Speculations on the Listener in The Cask of Amontillado There are many theories as to who the narrator, Montresor, is speaking to in Edgar Allan Poe s The Cask of Amontillado. Montresor directly addresses his listener in the first paragraph when he says, You, who so well know the nature of my soul (Bohner 866). Some critics insist that the listener is a priest, while others argue that it is Montresor s mistress, the police, or even that the story itself is a recovered manuscript. Although some of these critics make valid arguments, they all fall short with textual evidence. Perhaps the most common argument is that the listener is Montresor s priest, who has come to absolve Montresor s sins on his deathbed. John Gruesser, who agrees with this theory, believes that not only is Montresor s listener a priest, he is also an old friend (130). Gruesser argues that Fortunado s cry, [ For the love of God, Montresor! ] is both a plea for mercy and a warning to Montresor to remember his own end and think of the afterlife. (130). But Montresor openly mocks Fortunado s cry; he is clearly not a religious man. Elena Baraban argues that it is evident Montresor feels no guilt for what he has done to Fortunado, and in fact believes his murder is a successful act of vengeance and punishment rather than a crime (49). Andrew Green contends that the listener is a priest and reasons that Montresor s revenge could not possibly be perfect unless Montresor confesses to a priest to ensure himself a place in heaven. Green maintains, With Montresor in heaven and the unshriven Fortunado in hell, [the crime] is made perfect. (195). The only possible textual evidence to support that the listener is a priest is found in the one instance that Montresor addresses his listener You, who know so well the nature of my soul (Bohner 866). Critics have
2 often assigned the word soul with a religious definition. The Oxford English Dictionary defines soul as The spiritual or immaterial part of a person considered in relation to God and religious or moral precepts ( soul, n. 7). However, there are numerous definitions of soul. It can also be defined as the seat of a person s emotions, feelings, or thoughts; the moral or emotional part of a person s nature; the central or inmost part of a person s being ( soul, n. 3). It is hard to say which definition of the word is intended in The Cask of Amontillado, because there is no further textual evidence to support its definition. Richard Benton argues that Montresor s listener is a woman, possibly his mistress. There is absolutely no textual evidence to support this theory; Benton s argument is simply a generalization of women: The narratee seems a woman, for clever women are good listeners in men s words (659). It is not reasonable to assume that because the listener is quiet, it must be a woman. Megan Hiler debates that perhaps Montresor s listener is a police officer and that Montresor has been arrested for the murder of Fortunado. There is no textual evidence to support this theory at all. In addition to the lack of evidence, the idea that fifty years passed before Montresor was caught is unlikely. The time period in which this story takes place would not have had the investigative ability of today s police. There is nothing left of Fortunado at this point but his bones, which are entombed at the very end of the Montresor catacombs. Not only is it improbable that Montresor was caught, it is also unlikely that he would confess his crime to the police. A confession would surely sentence him to death; it isn t believable that he would confess to die for his crime unless he was riddled with guilt, and from the way he tells the story, it is clear that he is not remorseful. Bill Delaney claims that The Cask of Amontillado is a manuscript or a letter. Delaney believes that Montresor has been dead for many years when the manuscript of the story is
3 discovered and translated (34). There is no evidence in the text that implies The Cask of Amontillado is a manuscript or a letter. There are no salutations and far too much dialogue to support a letter format. As for the manuscript theory, there is no introduction of the manuscript like Nathaniel Hawthorne s Custom House of The Scarlet Letter. Along with no textual evidence to support this idea, Delaney hardly gives any reasoning to support his own theory; he states it as if it should be obvious when it is definitely not. Robert Brown s theory that Montresor is recounting his tale of revenge to an heir is a refreshing and highly plausible take on The Cask of Amontillado. Montresor shows a great deal of pride in his family heritage; he tells Fortunado, The Montresors were a great and numerous family, and shares his family s motto: Nemo me impune lacessit, which means No one harms me unpunished (Bohner 868). With the knowledge of his family motto, it becomes quite clear why Montresor seeks revenge from Fortunado he feels he has been insulted, and as a Montresor it is his duty to punish those who harm him. This sense of pride in his deed is evident throughout the story, which is why it is believable that Montresor is narrating the account of his revenge to an heir. Montresor is setting an example to a son or perhaps a grandchild that as a Montresor, he must also follow the family motto and take pride in it. Although Montresor implies several times that he is the last of the Montresors, it is believed that he was only in his twenties when he killed Fortunado (if he had been any older, it is not likely that he would have lived for fifty more years). It is entirely possible and in fact, highly likely that he got married and had children sometime during the fifty years that passed before he told his story. This could also explain why Montresor says that the listener knows his soul s nature. A close family member would know Montresor quite well, certainly well enough to be familiar with his emotions, thoughts, and morality his soul.
4 With so much speculation about The Cask of Amontillado, it is hard to say for sure who the listener of the story is. Critics have theorized that the story is a manuscript or that the listener is a priest, a mistress, the police, or an heir. While some of these theories are more convincing than others, they all seem to lack firm textual evidence, leaving The Cask of Amontillado a true mystery to its readers.
5 Works Cited Baraban, Elena V. "The Motive for Murder in 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe." Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature, 2004. JSTOR. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. Benton, Richard P. "The Cask of Amontillado." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Print. Bohner, Charles. Short Fiction: Classic and Contemporary. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, 1999. 866. Print. Brown, Robert. Class Discussion. LITR 250. Ferris State University. 8 April 2015. Delaney, Bill. "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. " The Explicator, 2005. EBSCO Host. Web. 22 Mar. 2015 Green, Andrew J. "Essays in Miniature." College English, Dec. 1942. JSTOR. Web. 11 Jan. 2015. Gruesser, John. "Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. " The Explicator, 1998. EBSCO Host. Web. 22 Mar. 2015 Hiler, Megan. Class Discussion. LITR 250. Ferris State University. 1 April 2015. soul, n. OED Online. June 2004. Oxford University Press. 30 Mar. 2015.