The Cask of Amontillado

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The Cask of Amontillado

• The Dreams of a Lunatic

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Edgar Allan Poe

• Born Edgar Poe January 19, 1809
• Died October 7, 1849
• Orphaned, later was taken in by John and Frances
  Allan
• His cause of death remains a mystery
• Married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia Clemm

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Summary of CoA

• Narrator is Montressor, the murderer of Fortunato
• Montressor tells the reader that Fortunato has
  inflicted a thousand injuries upon him, and
  that he had no choice but to punish him.
• He tricks his friend into traveling to his
  cellar, where Montressor claims to have a rare
  vintage of Amontillado, a variety of sherry.
• Montressor is making this confession 50 years
  later.

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Summary (cont.)

• Fortunato continues to insult Montressor as they
  travel down to the vault, where his doom awaits.
• After arriving, Fortunato is too drunk to stop
  Montressor from chaining him to the walls. He
  then entombs Fortunato before leaving him to die.

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Freud's Interpretation of Dreams

• Condensation Dreams are compressed into works
  that occupy far less space than the information
  stored within them.
• Displacement What happens in the dream, may or
  may not be directly related to the core idea of
  the dream.
• The abstract cannot be measured in a dream.
  Physical, tangible objects must therefore take
  their place.

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Why it Matters...

• There are certain aspects of the story that seem
  to indicate that perhaps the murder does not
  actually occur.
• Perhaps the murder, and the other events of the
  story, are representations of Montresor's
  desires/events in his life, such as a
  deteriorating friendship with Fortunato.

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CoA as a Dream

• Montresor kills Fortunato after meeting with him
  during the carnival season in Italy, when many
  people are present. This is a problem, since
  someone probably would have seen them together,
  which would most certainly arouse suspicion after
  Fortunato's disappearance.
• The reader is never given a clear answer as to
  what Fortunato's offense is. Perhaps
  condensation is taking place, where only part of
  the information is being given to the audience.
  After all, even though the murder is described in
  great detail, nothing before or after is
  mentioned. Only the fact that Montresor is
  confessing supposedly 50 years later.

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As a Dream

• Montresor is insane, but he has a logical,
  rational side. He doesn't murder Fortunato in a
  rage, but rather sets up an elaborate plan.
  Therefore, his revenge must have a motive. The
  exclusion of it leaves the room for the
  interpretation that it is a dream about the death
  of their freindship.
• Montresor doesn't seem fully convinced that he
  wants to murder. Their dialogue contains
  opportunities to go backwards "Come," I said,
  with decision, we will go back your health is
  precious. You are rich, respected, admired,
  beloved you are happy as once I was. You are a
  man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will
  go back you will be ill and I cannot be
  responsible. Besides, there is Luchesi. . ." He
  allows Fortunato a chance to avoid his fate.

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As a Dream

• "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure the
  foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are
  imbedded in the heel." - Montresor's coat of arms
  The slogan that accompanies it means none
  injure me without impunity.
• While Fortunato has wronged Montresor as a
  friend, the coat of arms may serve as a symbol of
  his own refusal to let the past lie. Bringing it
  up serves as his mind's subconscious reminding
  him that his desire is now to crush the man who
  wronged him.

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Montresor on Freud's Couch

• As an interpreter of dreams, Freud would have
  loved to hear this tale of revenge. The dream
  world is the perfect place to carry out this
  crime, as there would be no real punishment for
  an offense that never truly occurred. Dreams are
  the one place all of our desires, no matter how
  macabre or perverse, may come true.

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Friendship Dying

• The death of Foruntato symbolizes the importance
  of the once healthy relationship.
• Fortunato's worsening cough represents the cancer
  that grows and eventually causes the failing of
  their friendship.
• Choosing to entomb Fortunato in the darkest parts
  of the catacombs shows that Montresor has stored
  the memory of his friend in the deepest parts of
  his heart and mind. And his confession that no
  one has disturbed Fortunato's remains indicate
  that nothing has previously brought those events
  to his mind.

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Conclusion

• Montresor may or may not have in fact, killed
  anyone.
• The lack of details aside from the murder plot
  make the tale suspect.
• The events of The Cask of Amontillado can
  easily correlate to the decaying relationship of
  two very close friends.