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In Edgar Allan Poe's short story the Cask of Amontillado the Mon tresor, a character in the short story, represents Poe's illness or alcoholism while the Fortunato represents himself, as the self-indulging man which ultimately gets trapped by the illness which consumes him. The reliance on Poe's personal life to the significance of his short stories is not original to the cask of amontillado in fact It seems as though the changes that occur in Edgar Allen Poe's life, coincide with his writing style... For example in 1827, when he travels to Boston he writes and publishes "Tamerlane", and in that same year when he joins the Army, he published "Al Aaraaf." It was not until 1846, that Edgar Allen Poe published "The Cask of Amontillado." During this time in his life many believe that he was manic-depressive and had a drinking problem. From the very first sentence, The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge, the reader gets the sense of the mood which Poe wanted to convey. But it is very easy to confuse the two characters because they are both manifestations of the inner conflict that lies within Poe's life. The narrators claims and perceptions are at best choppy and at worse incompetent causing me to steer away from the notion that he is the victim of the story.
On the other hand Fortunato the one who is kind in the way he wants to help mon tresor, a little arrogant in his talents and his inevitable weaknesses for wine causes me to believe that Poe most identifies with Fortunato rather than the Mon tresor. Further more The mon tresor knew Fortunato's weakness, passion to taste the amontillado wine. Which further indicates that mon tresor is the illness and not Poe in the short story metaphor. The mon tresor deliberately lures Fortunato to his doom while he is drunk and vulnerable.
Fortunato passion to taste the wine is what kills him in the end as Poe might feel that he is enclosed inside of a tomb because of his own addiction. Not only does this relate to the facts known in Edgar Allan Poe's life but it also gives a good insight as to the entrapment he felt as a result of his addiction. It also shows how what gave him solace at times ultimately ended up betraying him. Either way, Fortunato found himself buried alive in a tomb by his own doing with no way to get out. He laid trapped there in that tomb until his ultimate death.
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Research essay sample on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe
