Report Fortunato - Grade: 105 PDF

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ESSAY ABOUT THE SUMMARY AND CHARACTER OF FORTUNATO RECEIVED A GREAT GRADE...

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Fortunato’s Purpose: An Argumentative Essay

In The Cask Of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe; Montresor would have never succeeded in his devious plan without Fortunato’s gullible mind and arrogance. Fortunato was easily manipulated by Montresor, which made Montresor’s job much easier. Not only was Fortunato gullible, but he trusted Montresor because of his companionship and fellowship with him. Additionally, Fortunato was a very prideful man, he couldn’t bear to think of someone else experiencing something before him. He just “knew” that he was the man for the task Montressor was offering. All of these traits that Fortunato acquired, caused the story to develop the way it did, and Poe knew exactly how the portrayal of Forunato would help develop the story from the narrator’s perspective, and more importantly, the reader’s perspective. Whether it was the liquid courage, or his own personality, Fortunato was a man that could be easily manipulated. The development of the story revolves around two people; Montresor, and Fortunato. Fortunato was a man that could be manipulated, and Montresor was a master manipulator. The story was practically written in the books by the personalities portrayed by both of the characters. From the start of the story, to the end of Fortunato’s life; the story could be best summarized by manipulation.

From Montresor’s perspective Fortunato being gullible was perfect for his plan, but as a reader, there was a slight bit of hope that Fortunato would get some sense into him. Sadly, the aspiration of Fortunato being more cynical was gone by the end of the story. There are countless times when Fortunato could have been more level headed in the story that was told by the murderer himself: Montresor. Poe’s portrayal of Fortunato allowed readers to see how easy it was to deceive him. Whether it was his simple love for wine, or his already drunken state, Fortunato was convinced that he was in for the treat of a lifetime: a taste of the one and only Amontillado. Imagine being so gullible and trusting that you would go deep into the catacombs

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of someone’s home just to have a taste of alcohol, in which you’ve already had too much of in the first place. Fortunato’s trust in Montresor sets the whole story up from start to finish. At the beginning of the story, we see exactly how Poe wants Fortunato to be portrayed to the audience. “He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells.”(Poe) Fortunato allowed himself to be perceived as a joke, that’s a perfect target for someone who may be looking to trick a childlike drunk. Fortunato’s reckless actions caused him to be less cautious than he should have been at the carnival he was at. It is made known that Fortunato had one too many to drink on the day of that carnival. “He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much”(Poe). His behavior that day is what caused him his life. If he didn’t drink as much as he did, and if he didn’t allow himself to be seen as a joke, then maybe he wouldn’t have fallen for Montresor’s devious plan. Additionally, Fortunato was a connoisseur of wine. This talent and skill would also lead to the demise of himself. Montresor knew that Fortunato was a man who had a “weak point” for alcohol. So Montresor used that knack against Forunato. Fortunato was given the opportunity to confirm the authenticity of Montresor’s Amontillado. Why would Fortunato say know to this offer? He would be neglecting to represent his italian culture if he denied this request. He couldn’t deny the offer to try an Italian vintage like Amontillado. It would mean he no longer had the true virtuoso spirit that he was known for. Because of his love of wine, he would now follow Montressor to wherever the Amontillado was. Little did he know there was no Amontillado, just a very scary ending to a hopeful desire. Besides being Gullible, Fortunato was very arrogant. His arrogance and pride caused him to be easily manipulated by Montresor. Before Montresor requested Fortunato to confirm that the Amontillado was of quality, he explained that Luchresi would be the one to complete the task. "

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"Amontillado!" "As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me --" says Montresor. (Poe) " "Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry”, Fortunato replied (Poe). Fortunato couldn’t bear the thought of another person being better than him at the art of wine tasting. The worst part is, Montresor knew that the reverse psychology being used would work on the very prideful Fortunato. Before going to the catacombs, Montresor also insisted that Fortunato should think of his health before entering in the damp under grounds. Montresor mentioned how fit Luchresi would be for the task, but Fortunato’s pride wouldn’t allow that to happen. The task would only happen if Fortunato was the one doing it. Fortunato would have a taste of that Amontillado, no matter what. “We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible. Besides, there is Luchresi --Enough," he said; "the cough's a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." Fortunato should have turned back when he had the chance, but his arrogant ways led him straight to his death. The plot revolved around arrogance, if anything the plot allows the reader to understand the importance of being humble. Imagine the story if Fortunato didn’t have the traits he had, and if he didn’t do the things he did. The story would’ve developed so much differently. Would Montresor have been as successful as he was in the murder of Fortunato, if roles were a little different? Imagine if Fortunato wasn’t drunk the day of the carnival. Imagine if Fortunato wasn’t so passionate about his love for wine. Or what if he wasn’t so arrogant, and he let Luchresi have the opportunity to try the Amontillado. What if Fortunato wasn’t so gullible? Would he have gone deep into the catacombs of someone else’s home without knowledge of what was down? Would he have been so trusting that the Amontillado was there? The story of Fortunato’s murder is helpless. It is sad that these qualities allowed him to be a target for Montresor.

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“He had a weak point --this Fortunato”, said Montresor (Poe). Montresor knew all of Forunato’s weak points. Someone being trusting isn’t a bad thing, but in this story it is. Edgar Allan Poe used Fortunato as a display of what happens when you put too much trust in someone. This story could be looked at as a vengeful case of murder. Or maybe it could be looked at as a lesson of knowing how and who to trust. Fortunato’s own ways led him to death, and Montresor took advantage of every single one of them. Never let trust get the best of you. Never let arrogance get the best of you. Never let compassion get the best of you. Try to be cynical in a lot of situations. This is the theme that Edgar Allan Poe wanted to display using his character Fortunato.

Word Count: 1218 Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Publisher Not Identified, 2016.

Shmoop Editorial Team. “Fortunato in The Cask of Amontillado.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/cask-of-amontillado/fortunato.html.

“Edgar Allan Poe's ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’” The Poe Decoder, www.poedecoder.com/essays/cask/.

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