Hannah Ransom Ransom 1

English 1B
Prof. Hollingsworth
February 13, 2007
The Psychology of a/ Mad Man

Edgar Allan Poe is infamous for his short stories that are often morbid and

twisted, and “The Cask of Amontillado” certainly fulfills and even surpasses this

expectation. In “The Cask of Amontillado” the protagonist Montressor is portrayed as a

monomaniacal fanatic who is consumed by his need for vengeance and his desire to be

revenged devoid of punishment. This monomania with revenge and how Montressor

goes about achieving it, illustrates a dominant theme in the story concerning the

sometimes -warped psychological forces that drive all people.

Montressor’s physical description gives the reader the first insight into his

character. For example, Montressor states that, “putting on a mask of black silk, and

drawing a roquelaire closely about my person, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo”

(540). In this case, the black mask acts as a symbol for his dark and morbid character and

mind. This can be seen in the fact that the mask is described as being black and silk.

Black is a well-known symbol for evil in western countries and hints the reader off to the

fact that Montressor may be up to malicious intent in the story. It is also significant that

the mask was silk, because silk connotates smoothness and slyness. Therefore, this initial

self-description of Montressor gives the reader some very good insights into his character

that proves to be more than true as the story progresses.

Another crucial element in fully understanding Montressor’s character is the

interplay between his character and his eventual victim Fortunato. In the story

Montressor is the protagonist while Fortunato is a smaller flat character that acts as a foil
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into both Montressor’s mind and thought pattern. The meaning behind both of their

names provides a key insight into this interplay. When translated into English

Montressor’s name denotes ‘my fortune’ while Fortunato’s name denotes ‘the fortunate

one’. The meaning of Montressor’s name acts as symbol for the fact that murdering

Fortunato will be his eventual fortune because once Fortunato is dead he will be

revenged. In turn it proves very ironic that Fortunato’s name means the fortunate one

because in the end of the story his kismet proves far from fortunate. Another significance

of their interplay can simply be seen in how cordially they interact considering there is

such a grievance and injury between them. For example, although it is clear that

Montressor has “vowed revenge” (539) against Fortunato none of his vehemence is ever

shown to Fortunato until the correct time and place. Montressor’s calmness in such a

circumstance clearly illustrates the fact that his mind is solely on revenge and it is the

need for revenge itself that is keeping him calm and controlling his very mind.

The opportunities that Montressor gives Fortunato to escape his grasp also gives

understanding into his twisted character and mind. For example, Montressor told

Fortunato that, “ we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected,

admired, beloved; you are happy as once I was” (540). This piece of dialogue gives just a

minimal amount of awareness into the motive behind Montressor’s well thought out

revenge. This can be seen in the end of the quote when he states, “you are happy as once

I was” (540). This is about the only information the reader can ascertain about why

Montressor is so monomaniacal about achieving his revenge. Therefore, this quote

demonstrates psychologically where Montressor’s thought pattern is and how already

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twisted and warped his mind has become by his desire to get revenge. It is also

significant that Montressor gives Fortunato so many chances to escape from his death.

This also shows how twisted his mind is because he knew Fortunato would never stop

until he tasted some of the alleged Amontillado. Therefore, Montressor gave Fortunato

opportunities to escape that he knew would not be taken simply so that his revenge could

be more exactly executed later on. This is due to the fact that not only would Fortunato

die, but he would die with the regret that he was given several opportunities to escape his

own death. Only a man who was surely psychologically deranged and driven by dark

internal forces would plan out so neatly and morbidly the death of a man that he once

knew as a friend.

The structure of the plot also gives understanding into Montressor’s mind and the

forces that drive his actions. The plot starts out in medias res with Montressor stating,

“the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best as I could; but when he ventured

upon insult, I vowed revenge” (539). The author’s use of in medias res that sets the

reader in the middle of the story is key because the reader never fully knows why

Montressor needs to be revenged. This major omission in the plot not only keeps the

reader actively reading to the end hoping that it will be told, but also provides an

awareness about Montressor’s character. The omission about what injury Fortunato bore

unto him makes Montressor appear very deluded to the reader and only aggrandizes the

reader’s perception of him as a monomaniacal fanatic. This is due to the fact that without

knowing what wrong Fortunato has done the reader cannot hate him as Montressor does.

