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Alcohol Conflict and Vengeance

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Alcohol Conflict and Vengeance

Introduction

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" was published in 1846. It was first printed in

Godey's Lady's Book as short fiction. The setting was in an unidentified Italian city; the period

was not specified, but it was most likely in the 18th century. Vengeance is the central theme of

this story. People seemed to be interested in this subject matter in the 19th century, and as a

consequence, this was a famous story. He was a gloomy writer, and this story was told from the

point of view of the murderer. The paper focuses on alcohol conflict and vengeance analysis.

The analysis entails alcohol and alcohol abuse, revenge, and competition. Consumption of

alcohol is often done for enjoyment purposes, but drunkenness may lead to a lack of self-control

by some who may provoke the people around, and there may be cases where that may attract

revenge.

Vengeance

The entire plot focuses on the concept of revenge. A minor remark sparked Montresor's rage, and

he hasn't stopped thinking about killing Fortunato since. A provocation leads him to end his

adversary's life, and it becomes an obsession he can't let go of.

In "The Cask of Amontillado," the concept of vengeance is the motivating factor behind

the entire narrative. Because of an "insult" that Fortunato has purportedly made against

Montresor, the main character, Montresor, promises to exact revenge on the other essential

character, Fortunato (Francisco, 2021). In the first sentence of the short story, a thousand injuries

of Fortunato I had endured as best I could, says the narrator Montresor, but when he dared to

insult me, I pledged vengeance (Poe). This initial line makes it apparent that the insult aroused
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Montresor's anger. Unquenchable drive for vengeance, but several underlying elements could

have sparked this revenge indirectly as well.

"...I promised vengeance when he dared to disrespect me." You, who are so familiar with the

essence of my soul, will not believe that I made a threat. I'd be avenged in the end; this was a

point that needed to be made (Poe). Another facet of Montresor's vengeance to consider is his

remorse. In an article published in The Explicator, John Gruesser, a doctor at Kean University,

confirms the claim that Montresor displayed remorse before carrying out his revenge. In

addition, Gruesser believes that the narrator has a guilty conscience (Gruesser 2018). However, a

fifty-year post-mortem examination of Montresor reveals a conscience devoid of conviction and

a soul devoid of remorse: "It was the dampness of the catacombs that made my heart sick." (Poe)

Various factors influence Montresor's vengeance in the novel. The first is that there is no

serfdom in the house; in other words, Montresor has made sure that no one has witnessed his

crime. He deceives them by telling them he won't be back till the next day (Gruesser 2018).

Second, the depiction of his family's winery is unmistakably ominous, moist, dark, devious,

covered in cobwebs, bones, etc. Fortunato suffers significantly due to this predicament, and

Montresor is well aware of this. The bottle of Medoc, which Montresor claims will cure

Fortunato's cough, is undoubtedly a third crucial component in the murder process.

However, how retribution is carried out differs from Montresor's desire for vengeance

against Fortunato. In contrast, Hamlet is hesitant to avenge his father's death even after learning

that Claudius was the perpetrator. In addition, the reasons for revenge in the short story and the

play are not the same.

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Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse

When reading Edgar Allan Poe's works, it's impossible to avoid addiction and substance misuse

themes. While it has long been assumed that his death was hastened by drugs or alcohol, this

cannot be proven. However, Poe's interest in using the influence of alcohol as a facilitator for

character choice and motivation in his written works cannot be dismissed (Poe). Many of his

characters make horrible decisions after drinking, and alcohol is mentioned as a source of power

throughout his works. Two of Poe's short stories focus on the narrators' complex, emotionally-

charged reactions to alcohol use: a man proud of his success in overcoming his addiction and a

man proud of his success in overcoming his addiction.

It's impossible to avoid addiction and substance abuse themes when reading Edgar Allan

Poe's works. While it has long been suspected that drugs or alcohol contributed to his death, this

has yet to be confirmed (Francisco, 2021). On the other hand, Poe's interest in employing alcohol

as a facilitator for character choice and motivation in his writings can't be denied. Alcohol is

mentioned as a source of power throughout his works, and many of his characters make terrible

judgments after drinking. "A Man Proud of His Success in Overcoming His Addiction" and "A

Man Proud of His Success in Overcoming His Addiction" are two short stories by Poe that center

on the narrators' complicated, emotionally-charged reactions to alcohol usage.

