Throughout the story Montresor offers several descriptions of Fortunato that offer some insight into his reasons for wanting him dead. At the beginning of the story Montresor describes Fortunato as "a man to be respected and feared" although he has one major weak point. Montresor also describes Fortunato's knowledge and connoisseurship of paintings, gems, and wine. Although Fortunato's knowledge of wine is his strength, his love of wine (along with his susceptibility to flattery) is also his weakness. Montresor meets Fortunato late at night when he is already very drunk and convinces him to come down to his family's vaults to try a cask of rare Amontillado wine. Montresor convinces him through a mix of his love of wine, his pride, and his susceptibility to flattery to follow him, suggesting that without the help of Fortunato (or one of his rivals Luchesi) he will be unable to determine if the Amontillado is real. Once they go down into the vaults Montresor keeps Fortunato distracted with a mixture of wine and continued flattery. He flatters Fortunato saying that,
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.
This description of Fortunato serves to keep him distracted from Montresor's true plan, but also suggests some of Montresor's reasons for wanting him dead. Fortunato is successful, popular, and happy in a way that Montresor is not and he cannot bare this.
No comments:
Post a Comment