Preview

Character Analysis Of Montresor

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
887 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Character Analysis Of Montresor
Character Analysis of Montresor

If written with skill, “Villains” can be some of the most interesting characters in literature. The character of Montresor from Edgar Allen Poe’s “A Cask of Amontillado”. Poe, being the horror writer that he was, portrays this dark character in exactly that way.
The story begins with Montresor explaining to the reader as a narrator that a man named Fortunato has insulted and hurt him for a great deal of time. Montresor never explains what exactly Fortunato did to him, but considering how they interact with one another at the start of the story, it is very possible Poe knew about how real killers through history have been mentally disturbed in a way that warps how they view reality, such as taking great offence from something any other person may not even notice, as if someone forgot to say “bless you” after another person sneezed. Whatever the insult Montresor feels has been given to him by Fortunato, he explains that this time, he will get revenge. Montresor meets with Fortunato at some sort of social event. Fortunato appears to be very intoxicated. He tells the readers that Fortunato is dressed as a jester, in a striped outfit and a jester hat with bells. Fortunato greets Montresor 'with great warmth’, that Montresor only feigns to return. Montresor then entices Fortunato to come to his home to see the barrel of Amontillado wine that he has acquired. Fortunato agrees and the two of them venture to Montresor 's large home, where he informs us that the servants just happen to be out tonight, and they’ll be completely alone. When they arrive, they descend into some sort of crypt-like underground passage beneath the house. When they reach the end of the long subterranean crypt, they find a recessed area, about four feet deep, three feet wide, and seven feet high. Fortunato continues into this area with Montresor persuading the drunk to follow him into the smaller space. Fortunato is in fact so drunk that he is confused as



Cited: "Poe 's The Cask of Amontillado." Study.org. Web. 02 Apr. 2015. Freehafer, John. "Poe 's" Cask of Amontillado:" A Tale of Effect." Jahrbuch für Amerikastudien (1968) Gargano, James W. "The Question of Poe 's Narrators." College English (1963)

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    This article describes the emotional aspects of Montresor, the protagonist in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” While Montresor seems uncaring and without emotion as he is murdering Fortunato for the insults against his family, Montresor is not as ruthless as he seems. He shows care and concern for his victim in that he gives Fortunato numerous chances to escape his fate by suggesting they head back on account of Fortunato’s cough. He also calls Fortunato my friend and good friend six times as the article points out. In the end, Montresor does…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor, the main protagonist, appears as a dangerous and brutal psychopath “I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will” and “he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” (Poe 144). As time is passing by in the story, Montresor reveals how obsessive and insecure he is. Montresor decides to get revenge and kill Fortunato just for a mere insult, and only because of his weak and unconfident personality. The insult and the other thousand injures mention before could have been just part of Montresor’s insecure nature. Furthermore, Fortunato does not expect that Montresor is seeking revenge or sees him as a threat. Besides, Montresor plays a great role of a caring friend until the end of the story. Montresor even refers to Fortunato in several occasions as his friends or “My poor friend ” (Poe 147) making Fortunato doubts of…

