People have always been trying to explore human
mentality, to figure out how the brain works. They have been particularly
interested in psyche of madmen. Many writers also shared that interest and one
of them was Edgar Allan Poe, who, in his “The Cask of Amontillado”, presents a character,
whose insanity leads to a murder. His name is Montresor. Vowing revenge,
because of some insult, which one of his acquaintances,
Fortunato, ventured upon, he tells him, that he has bought a cask of what
passes to be Amontillado, but, being not sure, whether it is really it, he
wants his advice. He leads drunken Fortunato, who doesn’t suspect anything, to
his vaults where he fetters him to the wall and then bricks him up in that
niche. After fifty years, unpunished and
probably not even suspected to be able to do such a thing, he tells this story. His insanity is caused by his inability to
control emotions, which results in excessive sensitivity and cruelty. However, his logical brain, unlike the
emotional one, still works properly, which makes him impossible to be recognized
as mad.
Montresors
madness is a result of his problems with emotions. He easily gets angry and is
very sensitive upon other’s people opinion about him. He is vain and proud,
because of which unable to stand an insult, which, to his mind, damages his reputation. Because
of his vanity and pride, he treats this as a serious hurt, although Fortunato
doesn’t even suspect, that Montresor can want revenge for something he has
done. On the other hand, for Montresor, this murder is something quite natural.
Saying: “It is […] unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such
to him, who has done wrong”, he admits that, in his opinion, his revenge is
equally painful for Fortunato as the insult is for him.
He
also takes pleasure in others suffering. His murder is very cruel. Fortunato is
fettered to the wall, without food and water, and with an illness, which makes
him sensitive for the dampness of the vaults. During the whole story Montresor
is also very ironical, saying, for example: “And I [drink] to your long life”
and “We will go back; you will be ill and I cannot be responsible”. He also
enjoys giving the clues about his plan to Fortunato, who doesn’t understand
them.
Despite
his madness and hate and anger
overwhelming him, Montresor’s logical
brain still works properly. His isn’t impulsive and his murder is carefully
planned. He says: “At length I would be avenged. I must not only punish, but
punish with impunity”. The whole murder is arranged in details. He tells his
servants to take a day off, so that no one can see him going to the vaults with
Fortunato. Knowing about Fortunato’s connoisseurship in wine, Montresor
skillfully makes Fortunato eager to go with him, claiming that he has rare and
precious Amontillado. Saying “I was silly enough to pay […] without consulting
you in the matter” and then “As you are engaged, I’m on my way to Luchresi. If
any one has a critical turn it is he”, Montresor takes advantage from Fortunato’s
pride. Acting naturally he gives no
reason for anybody, including Fortunato, to suspect him to be mad or to have
bad will (“…neither by word or deed I had given Fortunato cause to doubt my
good will.”). During the fifty years of keeping his secret to himself, no one considers
him to be mad and the truth is revealed by him only before his death (“You, who
so well the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance
to the threat”). Most of the time, he
behaves as a normal person.
Edgar
Allan Poe in the “Cask of Amontillado” presents a madman, whose insane vanity
and pride leads to a murder. Montresor
is emotionally unstable, very sensitive about his reputation, and cruel,
although his visible behavior seems to be natural and normal at the same time. He
is also very intelligent – the cleverly and carefully planned murder hasn’t
been discovered till his death. In spite of it, his revenge isn’t done with
impunity. His punishment is his secret, from which he is released only on his
deathbed.