Various Themes in 'the Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allen Poe

In Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," there are many themes. Revenge is the driving force for the entire story although there are underlying themes as well. The main character is Montresor who is also the narrator. He begins by telling of a great insult by his acquaintance named Fortunato. The plot of revenge is well thought out however, the narrator never reveals the actual offense to deserve death. He exacts his revenge by using this deception to lead Fortunato to his unsuspecting death. Montresor uses his feeling that Fortunato has hurt him with a thousand injuries to fuel his revenge. The theme of pride is portrayed mostly through Montresor’s hurt ego. In addition to his pride, Montresor uses Fortunato’s vanity against him to exact his revenge. Also, Montresor uses deception to disguise his secret intentions and to deceive Fortunato into falling into his trap. His need to right a wrong overrides his common sense. He may even be a touch insane added to his prideful nature. However, do his actions actually give him the relief he seeks?

The first example of revenge is in the very first line showing the true nature of Montresor’s vindictive nature. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne” refers to Montresor’s burden. (248) But Fortunato’s insults are what pushes him to seek revenge. Poe leaves much to the reader’s imagination of what those injuries and insults were. The implications of Montresor’s state of mind might even lead the reader to believe that it was a figment of his insane mind instead of a legitimate argument for revenge. Since we never know the actual sins, it’s difficult to justify which makes it difficult to tell if the punishment fits the crime. However, it is hard to imagine an insult that requires murder as the sentence. Even more heinous is that in Montresor’s mental state, an insult warranted a torturous death barricaded by a wall of bricks.

Deception is a big part of how Poe moves the story. Montresor uses his...