illustration of Fortunato standing in motley behind a mostly completed brick wall with a skull superimposed on the wall where his face should be

The Cask of Amontillado

by Edgar Allan Poe

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Student Question

What does the quote "You are a man to be respected" mean in The Cask of Amontillado?

Quick answer:

The quote "You are a man to be respected" does not exist verbatim in "The Cask of Amontillado." However, Montresor, the narrator, uses similar language to manipulate Fortunato, whom he plans to kill. He flatters Fortunato by acknowledging his respected status and wine expertise to lure him into a trap. Montresor exploits Fortunato's pride and vanity, leading him into the cellar under the pretense of tasting a rare Amontillado, ultimately sealing Fortunato's fate.

Expert Answers

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That specific line of text does not exist in Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado."  There are some lines of text that get close.  

“Come,” I said, with decision, “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; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible. 

This one too: 

He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine.

In both of the above quotes, the speaker is Montresor, and he is either speaking directly to Fortunato or about Fortunato.  

Montresor does not like Fortunato. Maybe he once did, but at the start of the story Montresor makes it clear that Fortunato must die. 

THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.

Montresor knows that he has to some how lure Fortunato into a place where he can be silently killed.  Montresor's plan is to play upon Fortunato's pride.  Fortunato is loud and pompous; he believes his opinions on wine are infallible.  That's what Montresor uses against him.  He tells Fortunato that he has an expensive Amontillado to be tasted, and Fortunato cannot resist.  Then Montresor increases the temptation by stroking Fortunato's pride.  He tells Fortunato that he is too well respected to waste his fine tastes on something that is not guaranteed.  Fortunato soaks it all in, and is goaded even further into Montresor's cellar.  Once there, Fortunato kills him.  

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