    • 826 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor from "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe was a revengeful, sarcastic, and cruel man because he led Fortunato to his death.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe engages the reader by using point of view to emphasize the untrustworthiness of Montresor's, the narrator’s, character. For example, when Montresor had described how Fortunato had inflicted him with “[a] thousand injuries” and “ventured upon insult”, “[Montresor] vowed revenge” (1). This is the moment when the reader first experiences his unreliability as a narrator. Montresor had never specified the copious wounds that he had supposedly suffered from Fortunato and the severity of his offense. Furthermore, when Montresor had voiced out that Fortunato had ventured, in order words proceed with knowledge of risks, he had let bias trickle into his words. Us, the readers do not know whether or not Fortunato had intentionally insulted Montresor with malicious intentions, but in Montresor’s phrasing of words, it implies that he did indeed intended to do so. This not only makes the reader question the extent of exaggeration that Montresor inserts into his statements, but the reliability of the narrator as the story progresses. In addition, after Montresor had successfully, albeit reluctantly, finishes burying Fortunato in the alcove, he remarks: “My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs” (9). Here, one can see that Montresor had almost a moment in which he had felt guilt, yet had been quick to disregard it to the scenery. The dash indicated that Montresor added the latter portion onto his thoughts as more of an afterthought, rather than a…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The narrator is telling this story many years after the actual murder of Fortunato. Poe does not give any explanation on why Montresor postponed sharing the story. One theory is that Montresor realized he killed Fortunato in vain. This implication…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe wastes no time in revealing the story's theme. Revenge. Within the first sentence, the story's narrator, Montresor, vows revenge upon his antagonist, Fortunato, for a perceived insult which proved to be one insult to many. Montresor states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.” Montresor is a static character. His one aim is to not only kill Fortunato for the “thousand injuries” and for this latest insult, but to see him suffer as well.…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Cask of Amontillado” is quite an abusive story written by Edgar Allan Poe. The story starts off when Fortunato, the antagonist, insults Montresor, the villain protagonist. Montresor plots for revenge against Fortunato in harsh ways. In order to succeed, he has to maintain characteristics of being deft, cautious, and hard-hearted.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    While reading this story, you can tell that Poe utilizes a lot of Irony with all of his characters. Fortunato (the main character) but at the end of the story, he is killed by Montresor. “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. I hastened to make an end of my labor. I forced the last…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a story about revenge. Montresor and Fortunato are the main characters of the story. Montresor has been insulted by Fortunato more than thousand times. These insults lead Montresor to revenge for his pride. Front of Fortunato he act nice and cleverly play upon his pride, this pride lead Fortunato to his death. In the story Montresor characters; physical appearance, personality, and Pride.…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Edgar Allen Poe is known for using many different artistic elements to create eerie, spooky stories. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses first person point of view to let the reader know how proud the narrator, Montresor, is with his past impunitistic murders. “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (pg.236). The use of setting and imagery makes the mood dark and gloomy.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montresor's Insanity

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Montressor is a man whose heart is filled with nothing but revenge for his friend Fortunato who insulted him. He gets it by killing Fortunato in a very uncommon way during Carnival. Since he was able to successfully kill Fortunato and not get caught in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” this proves his sanity.…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An element of symbolism is expressed when the story turns its attention to Fortunato’s and Montresor’s clothes. “He [Fortunato] had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells.” This symbolizes Fortunato’s foolishness in listening to Montresor, and ignoring the growing danger Montresor was leading him into. The symbolism also reveals how Montresor fools Fortunato into venturing deep in the catacombs by getting him drunk. In addition, Montresor uses Fortunato’s…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    in edgar allan poe's short story, “The Cask of Amontillado”, a man named fortunato is murdered in a most unpleasant way by his assumed friend, Montresor. these events are being recounted by montresor half of a century after the fact to an unknown person and for an unknown reason. he tells the whole story of how he led fortunato into his vaults and then sealed him inside one of the walls in a crypt. although it seems like montressor is confessing to his past crime, it may be true that he is boasting about a deed that he still wholeheartedly believes he committed rightly.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout the story, Montresor betrays Fortunado. He asks Fortunado to come into his catacombs aware that he would be killing him. He taunts Fortunado by asking him if he want to go back, because he is sick. Montresor does so when saying “‘Come,’ I said, with decision, ‘we will go back; your health is precious…’” (Poe 535) However, when Fortunado insists he comes to taste the amontillado, he is once again betrayed by Montresor when he drinks more of his wine. He becomes overly intoxicated and once again, is able to be taken advantage of. The entire walk through the catacombs Montresor betrays Fortunado by lying to him and taunting him about being sick. At the end of the story Montresor traps Fortunado by building him into a small shackled space. “A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me back violently” (Poe 536). According to Chad Dyer “The story is written in the form of confession, its reader learning of Montresour’s vengeful deed fifty years after its execution." (Dyer). When Montresor kills Fortunando he commits not only a huge crime but a betrayal that is unbelievable to most people.…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Edgar Allen Poe’s “The cask of Amontillado” is a sinister tale of revenge narrated by a character named Montresor. The setting takes place in an underground tomb in Italy during carnival season. In this story, Montresor too plays the role of main character. I chose to analyze him because his character traits are ones that I can relate to. In addition to the character traits being identifiable, these character traits also play a big role throughout the story. Montresor’s vengefulness, cleverness, and confidence assist him in the murder of his friend.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays