Cask Of Amontillado And Pride Essay, Research Paper

Sometimes a person?s pride can overshadow their good judgment, in turn

effecting their actions. The result of this over zealous pride can mean death

for the person. In Edgar Allen Poe?s ?The Cask of Amontillado?, Fortunato is

a prime example. Through his own desire to show his skill as a wine connoisseur,

he causes his own demise. Fortunato?s pride becomes evident when he and

Montresor first meet. When Fortunato learns of Montresor?s cask of Amontillado,

he says ?Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry,? (pg 116) of the other

connoisseur. He will not allow this other connoisseur to show him up. Fortunato

had no reason to demean Luchesi except to keep his own pride intact. He

continues throughout the story to demean the skills of Luchesi for the sole

purpose of making himself look more skilled. Fortunato?s good judgment is also

clouded by the amount of alcohol he accepts from Montresor. ?A draught of this

Medoc will defend us from the damps.? ( pg 117) Montresor says to Fortunato who

decides to stay in the damp and starts to drink because his pride will not let

him leave. Montresor offers him one final chance to turn back. Once again

Fortunato?s good judgment is overshadowed by his pride. He insists that he is

fine, and furthermore, asks for more alcohol. ?I broke and reached him a flagon

of De Grave. He emptied it at a breath.? (pg 118) Although Montresor was

planning to trap Fortunato once they were deep in the catacombs, he does not

force him to go. In fact, several times during the story Montresor offers a way

out for Fortunato but Fortunato?s pride wouldn?t allow him to give up. Several

times it was Fortunato that urges Montresor to take him to the Amontillado pipe.

When Montresor says ?My friend, no. I will not impose upon your good nature. I

perceive you have an engagement,? (pg 117) Fortunato is quick to respond that

he has no engagement. He his desperate to reach the casks and see if it really

is Amontillado. Again, Montresor offers a way out. He says… ?Your health is

precious..?, and ?We will go back; you will be ill…? (pg 118) Fortunato

shrugs that off by saying, ?Enough! The cough is a mere nothing: it will not

kill me. I shall not die of cough.? (pg 118) Even at the risk of his own well

being, Fortunato still insists that he wants to see the Amontillado. Fortunato

is given his last flight chance when Montresor suggests that the nitre has grown

too thick for them to proceed. Still Fortunato turns down any plan to return to

Montresor?s palazzo. He insists that they travel onward, in search the cask of

Amontillado. There are times when a person?s pride can overshadow their good

judgment, in turn effecting their actions. The result of this over zealous pride

can mean death for the person. In Edgar Allen Poe?s ?The Cask of Amontillado,?

Fortunato is a prime example. His great desire to taste the Amontillado and

pride from being better than Luchesi cause him to make some choices that he

wouldn?t normally make. He falls right into the trap set by Montresor. So it

ends that Montresor kills Fortunato by wielding against him his own pride.