Edgar Allen Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado" describes a
             horrific vengeance killing: the burying alive of a man. Montresor, a man of
             no small means, seeks revenge on a friend of his, the unsuspecting
             Fortunato. Montresor never mentions what Fortunato did to deserve such
             wrath; yet Montresor has premeditated and skillfully planned out the
             murder. Montresor leads Fortunato through his estate's catacombs, where he
             tells the Italian wine connoisseur that a cask of Amontillado awaits his
             scrutiny. Taking full advantage of Fortunato's pride in his wine-tasting
             abilities, Montresor seduces his friend into the depths of the caverns in
             spite of Fortunato's allergy to nitre and visible drunkenness. Montresor
             acts with cold, calculated motions and seems to indicate a total lack of
             emotion; Poe portrays his protagonist as being both compulsive and deluded.
             Poe does not provide any real physical characteristics of Montresor,
             the protagonist in the story, save that he is male. However, "The Cask of
             Amontillado" is essentially about Montresor's thoughts and behaviors. From
             the outset, Montresor admits that he seeks revenge on Fortunato, and never
             mentions why. This indicates that the protagonist is deeply angry but
             unable to express his anger in nonviolent, communicative ways. Rather, he
             states, "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." The fact that
             Montresor neglects to admit what sparks his vehemence is testimony to his
             psychopathic, compulsive nature. His plan for revenge is well-thought out
             and well-planned; Montresor executes it with "definitiveness." Thus the
             protagonist is portrayed as being patient as well as intelligent. Moreover,
             his moral code is relativistic: Montresor obviously feels that murder is a
             righteous form of justice. While Montresor carries out his cold-hearted
             plan, his feelings do emerge by the end of the short story. He notes, "My
             heart grew sick...