Revenge: A Bittersweet Victory
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Revenge: A Bittersweet Victory
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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This story of the most heinous revenge is, like all stories by Edgar Allen Poe, very open to interpretation. One thing
that cannot be disputed, though, is the theme. The fundamental theme of The Cask of Amontillado is revenge.
While the reasons the main character, Montresor, desires revenge are rather unclear, the reasons for his
motivation are not. The way he executes his plans also exemplifies a clever use of deception to amplify his
vengeance. Unfortunately, though, the aftermath of his actions proved far less gratifying than what he foresaw.
These elements of revenge consume this story in the usual vague and mysterious manner which we so often see
with Poe.
Because this story is told in first person perspective from Montresor’s point of view, we cannot be completely sure
what it is that Fortunato did to him, if anything at all. Montresor simply states that Fortunato insulted him. At one
point, when speaking to Fortunato, Montresor claims, “you are rich, respected, admired, beloved, you are happy,
as once I was.” By saying this, he implied that whatever it was Fortunato did to him, it made him lose those
qualities of his life, causing him to be unhappy. Montresor implicates further blame when he informs Fortunato
that, “the Montresors . . . were a great and numerous family.” This is the real concern for Montresor because he
has a great pride in his family. This leads the reader to believe that Fortunato not only insulted Montresor, but his
family as well.
This suggests that Montresor may be trying to avenge his family by killing Fortunato. This is further exemplified by
the Montresor family motto, “nemo me impune lacessit,” which translates to, “no one dare attack me with
impunity.” Here lies the main reason for Montres...