The Perfect Murder

In Edgar Allen Poe’s story for “The Cask of Amontillado” Poe writes this story from a one-person point of view where Montresor wants revenge on Fortunato and to support his family motto: “ Nemo me impune lacessit” which means (No one can attack me without being punished). Poe wrote this story with verbal and dramatic irony to build suspense, foreshadow the ending, and a touch of humor. The title of Poe’s story cask means wine barrel and derived from the same root word as casket so this represents Fortunato’s casket. (Cummings) Poe’s short story uses many different dialogues to connect the story.

The story begins at a carnival where Fortunato and Montresor greet each other. In the beginning there would be suspense that a murder is being planned out. Fortunato has no clue that is death is so close but Montresor seeks revenge on him for the many insults that Fortunato has brought upon him. We are reading this story from one-person view so the insults that Montresor refers to is only from him not Fortunato.

Montresor is planning the perfect murder throughout this story. He tells Fortunato that he bought some Amontillado, which is dry, amber wine. Fortunao is already drunk and wants to go the Amontillado and is frustrated that he Montresor bought the wine with out his permission but who can pass up a good deal. All the while Montresor’s plan is working so far and he is preparing for Fortunato’s death.

Montresor may be taken his revenge on Fortunato to far. Instead of killing Fortunato he could inform him that he had made an insult upon him. In this story Poe does not let us know what kind of insult Fortunato made or if it was even a really bad insult. Poe leaves the readers guessing on that part and wants his readers to read deeper into the story to comprehend it or to use our imagination to figure out why Montresor wants to kill Fortunato so bad.

The Cask of Amontillado is being read through a murderer’s eyes. Poe wrote so we can imagine maybe what a killer’s thoughts would be. While reading the story Montresor is very friendly to Fortunato and invites him to taste the wine. Montresor was really tricking Fortunato into his own death. In the story Poe writes comments from Montresor to Fortunato about life. Fortunato had a bad cough and Montresor acts concerned and mentions that they should go back but Fortunato says that a cough will not kill him and Montresor’s reply is “ True, True” because he knows that the cough won’t kill him

On the way to the Amontillado Montresor gives Fortunato some wine to make him stay drunk so he can’t run or be very strong if he tries to fight Montresor during the murder. As they are walking along Fortunato makes a toast to the dead that are around them but Montresor makes a toast to Fortunato’s long life that will not be very long. In the end Montresor chains Fortunato to the granite and begins to wall up the area that he has Fortunato. Since Fortunato is so drunk he really doesn’t understand and finally around midnight he is almost finished while Fortunato is sobering up. Fortunato finally realizes what is going on and in the Montresor yells Fortunao’s name in the end and there is no reply. After fifty years has passed Fortunato remains behind the wall, resting in eternal peace. (Cummings)


Poe crafted his story to create the desired effect. (Womack) He wanted the story to be read from a murder’s point of view. This story was hard to understand in the beginning but after some research it was an interesting short story. Montresor got his revenge and no one ever found out what had happened. He played his part as being a friend and then killed his victim the way he wanted.


Cummings, Michael J. Edgar Allen Poe “The Cask of Amontillado” A Study Guide ©

2005 http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Caskof.html



Womack, Martha and Nilsson, Christopher. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of
Amontillado” 16 Oct. 2006 http://www.poedecoder.com/essays/cask/