The Perfect Killer - the Cask of Amontillado

The Perfect Killer

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Edgar Allen Poe's brings us a twisted tale of vengeance and horror in "The Cask of Amontillado." Poe's character, Montresor, acts as our guide and narrator through this story. He grabs a hold of the reader as he tells the story from his own apathetic and deceptive mind to gain vengeance from the weak and dismal Fortunato. Montresor's mentality is disturbing as he uses his clever, humor, ironic symbolism, and darkness to accomplish this.

At the beginning of the story, Montresor tells us that he has vowed vengeance on Fortunato. Montresor also states "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 wrong." (Poe 673). This means that not only will he get his vengeance, but Fortunato will know that Montresor is his demise. Poe has not only shown that Montresor is a killer, but a killer with a set of rules that he will follow until Fortunato's death. I believe this is the most important part of the story. It creates an interest, sets the plot, and provides an insight into Montresor's twisted mind.

Montresor's reason for murdering Fortunato stems only from insults, and no way is this justification to kill Fortunato. It is reason to note though that Montresor apparently does not like Italians in the first place, "Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity - to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quake-..." (Poe 674). Montresor feels that Fortunato is a fake just like his countrymen. So quiet possibly Montresor's validation for

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killing him is not only from being insulted by Fortunato, but his hate for the Italian upper class as a whole. Another example of this possible blatant hate for Italians is when Montresor says "[The Montresor family] were a great and numerous family." (Poe 675). This could imply that Montresor is bitter of the fact that his family no longer has the lustrous and honorable name it once had, and this is his attack on the society he hates.

It is obvious that this is murder is premeditated. Montresor has sent his staff home and told not to disturb the house. He has also waited until Carnival to execute his plan, which brings up two points. The first being that Montresor has waited until this time because the town is disordered and Fortunato will be drunk. The second point is a deeper thought that was brought up in which Carnival season is a time when rules are suspended and abnormality is accepted. This is when you can put on a mask; act without regret or boundaries, then take off the mask and continue on with normal life. I believe this shows an admirable quality of patience and determination in Montresor since he has waited all this time to execute his plan.

Once Montresor has Fortunato in his home, he begins to express his dark and deceiving humor. I believe this is a necessity and one of the rules that Montresor must follow in order to feel full retribution. Montresor shows us this ironic behavior when he hands Fortunato a bottle of De Grвve to drink. Another humorous point of the story is when Fortunato says "the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." (Poe 675) To which Montresor replies "True - true..."