Custom «The Cask of Amontillado» Essay Paper Sample

Montresor is a character in the book the Cask of Amontillado, whose insanity leads to a murder. After being insulted by Fortunato, He vows revenge and schemes upon him by informing Fortunato that he had bought a cask of what passes to be Amontillado and since he is not sure he asks for his advice. He leads a drunken Fortunato, who doesn't suspect anything, to his vaults where he shackles him to the wall and then bricks him up in that niche. His insanity is caused by his failure to control emotions, which results in excessive sensitivity and cruelty. He easily gets angry and is very sensitive upon other's people opinion about him. He is vain and proud, because of which unable to stand an insult, which, to his mind, damages his reputation. Because of his vanity and pride, he treats this as a serious hurt, although Fortunato doesn't even suspect, that Montresor can want revenge for something he has done. (Shvoong, 2008)

Montresor is also very intelligent, despite his madness and hate and anger overwhelming him, he isn't impulsive and his murder is carefully planned. The whole murder is arranged in details. He tells his servants to take a day off, so that no one can see him going to the vaults with Fortunato. Knowing about Fortunato's love for wine, Montresor skillfully makes Fortunato enthusiastic to go with him, claiming that he has rare and precious Amontillado. He also takes advantage from Fortunato's pride and by acting naturally he gives no reason for anybody, including Fortunato, to suspect him to be mad or to have bad intentions. The cleverly and carefully planned murder also wasn't discovered till his death. (Shvoong, 2008)

Montresor in addition is portrayed as very sensitive about his reputation; he easily gets angry and is very sensitive upon other's people opinion about him. He is vain and proud, because of which unable to stand an insult, which, to his mind, damages his reputation. Because of his vanity and pride, he treats this as a serious hurt. He is also very cruel as he takes pleasure on the way Fortunato suffers till he dies without food or water and chained up to a damp wall.

Montresor is a confessing person, after fifty years of keeping his secret he decides to tell of how he murdered Fortunato by shackling him up in a vault, he gives his confessions in his deathbed where he knows he cannot be punished as he is dying. His punishment is his secret, from which he is freed only on his deathbed. (Shvoong, 2008)