The Cask of Amontillado Group

Question:

tinkerangels88
tinkerangels88
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Why does Montresor tell his servants to stay in the house even though he knew he will not return until the next morning?

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Posted by tinkerangels88 on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 9:03 AM and tagged with characters, montresor, servants, the cask of amontillado.

Answers:

  1. dneshan
    dneshan Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    Montressor tells the reader that his servants are not very respectful toward him and that if he tells them to do something, they will do the opposite.  Therefore, Montressor specifically tells his servants that they are not to leave and then tells them that he will be out for the entire night.  This basically ensures that the servants will leave the house during the night. 

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    Posted by dneshan on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 9:23 AM

  2. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    Montresor knew fully well and understood the character and nature  of his servants: they were a disobedient lot and would do exactly the opposite of what he orders them to do. So he orders them  to stay at home during the carnival, knowing fully well that as soon as he leaves the house, the servants will  also abandon their duties and go take part in the carnival.  Consequently, no one will be in the house when he lures Fortunato into his house to commit the diabolical deed of murdering him:  "I had told them that I should not return until the morning and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned."

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/cask-amontillado/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/cask-amontillado/essays-criticism
    http://www.enotes.com/cask-amontillado/summary

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    Posted by lit24 on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 9:53 AM