Epilogue to The Cask of Amontillado: A Legal Analysis of Montresor's Crime
Overview
This paper presents a fictional legal proceeding examining Edgar Allan Poe's protagonist Montresor from 'The Cask of Amontillado' through prosecution and defense closing arguments, culminating in a jury verdict. The work analyzes Montresor's premeditated murder of Fortunato through the lens of criminal law, evaluating questions of guilt, motive, remorse, and appropriate punishment.
What this essay covers
- Prosecuting Attorney's Closing Argument - presents evidence of premeditation, lack of justification, absence of remorse, and the gruesome nature of the crime
- Defense Attorney's Closing Argument - argues Montresor committed the crime as an unstable young man 50 years prior and now deserves rehabilitation rather than punishment
- Jury's Final Verdict - finds Montresor guilty based on calculated planning, lack of remorse, and criminal intent, recommending full legal consequences
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Epilogue to “The Cask of Amontillado"
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Epilogue to “The Cask of Amontillado"
Prosecuting Attorney’s Closing Argument
The Jury should find Montresor guilt because of the evidence that will be presented to them. For one, there is no apparent reason why Montresor would want to exert revenge on Fortunato. He only claims that he has been wronged many times and that it was okay, therefore, to kill his friend (Poe, 2013). There is no justification for killing another person just because they have wronged another individual. Some courts exist that can be able to handle such issues better. By taking the law into his hand, Montresor should be found guilty of his crime. Additionally, Montresor's crime is premeditated, and it is not something that happened as an accident. He had planned out how he was going to kill Fortunato. First, he lured Fortunato to his vault, planning to chain him against the wall (Poe, 2013). He knew that Fortunato loved wine, and he used this as a weakness to take him where people would not see his actions.
Montresor should also be found guilty because he states how well he has planned to kill Fortunato. He does not have any remorse for his action, but he is rather proud of what he plans to do. He tricks his servants into vacating the palace so that there will be nobody around to witness what he will do to Fortunato.