Poes The Cask of Amontillado: A Psychological Analysis of Characters

Poes The cask of Amontillado A Psychological Analysis of Characters Widely regarded as E. A. Poes finest story, The Cask of Amontillado depicts a deed so horrific that for many it defines ugly. Edmund Clargonnce Stedman said of Poes writings He strove by a kind of divination to put his hand upon the tie in of mind and matter, and reach the hiding-places of the soul. Even though 20th ampere-second theories of psychology would not be formulated until many years after(prenominal) Poes death, he nevertheless delved into the realm of abnormal psychology instinctively and perhaps never with a more terrifying outcome than in the tone of Montressor, a man so bent upon revenge that he walls his adversary up in a crypt and leaves him to die. Is Montressor a madman, or is he evil personified? Is Fortunato merely the unfortunate victim of a deranged murderer, or did he entice Montressor to commit the deed? By applying 20th century psychological guidelines, one tidy sum speculate that Mo ntressor is not insane per se tho is afflicted with a malignant narcissistic disorder which, when aggravated by Fortunatos egotism and naivet, drives him to commit his violent act.Fortunato is depicted from the outset of the tale as arrogant and egotistical. Montressor begins his narration by saying, The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as silk hat I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (240). though the exact nature of the insult is not made known, there are numerous examples of subtle slights by Fortunato throughout the narrative. Perhaps Fortunato is unaware that his comments are frequently demeaning but his remarks make him seem arrogant and uncaring. advance(prenominal) in the story, he indicates his belief that Montressor is not a true connoiss... ...y points to a mental disorder but is not indicative of insanity as we define it. Did Fortunatos perceived insults drive Montressor to commit his crime? Perhaps they did, or perhaps Montressor need ed little incentive. However, one thing is certain. If evil can be defined as the death or absence of a soul, then to look upon Montressor must surely be to glimpse the truly face of evil.Works CitedGoode, Erica. Stalin to Saddam So Much for the Madman Theory. parvenu York Times 4 May 2003 pg. 4.5.Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Reading and Writing to the highest degree Literature. Phillip Sipiora. New Jersey Pearson Education, 2002. 240-244.Stedman, Edmund Clarence. Scribners Monthly, Vol. XX, May-Oct. 1880, pp. 107-124. Reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Vol. 16. GALILEO. .Yen, Duen Hsi. Shame. 23 May 1997. Noogenesis. 4 Mar. 2004 .