In Poe's celebrated short story "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor does not specifically state his reason for seeking revenge on Fortunato. In the opening line of the story, Montresor comments that he has endured a "thousand injuries" from Fortunato but when his enemy "ventured upon insult," he decided to exact revenge. These "thousand injuries" are ambiguous, suggesting that the narrator may be unreliable. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that both Montresor and Fortunato are prideful men who hail from established families. Fortunato is described as a respectful, feared man who prides himself on his connoisseurship of rare wines and does not hesitate to insult others.
When Montresor interacts with Fortunato during the carnival, he elaborates on his recent purchase of Amontillado. He mentions that he plans on seeking Luchesi's expertise to authenticate the wine. Fortunato responds by saying,
"Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry" (Poe, 4).
Fortunato's brash personality and insulting comment may have sparked Montresor's initial motivation to seek revenge—perhaps Fortunato insulted Montresor in a similar way. There is also evidence to suggest that Fortunato is motivated to authenticate the rare wine in order to purchase a large amount to resell. A pipe is a large quantity of wine, and the Amontillado comes from Spain, which means that Fortunato would be able to make money off the rare wine. By reselling the Amontillado, Fortunato would be undermining Montresor's business plans and taking advantage of the unique opportunity. If this is the case, the audience might infer that the "thousand injuries" refer to the numerous times Fortunato undermined Montresor's business deals. There is also the possibility that the "thousand injuries" are completely imaginary, mere constructs of Montresor's delusional mind, which would make sense given Montresor's unreliability as a narrator. Overall, the "thousand injuries" and insults remain ambiguous, which contributes to the story's appeal.
Montresor tells his audience that he wants to exact revenge on Fortunato as a result of some unspecified "insult" to his person and "the thousand injuries" Fortunato has inflicted upon him. However, the story makes it seem as though it is both men's pride, in part, that prompts Montresor to murder. Montresor tells us that Fortunato "prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine," and he plays on Fortunato's extreme pride, subtly offering him the chance to flaunt his own expertise and laugh at Montresor's lesser skills, an opportunity he knows Fortunato cannot pass up. Fortunato even proudly insults Luchesi, the other town wine expert, insisting that he will accompany Montresor to his vaults. Montresor warns Fortunato that the vaults are terribly damp and not likely to be good for his lungs, but Fortunato's pride is so great that he will not hear of staying above ground. After one massive coughing fit, Montresor says,
Come. . . 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. For me it is no matter. We will go back;...
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you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible. (my emphasis)
Montresor butters up Fortunato further, knowing that compliments which flatter his pride will hit their mark. However, he also says that Fortunato is happy, as Montresor once was, and this makes it sound as though Montresor's family is no longer as prominent. In other words, he is no longer as important socially, as Fortunato. He says that Fortunato would be missed, but he (Montresor) would not be missed.
In further support of this conclusion, Montresor comments in response to Fortunato's observation about the largeness of the vaults. He says, "'The Montresors. . . were a great and numerous family." He uses the past tense here, implying that the family is no longer important or large. Moreover, the Montresor family's motto translates to "You will not harm me with impunity"; or, in other words, you will not harm me and get away with it. Therefore, not only does Montresor have reason to exact revenge on Fortunato (as a result of the injuries and insults Fortunato has inflicted upon him), he also has his own injured pride, the result, perhaps, of his own family's fall from prominence (while Fortunato's star seems to be on the rise, something of which he is vastly proud).
There is no specific reason given for Montresor's actions. He spells out his personal justification in the famous first line of the story:
The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.(Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado," eNotes eText)
Since both Montresor and Fortunato are wealthy members of the upper-class, it can be inferred that they strive for the same status and recognition in society. Perhaps Fortunato blocked Montresor from an honor, or took his place in some fashion; it is seen later that Fortunato is a member of the Masons and Montresor is not, which could show how Fortunato is seen by the public in a higher status. The insult, which pushed Montresor over the edge, could have been aimed at himself, or at a member of his family. Montresor here seeks to repudiate Fortunato, but in his own way, secretly, so only Fortunato knows how and why he was killed.
