Index The Cask of Amontillado: argumentative essayThe motive for the crime in The Cask of AmontilladoMontresor's reasoningIrony to prefigure eventsThe weight of guiltConclusionWorks CitedThe Cask of Amontillado : argumentative essay “The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1846, not long after the publication of his most famous poem “The Raven”. During this period, Poe explored the darker tones of Gothic fiction and presented his characters in a disturbing and frightening context to illustrate their nature. This technique was also seen in some of his other works, including “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841). The characters in these tales are often oppressed or facing desperate times and have helped establish him as "the father of American mysteries." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" proves to be a cautionary tale about the repression of guilt. The story is told through the point of view of Montresor, a man deeply insulted by his "friend" Fortunato. Montresor vows to take revenge for the insults hurled at him and his family, and he does so through murder. Over the course of the story, it becomes apparent that Montresor will not get away with the crime he intends to commit, and will instead be haunted by the details of the act. The motive of the crime and the ironic elements of the story support the idea that the conscience cannot be silenced, especially when trying to bury the guilt of one's sins. The Motive for the Crime in The Barrel of AmontilladoMontresor's ReasoningMontresor's reasoning for wanting revenge on Fortunato does not justify the crime he commits, which contributes to him feeling guilty for the act. Montresor says at the beginning of the story: “I had borne Fortunato's thousand insults as best I could, but when he dared to insult me ​​I swore revenge”. The reason Montresor seeks revenge is not because of the damage caused, but because Fortunato has insulted his family's name. It turns out that the Montresor family motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit", which translates to "No one insults me with impunity". Montresor feels like he can't let Fortunato get away with his insults because of the motto his family lives by. But, at the same time, this reasoning is not enough to justify the murder, not even that of Montresor. That's why he can't move on from the crime he commits. Although the insults are never described in detail, it can be inferred that they have something to do with social standards. There is a war between Montresor and Fortunato over their rank in society. The name Montresor has lost importance, while the name Fortunato has flourished. Montresor tells Fortunato: “You are rich, respected, admired, loved; you're happy, like I once was." Montresor is jealous of Fortunato because he has acquired all the things that Montresor lost. His revenge is structured not only on the reward of his family name, but also on his personal envy. Fortunato has everything Montresor wants, but he no longer has it. Although jealousy and the hope of avenging his family's insulted name drive Montresor to kill Fortunato, they ultimately do not hold up as meaningful justifications. Montresor has difficulty repressing the crime committed because the sense of guilt is too strong. The motive for his murder was not strong enough for him to see the crime as justified, which is why he lives buried in guilt for a crime that happened more than half a century ago. Irony to foreshadow events throughout thestory, the details derived from irony foreshadow that the crime will not go as Montresor wishes. In the catacombs Montresor describes his family coat of arms to Fortunato; “A huge human golden foot, in a blue field; the foot crushes a rampant serpent whose fangs are stuck in the heel.” The description depicts a foot crushing a snake, while the snake bites the foot. It's a double-edged sword that pokes fun at the situation at hand. As if one were the snake and the other the foot, both Fortunato and Montresor will be hurt by Montresor's actions. Fortunato will be killed and Montresor will live in guilt. Montresor seeks revenge for insults to the Montresor name, while the Montresor coat of arms warns of the outcome. With his motives clear, Montresor states that he must commit the crime without being discovered; “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.” This simple statement turns out to be extremely ironic because Montresor manages to punish Fortunato, but is unable to get away with it. The only guideline on how to handle his revenge is one that isn't followed. Although Montresor is not captured by the others, he is the only force standing in the way of his freedom from crime. Montresor failed in his task. Even though Fortunato is dead, Montresor has lived, and will live, under the heavy burden of guilt. Ironically, the murder was in vain, as it was not carried out with impunity. Montresor's coat of arms and plan to punish with impunity are ironic details that serve to foreshadow Montresor's fate and his endless burden of guilt. The Burden of Guilt Ultimately, Montresor successfully kills Fortunato, but due to the guilt he may not never forget, he never gets away with crime. While he is building the wall that buries Fortunato, Montresor has difficulty with the last stone: “There is but one stone left to fit and plaster. I struggled with his weight.” The last stone represents the deed finally accomplished. Montresor struggles with this because he then has to deal with the crime he committed. With the last stone in place, the crime is done and it is real. The weight of the last stone also symbolizes the weight that the commission of the crime will have on Montresor, and that the emotional struggle to repress the act will have on Montresor. Montresor has problems with the physical burial of Fortunato just as he has problems with the emotional burial of his own guilt. The crime unfolds like a mirror; the last stone and the burial represent the emotional weight of the crime and the burial of the guilt. Additionally, there are moments in the story that lead one to believe that Montresor is hesitant about the crime. When he chains Fortunato to the wall for the first time, he suddenly stops: “For a brief moment I hesitated, I trembled.” Montresor isn't sure what he's doing. It must stop before it can continue. The act of committing the crime is becoming real at this time, it is no longer just a plan. When it is all over, Montresor becomes ill: “My heart has become ill; it was the humidity of the catacombs that made it so”. Nitro is not the cause of Montresor's lovesickness. The cause is crime. Montresor doesn't want to believe that he might feel bad about what he did, so he proposes and apologizes. In reality, Montresor feels guilty. “He still remembers that his heart 'got sick – because of the humidity of the catacombs', but his pain probably arises from empathy with the man he is leaving to die in the midst of that humidity” (Baraban). Montresor will never be able to escape the feeling of pain he experiences in the catacombs because it accompanies him throughout his life. When the story is over, Montresor says, “In pace requiescat,” which means “May he rest in peace.” This short statement indicates that Montresor is sorry for what he has done and further confirms the fact that he will never be able to.