het his desire” (507). William Doxey believes, “we are told from the beginning that Fortunato’s weakness is his pride in his connoisseurship in wine. It is his pride that hooks him”(266). Both Marie Bonaparte and William Doxey believe that it is Fortunato’s weakness for wine that gets him in trouble. Montresor also mentions his rival at wines, “As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical turn it is he”(150). When asked about his cough, “Fortunato replies, not with courtesy, but with prideful determination: ‘Let us go never the less’”(Doxey 266). Very often a man’s prideful remarks or decisions can get the best of him. It seems that Fortunato could not let himself be outdone. There is the theory of perversity that Montresor tried to use to get Fortunato down into the vaults. J. Rea explains, “A part of Poe’s theory of perversity is that we want to hurt or kill or to bury alive someone because he has been good to us. It is an unbelievable desire”(59). She also believes, “Montresor inaccurately measures Fortunato’s intellect and succeeds in his plan only through the accident of the similarity of perversity and courtesy”(62). She believes that the courtesy of Fortunato, insisting that his cough is nothing to worry about, is what lets them continue their trip to his death. Rea states, “Perversity always makes one do what he should not; courtesy often makes one do what he should not”(62). Montresor believes that he has achieved his goal by using the theory of perversity even though he has Redd 5 mistaken Fortunato’s courtesy for what it is. William strongly disagrees with J. Rea’s belief in the theory of perversity, because he believes it is Fortunato’s pride that entraps him. J. Rea states with enthusiasm, “Fortunato’s courtesy has given him the reputation of a drunk...
