ENC1102 Essay 1 Understanding Montresor
Yadian Rodriguez
Professor Alvarez
ENC1102
16 January 2015
Word count: 763
Understanding Montresor
How does the narrator’s empathy for human nature and personality help him to achieve his goal? The narrator’s understanding of human nature and character plays an important role in accomplishing his goal. The sinister personality of the narrator, whose name is revealed at the end of the story as Montresor, and his lack of affection toward human kind, makes his goal of killing Fortunato easier for him. Montresor’s urge of revenge against the fortuneless Fortunato shows the evil nature that he possesses, because he wants Fortunato to suffer and knows who is doing it too “It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.” (Poe 144). After Fortunato hurts Montresor a thousand times and insults him, Montresor decides to get revenge and plan the most effective method to get vengeance from Fortunato. As Montresor states in the story “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 144).
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
Professor Alvarez
ENC1102
16 January 2015
Word count: 763
Understanding Montresor
How does the narrator’s empathy for human nature and personality help him to achieve his goal? The narrator’s understanding of human nature and character plays an important role in accomplishing his goal. The sinister personality of the narrator, whose name is revealed at the end of the story as Montresor, and his lack of affection toward human kind, makes his goal of killing Fortunato easier for him. Montresor’s urge of revenge against the fortuneless Fortunato shows the evil nature that he possesses, because he wants Fortunato to suffer and knows who is doing it too “It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.” (Poe 144). After Fortunato hurts Montresor a thousand times and insults him, Montresor decides to get revenge and plan the most effective method to get vengeance from Fortunato. As Montresor states in the story “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 144).
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
Cited: Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 144 – 148. Reynolds, David S. “On ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 183 – 184.