Essay on Barbarous Retribution and Revenge - 931 Words

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are credited for having horror-filled endings. Usually darkness is considered to be a good representative of evil, so the setting in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is at night-time. This story deals with the jealousy, revenge and, more importantly, wounded family honor. A man named Montresor, whose name is not discovered till the end of story, is seeking vengeance on Fortunato, who has irreparably insulted him. The very first sentence: â€Å"THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge†, supports the theme of revenge (Poe 161). This theme also suggests that Fortunato had aggrieved Montresor thousands of times, but whenever he insults Montresor and his†¦show more content†¦However, Fortunato is unaware about Montresor’s plot for his death. Montresor’s acknowledges, â€Å"He must not only punish but punish with impunity† (Poe 162). He wants to avenge but does not want to get punished back for his wrongdoing because he thinks that he is right in his decision to kill Fortunato. Charles N. Nevi mentions, â€Å"Fortunato, of course, is the uninitiated who hears but does not understand. Montresor is the initiated who hears and understands all†. Montresor never lets Fortunato suspect his hatred towards him and urges Fortunato to go inside the vaults. Although their friendship seems alive, a sense of hatred and envy has demolished their friendship. â€Å"Just as Fortunato displays a concern for the distinction between an amontillado and a sherry, so too does Montresor displays a concern for the distinction between an authentic, mature, and refined friend† (Lewis 180).Thus, this metaphor reveals that Montresser is jealous of Fortunato’s superficiality. In addition to his drive for revenge, â€Å"the conflict between Montresor and Fortunato may be part of their blood feud† (Barbaran 58). Fortunato seems to possess more wealth, power, and is socially conspicuous, of which Montresor is jealous. Montresor clarifies this envy as he says, â€Å"You are happy, as once I was. You are the man to be missed† (Poe 162). Although Fortunato continuously drinks and coughs inside theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy1344 Words   |  6 PagesHieronimo is a symbol for the authority of law within The Spanish Tragedy. From his soliloquy in act III scene II, one can see Hieronimo’s ambiguity in deciding whether to pursue either justice or revenge. It could be argued that Hieronimo’s actions and concerns change throughout the course of the play by the wills of others and not his own desires; thus representing the failed authority of the law. This can be shown by analysing Hieronimo, Bel-imperia, t he Gods, Lorenzo and the Law. Hieronimo’sRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1331 Words   |  6 Pagesopposition. 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