Many readers assume that Montresor is not stating the truth when he accuses Fortunato of inflicting a thousand injuries on him. These readers are then forced into concluding that Montresor is insane. The further conclusion is that Fortunato is a good person, an innocent victim of a madman. And thereby Poe's entire story is called into question. Montresor is accused of being an "unreliable narrator." If he is unreliable, then nothing he says can be taken at face value. Maybe the whole incident never happened. Maybe Fortunato is still alive--or maybe he never even existed. If this could be the case, then the effect of the story is lost. We cannot feel horror or pity because we cannot be sure that the supposed victim was really chained to the rock wall and left to die. "The Cask of Amontillado" is a work of fiction to begin with, but some readers would have us believe that there are multiple layers of fiction--everything is fictitious, nothing really happened, or at least nothing happened the way the narrator says it happened.
The simplest way to approach the story is to assume that Fortunato really did injure Montresor approximately a thousand times over a period of years. Montresor may not specify what those injuries were, but that doesn't prove they weren't real injuries. For example, what if Fortunato and Montresor were high-class tradesmen who bought and sold luxury goods, including paintinigs, statues, antiques, jewelry (gemmary), and gourmet wines. Fortunato is rich. Montresor is poor. Fortunato is able to beat Montresor out of deals because he can pay cash and buy in large quantities. These are the kinds of injuries Fortunato must have inflicted numerous times. And Fortunato, as Montresor knows, is planning to do it one more time that very night if it turns out that the sherry Montresor says he just bought is the true Amontillado. Fortunato is capable of judging the Amontillado to be an ordinary Spanish sherry and then going off to find the ship that has just brought the cargo into port.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude toward revenge or punishment?
Montresor's attitude toward revenge is that it is perfectly just and right to seek revenge when it is deserved. He believes Fortunato deserves revenge due to the "injuries" and "insult" Fortunato has inflicted on Montresor. In regard to punishment, Montresor feels that if one is punished for the revenge one exacts on one's persecutor, then the revenge cannot be considered effective or complete as a result. He says, "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." Therefore, another requirement of revenge is that the person on whom revenge is being sought must understand that the person they've wronged is now responsible for whatever fate befalls them.
Revenge is not only a matter of personal honor for Montresor, but also a matter of family honor. Montresor's family motto translates to "You will not harm me with impunity." This means that if someone injures a Montresor, one should expect to receive some punishment for that injury. Revenge, then, is not only a way to restore Montresor's individual, personal honor, but is required in order to maintain his family's honor, too.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude toward revenge or punishment?
When analyzing Montresor's attitude or motivation, readers must keep in mind that he is another one of Poe's unreliable narrators. So, Montresor's attitude is not necessarily what Poe considers moral or logical.
Revenge (or delivering "punishment") is the main theme of the story. Montresor states at the beginning of the story,
‘‘The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.’’
Readers never discover what those injuries are that Fortunato enacted upon the narrator, but Montresor does not portray that as important. This demonstrates that Montresor's attitude toward revenge is inarguable--he believes so strongly in his right to revenge that he does not need to provide specifics about his motive.
Moreover, Montresor believes that he is qualified not only to obtain revenge himself (and not wait on a higher power or give his enemy an opportunity for redemption), but he also demonstrates that he is entitled to choose the mode and extremity of punishment. Whatever Fortunato did to Montresor (if anything at all) obviously did not kill or physically harm the narrator, but he does not care about the punishment fitting the "crime"--he wants only to assert his power and sense of justice.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude toward revenge or punishment?
Throughout the short story, Montresor mentions that he had been wronged a thousand times by Fortunato and felt justified in taking his revenge. Montresor mentions at the beginning of the story that in order to right a wrong, he finds it necessary to make Fortunato pay for his hurtful actions. Montresor understands the delicate, careful manner that he must approach his revenge and makes sure not to reveal anything about his plans to anybody. Montresor also mentions that in order to enact the perfect revenge, he must not suffer as a result of his actions, which is why he approaches his plan with such care. Montresor also believes that Fortunato needs to know that he is paying for his actions and that it is Montresor who is making him pay. Clearly, Montresor's attitude towards revenge is specific and direct. The fact that he carefully plans his revenge by making sure his servants are not home and by enticing Fortunato to follow him under the guise of drinking a rare wine reveals Montresor's calculated plot and deliberate ideas about revenge. Fortunato's death is also terrifying and brutal, which again illustrates Montresor's seriousness about enacting revenge. Also, Montresor is telling the story nearly fifty years after enacting revenge, which indicates that his crime went unpunished, and he met his own standards.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude toward revenge or punishment?
