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Montresor's Mind Essay

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What is it like in Montresor’s mind? In “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor has a deep hatred for Fortunato, and he wants revenge. Montresor leads Fortunato into his catacombs, getting Fortunato drunk along the way. They soon arrive at a human-sized hole in the wall, and Montresor then chains Fortunato up, where he is never to be seen again. Montresor’s mind is twisted yet brilliant. Montresor accomplishes murder because he is sadistic, intelligent, and yet very selfish. While walking Fortunato through the catacombs, Montresor constantly shows concern for Fortunato’s cough. As a result, Montresor says, “Come, we will go back; your health is precious” (Poe 64). This is certainly sadistic as it shows that Montresor’s intentions are not kind. If the reader pays attention to this tiny detail, they will see Montresor’s true intentions. He does not want the cough to kill Fortunato because he wants to kill Fortunato. Fortunato's health is not Montresor's true concern. His only concern is taking out his revenge and not letting the cough get to him before Montresor can. Montresor’s sadistic urges are terrifying, but not as scary as his other traits. …show more content…

Before Montresor takes up an act of revenge he says, “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity”(Poe 61). This shows that Montresor has a plan not to get caught. As seen later in the text, it is very well thought out, and there seems to be very minimal risks. He also uses Fortunato's intoxication to make sure that Fortunato will not find out what is happening. Montresor also uses reverse psychology to ensure he doesn’t seem suspicious at all. These many tactics provide evidence that even though he is irrational in a way, he is also very intelligent. while being intelligent, he is selfish as

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