"Neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued...to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his destruction." These lines show us Montresor's true intentions of deceiving Fortunato into death with out him knowing of it. A mission well accomplished thanks to the help of Reverse Psychology.
The ideal definition of reverse psychology is the ability to obtain something from someone with out asking for it. How Montresor used reverse psychology against Fortunato into making him come down into his death trap is very interesting. The story begins around dusk, one evening during the carnival season (similar to the Mardi gras festival in New Orleans) in an unnamed European city. The location quickly changes from the lighthearted activities associated with such a festival to the damp, dark catacombs under Montresor's palazzo which helps to establish the sinister atmosphere of the story.
Illustration for Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Cask...
Engraving of Thomas Dunn English (1819-1902). Year...
A glass of amontillado sherry, with olivesIt all starts when Montresor deceives his friend (Fortunato) into going down into the catacombs with him to give him some feedback or advice on the cask of amontillado hat he recently purchased. Already knowing that Fortunato was a man of arrogance and overwhelming self pride, Montresor decides to use this to
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his advantage. He makes Fortunato eager to come taste his cask of amontillado by mentioning that he was on his way over to ask Luchesi whether he could come and give him some feed back on the new cask of amontillado that he recently purchased. Montresor knew that by saying this he would be triggering Fortunato's overwhelming pride to take control of him and make him do things he would not do in normal circumstances. By saying this he made Fortunato want to come and...