an area that had to be better than the reality that they lived in.

From the very starting time of the story, even from the first line, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upo insult, I vowed revenge," the thought of "revenge" becomes clear. For me, revenge is a popular subject field among people. The reality of revenge is that it is unreasonable.

We all know the maxim,"two wrongs exercise not make a correct". This is Truthful and very important statement. Before doing about things cruelly, we must ask ourselves about what might happen to us or volition it relieve the our pain and suffering? Is it worth going to jail over?

Many people fear death; it is something that they don't want to deal with. This story very much has a tone of decease. Obviously, in the end, Fortunato dies. For in that location are many ways to solve a disagreement, murder is not a good way to exercise it. Montresor had this murder planned from the very beginning.

Some writers seek an inspiration for their writings. Only I exercise believe that Mr. Poe just expressed his life and own experiences.

AmberLeeCollins from KC on Nov 04, 2011:

Very squeamish. Have always been a fan of EAP -- even since I first heard the Alan Parsons Project album equally a kid :)

To mercy on July 15, 2011:

I would say that Fortunato was a confront about town and a drunken fool who would run his rima oris nigh people at [and to anser your question] their expense and to scoff them for he'due south reputation and laughter.

Now at some signal Fortunato has developed a mild dislike for Montresor maybe even jelousy that made him slander Montresor in he'southward drunken stoopers wether truthful or not.

Montresor's reputation must have been afflicted seirously in his town due to Fortunato's rants.

Im reading this from where is says Fortunato was a wine connousiour and a face about town, i know the type exactley, ok so nosotros don't know the exact insult but Montresor is either a complete mad mam or a wronged one, i recall he's probably a little night, quite slanderd and definatly underestimated.

Make of this story what you lot volition, that's what makes poe good but Edgar Allen Poe was not of the norm himself...

mercy on July xiii, 2011:

what is the real nature of the insult in poe'due south story? Im picayune bit misfile why DOES montressors acted such a fell WAY OF KILLING SOMEONE without any heavy reason at all.

IsaBbott from In the penthouse on June 25, 2011:

I wish I had the fourth dimension to read this entire hub. A scrap lengthy but I'm sure it's merely too written every bit the first ii paragraphs. I Volition be coming back to read this.

Bloodline on June 23, 2011:

Dear Edgar allen poe, a chip mad he was..

Revenge..well vengence is the lords and he volition do it better than you, but you lot wont have the satisfaction so what do you do.

Do you lot murder someones unabridged family for ane persons wrong, well that will finish any comeback's, but there are worse things than decease similar the loss of a kid or loosing your all your limbs.

I belive some wrongs warrant revenge [a ritious kill] only but if your going afterward the perpitratior's, but and then how does this sit with the balance of the family....?

There are too many variables to calculate as to how anybody's afflicted, that's why God does it best...

My view on revenge changed this night [slightly] i use to be a Bloodline kind of man, a family for an eye, at present im a head for an middle....i would like to be, a word in gods ear for an eye merely im not there yet.

You could hate someone with every ounce of your soul, merely similar someone close to them with out knowing it, you don't know the person and yous never volition only if you did you would become on well with them, i know that's why the lord said "vengence is mine"

They say revenge is a dish best served common cold.....I accept come to belive and know that it's best served up hot, time changes people and circumstances.

It all comes round anyway.................

They besides say if your planing revenge beginning dig two graves, i say if your planing revenge plan it then plan it again and once more and once again.

January Moon from NY, Now Living in Atlanta Ga on June 12, 2011:

I am a true Edgar Allen Poe fan, were both Capricorns and accept a love of writing dark poetry and stories, voted up, great hub!