The Cask of Amontillado In Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Cask of Amontillado, the story follows a dark and twisted plot of revenge for the narrator, Montresor . The story is carefully crafted so that every detail contributes to creating a unique effect. We are forced to see the story only from Montresor's vengeful point of view, thus intensifying the effect of moral shock and horror. Poe forces the reader to examine the inner motivations and what drives the actions of a killer's mind. Montresor seeks only one thing in the entire plot, and that is revenge. It guides Montresor's actions and is the only thing he cares about. It's beyond reasoning, but it's also impossible for anyone else to help find an alternative ending simply because Montresor doesn't allow anyone other than the reader to know his thoughts. The moral compass is then left to the reader because Montresor does not possess one. The main character's attitude towards Fortunato is only revealed to the reader as it is almost impossible to follow the narrator's actions and dialogues within the story to explain his motivations. The use of dramatic and verbal irony contributes to the reader's awareness that they are the only one aware of the narrator's hidden agenda. His motivations only become clear to the audience and the characters at the end of the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of The Cask of Amontillado, the narrator begins with his direct feelings towards Fortunato. Explaining how Fortunato insulted his name and that he would "make him pay." In a twisted way to support his family motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit” which means “no one attacks me with impunity”. If we look at The Cask of Amontillado: A Case for Defense we notice that “a particular detail of the motto that is worth noting is that it is not about “us” but about me”. Which, if the reader thinks carefully, if Montresor was attempting to protect his family name, the revenge he is seeking would not seem so personal. Looking closely at the family armor we see that there is a foot with a snake wrapped around it with sunk fangs. Analytically the reader can relate the armor to how Montresor feels about Fortunato, he may feel as if Fortunato is the snake who has insulted and deceived him enough and he needs to get rid of the problem. On the other hand, Fortunato could easily also be the serpent, sinking its fangs into Fortunato's Achilles' heel. We also note that Poe has no intention of making the reader sympathize with Montresor because he has been wronged by Fortunato. But Poe rather tries to evoke a judgment towards Montresor. The reader is only aware of the insults against his name, not of the other things Fortunato might have done. By thus making the reader aware that Montresor is an unreliable narrator, it also seems that the narrator tends to hold grudges and exaggerate a little more than usual. Even though the narrator has clear motivations, he still acts rather impulsively. Montresor does not seem to be fully aware of the true consequences of his actions, and not strictly physical ones. This reflects a possible insight into the way many people might have thought during that time period. Montresor then continues to explain that “I must not suffer because of my revenge. A mistake is not repaired in this matter. So his motive is now clear, but only to the reader. The use of dramatic irony becomes effective as the reader is now forced to be complicit in Fortunato's vengeful death. No one else isinvolved in Montresor's elaborate revenge plan. His mind was set on the murder of Fortunato and no one could convince him otherwise. The Cask of Amontillado: A Case for the Defense points out that “we may still wonder how he can savor his retaliation and why he needs to inflict upon her the needless cruelty of death” which is a valid point. It is crucial to address what made Montresor want to kill Fortunato beyond the insults: it is unclear whether there may be an ulterior motive or whether Montresor is just a psychopathic killer. The setting of the story is Italy at a time of celebration. The unfolding carnival gives Montresor the opportunity to appear in disguise and lure his companion Fortunato away from the celebration of life. Ironically, since the carnival celebrates life and happiness, Fortunato is aware of his death that will follow that night. When Fortunato and Montresor finally meet, later night has fallen and it also creates an airy and dark feeling that the reader connects to Fortunato's death. We are also informed that if Fortunato was unaware of Montresor's feelings towards him because Montresor completely masked his true feelings towards Fortunato. Here Poe uses verbal irony within the dialogue between Montresor and Fortunato, making the reader aware of the deception taking place. We also see the narrator use the trust Fortunato had placed in him to complete his vengeful task. Montresor exploits Fortunato's love of wine to lure him away from the safety of his grasp. Fortunato prided himself on being a connoisseur of good wine. Using his knowledge of wines he uses it against Montresor to complete his revenge. In a certain sense Montresor identifies Fortunato's Achilles heel, his weak point. Making Montresor as deceptive as the snake wrapped around the foot in the family armor. He was aware that if Fortunato had been too drunk to be consistent with his surroundings his plan would have been easier to execute. As we follow the plot, the use of dialogue between the two characters is amicable, if the reader were not already aware of Montresor's feelings and his current motivations, it would be impossible to explain why Fortunato is led to his death. According to The Ironic Double in Poe's Cask of Amontillado “Fortunato is generally described as a character perfectly suited to his motley and clownish carnival bells. He appears as an open, gullible extrovert, an innocent possessed by the same ignorant vanity that caused his original fall from grace. This means that Fortunato's appearance as a madman only emphasizes how the reader actually sees him due to his obvious mentality. He appears to be completely unaware that his death is coming soon. Making it even dumber for the reader. We also see that Fortunato's trust has been placed in rather the wrong place. Fortunato trusts Montresor enough to drink beyond his own personal limits because it is assumed that Montresor will take care of him. After the characters exchange words about the cask of Amontillado, the narrator leads Fortunato to the catacombs where it is kept. The setting then shifts from an open, free area to a narrow, enclosed space as we move further and further away from freedom. As the story progresses, we get to see Montresor's facade on display as he continually gives Fortunato more and more wine. The most ironic thing about the dialogue is that many times Fortunato drinks to the dead while Montresor drinks to the hope of Fortunato's long life. Ironically, the narrator and the reader are both aware that Fortunato will not be alive much longer. So long as.