“The Cask of Amontillado” is a classic story of pride, arrogance, ignorance and deceit. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of dark descriptions helps paint a dismal picture that ultimately leads the story’s victim, Fortunato, to the darkest place of all...his own crypt. Montresor, overcome with pride and a desire for revenge, seeks to end the life of his rival Fortunato. Montresor’s feelings of retribution and anger can be summed up by analyzing the story using Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, which involves categorizing the behaviors in regards to the id, ego, and superego that they demonstrate.
According to Freud, the id, ego, and superego are all traits that we all possess, beginning at birth. Our id begins in our first moments of life, and “is entirely unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitive behaviors. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.” (Van Wagner) The ego is a part of our psyche that tries to balance the impulse behaviors of the id. The ego “develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world” (Van Wagner), and it “operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways”. (Van Wagner) The superego is the center from which we develop our judgments of right and wrong, which is established from our morality that we learn from our parents and the society in which we live. The superego is the factor that “balances”, or suppresses the primal urges of the id and seeks to redirect the ego towards the most ideal decisions, rather than trying to rationalize our desire created by the id. These analytical devices serve to allow us to probe deeper into the minds of a madman and his unsuspecting victim, giving us a better view of the dementia that can be caused by a primal desire; stirred out of feelings that can not normally be explained by “sane” members of society.
Examples of the id resound throughout “The Cask of Amontillado”. The choice between life and death are basic human understandings. Montresor’s feelings regarding his decision to murder his “friend”, Fortunato, are evident when he states that “he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe 240). It would seem that Montresor had certainly lost the ability to rationalize that murder, under any circumstances, is wrong. Pride, another basic human personality trait, is lost upon the victim, Fortunato. Fortunato regards himself as a supreme wine critic, second to none, and upon finding out that Montresor has “gained” a cask of Amontillado, takes the notion upon himself to be its supreme judge. Montresor wittingly pleads to Fortunato not to go, that the catacombs in which it is kept are too dark and damp (which may ironically make Fortunato ill), and he cunningly plays to Fortunato’s pride in telling him that Luchresi (Fortunato’s rival) is considered by some to be an equally good critic of Amontillado. “"Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado” (Poe 241).
Montresor demonstrates his psychological ego from the very beginning of the tale. His efforts to reason and rationalize his actions as he reflects upon his relationship with Fortunato seem to serve as a plea to the reader to take his point of view. He realizes that the murder was wrong, but he seeks justification. When Montresor states, “THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”, he is reaching out to the reader by trying to make us believe that he had endured all that he could possibly take from Fortunato. However, in reality, what Fortunato had done to wrong Montresor is never revealed. Fortunato, on the other hand, seems to possess a reckless sort of ego, one that plunges him further into danger. Montresor uses a sort of “reverse” psychology, trying to deter Fortunato from going to the catacombs by explaining the damp and dismal conditions which may make him sick, and Fortunato just writes these notions off by saying, “"Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado" (Poe 241). Later, as the two characters march toward the “Amontillado”, the conditions and the “nitre” (a colorless mineral growing within the catacomb walls) cause Fortunato to endure a coughing fit. When Montresor advises that the two turn back, Fortunato responds by saying, “"Enough…the cough's a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough" (Poe 242). Fortunato’s ego clearly does not contribute to a rational, judgmental decision making process!
The use of the psychological superego in “The Cask of Amontillado” is not as clear as the use of the id and ego. Near the end of the story, it seems as if the reality of what Montresor has done begins to set in, and for a brief moment, he begins to feel remorse for his actions. Fortunato, although in somewhat of a drunken state, realizes the depths of his peril, and begins to try to reason with Montresor that Lady Fortunato will be waiting for them both, and that they should leave. Montresor agrees, and as they continue their dialogue, Fortunato suddenly becomes quiet. “But to these words I hearkened in vain for a reply. I grew impatient. I called aloud -- "Fortunato!" No answer. I called again -- "Fortunato!" No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” (Poe 244). Montresor tries to rationalize that the dampness of the catacombs is making him feel ill, but actually, his superego was conjuring forth his moral view of the murder that he was committing.
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor vicariously tries to make the reader feel his frustration and sympathize that he had no other option but to end the life of Fortunato. The feeling to murder, driven by his id and rationalized by his ego, frighteningly paints him as some sort of medieval “monster”. He convinces his own superego that what he is committing is just; therefore acceptable and natural. Through the character of Montresor, Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates a natural sympathy and understanding of the criminal mind, using the most basic “animal” elements of human nature and cunningly twisting and evolving these bits and pieces into a masterful tale of vengeance, devised as if he were the killer himself.
1 comment:
When blogging, shorter paragraphs are much more friendly. In fact, you need to break up these paragraphs correctly.
"(web page)" is not a correct MLA citation. If it doesn't have an author, it's not a good source. Period.
Generally a good analysis, though mostly borrowed from Sipiora's introduction.
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