“The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It narrates the tale of Montresor, a man who takes revenge on his friend, Fortunato, by luring him into a wine-tasting excursion and then trapping him in a wine barrel to die. The story is often seen as an allegory about the dangers of drinking too much alcohol. Fortunato represents the typical drunk who makes poor choices and suffers for them, while the narrator represents the responsible drinker who knows when to stop. The text addresses the issues entailing social conditions, punishment, class, and the crime committers, as well as a few key lessons to learn about crime. Throughout the book, the narrator, Montresor, tells a story of how he took his revenge on Fortunato, a man who had hurt him deeply.
The book is a great example of how crime can potentially affect social conditions. The text tells us that one night, Montresor hides inside Fortunato’s house because he catches him in the street. From there, Montresor finds an opportunity to lure his victim into the dark catacombs of his home with the promise of rare wine (Poe 2). Fortunato is so excited by the prospect that he does not even notice when Montresor chains him to the wall and starts sealing up the opening to the crypt with him inside. Poe paints a picture of utter helplessness as Fortunato screams and scampers futilely against his bonds while Montresor calmly traps him.
Similarly, the book tells us the great issues about crime and punishment in the 1800s. The story is set up as a revenge tale, in which Montresor takes his revenge on Fortunato by entombing him alive. The story does not reveal much about the laws or justice system of the time but it does provide a glimpse into how a crime was penalized. It seems that Montresor’s crime was severe enough to warrant such a severe castigation. Montresor even claims that “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could” (although it is not clear what these injuries actually were) (Poe 1). Likewise, even though Fortunato is unaware of the true extent of Montresor’s anger, he still accepts the man’s plan, seemingly trusting that Montresor will not hurt him.
Moreover, the story tells about people who commit crimes, such as Montresor, over some unspecified insult. Montresor hid his anger for years but eventually decided to murder Fortunato in order to gain satisfaction (Poe). The story is set in a time when crimes were rampant, and criminals could often get away with their crimes. It is interesting to note that Montresor never explicitly stated that the insult was the reason for him to commit murder. Therefore, such unjustified killing leaves open the possibility that Montresor may have been driven by something other than just an insult, such as envy or greed (Elhefnawy 105). This shows that people can be motivated to commit crimes by feelings of anger and vengeance.
Concerning class factors, the murderer, Montresor, is upper class while his victim, Fortunato, is lower class. This difference in social class is important to the story because it helps to motivate Montresor’s actions. Montresor feels that he is above Fortunato and deserves to be avenged when Fortunato insults him (Poe). Poe similarly uses the setting of the story to symbolize the difference between the two characters. Carnival symbolizes the frivolity and disorder of society; it is a time when people let loose and enjoy themselves, often to excess. This enjoyment is seen as a negative thing, as it leads to problems like drunkenness and fighting (Poe). Conversely, Montresor’s home symbolizes his dark and quiet nature; he longs for control and order in his life, which is why he takes such cruel revenge upon Fortunato.
Conversely, there are many things that we can learn about crime in history from the text. For one, we can see that crimes were often committed for revenge or personal gain, as was the case with Montresor’s murder of Fortunato. We can also see that crimes were often premeditated and carefully planned out, as Montresor took great care to conceal his identity and motive from his victim. Similarly, we can realize that murder is not a new ideology; people have been killing each other for centuries. We can also learn about the psychology of murderers— the narrator in this story is clearly disturbed and enjoys inflicting pain on others. He feels no remorse for his actions and is even proud of them. This shows that killers can be very clever and manipulative, sometimes fooling even their victims into thinking they are safe (Elhefnawy 104). Finally, we can observe that even during Poe’s time, there were already established methods and procedures for investigating and punishing criminals.
In conclusion, the book “The Cask of Amontillado” is a classic tale of revenge in which the narrator, Montresor, plots to murder his friend, Fortunato. Montresor hides his anger and resentment towards Fortunato for years until he finally snaps and entombs him alive in a catacomb. The text explains some social conditions by demonstrating that a person can win one another’s trust through lies, leading to punishment as a form of revenge, as Montresor did to Fortunato. The story is an illustration of how even the most mundane things can lead to terrible consequences if not handled with care. It also serves as a warning against trusting others blindly; the betrayers can promise great things only to entice and then later kill.
Works Cited
Elhefnawy, Nader. “Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado.” The Explicator, 2018.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe. Beyond Books Hub, 2021.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. The Creative Company, 2008.