In The Cask of Amontillado and A Poison Tree, the theme of suppressed wrath might

occasionally rise to retribution, which can culminate in explosive violence, is also examined. The

man-on-man confrontations in both stories are examples of revenge-fueled violence. The speaker

in A Poison Tree has a direct man-on-man fight with another man, which he fails to handle

correctly, resulting in the man's death (Kresnanda, 2020). The explosive violence that results

from restrained emotion and rage is the last outcome of an unresolved disagreement. The
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speaker's conflict with another man was so intense that he inflicted irreparable injury and

reckless violence on his adversary (Gruesser 2018. "And when the darkness shrouded the pole, I

stole into my garden: "I was glad to see my opponent extended beneath the tree in the morning,"

the speaker says, luring his opponent into a trap (Poe). The antagonist is described as

surrendering to the dazzling bait resulting from the speaker's hard work.

Alcohol has a significant role in "The Cask of Amontillado." Fortunato gets lured into a

trap with alcohol, which results in his death (Poe). This story can be regarded as a struggle with

alcoholism on an internal level. Alcohol is depicted as a terrible drug in "The Cask of

Amontillado."

Conflict

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" immerses the reader in a universe where

the story is recounted by a regular, well-respected man who is a psychopath. The report depicts a

heinous act of retribution, made all the more egregious because the vengeance is being exacted

even though no actual offense has been committed (Gruesser 2018. In "The Cask of

Amontillado," the conflict is simple: man against. Man and man vs. himself.

The plot of the story is straightforward. Montresor exacts vengeance on his friend.

Fortunato by enticing him into the family estate's tunnels. He brings Fortunato into the

catacombs, where he wallows him in a niche and buries him alive (Kresnanda, 2020). The story

is written in the first person from Montresor's perspective. When Montresor tells the reader that

he wants to exact revenge on Fortunato because "he ventured upon insult," the story begins.
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Fortunato's love of wine is used by Montresor, who refers to him as a wine connoisseur,

or expert and lover (Francisco, 2021). He knew that a cask of the coveted Amontillado would be

enough to entice Fortunato down the damp stairs and into Montresor's own family's catacombs.

It's worth noting the time frame in which this narrative was written. Wine cellars were

quite famous in 1846, especially among old and very affluent households, notably in Italy, where

the description is set. This was also true in personal catacombs, where a person's entire family

was buried in the same underground rooms, typically rather enormous (Gruesser 2018).

Fortunato would not have thrown caution to the breeze because the wine cellar and the catacomb

were in the same spot, especially when a "friend" was fooling him.

Edgar Allen Poe was adopted as a youngster into a wealthy family in Virginia, and he

would have been well-versed in this milieu due to lingering European-Southern ideals. In this

short narrative, in particular, it is apparent that he leans on these early references (Franklin et al.

2008). One of these evident elements is the depiction of the wine cellar and the catacombs.

Montresor's desire for vengeance sprang only from a personal insult or wrong that he

believed Fortunato had committed against him. This culture, in which disagreements are often

avoided out of politeness, reflected the attitudes of the South at the time (Poe). The concept of

entitlement, family wealth, and, in particular, a more strict caste structure inherited from the old

British are all things that need to be addressed (Gruesser 2018). Even though Montresor was

going to extremes in this scenario, and the story takes place in Italy, it reflects Southern values,

particularly the cultural distinctions that existed on both sides of the Atlantic in the mid-

nineteenth century.
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Edgar Allan Poe uses this narrative to criticize old, obsolete values characteristic of

Montresor as a whole. Poe employs conversation to charge the period and to communicate the

majority of the story, which an unusual strategy is given how the story begins (Kresnanda, 2020).

When no previous information on Montresor is supplied, the narrator almost quickly reminds the

reader that they know so well the "character of his soul."

Conclusion

As shown in Edgar Poe's book Cask of Amontillado, alcohol consumption in society can lead to

poor decisions, leading to conflict and pointless revenge, as in the example of Montresor and

Fortunato discussed in this paper. In Cask of Amontillado, Poe explores the most primal of

human emotions. Montresor claims that Fortunato has wronged him and is seeking vengeance in

the novel. Montresor can get away with murdering Fortunato to appease his ego and prove his

superiority.
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Reference

Franklin, W., Gura, P. F., Klinkowitz, J., Krupat, A., Levine, R. S., Loeffelholz, M., & Fleming,

M. (2008). The Norton Anthology American Literature, Shorter 7th Edition, Vol. 1.

Poe, E. A. (2008). The cask of Amontillado. The Creative Company.

Gruesser, J. (2018). Outside Looking In: Edgar Allan Poe and New York City. In Poe and Place

(pp. 145-166). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Francisco, J. C. (2021). To Live but Die Inside: A Lamentable State of Montressor in “The Cask

of Amontillado”. OKARA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, 15(2), 126-140.

Kresnanda, A. N. (2020). Through The Eyes Of Madness: A Psychoanalytical Study Of The

‘Unreliable Narrator’Of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”,“The Black Cat”,

And “The Cask Of Amontillado” (Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITAS AIRLANGGA).