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What do the first two paragraphs reveal about Montresor's plans for Fortunato?
Quick answer:
The first two paragraphs reveal Montresor's meticulous plan for revenge against Fortunato. Montresor feels he has endured many "injuries" from Fortunato, but an "insult" has pushed him to seek revenge. He vows to punish Fortunato without getting caught, emphasizing that revenge must be felt by the victim. Montresor has hidden his true feelings, continuing to smile at Fortunato while secretly plotting against him, ensuring Fortunato suspects nothing.
We learn that Montresor feels that he has been Fortunato's victim over and over again, but something about this particular time is Montresor's last straw. He uses the word "insult" as opposed to the thousand "injuries" that came before. From here, we know that the narrator will seek revenge. Consider the following passage, when he speaks directly to the implied reader:
I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged;
This is ironic, because the reader is just now meeting this character, so they do not, in fact, know anything about the speaker. However, he has just told us that he is careful and that his revenge will be scrupulously planned and drawn out.
He then goes on to say that he will not get caught, implying that revenge is not true revenge if one is caught. Additionally, the revenge is no good if the person the "avenger" is trying to harm does not feel the force of the revenge. So far, he has been nothing but kind to Fortunato, biding his time and smiling, all the while harboring this secret hate and hatching a plot against him.
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the first-person narrator wastes little time in letting his intentions be known. Though not given to the reader right away, we eventually learn that the narrator's name is Montresor. In the first paragraph, Montresor states, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could." In addition to these "injuries," we learn that Fortunato has insulted Montresor and that the insult will not be forgiven. Montresor is determined to seek revenge, and he plans to suffer no consequences as a result of his actions.
In the second paragraph, Montresor explains that he has given Fortunato no reason, whether through words or actions, to suspect any wrongdoing or negative intentions. Montresor will continue to, "smile in his face." The reader knows the reason behind the smile is revenge. However, Montresor will not make this reason known to Fortunato.
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