The Cask of Amontillado Answers

Montresor and General Zarof both believe that murder is justifiable. One felt this because he was deeply insulted and the other considered himself to be a God appointed hunter. General Zarof hunts many people where as Montresor only kills one person. General Zarof thinks people are there for him to hunt. Montresor, on the other hand, prefers respect from people. They are both well educated and sophisticated, and value the finest Italian vintages. However, each of them are extremely inhumane. Zarof and Montresor live in very different surroundings. General Zarof hides on an abandoned island with one servant so he can privately hunt. Where as, Montresor lives with many servants and his narrations lead me to believe he is not an isolated person. They both live in luxurious homes.

Montresor ignores the repeated abuses from Fortunato. Finally, he believes he has been highly insulted therefore he thinks he has the right to bury Fortunato alive.

When Montresor lures Fortunato into the trap Fortunato is in a drunken stupor, rendering his mind slow. Not only that, but Fortunato believes himself to be on good terms with Montresor. Therefore he trusts Montresor to keep his word about the wine. Fortunato is very jealous that Luchesi might have a similar taste as him, which is another reason why he is easily led down into the dungeons.

Montresor and Fortunato both have a taste for exquisite wine. Each of them are sophisticated, educated and well off in the world. Fortunato however, believes himself to be better than others, and he is slightly a braggart. Where as, Montresor knows how to stay low and not be seen. For example, Montresor wore a casual outfit of all black to carnival when Fortunato wore a joker costume.

“A pipe of Amontillado! Spectacular! How dare he believe that Luchesi has a better taste than I!” I thought to myself as I pushed my dear friend, Montresor, along. I knew I had a little too much to drink, but it was carnival; there could be exceptions could there not? The persistent fairies jingling around my head were slightly annoying, but they acted as if they shared my enthusiasm for the Amontillado. We walked down the stairs into his catacombs. I had forgotten how extensive Montresor's crest of arms was. My dear friend was constantly worried about my health, from being in the cold damp of the vaults, but my burning fury about his belief that Luchesi was at all equal to me, forced me to forge on. He offered some Medoc to keep the cold away and I humbly accepted. We had arrived below the river bed where the niter hung upon the walls thickly. I could only think of one thing as I lay heavily upon Montresor's arm: Amontillado. My headache shouted out within the confines of my head when Montresor didn't recognize the sign of the masons. I had thought for sure he was part of us. He produced a trowel from underneath his cloak to sign that he was part of the masons, but that was not our signature. We continued on and I grew more tired, but the prospect of the Amontillado kept my eyes from fluttering shut. Montresor directed me ahead of him into a niche in the wall. As I stood there befuddled by the rock wall he chained my body to the earth. He stepped out and started using his trowel to cover the wall. When I realized his actions were not a jest it was too late. I tested the chains that held me to the cold stone but they did not budge. When he shined the light upon my figure I screamed like a mad animal. The fairies aided my yell of fury. Montresor replied with sickening savageness and continued to wall up my tomb. “For the love of God, Montresor,” I screamed at him, he could not be doing this, could he? “Yes, for the love of God,” he replied. I resolved not to give Montresor the satisfaction of another response. The fairies floating around my head returned to their original form and the jingling of the bells as I dropped my head was the only response Montresor received. I drank from a slow stream running down the wall and feasted on the occasional beetle for the next two days. On the third day the earth rumbled and shook creating fissures in the wide wall that was my tomb. Chunks of the wall that held me in place fell out and I, was freed.  

“The thousand insults of Montresor I borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon injury, I vowed revenge.”