Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story about revenge and the workings of the

twisted mind of a man who is fixed on it. In this short story, there are many examples of

symbolism and foreshadowing. The theme that is prevalent is man’s domination of his

fortune which has been unkind to him.

Edgar Allen Poe utilizes the characters, Montressor and Fortunato, to represent

two distinct psychological entities in his short story, "The Cask of Amontillado."

Montressor, who represents the human emotion of revenge, portrays an angry man who

will stop at nothing to seek revenge on his friend, Fortunato, who insulted and humiliated

him. Fortunato, on the other hand, represents the human emotion of pride. Because he

insists that he is the only one who can tell the difference between "Amontillado and

Sherry," he ultimately sets himself up for his own demise.

Montressor, like many villains who prey on the faults and weaknesses of their

victims, realizes early on in his plot to kill Fortunato, that his friend's passion for wine

will be the most effective way to seize him down into the vaults where he intends to bury

He could not fathom anyone else’s opinion on a wine being any good, so he had to

carnival, but is unsure if the wine is Amontillado or an imposter. He tells Fortunato that

have given Montressor “the thousand injuries” for what he is being avenged for. This in

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