Hannah Mason
Olsen
WR100 Insanity in Literature
11 February 2015
“The Presence of a Motive in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’” In many countries, the highest offense one can commit is insulting the family of another, as family is a strong source of history and pride. Conflicts between families have fueled many a feud or violent campaign, and insult is never left to injury; action must be taken. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” the narrator, Montresor, does not appear explicitly insane, as many would argue, but rather to be acting on a motive against his victim, Fortunato. This premeditated intent to take revenge can be seen in Fortunato’s consistent disrespect for Montresor’s family, Montresor’s lack of guilt, which is exhibited during the act and also in the final phrase of the story, and finally through Poe’s method of singular effect. Montresor’s extreme distaste for Fortunato is immediately evident. He opens his murderous, half a century year old tale by stating, “The thousands of injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge,” (Poe 152). Not only does this statement establish a motive for the murder he had commit, it also contributes to the idea that Montresor understood his crime, eliminating the possibility of insanity. Both Montresor and Fortunato are men of nobility, but while the