It is apparent that Montresor feels revenge is justifiable when insults and injuries go beyond the pale [outside the boundaries of normal behavior].
Poe's unreliable narrator explains to his audience that he has endured multiple injuries until the point that they become so excessive—"a thousand injuries"—as well as compounded with "insult" that he feels compelled and justified to avenge himself. Nevertheless, there are certain stipulations for seeking true revenge:
- The act of revenge must punish, and it must punish without any risk to the avenger. (In his act of luring Fortunato into the catacombs, Montresor takes no risk as he commits this act during the Carnival in which people are distracted in their celebrations; furthermore, Fortunato is disguised by his costume.)
- The revenge must "punish with impunity." There must be no consequences that result from this act of retribution. (Apparently, there have been no consequences for Montresor since it has "half a century" and "no mortal has disturbed" the remains of Fortunato.)
- The avenger must not himself be the recipient of any retribution for his act. (Montresor has received no punishment for his crime. No one has avenged Fortunato's death against him, either.)
- The revenge is not accomplished if the victim is not aware of the identity of the avenger. (Fortunato certainly has known that he was being walled in to die by Montresor.)
In "The Cask of Amontillado," why does Montresor want revenge?
Montresor claims that he wants revenge against Fortunato because Fortunato has insulted him. The nature of this insult and why it can only be avenged through Fortunato's death remains unexplained. In fact, Montresor states that: "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could." This indicates that the two clearly have a long history and Montresor has clearly put up with a lot. However, something about Fortunato's insult puts Montresor over the edge and he becomes determined to get revenge. It is interesting that Montresor leaves out the nature of Fortunato's insult in telling the story of his revenge and the reader is left to wonder why it has been omitted. One is left to ponder: has the insult been left out because of Montresor's pride or has it been left out to hide its triviality?
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," what are Montresor's rules for revenge?
There is no passage in Edgar Allan Poe’s 1846 short story The Cask of Amontillado in which the narrator, Montresor, favors us with a list of rules by which he planned and executed the death of Fortunato. To the extent that Montresor could be said to have rules guiding his plan to avenge the repeated insults of Fortunato, they are offered in the story’s opening paragraph. The “thousand injuries” to which Montresor ascribes his growing need for vengeance, culminating in an unspecified “insult,” provides his motivation to exact vengeance upon his supposed friend. In beginning his story of how he came to satisfy his need for vengeance, Montresor provides what could be interpreted as Rule #1:
“You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.”
So, we can surmise that Rule #1 is: do not alert your intended victim or anybody else as to your plans to conduct a murder or even to the sense of injury to which you have been subjected. In other words, do not telegraph your punches.
Rule #2 is a little more explicit:
“I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.”
If Rule #1 is to provide no indication whatsoever that you harbor murderous designs upon a particular individual, then Rule #2 is to plan so carefully before carrying out the crime so as to ensure that nobody will ever know what you did. That Montresor was successful on both counts is evident in his well-executed plan to entice Fortunato to his home under the pretext of asking his intended victim to sample an expensive wine, specifically, the Amontillado, to ensure that is the genuine substance for which Montresor has paid. By appealing to an already intoxicated Fortunato’s vanity, Montresor is able to lure his victim into the trap. That Montresor was successful in ensuring that Rule #2 was secured is evident in the story’s final sentences. Referring to the quality of his planning and execution of the murder and the concealment of the victim’s remains, Montresor concludes his narration by saying,
“For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!”
In “The Cask of Amontillado,” does Montresor express any regret or ever question whether this punishment is fair, just, or rational?
In Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Cask of Amontillado,” the first-person narrator, Montresor, is reviewing the events after they took place. Especially at the beginning and end of the story, Montresor offers his reasons for doing what he did to Fortunato. In his view, Fortunato—whom he calls his “friend”—caused the problems between them by inflicting “a thousand injuries” which turned to “insult” before Montresor reacted. Although he seeks vengeance for this insult, he feels entirely justified. He considers his actions “retribution,” and he insists that making the other person aware of their fate was a necessary component. This awareness comes late in the story, as Montresor takes pains to cover up his intentions until his scheme is nearly complete. Initially,
he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.
Near the story’s end, as Montresor finishes building the wall, he expresses satisfaction with accomplishing his plot. He takes a break and sits back to appreciate his own success. He enjoys hearing Fortunato fruitlessly beating against the walls with his chains.
That I might hearken to it [the clanking noise] with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones.
As he listens to Fortunato’s horrible screams, it seems as though he might be having second thoughts: “For a brief moment I hesitated, I trembled.” He quickly clarifies, however, that his concern was that Fortunato might live too long. With the wall finished, as he prepares to leave the dungeon, he says his “heart grew sick.” But immediately he clarifies that this was not from emotion: “It was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.”
Further Reading
How does the narrator feel about revenge in "The Cask of Amontillado"?
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator feels that revenge is justified, particularly when one has been personally humiliated or in the event that a word or action endangers the good name of the individual or his family.
Notice that, according to the narrator, he had been hurt (verbally, we assume) "one thousand times" by Fortunato. He would put up with it, but then Fortunato apparently insults him directly. This is when the issue gets real for Montresor.
In Montresor's own words:
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.
Basically, what he is saying is that, for every wrong someone does to you, there must be payback. He is a vengeful man.
Hence, in the narrator's perspective, revenge is fair, justified, and necessary when the one thing that defined a man of his time, that is, his good name, is in any danger of being disrespected or has flatly been disrespected by someone else.
Another thing to note is that Montresor's family's coat of arms and motto are quite telling:
"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel."
The family motto is as follows:
"Nemo me impune lacessit." This can also be understood as "Nobody provokes me with impunity."
All of this tells us that Montresor is a man who would have taken revenge no matter what the offense may have been. He has a fixation for retribution in his head, and it is clear that his family shares the same point of view.
In "The Cask Of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude towards revenge?
Montresor takes revenge seriously and reveals his personal thoughts about revenge at the beginning of the story by saying,
"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." (Poe, 1)
Montresor is essentially saying that it is imperative that he avoid being punished for taking revenge and that the person he is avenging understands that he is responsible for punishing them. Montresor's precise thoughts and specific rules for revenge emphasize that he takes the concept of revenge very seriously.
Later on, Montresor reveals his family's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit," which means "no one attacks me with impunity." The fact that Montresor's coat of arms and family motto are associated with revenge further emphasizes his conviction to take revenge whenever he is wronged.
In addition to Montressor's personal opinions on seeking revenge and his family's attitude towards the subject, his calculated actions and flawless execution illustrate that he believes taking revenge whenever he is wronged is imperative. Fortunato's horrific punishment of being buried alive also highlights Montresor's dedication to avenging those who have wronged him in the past. Overall, Montresor takes revenge very seriously and abides by strict rules while carrying out the perfect revenge.
In "The Cask Of Amontillado," what is Montresor's attitude towards revenge?
For Montresor, revenge is a perfectly logical way to deal with someone who has wronged him in some way. Montresor claims that Fortunato has dealt with a thousand injuries at the hands of Fortunato, but he never details these injuries. He adds that an insult is the last straw and this inspires him to swear revenge against Fortunato. Again, he does not say just what this insult is. Whatever the injuries and the insult were, Montresor is determined to "not only punish but punish with impunity." Montresor also says that the avenger (person seeking revenge) should make himself known to his enemy:
It (a wrong) is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
Montresor is proud and arrogant. He is self-centered and therefore wants Fortunato to know that he (Montresor) is the one punishing him. Montresor considers himself as judge and jury. He justifies his torture of Fortunato based upon the vague notions of "injuries" and an "insult." Montresor believes it is his right to punish Fortunato. This suggests that Montresor is a an elitist. He thinks his high social status gives him the right to avenge anyone who wrongs him. The fact that he goes to such lengths to punish Fortunato also shows that he is immoral, maybe even a psychopath. To an immoral, elitist, psychopath, revenge (even murder) is logical and acceptable.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what can you conclude about Montresor's feelings toward those who have allegedly wronged him?
