Monday, August 27, 2007
Poe's "Food For Thinking?"
Verbal irony occurs when a character says one thing but means another, as when Montressor greets his friend (whose name means "fortunate") with the words "My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met." How does Poe's use of verbal irony in The Cask of Amontillado impact your evaluation of Montresor? His state of mind, and his actions? Is he evil? Is he insane? Support your opinion with evidence from the text.
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16 comments:
I think he is both insane, AND evil!!! Poe wrote: "It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good-will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not percieve that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation." He knows Fortunato doesn't know he's planning to kill him. And he just makes it worse and more tragic when he pretends to be nice to him! How mean is that?!!!
- Cherry M.
I think that Montorosor is an evil person who has issues or maybe he has mental issues. I mean killing someone over an insult I guess he never heard of working things out. I agree with cherry M because he leads him on with kindness and thin buries him alive and Fortunato was looking forward to the wine too.
I think that he is also both evil and insane! To bury someone alive like that clearly states that he has some issues. Leading Fortunato on like that in a kind meaningful way would probally fool alot of people and in this case his actions were successful. His goal was to make Fortunato suffer and in the end that is what he did.
I think that Montresor could have told Fortunato that he was having a problem, instead he let his anger turnned to rage against his former friend. Montresor's state of mind was not pure. After he lied to his friend his actions were no longer right either. I think Montresor was having a battle with his thoughts when he told Fortunato "'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 Luchresi -'
'Enough,' he said; 'the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.'
But in the end his urge to get revenge was too strong and he killed his friend. I would say Montressor was evil and a bit insane.
I definatally think Montorosor is insane! How could u be so nice to someone and then a few hours later chain them down to die. At one part in the story Montorosor acts very worried about Fortuantos cough by saying "Come, we wil go back your health is percious." Then Fortuanto responds by saing "Enough, my caugh is mere nothing;it will not kill me. I shall not die from a cough." I just dont understand how for one minute u can care a lot about a person and the next u kill them. You would have to be insane/crazy to ever do that to someone.
Sarah B.
I think Montresor is kind of a bad friend but then again so is Fortunato is also a bad friend. When he is creating an illusion to be friends with Fortunato, the level of deception comes so easily to him he's capable of just about anything. I believe he is insane but not evil. I think that his solution to the insult of killing his friend is just a little overkill. Being angry and wanting to lash out is understandable, but taking it to the level of actual murder is madness.Fortunato says "let us be gone." Montresor replies " yes, let us be gone." Fortunato says "For the love of God, Montresor!" who then replies "Yes, for the love of God!" he then waits for a reply, recieving none, continues to complete the wall and leaves.
I think that Montressor is both evil and insane. Like most of the class said, who would lead someone on in a kind and caring way. When he was insulted he should have told Fortunato the truth rather than gathering up his anger and then end up killing Fortunato. In the beginning they seem to be good friends, but having someone suffer over an insult is very evil/insane.
o wow...
i think that Montresor is insane in an evil way. like he has been friends with Fortunato for a while and said that he had borne the injuries of Fortunato. If he really had a problem with Fortunato or anything forunato did then he should have confronted him and talked about it! But no, he chooses to go and kill him instead! which is insane and evil.
he tricks fortunato into thinking that he has wine and he is being a good friend by letting fortunato test it. but this was his plan all along, to trick fortunato to go down into the catacombs where he will murder him. thats so mean! Fortunato had NOOOOOO idea that he was on his way to is death! he trusted Montresor and he killed him. that is deffinatly insane AND evil.
wow
:D
-Robin B
I think Poe's use of verbal Irony makes him seem smart, because in the text it says "Yes," I said "let us be gone!" When Poe wrote this he said it but he really meant let me be gone and you to die. It makes the character Montresor seem creepy and bizarre because he knows Fortunato is in a vulnerable position and he takes advantage trying to get his hopes up.
I think Montresor is very twisted up and weird. It doesn't make sense that someone would kill someone else just for insulting them. An example of irony is when Fortunado says, "I will not die from a cough." The irony of that is he will die of being locked up by Montresor, but not from a cough.
I dont think that montresor is insane like mentally. But the fact that he ket the words of fortunado eat away at him and build up until he acted insane like in the end.
I think that to do what Montressor did to his once close friend, Fortunado, was both evil and insane. This person has issues. It almost seems like he was happy to be killing a dear friend. In the text Montressor is worried about Fortunato because of his cough and he said,"'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 Luchresi -'
'Enough,' he said; 'the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.' He let his anger get the better of him in the end though because he had the guts to burry him alive instead of trying to work out their problems.
I think that Monstresor is a very evil mean man. He lied several times just to get were and what he wanted. So I think that hi sstate of mind and actions are telling use that he is a very hatefull man. I mean his name says it for you "Monstr-esor" well at least the first part.
I think that Montorosor is evil and insane. He got so angry with him and sought revenge, by killing him. Poe describes him as an evil person and he is very decieving to Fortunato. He acts like he's his friend but then totally stab's him in the back and kills him. He is not trustworthy.
I agree he is both insane and evil. Fortunatoes use of irony is really good. montreseur uses his friendship against fortunato. he lures him into a false sence of security, and then buiries him alive! clearly this man needs help.when montresaur says that the cold shall not kill him it was because of the cold that he died so quickly. all in all montrseaur needs help!
I think he is brilliant. The way he writes, the way he puts all of his feeling into the writing; the word choice, the way he uses the word choice and just the fact that he knows what his readers are scared of and works off that. I didn't say it wasn't creepy but it was brilliantly so.
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