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
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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
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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.”
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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.
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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.