Literary ThemeThe Cask of Amontillado is an 1846 short story by Edgar Allan Poe, which tells the story of Montresor, a man who executes a plan of revenge against his friend, who, according to him, insulted him. As the narrator of the story, Montresor provides a vivid picture of his plan to lure Fortunato to his death, which ends with Fortunato's eventual burial alive. The theme of revenge is the most important element of this story, which allows the reader to follow the narrator's character, thereby gaining an overall understanding of the story. Similarly, the development of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet is based on the theme of revenge. From the beginning of the play, the ghost of Hamlet's father appears to him and asks him to take revenge on Claudius, who killed him and took the throne from him. However, unlike Amontillado's barrel, the theme of revenge in Hamlet is manifested primarily through the protagonist's inability to take revenge until the very end of the play. The theme of revenge is an integral part of both literary works, in order to enhance the development of the characters and their role in the realization of the specific stories. In The Cask of Amontillado, the theme of revenge is established at the beginning of the story. When the narrator declares that he has suffered an irreversible insult from his associate Fortunato, he swears to avenge this act. This is evident in the following statement in the first paragraph of the story: “I had borne Fortunato's thousand wounds as best I could; but when he ventured to insult her, I swore vengeance” (Poe 7). Therefore, it is obvious to the reader from the beginning of the story that revenge is a major driving force for Montresor that drove him to terribly murder his acquaintance,...... middle of paper... ...nevertheless, the portrait The manner of revenge differs in the manner of execution, as shown by Montresor's eagerness to take revenge on Fortunato, while Hamlet is reluctant to avenge his father's death even after learning that Claudius committed the murder. Furthermore, the motivation for revenge is different in the short story and in the play; Montresor is motivated by the injury he suffered from his friend's insults, which is a less important motivation than Hamlet's, in the death of his father. Despite these differences, Montresor and Hamlet are both controlled by vengeance, although Hamlet is more thoughtful and reasonable, thus his life ends in honor. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Mankato, MN: The Creative Company, 2008. Print.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. Raleigh, NC: Hayes BartonPress, 2007. Print.