Chuilli 1 Nicholas Chuilli Ms.

Jacobs ENC 1102 3 April 2014 Psychoanalytic Criticism and Analysis of Setting and Symbolism in The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado is arguably one of Edgar Allen Poes greatest works when it

comes to a psychological thriller. Throughout the entirety of the story we see what is happening through the eyes of the wicked killer, Montresor, as he lures his clueless victim, Fortunato, to what would become his grave. Never is it explicitly stated why Montresor killed Fortunato, only how, but if one can analyze the story closely a conclusion can be reached. The first person narration of the story makes it even easier to see into the mind of Montresor and put the pieces of the puzzle together. With psychological analysis of The Cask of Amontillado and close examination of the setting and symbols within the story, Montresors motive for killing Fortunato can be uncovered. The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. (Poe 164). These were the words spoken by the aged Montresor as he lay on his deathbed, recounting the story of the day he killed Fortunato in the catacombs of his ancestors fifty years earlier. His telling is not a confession, but more of a simple recounting. Montresor feels little to no remorse for his crime for he enjoys himself too much in the telling. (Baraban 165). Montresor further dehumanizes himself when he says My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.(Poe 169-170) after hearing his chained victim sadly rattling the bells on his jester hat. Because of the seeming lack of feeling, and motive for killing Fortunato other than the briefly mentioned insult, most assume Montresor is

Chuilli 2 insane; a killer without reason. This is not entirely true, however, as Montresor may be a madman, but he is not unmotivated. To begin to understand the murder, one must first understand the importance of the setting of The Cask of Amontillado. Though the story truly takes place on Montresors deathbed some fifty years later, the recounting takes place in eighteenth century Europe during Carnival. This time period and particular event are extremely important to the symbolism of the story. One of the first symbols, which is possible to overlook entirely, is the dress of the two characters. Montresor is dressed in a long, black roquelaire, the same coat worn by executioners of the time, and Fortunato in the attire of a jester; a fool (Poe 165-166). Though one may see this as an insignificant coincidence, as the story continues it is revealed that the end could have been predicted from the start. This still reveals no reason for the murder, though. The existence of functioning catacombs is also dependent upon the time period, and they themselves symbolize death. The fact that Fortunato was in no way suspicious of why he was being led into a mass grave shows truly how foolish he is. Another important symbol in the story is the trowel that Montresor is carrying. This is revealed to the reader when Fortunato makes a secret gesture of the Masons, He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand. (Poe 167). Fortunato questions Montresor, asking whether or not he is a Mason, to which he replies, after some confusion, Yes, yes (Poe 168) lying to further gain Fortunatos trust. When asked for a sign Montresor produces a trowel from under his executioners coat, It is this (Poe 168) he says. Fortunato then sees the very instrument of his demise and brushes it off as a joke. The trowel may have meant nothing to Fortunato but to Montresor it is his revenge and he risks unveiling his plan to further hint at Fortunato of what is to come.

Chuilli 3 The family crest of the Montresors is also highly significant. The crest is A huge human foot dor , in a field of azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel. (Poe 167) The motto that accompanies this crest is nemo me impune lacessit.(Poe 167) which means no one provokes me with impunity. This explains why Montresor is so bent on exacting his revenge on Fortunato; its in his blood. Fortunato, embodying the fool he is dressed as, replies to hearing this by saying Good! (Poe 167) The revelation of Montresors coat of arms truly was a warning that Fortunato ha(d) ignored.(Baraban 3), costing him his life. Even the names of the characters in Poes work are symbolic. Fortunato means fortunate; somebody who is graced by chance without their own doing. Montresor translates to my treasure which is a metaphor for Montresors noble ancestry (which is) indeed his treasure. (Baraban 169) This is Montresors treasure because signs point to the fact that he is not as well -renowned as his family used to be; Fortunato can remember neither the coat of arms nor the motto of the Montresors. (Baraban 168) This forgetfulness of the once noble Montresor family may have motivated Montresor to kill Fortunato out of jealousy; Montresor even says You are happy, as once I was. (Poe 167) With this information it is easy to see that the status of the Montresors is waning, while new rich like Fortunato spring up left and right, nobles of the robe rather than the sword. The past nobility of the Montresors can also be seen by the size of their catacombs, which amazes even Fortunato. The murder of Fortunato may have been a symbolic outlet of Montresors despair that he is less noble than his soon to be victim, who he sees as a grotesque excuse for a nobleman. The reason for the murder remains a grey area, but the manner in which it happened is obvious and ingenious at the same time. Montresor reveals in the beginning of the story that he fooled Fortunato into following him into the catacombs; neither by word nor deed had I given

Chuilli 4 Fortunato a cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his Immolation. (Poe 165). To get Fortunato to come with him, Montresor exploited one of Fortunatos weaknesses: his ego. Fortunato believed he was a connoisseur of wines, which he himself disproves when he says Luchresi cannot tell amontillado from Sherry. (Poe 166) in response to Montresor saying he was going to ask Luchresi to test the amontillado. While sounding correct, Poe purposefully capitalized the S in sherry to highlight that Fortunato uses it as a proper name rather than a generic term for several varieties of wine. (Baraban 171). Once Montresor had baited Fortunato into entering the catacombs, he gave him more wine to impair his judgment further, and also to boost his ego; his pride is his impetus. The insult of which Montresor speaks when wanting to exact his revenge is not a single act, but a continued action. The insult Montresor is referring to is simply Fortunatos existence. Montresor is from a long line of powerful family members and is proud of his lineage, although his familys nobility has certainly waned in recent times. This is made clear when Fortunato, who Montresor believes lesser than he, doesnt remember the family crest or motto of the Montresors. Fortunato is noble because of his money, not because of his heritage like Montresor, and this creates a rift between the two. As powerful families like the Montresors faded from everyday life, new, wealthy individuals came forth to fill their place; Montresor saw these people as imposters, threats to his way of life. He justifies the murder of Fortunato because of this belief. Everything about Fortunato not only offended Montresor, but threatened his way of life. Montresor was ashamed to be less renowned than Fortunato, and in turn he killed him in a desperate attempt to feel the power he feared he was losing. Driven mad by weakness, Montresor did everything he could to make himself superior to his victim: puns, trickery, manipulation,

Chuilli 5 even chaining him to a wall and building an enclosure of brick and mortar around him. Just as Montresor hid his fears in a corridor deep in his mind, he hid the manifestation of them in the catacombs, deep in the earth.

Chuilli 6 Works Cited Baraban, Elena V. "CRITICAL READINGS: The Motive for Murder in "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe." Critical Insights: The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe. N.p.: Salem, 2010. 163-81. Print.

Mays, Kelly J. "The Cask of Amontillado." The Norton Introduction to Literature Shorter Eleventh ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 164-70. Print.

Platizky, Roger. Poes The Cask of Amontillado. Explicator 57.4 (1999): 206. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.

Lewis, Michael Jay. Refining A Fortunato Amontillado. Explicator 69.4 (2011): 179- 183 Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.