The deep-rooted desire in Montressor's heart causes him to meticulously plan the murder of his former friend, but his sensibility and desire for self preservation demand the upmost respect for the details as not to bring damage to himself or his reputation. Poe gives us an object lesson in premeditation through the details of the story. While careful to remove any unnecessary drivel from the story, Poe elaborately and descriptively tells this bone chilling tale. The preparations of the catacombs in such a way as to assist in the rapid construction of the wall as well as shackles previously prepared for the incident are both indications of the twisted preparations made for the murder. The selection of the time and place also played a significant role in the story. The festivals before lent an excellent opportunity to not only appear in disguise, but to locate his inebriated companion and lure him into his deadly lair.

Poe introduces us to a familiar carnival atmosphere of indulgence that one can today associate with Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Womack). This celebration before Lent provided Montressor with an easy opportunity to disguise himself, as he does with his mask and cape. Fortunato, on the other hand, is dressed as a jester and lapping up the food, wine, and party atmosphere. The contrast between the meeting of the two friends and the future actions Poe introduces shortly is underscored by the air of overindulgence and festivity ("Cask"). The two men meet in the crowd, and Montressor begins to play his mind games on the intoxicated Fortunato by offering him the opportunity to witness the refinement of his exquisite Spanish Amontillado. They soon rush off, Fortunato now obsessed with the opportunity to sample this fine drink.

Fortunato does not think it odd that the servants of the house would not be about as they dash into the Montressor's palace. With the merriment outside, who would stay in and work? They both grab torches and descend into the Montressor family catacombs to locate the hidden cache of liquor. The passageway is damp and strongly contrasts with the dry moist sherry from Spain. The dank environment of the catacombs causes Fortunato to cough. Montressor soothes Fortunato's raging cough with yet more wine, drawing Fortunato nearer to the envisioned "cask" and to his eventual "casket" where he remains (Kucik). They pass the corpses of the Montressor family on display, and move deeper and deeper into the bowels of the crypt. To further assure Fortunato's continued interest in the Amontillado, Montressor suggests that Fortunato should leave the crypt. Fortunato, driven by his greed and drunken state, refuses.

Fortunato, in his alcoholic trance begins to make indistinct gestures in Montressor's direction. Once Montressor notices this act, he inquires as to its meaning. Fortunato responds by explaining it as the gesture of the Masons. Seemingly in response, Montressor withdraws a trowel from his cape, one which he will find use for later in the story.

Near the end of this lethal journey, Montressor and Fortunato come upon a small room in at a remote end of the family sepulcher. Abruptly, Montressor shackles Fortunato and uncovers stones and mortar hidden nearby. Montressor swiftly and diligently begins to wall the entrance to the deadly chamber. Fortunato, with the jester's bells on his outfit still ringing is quite dazed by this change of events and at first does not know what to make of the situation. It is only once almost half of the entrance has been sealed does his mind alert him to the impending threat of death deep in the recesses of this tomb. His mind gradually realizes the danger and responds with the only defense it has available, screaming for help. Fortunato realizes the sheer hopelessness of this act and laughs momentarily hoping that this terribly deed is not happening. Possibly Montressor is enjoying a spot of tomfoolery at his expense, or perhaps simply attempting to scare him momentarily. Montressor feels weak for an instant and contemplates killing the man in a more direct manner but eventually continues his building and screams back at the helpless man. The victim realizes his fate and falls silent as the last sone is placed onto his grave. No sounds but the jingling of Fortunato's jester's cap escape the barrier. Montressor has committed the perfect murder, and has escaped the conviction of his conscience.

Montressor is able to escape the emotional torture that would be inflicted upon a normal person for such a dastardly deed by rationalizing the need for this act to protect his and his family's name. He feels an obligation to protect his honor, much like soldiers of a country. While Montressor does feel the imperative to perpetrate this act, he knows that he must carefully execute it to avoid punishment (White 551). He does so out of a selfish and basic need to protect himself.

Through "The Cask of Amontillado" Poe has given us an inner view of a fictionalized criminal mind. In such a weighty tale, given with such exquisite storytelling, one must wonder if Poe contemplated committing the killing of another in such a manner as this. "The Cask of Amontillado" may well have been an opportunity for Poe to unload his mind of murderous and terrible thoughts of ill will toward others. Any narrative this involved and elaborate can only be the work of a demented mind, however Poe allows us a quick glimpse into the mind of a killer and allows us to see the other side, the justification for the actions that so many cold-hearted killers display today. The shootings at Pearl and Columbine are only a few examples of homicide these children felt justified in committing. Seemingly simple and normal insults levied toward these students were their mental basis for committing these acts. Poe, in his powerful and visionary story "The Cask of Amontillado" warned us of the dangers of repressed anger.

Works Cited

Kucik, C.J. "The Cask of Amontillado." 23 April 2001. <http://www.nadn.navy.mil/EnglishDept/poeperplex/amontil.htm>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." Writing about Literature. 9^th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. 345-350.

"'The Cask of Amontillado'." Literature and its Times vol. 2. 81-86.

White, Patrick. "'The Cask of Amontillado': A Case for the Defense." Studies in Short Fiction 1. 26 Fall 1989: 550-555.

Womack, Martha. "Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado'." 23 April 2001. <http://www.poedecoder.com/essays/cask/>.