Pride In The Cask Of Amontillado

As people navigate a world that seems increasingly focused on self-promotion and self-importance, it is worth taking a closer look at the role that pride plays in our lives. While it is good to have some pride in oneself, often having too much pride can have very bad side effects. Famous poet and short story author Edgar Allen Poe tackles this concept in his short story "The Cask of Amontillado." In the story, Montresor, a man with a grudge, plans to get revenge on a former friend of his, Fortunato. Montresor claims that he has a cask of amontillado, a rare wine that does not exist anymore, and he was looking for a man named Luchesi (who Fortunato knows thinks to be an inferior wine connoisseur). Fortunato is upset by this and insists that he go back to Montresor’s mansion to see the wine. Montresor lets him do so and lures him deep into the catacombs, continuing to claim that the amontillado is further down.

When Montresor first encounters Fortunato, Fortunato is wearing a jester's costume and appears to be drunk. Montresor notes that "the man wore motley" and "was too astounded to resist" when Fortunato proposes that they leave to the catacombs (Poe 14). Later, when Montresor starts to bury Fortunato alive, he teases him by stating, "Your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was," (Poe 18). In both of these instances Fortunato's pride is exacerbated, as he is too foolish to comprehend the danger he is in and too proud to back down even when opposing a definite threat. Fortunato's pride is what led him to his tragic end: He is so persuaded of his dominance that he does not see the danger around him, and this blindness leads him to his death. Through Fortunato's character, Poe shows what can happen when people have too much pride and cautions readers against growing to be convinced of their own