"The Process of Revenge and Redemption" by Art Vandelay

Many people read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" and think that the story is all about revenge and getting back at his enemy for wronging him. This common idea of the story is not wrong but it is also not entirely correct. In the story Montresor goes through the thoughts and actions of revenge and how because Fortunato wronged him he must take action against him and he has to keep his dignity intact and get his revenge.

Though many people may see Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" is about revenge with closer examination it shows not only revenge but remorse and redemption for his wrong doings throughout the story and in the final events of the story, because people will ignore the statements of Montresor telling Fortunato to turn back and that Montresor states that he cannot hold this secret anymore.

 Throughout the beginning paragraphs of the story, he starts talking about getting his revenge on Fortunato because he has wronged him and his family and that because of his family's motto. "Nemo me impune lacessit," No one attacks me with impunity. This is what fuels him to have to take revenge on the wrongdoer. It never says what Fortunato did to his family but it must have been a large wrongdoing for Montresor to seek the most drastic form of revenge, murder. 

            The Montresor motto can also be related to the motto of the revolutionary war era motto "Don't tread on me." This idea is brought up in "The Cask of Amontillado": A case for the defense," the author relates the two mottos together because of the act from each group that used the motto. Both had been insulted and because of this insult they fought back against their oppressors and they use the motto as their motivation to do so. They aren't going to take the oppression and insults that others give them and they are going to fight back against the people that oppress them and cause them and their families trouble and hardships.

            The journal “’The Cask of Amontillado’: A case for the defense”, also brings up the idea that we don't know where the location of the story took place in France or in Italy. The name Montresor is French but it sounds like they are in Italy throughout the story. But with the idea that we don't know where they are, helps the idea of family because Montresor shows that he doesn't care for the country that he is in but he cares more about the fact that he is first and foremost a Montresor. And because of this idea of him being a Montresor first really enforces the idea that he cares about family and that this is what motivates him to kill Fortunato and that family is a driving force in his act of revenge.

 In the journal article "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado" written by Bill Delaney he makes the statement that not only does Montresor want revenge but he wants retribution for what Fortunato has done to him and his family. He also brings up the idea that Montresor wants closure on what Fortunato has done to him and his family. The idea of him wanting closure is what pushes him to get revenge on him because without the closure of him being dead he is still not set right on what he did. Even him scaring Fortunato by starting to close the wall and keeping on going wasn't enough for him he had to seek the end of his journey and his task that he had set to do.

 The idea that Montresor is seeking closure and retribution in his act of revenge fits well in the theme because he needs to give equally to Fortunato to make him feel as if he has made an impact on what he started to do. The act that Fortunato that has done must have been very severe because Montresor does not stop at just torturing him or just letting him die slowly by starvation. He throws the torch into the room as he fits in the last stone to make him die a horrible death of suffocation and almost torturing him to death with the torch taking in all the oxygen in the room until there is none left.

            This act of torturing his rival to death is finally what brings him to closure to the wrongdoing of Fortunato. The idea that he had to kill him is what drove him to the ultimate conclusion of a person and creates a lasting impact on him for the rest of his life knowing what he did and keeping that secret from everyone his whole life until he dies. This knowledge must have driven him mad and crazy because he would have to tell someone and feel compassion after he has committed the act once he reaches a normal state of mind one that doesn't think about killing for revenge on your family.

            What is the idea of redemption that Montresor is looking for, what does he see as redemption for the terrible act that he has performed? In the first paragraph, he is talking to someone as if he is telling a story. Maybe his idea of redemption is letting the world know what he has done, and now that he is telling the story he can get rid of the guilt that he is feeling because of his actions. He must have felt guilt throughout the actions of his revenge and it must weigh on him like none other. We don't know what is causing him to finally tell his story it could be that he is on his deathbed and he wants repentance or it could be that someone finally found the remains and that he must finally come forward and proclaim what he has done. Whatever the reason he is owning up to his guilt and remorse and telling the world what he has done.

            The idea of him feeling remorse is what brings us to the next topic of him feeling remorse and giving in to repentance and redemption for his wrongs and his actions of killing Fortunato many people say that he is all about revenge and his family and that he feels little remorse that he killed a man in his cellars but he feels wrong about it. At the beginning of the story, he is talking to someone as if he is telling them what he has done because he cannot hold this dark secret with him any longer because of the remorse he feels and that he wants the redemption that comes from confessing his wrong that he committed to Fortunato.

            As shown in the journal article "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado" written by Bill Delaney, throughout the story we see the moral struggle that he is going through because he makes the statements such as this throughout, "Come," I said, with decision, "we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me, it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible."

            These statements show that he is reluctant to do the act that he has decided in his mind that he must do to get his closure and revenge on Fortunato. He makes the statements to turn back on multiple occasions because he is fighting himself to leave and hope that Fortunato's ego will not be that large and he will turn around and save himself from the doom that is coming towards him and the end of his journey.

            It is Fortunato's ego that kills him because Montresor gives him the opportunity to turn back and save himself from his appending doom. Montresor has the opportunity to say save yourself and let's go back and keep you from dying. This shows that Montresor is fighting with himself because he goes through the idea that he will kill Fortunato and that they should go back and save him so that he doesn't have to meet his ultimate end.

 Another example that shows that Montresor is showing compassion on Fortunato is when he is finishing up the wall he calls out to Fortunato and says "But to these words, I hearkened in vain for a reply. I grew impatient[IA1] ." This quote shows that he is looking for him to still be alive and that he feels remorse for what he has done and that it causes him to want for Fortunato to survive. It is only the guilt that causes him to throw the fire into the room and finish him off because he cannot take the idea that this person is in pain and like an animal that is injured and slowly dying he finished it off and made the death as quick as he could possibly make it.

            The journal "The Cask of Amontillado" by Bill Delany, says "Love can turn to hate and often does; but hate-and certainly in Poe's perverse world-can turn to affection[IA2] ." This quote is another example of the feelings of remorse that Montresor feels so many years later when thinking back and telling the story of Fortunato. That after all the years of hate and anger that he has held against him turns slowly to love and affection. The quote provides the perfect snapshot into the mind of Montresor, this also relates to people and it makes the story more relatable because the after many years of hate towards an enemy it turns to affection. Poe writes it in this way because it makes the story relatable to people so they can feel what Montresor is feeling and why he would cause an act of anger and why he tells the story in the end because of the love he now feels toward Fortunato.

 Like in the idea of his revenge Montresor is seeking closure on what he has done, he was seeking closure on the injuries of Fortunato in the act of revenge. But now he is seeking closure in the end with redemption from his actions. He needs someone to know what he has done to feel the closure that he is safe and finally come to terms with the murder he has committed. His release of his feelings and him telling and confessing lets him reach this closure just like killing his enemy granted him closure against the act of insult that Fortunato caused him and his family.

            In conclusion the theme in "The Cask of Amontillado" upon closer evaluation is both about revenge, retribution, and redemption from the one act of killing Fortunato and the idea of family is the motivating factor in the revenge and love is what brings Montresor closer to the realization of what he has done to Fortunato and that he must come to closure on what he has done and must face the fact and consequences of his actions. In the end Montresor finally receives what he wanted from the beginning, closure. Through his actions of revenge and redemption, his back and forth dialogue trying to persuade himself on what to do, and his reasons for what he thinks he needs to do and how to deal with Fortunato, he is left open-ended until he reveals his story.

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