The Cask Of Amontillado Ignorance Theme

In this story there are many interesting things that happen, like trickery and murder. The main characters, Fortunato and Montresor, aren’t the best of friends, so Montresor tries to kill Fortunato using clever, sneaky tricks. Fortunato insulted Montresor and his family so Montresor seeks revenge on him. Fortunato kind of deserves to be punished for what he did however. Through his ignorant nature, Fortunato creates the story's theme, karma.

In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, Fortunato has the traits of ignorant, jealous, and fancy. Fortunato is ignorant in the story because he doesn’t know about Montresor’s evil plan to murder him. “I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now

This shows that Fortunato is ignorant because it says that he doesn’t know the smile is caused because of the thought of his death, so that means he is not knowing of his death. During this story, Fortunato is also known to be jealous. You can tell he is jealous because when Montresor mentions that Luchasi can taste the Amontillado instead Fortunato starts to say bad things about Luchasi and insists that he tastes it instead. “I am on my way to Luchasi. If anyone has a critical turn, it is he. … Luchasi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry” (Poe 374). This shows that Fortunato is jealous because he tell Montresor that Luchasi cannot tell apart the wines but he, himself, can. He also starts to get angry and demanding when talking to Montresor. Lastly, Fortunato is also shown to be fancy. He is shown to be fancy because he likes expensive wine, he walks with his arm linked to Montresor’s arm, and he owns a very large house. “He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine” (Poe 372). Most people do not know a lot about wine, but Fortunato says he is an expert. Wine is very expensive and if you’re an” expert” that means you have tried a lot of different types. I also made an inference

Poe does not show that the theme is Karma directly, so you have to infer using what he gives you in the beginning. On the first page Montresor says “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 372). Since Montresor said what he said, it is assumed that Fortunato insulted him and now Montresor wants Fortunato to pay for what he said. A little later in the story Montresor is saying that he is going to punish Fortunato for what he did. “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (Poe 372). Montresor is saying how he is not only going to punish Fortunato but instead he is going to punish him with impunity, freedom from harm. Finally, in this last quote Montresor did nothing to deserve Fortunato’s wrongdoings so Montresor is going to get revenge on Fortunato. “A wrong is unredressed when retribution is overtakes its redresser” (Poe 372). Montresor is getting revenge, or retribution, on Fortunato because Fortunato’s wrongdoings weren't necessary since Montresor did nothing to deserve them. Therefore the theme of “The Cask of Amontillado” is karma because Fortunato insulted Montresor and in the end Montresor gets revenge and murders Fortunato since Montresor did nothing to deserve the