Literary Analysis Essay on Why is Montresor an Effective Villain?

Introduction

The tale "The Cask of Amontillado" expresses a revenge plot on Fortunato by Montresor, who is the narrator of the short story. He starts by indicating that Fortunato has insulted him, and thus uses his love for wine to trick him into a death trap. This shows an event of a mysterious murder, where Montresor tries to avoid any legal processor accruing murder cases (Baraban 53). Thus, the truth comes out fifty years after the incident, where Montresor decides to narrate it as a story, which presents him as a villain in the whole plot. His focus on getting revenge, ability to react in an amicable way before Fortunato's face, and his attention to detail make Montresor an effective villain in the "The Cask of Amontillado."

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The character displays a purpose for revenge against Fortunato. Montresor begins the tale by explaining his motive for revenge against Fortunato, who he says had insulted him. He seemed to be confident and focused on his act of causing harm to Fortunato as a way of getting back to him for abusing him. For instance, Montresor states that he gave him no reason to doubt him, portrayed a continuous smile on his face, thus masking the forthcoming events of planned harm and his thought of revenge (Poe 1190). This indicates how he had purposed to instill revenge on Fortunato, who had no idea of such a plan since Montresor used to smile on his face, which acted as a mask for the impending revenge (Baraban 57). Therefore, the purpose of pursuing revenge makes Montresor an effective villain throughout the plot.

Montresor shows the ability to react amicably before Fortunato, despite the planned revenge against him and his move to commit murder classifies him as a villain. He exhibited no evil deeds or feelings on Fortunato, and usually put a smiley face when in the presence of Fortunato. Additionally, he ensured that they did not have any prior instances when he caused misery in Fortunato's life (Poe 1200). These actions masked the evil intentions held by Montresor against Fortunato. In the end, he proceeds to kill Fortunato by bringing him to the wine cellars, and ties him to the wall in the cellars, leaving him to die without any help. Montresor also builds a wall across the niche to ensure that Fortunato's crimes don't attract any attention (Baraban 59). Thus, this makes him a villain in the long run.

Montresor exhibits his attention to detail as he plots for successful revenge against Fortunato. From the initial stages and scenes of the story, Montresor indicates his motives to punish Fortunato for insulting him. However, he can mask that by maintaining a smile in the presence of Fortunato and using his weaknesses to trick him into his trap. For instance, Montresor uses Fortunato's weakness in his love for alcohol to trick him and make sure he agrees to the trap. He also capitalizes on Fortunato's jealous nature by suggesting that he will consult Luchesi to taste the wine if he is not available (Poe 1202). Moreover, he can ensure that the estate is empty before undertaking the planned plot against Fortunato's life, where he lied to his servants to get them out to Carnival (Poe 1204). Thus, all these instances indicated the creation of a conducive environment for the planned revenge, indicating attention to the fine details, which resulted in the success of the plan. Thus, this makes him a compelling villain.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Montresors focus on getting revenge, his ability to react in an amicable way before Fortunato's face, and his attention to detail make Montresor a compelling villain in the "The Cask of Amontillado." For instance, begins the tale by explaining his motive for revenge against Fortunato, who he says had insulted him. He also exhibited no evil deeds or feelings on Fortunato, and usually put a smiley face when in the presence of Fortunato, and the further go-ahead to murder him making him a villain in the Cask of Amontillado.

Works Cited

Baraban, Elena V. "The Motive for Murder in" The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe." Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature (2004): 47-62.

Poe, Edgar Allan. The cask of Amontillado. The Creative Company, 2008.