Indeed, Montresor, from the Poe short story "The Cask of Amontillado," is one of the most disturbing characters in American literature because he is totally without remorse in the cold blooded murder of a man who considered him a friend.
From the outset Montresor makes his intentions clear. In the first paragraph he emanates hatred as he describes the plot to kill Fortunato for some unnamed "insult." He establishes his murderous philosophy: he won't actually get revenge unless the act goes unpunished and the victim is well aware of his executioner. Montresor says,
"I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong."
Even though Montresor is quite disturbing from the beginning of the story, he is probably most diabolical at the end when, after finishing the deed of walling up Fortunato in the catacombs and listening to his cries, he utters the line, "My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs." For a split second Poe makes us think that just maybe Montresor feels some regret in the murder of Fortunato. Immediately, however, Poe tells us this is not the case. Montresor is simply feeling a little cold. Montresor's total lack of conscience revealed in those lines makes him a most disturbing character.
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