Commentary on The Cask Of Amontillado Essay

Montresor tells this story about the day he took his revenge on Fortunato, a fellow nobleman, after years of insult. He plots to murder his friend during carnival when the man is drunk and wearing a jesters motley.

The story takes place at dusk in the streets of a nameless Italian city, around the 18th century, during the supreme madness of the carnival season .

Montresor is in route to see a friend, seeking advice and verification of a recently purchased wine. He sees Fortunato and starts to discuss his recent purchase of Amontillado, baiting Fortunato by questioning the wines authenticity and his capability to determine this. Fortunato insists that Montresor let him verify the wine, which is kept in the Montresors family estate, deep in its catacombs. Fortunato accompanies Montresor to his familys wine cellar to retrieve and sample the wine.

Montresor comes from a great and noble tribe and seeks justice from Fortunato for years of insult. He is vengeful and demands retribution for Fortunatos impunities. Fortunato is dressed for carnival, in a tight fitting party-type dress and mounted on his head is a cone shaped hat decorated with bells that jingle. He has been drinking heavily and is jovial in seeing Montresor. Also a noble man and a connoisseur of vintage, Fortunato is insistent in accompanying Montresor to the Amontillado. Afflicted with cold; he is eager to verify such a purchase and Montresor plans to take advantage of Fortunatos righteousness and love for wine. A false friendship has developed with Fortunato over the years but only Montresor knows this truth.

Montresor discusses his concerns for the Amontillado he has recently purchased, and questioning its authenticity wants an expert opinion. Upon hearing of this, Fortunato agrees to go with Montresor to his estate, eager to taste the wine, all the while boasting drunkenly.

Upon entering the wine cellar and traveling down through the catacombs of the estate beneath the river, Montresor offers wine to Fortunato. Fortunato after finishing yet another bottle of wine in route to the tombs makes a gesture with an upraised wine bottle. When Montresor does not recognize the gesture, Fortunato asks, "You are not of the masons?" Montresor says he is, and when Fortunato, disbelieving, requests a sign, Montresor displays a trowel he had been hiding .

With malice, Montresor lures Fortunato further and further into the tombs with drink, conversation and aids him with false sincerity and concerns for his health. Montresor comes to the end of the tunnel, an area deep in the bowels of his estate. The vault served his ancestors well, for proof of other insulters whom had met their demise lay everywhere. Shackles, dried bones, piles of old bones all sings of former vengeance delivered.

When they come to a niche, Montresor tells Fortunato that the Amontillado is within. Fortunato enters, drunk and unsuspecting, and shows no resistance as Montresor chains him to the wall. Montresor then declares that since Fortunato won't go back, he must "positively leave him . Oblivious to this fact he is focused on and still eager to test the Amontillado. Once Montresor has Fortunato in the dungeon, disoriented with drink and pleading to try the wine, Montresor closes in the niche, entombing Fortunato alive. Sobering up faster than Montresor anticipated Fortunato shakes the chains, and tries to escape. He screams for help, but Montresor knows that no one can hear his cries and mocks him. Fortunato laughs trying to pretend that he is the subject of a joke and that people will be waiting for him, including the Lady Fortunato, but as the murderer Montresor finishes laying the top row of stones, Fortunato screams, "For the love of God, Montresor!" and Montresor replies, "Yes, for the love of God!" . Waiting for a reply, Montresor hears only the jester's bells ringing as he drops a burning torch through the gap before placing the last stone. Claiming he is sick at heart, he dismisses this reaction as an effect of the dampness of the catacombs. Thus the authors revenge is met.

Montresor reveals towards the end of his story years have passed since that night, and he has yet to be caught. Fortunato still hangs from the chains in the niche where he left it. The murderer, seemingly unrepentant, ends the story by remarking: In pace requiescat! Meaning, May he rest in peace!".

Acts of symbolism in this story that I captured was one of the wine vault in comparison to a dungeon, as was Fortunatos thirst for the Amontillado capturing and enslaving him. I also see the symbolism of Fortunato dressed as a jester, and find it ironic that it was at this time the author took the opportunity to seek vengeance, the joke being on Fortunato, the symbolism of the lure of the wine vault where Fortunato will meet his demise and the author seeks his vengeance. The symbolism of Fortunato and his secret sign of the Masons through a gesture verses Montresors sign by physically producing a tool, a trowel , hidden from under his cloak. This reveals an ulterior motive by Montresor and with the focus on the Amontillado by Fortunato, retribution was Montresors focus. Less we forget the symbolism of the Montresor motto. Nemo me impume lacessit translated meaning No one wounds me with impunity .