Cask of Amontillado Response

The Cask of Amontillado Response

All too often in literature we find ourself reading about the same principles, right vs. wrong, or the rise and fall of your protagonist, but it is not too often we get to read a story where morality is neither white nor black but instead a solid grey, where it is ultimately left to the reader to decipher their own codes of morality. “The Cask of Amontillado” brings us back to a time in 18th century Italy, to a story bent on revenge and manipulation from the start. Our protagonist, Montresor, whose name is not mentioned until the of the story, is attending a magnificent festival in the streets of Italy. Montresor is the narrator of our story, and is unveiling it to us from his point of view on a death bed, like a secret and dark part of his past. He is a mason and seems to be a polite and quiet man, but you soon learn that his true intentions are dark. It seems as for a while now an acquaintance of Montresor has been inhospitable towards him, and has just recently started to personally insult him to a point of him needing to obtain revenge. Stumbling upon his tipsy and ill-mannered acquaintance who goes by the name of Fortunado, which ironically translates into “fortunate” in Italian, Montresor then strikes up a conversation about his recent acquisition of a rare Amontillado. He is immediately awestruck by the mention of this rare brandy and insists that they go to Montresor’s family catacomb, to sample this fine drink. Our friend Fortunato is unaware, but by accepting this offer he is already buried, even above ground on the city streets. Unaware of the initial insult that even set this course in action, the story is now solely focused on revenge in the human spirit, and the actions that follow. Our two friends walk into the damp catacombs, holding torches which illuminate the white bones of the dead that they pass by, continue their descent in search of this Amontillado. Fortunato repeatedly expresses his ever growing anticipation of sampling this brandy by repeating the word “Amontillado” on his journey to the end, unaware of the fate that is laid before him. As we descend deeper and deeper into the catacombs, Fortunato begins coughing due to a cold and the minerals deep in the catacombs are said not to help, so Montresor offers to bring him back to the surface. Fortunato refuses, but this is expected, almost even planned. He was only offered this because it is known by Montresor that Fortunato is not a fan of being doubted, and if doubted it will push him even harder to delve into these catacombs, and fall victim to his own confidence. Here they reach the end of the catacombs, Montresor leads Fortunato into a small doorway, but instead of finding the Amontillado finds himself chained to the wall. Fortunato does not even put up a fight, but instead thinks this a joke and lets out a jolly laugh and insists that they be on their way to sample the drink, and return to the party. Montresor, being a mason, starts laying bricks into the doorway, cement and all. With each brick being placed, Fortunato's sense of humor