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 some(prenominal) it defines evil. Edmund Clarence Stedman said of Poes writings He strove by a kind of prediction to put his hand upon the links of mind and matter, and reach the hiding-places of the soul. regular though 20th century theories of psychology would not be speculate until many years after Poes expiry, he nevertheless delved into the realm of unnatural psychology instinctively and perhaps never with a more affright outcome than in the character of Montressor, a man so exercise set upon revenge that he walls his enemy 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 collapse the deed? By applying 20th century psychological guidelines, champion can speculate that Montressor is not insane per se but is afflicted with a malignant narcissistic disorder which, when aggravated by Fortunatos egotism and naivet, drives him to commit his violent act.Fortunato is interpret from the outset of the tale as arrogant and egotistical. Montressor begins his narration by saying, The kibibyte injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon affront I vowed revenge (240). Though the exact nature of the insult is not made known, there are numerous examples of subtle slights by Fortunato end-to-end the narrative. Perhaps Fortunato is unaware that his comments are frequently demeaning but his remarks agnize him seem arrogant and uncaring. Early 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 needed li ttle 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 sure as shooting be to glimpse the very face of evil.Works CitedGoode, Erica. Stalin to Saddam So Much for the Madman Theory. New York Times 4 May 2003 pg. 4.5.Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Reading and Writing about literary works. 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 .