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Montresor Psychoanalytic Lens Essay

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The psychoanalytic lens is a literary criticism approach that focuses on the psychological and emotional aspects of a character's behavior and their unconscious motivations. Through the use of the psychoanalytic lens, you're able to better understand the characters’ motives, through Freudian beliefs such as the id and the superego, which give insight into the characters' actions. It also helps readers understand the deep-seated desires and fears that shape Montresor's actions. The psychoanalytic lens reveals that Montresor's actions in "The Cask of Amontillado" stem from his repressed desire for revenge. This would explain why Montresor doesn’t really have any feelings of guilt since he believes subconsciously that getting revenge justifies his actions. Montresor's ancestors were wronged by Fortunato's ancestors, and Montresor believes that he must avenge their honor. However, he cannot openly seek revenge because of social conventions. Instead, he subconsciously uses the carnival season as a cover-up to execute his plan. Montressor uses revenge to subconsciously justify his actions, to cover up any future feelings of guilt. …show more content…

Montressor’s mind is filled with thoughts powered by his id and this little to no interference by his ego and superego. When Montressor is laying the bricks on page 6 he says “The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction.” This quote shows that Montressor doesn’t feel any grief or feel as if he is doing anything wrong at all for that matter, he is simply just filled with the satisfaction of casting revenge upon Fortunato. When analyzing The Cask of Amontillado using Freud’s theory readers are able to get a much deeper understanding of the complex characters of the

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Montressor is very prideful of his family linage and this is where we can understand his actions as he plans and carries out the killing of Fortunato. The retaliation on behalf of his family can be a reason to why Montressor carries out the act of killing his insulter. He leads him into the crypts of his family, only to be continually insulted and questions by his “friend”. Eventually leading him to his death, which we also know as “amontillado”, but unbeknownst to Fortunato, whom believes they are on a venture to seek a famous

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Montresor has wrath toward Fortunato for insulting and treating him less. Fortunato was tricked into thinking a different result would happen than his death. Montressor tried to make his own justice of the situation ‘’ At length, i will be avenged. ‘’ pg 83 Poe showing he's going to get back at Fortunato for what he did. “He did not perceive that my smile was at his demise’’

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Edgar Allen Poe, “The Cask of Amontillad In Edgar Allen Poe’s, The Cask of Amontillado, there are several ironies that occur. I am torn as to if Montressor actually achieved his actual goal which is retaliation against Fortunado. Once Montressor locks him away he states that his heart grew sick because of the dampness. It was for a second that his concious got to him about what he did to Fortunado.

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Is Montresor just a selfish evil genius fueled with revenge, or a good samaritan who wants to give the people the vengeance they deserve? It’s very clear to see why Montresor is the ultimate character of revenge; Montresor indicates that he is going to kill Fortunato, just for the sake of revenge, as seen in this quote, “… He [Fortunato] ventured upon insult, I [Montresor] vowed revenge” (Poe 61). The whole story is based upon the concept of revenge.

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In life, mostly everyone will want revenge on someone they know that did wrong to them. When Montressor wanted revenge, he went insane and planned to kill the person who did him wrong. In the real world, most people do not try to kill someone if they did them wrong. Montressor is insane because of the way he got revenge on Fortunato. Poe proves in this story that some people use different, harsher ways to get revenge on

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To explain, Montresor was insulted by Fortunato, the resolution to this conflict should have been as simple as confronting Fortunato with his hurt feelings. Instead, Montresor decides “[he] would be avenged” (Poe 543). Because of the dramatic way Montresor decides to resolve the conflict between himself and his friend, his character is shifted towards an unruly one. Montresor has no regards for those around him, he has no insight to anyone but himself. As a result of the way he chooses to resolve conflicts, he allows the conflicts to take control of his every action.

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In “The Cask of Amontillado,” the reader is drawn into the mind of the murderer, creating a feeling of unease and suspense as the events of the story unfold. In “Everyday Use,” the reader is drawn into Mama’s world, creating a feeling of empathy and understanding for the struggles faced by Black Americans during the civil rights movement. While Montresor is an unreliable narrator, Mama is a reliable one, which gives the reader the opportunity to trust her perspective on the events of the story. Both narrators present themselves differently to the reader and to the other characters in the story, but in both cases, the strategic choice of having these specific characters narrate the story brings out the main themes of the stories. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” the themes of revenge and betrayal are brought out through Montresor's narration, while in “Everyday Use,” the themes of heritage and identity are brought out through Mama’s

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This shows that none of the members really care about the victims even if they are in their own families. Although some may think Montresor’s motive and remorse might prove that he is more evil, they are wrong. Montresor’s motive is that Fortunato insulted him one time so that means he must get revenge. However, as he is begging to brick him up in a wall and finds that Fortunato is most likely dead, he then feels the tiniest bit of remorse. He then acted as if it was only the dampness as he states, “My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs” (Poe 64).

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Montresor is a grudge holder. In the beginning, Montresor, explains why he is angry with Fortunato, but didn’t come into detail of what he did to him. Evidently, Fortunato injured and insulted Montresor, who says that he has endured peacefully as Fortunato repeatedly offended him thousands of time. Fifty year ago, Fortunato use to deny what Montresor would say about, who he was or what he had done, as if it was untrue. Montresor would argue back and forth with him explaining that it was true.

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The act is not purely performed out of revenge, but subconsciously as a way to move past Montresor’s weaknesses. This does not play out for Montresor, because even fifty years after the incident, his account of the event in question is highly detailed. The murder has not left his mind, and it is not bound

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