The narrator, Montressor, states that he has been insulted by his acquaintance Fortunato, and he seeks revenge. He wants to do so in a measured way, without any risk to himself. He decides to use Fortunato's fondness for Italian wine against him. Montressor avenges himself by fooling his victim into literally walking into his own grave. .
Montressor even asks Fortunato repeatedly whether he would like to turn back. With this method, he takes Fortunato completely by surprise and makes his death ironic. .
The main gist of the character of Montresor is that he is an unforgiving, unrepentent man. The story opens with Montresor on his deathbed, confessing his sins, apparently to a priest who is addressed as "You, who so well know the nature of my soul." By story's end, we all will know the nature of that soul, and that is what you will want to reveal in your paper. .
Montresor cannot earnestly (sincerely) confess, because he enjoys reliving the crime against Fortunato. We realize he will not receive forgiveness. The story, of course, presents not Fortunato's burial in the depths of Hell, but Montresor's. It is Montresor who has never left the dark catacombs, mentally or spiritually, and it is to the dark underground that his soul will return upon his death. He is not the "fortunate one." .
Montressor has no faith.
Montresor establishes rigid standards for his revenge that preclude any element of risk. First, he must seek a form of retribution that would not hold him accused or accountable in any way. .
Montressor, on his death bed, speaks to his Confessor about a terrible crime he committed in the past: he killed a man named Fortunato after luring him into a deep wine cellar; he chains him to a wall and bricks up the entrance in front of the man, imprisoning him to die there. .
