Montresor's concept of personal honor has a great deal to do with his pride, both individually and in terms of his family. He believes that his need to exact revenge on Fortunato is a matter of honor. He says, "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." He needs to repay Fortunato for his insults as well as figure out a way to do so where he will not be punished in return, or...
Montresor's concept of personal honor has a great deal to do with his pride, both individually and in terms of his family. He believes that his need to exact revenge on Fortunato is a matter of honor. He says, "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." He needs to repay Fortunato for his insults as well as figure out a way to do so where he will not be punished in return, or else his revenge really will not count. He also wants to make sure that Fortunato knows who exactly is responsible for his ultimate demise, and this being known is a matter of personal pride and honor as well.
Moreover, when Fortunato asks, Montresor tells him that his family motto is "You will not harm me with impunity," translated from the Latin. Montresor also mentions that the Montresors "'were a great and numerous family.'" In other words, it sounds as though they no longer are great and numerous, and also that it is important to Montresor to retain the family's honor by upholding their motto (which he knows and has already alluded to earlier in the story). Thus, his family pride and honor further compel him to redress the wrongs done to him by Fortunato. His sense of honor, then, has a great deal to do with his pride.
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