Poe's Short Stories

Characterize​ Montressor. Infer whether he is insane and explain your reasoning.

The Cask of Amontillado

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All of Poe's narrators are unreliable and Montresor is no exception. It is really difficult to figure out exactly what his motive for revenge against Fortunato is. This combined with his obsessively passive -aggressive taunts and wild musings qualifies him for the crazy category. Montresor's coldness sets him apart from many murderous characters and many Poe protagonists. Even as he tells the story fifty years later, he reveals no regret for his actions, and no real pleasure in them. This lack of feeling made Poe's early readers uncomfortable and led some to accuse Poe of immorality in creating such a character.