Thursday, June 14, 2012

Why does Montresor seek revenge on Fortunato, and why does he say, "A wrong is undressed when retribution overtakes its redresser"?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the
narrator, like so many of Poe's narrators, is unreliable in that he does not provide any
reason for his revenge other than the vague
statement,



The
thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon
insult,I vowed revenge.



Then,
ironically, the narrator assumes that readers know
him: 



You who
so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to
a threat.



Obviously, then,
there is a great deal of ambiguity about Montresor's "revenge" that he feels (1) he must
seek and perform with impunity as well as (2) receive acknowlegement of this revenge on
the part of the victim.  Both of these goals of revenge are attained:  Montresor walls
in Fortunato in the tomb/catacombs, and Fortunato is well aware of what Montresor has
done as he calls to him, asking to be allowed to return to the carnival, and finally
crying "For the love of God, Montresor!"

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