Essay on the Dark Side of the Mind Exposed in Cask of...

The Dark Side of the Mind Exposed in Cask of Amontillado A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. With that statement, Montresor begins his tale of revenge deciding that the act must be slow and sweet and that in order to fully enjoy it, his adversary must be aware of his intentions. Hidden within those same few lines, lies not only this horrid plan, but also the true interest of its true author. In his Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe reveals his supreme interest in the dark side of the human mind and heart. nbsp; Much of what a story means, much of its effect on the reader depends on†¦show more content†¦He is only concerned with attempting to understand the mind of Montresor as he commits the ultimate dark act of murder. nbsp; Throughout the story, Montresor shows that the murder was what is now called in the first degree - it was clearly preplanned and intentional. By giving [the attendants] orders not to stir from the house, Montresor shows that he was very aware of his actions. Even the placement of the bricks and mortar, as well as the clever concealment of the trowel reflect the final execution of a well thought out plan. In dialogue, Montresor also reveals his plan: Fortunato: the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough. Montresor: True - true. Montresor says that it is true. Fortunato will not die of a cough, he will die at the hand of Montresor. The deep-seated hatred necessary for the preplanned extinguishing of anothers life shows this dark side which Poe so wishes to be understood. Poe seems to suggest that even if the readers have not physically carried out such a hideous act as that of Montresor, they have in their imaginations. nbsp; Even the calm way the story is related by Montresor causes the reader to wander further into the mind of the murderer - further into the dark side of the mind and of the heart. With the line for the half of a century no mortal has disturbed the bones, a new perspective on the story emerges. But even when the fact that the story was