Characters

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is constructed around two important characters: Montresor, who is also the narrator, and Fortunato, the victim. Other characters which are mentioned but absent are another man called Luchresi and the servants at the palace. Both main characters are static: they do not change or develop. From the very beginning, Montresor seeks revenge and eventually gets it, while Fortunato remains the same person who likes drinking.

Montresor

Montresor is the narrator of the short story and the character who turns out to be the killer, as he seeks revenge on his acquaintance, Fortunato. Consequently, we can only identify his traits based on his direct characterization or indirectly, through the way he acts, speaks and thinks.

Outer characterization

The only details regarding the man’s outer characterization can be identified based on his name and status. His name is symbolic and can be roughly translated into “mountain treasure”.

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Inner characterization

The character of Montresor is revealed mostly by himself, admitting indirectly that he is a cunning, vengeful man, capable of plotting against Fortunato.

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Fortunato

Fortunato is the other important character in the short story, the man who gets killed by the narrator for offending his pride. Given the fact that the narrator is almost obsessed with Fortunato, he provides detailed descriptions of both his inner and outer traits.

Outer characterization

Fortunato’s name is as symbolical as that of the narrator, as it translates into ‘the fortunate/lucky one”.

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Inner characterization

Fortunato represents the jester or the joker in the story. He seems to love mocking Montresor and to enjoy drinking a lot:

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