"The Cask of Amontillado" opens with Montresor's claim to seek revenge upon those who have wronged him. He claims that he has borne "a thousand injuries" from Fortunato, but he does not go into detail about what these supposed injuries actually are. Later in the story, there are some suggestions as to what these injuries may have been--Montresor makes references to his family crest and the freemasons leading the reader to assume that Montresor's family may not have been as wealthy as others around, namely Fortunato's family. Thus, Montresor feels socially inferior to Fortunato, and rather than dealing with his own perceptions of self, he projects his anger onto Fortunato. Montresor feels wronged by Fortunato (and those in the upper class whom for Montresor Fortunato represents), so he feels justified in taking revenge on him.
In "The Cask of Amontillado," what are Montresor's six steps of his plan of revenge?
We don't know specifically what transgressions Fortunato committed against Montresor to cause such an urge for revenge. We only find that
THE THOUSAND INJURIES of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.
There are no other specific details to the "injuries" Fortunato had committed. As for the steps that Montresor took toward committing his perfect crime:
- Montresor gave no clue that he was planning retribution, continuing to "smile in his face."
- Montresor conceived the story of the rare bottle of Amontillado, knowing that Fortunato would not be able to resist the temptation of tasting such a vintage.
- Montresor waited until "the supreme madness of the carnival season" to enact his plot. By doing so, he made sure all of his servants would be absent from his home. He also knew Fortunato would be drinking heavily--dulling his senses and reactions.
- He planned for the murder to be undertaken at night, providing less visibility and chance for other people to be around.
- Montresor concocts the story that a friend, Luchesi, will be available to sample the Amontillado should Fortunato decline, knowing full well that Fortunato will not let this opportunity escape him.
- Montresor chooses a safe place--his family catacombs--to complete the crime and dispose of the body. In doing so, he assures that there will be no one to disturb them or hear Fortunato's cries.
- Montresor prepares the "niche" in advance, placing bricks and mortar hidden nearby; he also brings a trowel, the proper tool to cement the bricks. He has a chain ready to "fetter" Fortunato in place. The niche is in a distant area of the vast catacombs, making it less likely that anyone will ever disturb the area.
- Montresor never reveals his crime to anyone--at least for "half of a century."
What is the attitude of Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado"?
The reader/auditor does not know what Fortunato has done to anger Montresor. So, there's no real way to know if Montresor's anger is justified. In any case, Montresor is certainly vengeful and his attitude is dictated by this need for revenge. Montresor is completely cold in killing Fortunato and is likewise cold and stoic in the retelling of the tale. His mindset is bent on revenge at all costs but his outward demeanor in dealing with Fortunato and in telling the tale to the reader is stoic (without emotion). So, Montresor is cold and calculating. Montresor even takes quiet pleasure in his enemy's demise. As he is walling Fortunato in, he considers listening to the rattling of the chains:
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 labors and sat down upon the bones.
Montresor goes about his thirst for revenge quietly and workman-like. This makes for an odd combination of extreme revenge carried out with an emotionless determination.
How does "The Cask of Amontillado" look at revenge?
The unnamed narrator of "The Cask of Amontillado" clearly thinks of revenge as a noble endeavor. Montresor and Fortunato are both noblemen, and Montresor's coat of arms and family motto both indicate that he takes pride in revenge.
His coat of arms is that of "a huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." That is, it is a golden foot on a shy-blue background which is crushing a rearing serpent which is biting him. The implication is that the Montresors are the foot and even if it hurts them, they will win in the end. His motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit," which means "No one attacks me with impunity."
Fortunato seems to agree (ironically) that this approach to revenge is admirable, because when he asks about the coat of arms and the motto (and Montresor answers him), he says, "Good!"
Finally, if the narrator is to be believed, he is telling this tale 50 years after it happened, and his tone is one of pride--not shame.