Paper Topic:

Do you believe it is ever justifiable for someone to avenge a crime or wrong doing by going out of the law? what specific cases do you think about as you address this issue? Include Poe`s `The Cask of Amontillado` as a substantial part of your analysis of

It is never justifiable to take the law into one 's own hands , even though there are times when the thought or action of doing so can be understood by others . For example , when someone molests a child , the public can certainly understand why the parent of that child would take the law into his /her hand , even though it is legally wrong . Or when someone shoots someone 's parent , we again understand why that child would want to take the law into his /her own hands . These are typically crimes of passion

or crimes that develop from emotion , completely unpremeditated . Even though these acts are still legally and morally wrong , the acts that caused these were wrong as well . Maybe that is why the situation is understood a little bit better . The problem with this theory in Edgar Allan Poe 's The Cask of Amontillado ' is that the reader knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Fortunato did not commit a wrong of epic proportions against Montressor . Montressor instead is criminally deviant he may be acting against a perceived wrong , but his plan is much too methodical and his heart much too cold for anyone to agree with his acts

First of all , Fortunato does not even know that he has done anything wrong . The story begins with The thousand injuries of Fortunato , I had borne as best I could , but when he ventured upon insult , I vowed revenge (Poe 1 . This statement makes the reader have some sympathy for Montressor but when he gets to 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 ' the reader rightfully gets a little scared . The reader realizes that whatever wrongs Fortunato has done Montressor , Fortunato is not aware of them . He willfully follows Montressor to the catacombs Yes , he is drunk , but not incoherent . He knows what he is doing , and Montressor knows just how to play on his ego enough to get him to go However , Fortunato would not go if he were in mortal danger . How bad can the thousand injuries ' of Fortunato be if even Fortunato is unaware that he performed them ? Obviously the two have not spoken about these injuries or tried to work them out in any other way . It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will . I continued as was my wont , to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile NOW was at the thought of his immolation (Poe 1 . That leads the reader to believe that Montressor is making too much out of the injuries and that there is certainly some criminally deviant behavior

This certainly is not a crime of passion , which would be about the only case where taking the law into one 's own hands is even remotely understood , although still not...

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