Topic > Evaluation of Montresor's role in Edgar Allan Poe's story, The Cask of Amontillado

Murder-based films are commonplace nowadays, with our society's obsession with gory violence and sophisticated crimes. We somehow adore the likes of Hannibal Lecter, John Doe and Norman Bates for their complex story patterns, intense plots and witty banter, leaving us wanting more, wanting to see their next victim treated and killed inhumanely . All these serial killers have psychopathic tendencies, they kill for pleasure and happiness. And we love it. The madness of these authors is our bait. At first sight of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", the murderer Montresor seems to join the ranks of the most ferocious criminals; however, once the adrenaline of the crime has worn off, the human side of the Italian gentleman emerges. He is tormented by guilt as any sympathetic person would. Thanks to this glimpse of the real Montresor, we as readers do not get the effect of a horror story revolving around a psychopathic killer, but rather a story with a moral: "Think before you do." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Montresor murder conspiracy parallels that of one of the most popular and gory horror films of all time Saw. In Saw, the Jigsaw Killer is a terminally ill brain cancer patient whose goal for the rest of his life is to eradicate all evil in the world. In the film, all of his victims are people with whom he had personal contact, such as the protagonists: Adam and Doctor Gordon (the man who cured the Jigsaw Killer). Likewise, Fortunato and Montresor had known each other for a long time and that Fortunato had committed “a thousand injuries” (Poe 62). In Saw the Jigsaw Killer chains men in an unused bathroom with no way of escape. The only way to survive is to carefully follow his instructions and do everything he asks, including killing each other with poison and cutting off their feet to free themselves from the chain. In “Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor calls for violent revenge on his enemy by saying, “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (62). The use of impunity implies that Montresor will carefully plan his act ensuring he remains safe and unharmed by the authorities. Montresor's simple but effective plan follows the narrative. He uses a barrel of amontillado as bait and lures the drunk and unaware Fortunato. Fortunato, with his love of alcohol, cannot refuse this offer and blindly follows his captor into the crypts deep beneath the surface. Eventually, Montresor finds an alcove where he chains Fortunato and walls him in, similar to the bathroom in "Saw." Likewise, the murders in both stories give the victims the opportunity to escape. The Riddler assassin gives Dr. Gordon the chance to kill Adam by 6 and he will be freed. Montresor repeatedly warns Fortunato of the dangers of the cold, damp catacombs, implying that he might fall ill. Fortunato, like Dr. Gordon, refuses these opportunities and thus allows the bloodshed to unfold. The similarities between Saw and “Cask of Amontillado” are striking. Both share the same characteristics of a horror film in which the antagonist approaches the victim, offering him salvation before killing him. Despite the initial resemblance to Saw, the final emotions of the assassins are starkly opposite. In the film, the Riddler killer is calm and almost enthusiastic about killing innocent people. In fact, he had already committed several murders before that of Adam and Doctor Gordon and continues to do so throughout the film series. However, in the “Cask of.