Describe Montresor`s life after the muder of Fortunato.

A Killer 's Suffering

How The Cask of Amontillado 's Montresor

Lives His Life After His Crime

In pace requiescat (Rest in peace ) Montresor says of his murder victim Fortunato . Montresor , the main character of Edgar Allan Poe 's The Cask of Amontillado , has a vengeful personality , perhaps bing on the psychotic . He responds with premeditated murder to the imagined affronts from Fortunato , but probably knows in his heart that there is no real justification for his crime . Montresor is a killer not beyond conscience - for fifty years after his murder

of Fortunato , he silently suffers

To understand how Montresor 's life is affected by his grim deed for the next fifty years , his motives must be understood as well . Pride , of course , is at the root of Montresor 's intentions in killing Fortunato Additionally , although he speaks of Fortunato 's thousand insults as his reason for killing him , it is likely that these insults would normally have been taken as part of `normal ' conversation by other `normal persons . Montresor is probably overly cynical , hearing slights coming from almost everyone . He also probably has a somewhat paranoid personality and low self-esteem , and is thus distrusting . Even after the murder , this continues , and he realizes that he did not gain real satisfaction

The fact the he feels compelled to confess his grim deed fifty years after the event is significant Montresor is apparently not without a conscience . After his crime , Montresor likely lives a life of quiet desperation . He would have found a brief and shallow satisfaction from his crime immediately after Fortunato 's burial , he likely felt elated and very satisfied with himself , having found vindication of his `superiority ' He felt wronged , and thus desired revenge , but also knew on some level that his actions were unjustified . The statement "You who so well know the nature of my soul " at the beginning of his tale suggests that he is confiding in someone who knows him well , and whom he trusts . He may be feeling that his time is running out , and that he finally has to confess his guilt to someone who would understand . When he begins his confession , he tells his confidant that A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser ' If he had been truly satisfied with his vengeance , he would not have felt the need to tell of his deed to anyone , except perhaps to boast . But he tells of his crime in a confessionary manner , implying that , in fact , his own retribution has overtaken him , in the form of guilt . During most of the fifty years between the murder and his confession , Montresor must have been torn between feelings of triumph and superiority , and feelings of guilt and uncertainty

He also probably becomes angry , with himself and with the memory of Fortunato because of his inadequate `victory . Montresor realizes that he may not have achieved the victory that he sought , because Fortunato 's final lack of reaction means that it is unclear whether he understood the cause of his predicament or not . As Montresor says at the beginning of his account , [A wrong is] unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong ' Thus Montresor lives in a perturbed , frustrated , and confused state for fifty years , his success in murdering Fortunato tainted by the incompleteness of his victory

In spite of having removed the competition of Fortunato . Montresor finds no real relief . His confession of the crime is evidence of his guilt and dissatisfaction for five decades his sense of morality taunts him , and his imperfect victory grates at his ego . Thus his greatest insult comes from himself ...