This is because the reader does not know if Fortunato truly deserves the punishment that
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Montressor puts him through. Therefore, the reader has no choice but to take sides with

Fortunato and pity him while in turn perceiving Montressor as a mad fanatic of the worse

degree.

The setting of the story also serves as a mold for Montressor’s character and

insanity. For example, Montressor states that, “It was dusk one evening during the

supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend.” The carnival

season in Italy is one that is characterized by outrageous parties and much celebration. It

therefore proves somewhat ironic that Montressor chose such a joyous occasion to exact

his revenge. In the quote, the focus on the word “madness” very well reflects

Montressor’s own madness that is caused by his need for revenge. Although this is the

setting of the opening scene, Montressor chooses to take his revenge upon Fortunato in

the darkness of his Palazzo’s catacombs. This juxtaposition between the carnival going

on outside and the murder going on inside a dark catacomb offers understanding into

Montressor’s thought pattern. Montressor probably chose to take his revenge upon

Fortunato during the carnival season because that is probably the time when he was the

happiest and in that sense has the most to loose by the loss of his life. Therefore, the

juxtaposition of the two scenes each with their own very distinctive tones delves the

reader more fully into Montressor’s need for revenge and the dark scene that is occurring

among so much jubilee.

In the story, Fortunato acts as an archetype of a fool. This can be seen when

Montressor describes him as wearing “a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was

surmounted by the comical cap and bells” (540). Fortunato’s attire as a fool is a clear
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symbol of his foolish behavior throughout the story. After all, he did have several

opportunities to escape; none of which he took. Fortunato being depicted as a fool also

lends him to be a flat character because no depth is really given into his characterization

except for constant reference to jingling bells. Therefore, his portrayal as a fool leads him

to be easily manipulated by Montressor and his mad mind. It also lends him to be an

easy foil for Montressor’s character.

Another clear symbol in the story is Montressor’s family arms. His arms are “a

huge foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are

imbedded in the heal” and the motto is “no one wounds me with impunity” (541).

Montressor’s family arms are a symbol of the current interplay between himself and

Fortunato. In this case, Fortunato would be the serpent whose fangs are imbedded in

Montressor’s heal. However, Montressor is winning the battle because he is crushing the

life out of Fortunato. The family motto is also crucial to Montressor’s character because

it truly is the mantra upon which all of his revenge is based. This motto is the only clue

the reader gets as to why Montressor cannot forgive Fortunato. It appears as if revenging

wrongs is a key value to his family and indeed becomes a madness that overtakes

Montressor’s thought and actions.

Finally, the foreshadowing used in the story is just another technique the author

uses to convey Montressor’s psychological state to the reader. For example, after

Montressor has tried yet another time to get Fortunato to go back up to the carnival

Fortunato says, “enough,” “the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die

of a cough” (540). This is evident foreshadowing because in the end of the story
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Fortunato does not die of a cold, he dies at the hands of the twisted Montressor. Also, in

the story Fortunato drank some wine and toasted to “the buried that repose around us” in

turn Montressor states “and I to your long life”(541). This statement is clearly ironic

because of the fact that Montressor drank to a long life of the man he knows he is going

to kill. It also once again foreshadows Fortunato’s impending doom. Montressor’s toast

also gives the reader some awareness about how twisted his mind is because only a truly

warped mind and man would toast a long life to a man who he will soon murder. In

general, the foreshadowing not only adds suspense to the story but also aids in the

characterization of Montressor as a truly psychologically deranged man.

Once can say that we are our motivations. If this be true than surely Montressor

is easily characterized by his need for revenge and his desire to do so without

punishment. However Montressor’s monomania with revenge overtakes him and causes

him to become truly fanatical and crazed. Through Montressor’s character the reader can

easily see that the psychological forces that guide our actions are as equally as important

as our actions themselves.