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Justin Lakin
ENGL-2035-W03
Prof. Laura Burridge
June 24, 2024
Symbolic Interpretation of the Montresor Family Crest in Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado”
While Edgar Allan Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado” is rich with symbolism, this paper seeks to
focus on one particular symbol, Montresor's family crest. A crest, or coat of arms, was a common
symbol for aristocratic families in Europe in the medieval and renaissance periods. When asked about
his family's crest in the story, Montresor describes it as “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the
foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.” “And the motto?” “Nemo me
impune lacessit” (Poe, 614). Both the crest itself and the accompanying motto are symbolically
reflective of Montresor's nature, and the nature of his feud with Fortunato, in the story.
The crest itself depicts a massive golden foot crushing a serpent, which in turn is biting the heel
of the foot. The foot could be interpreted as a symbol for Fortunato, whose previous insult towards
Montresor was the driving force for him to seek revenge. With this interpretation in mind, one could
then interpret the serpent as representing Montresor himself, nursing his grudge while waiting for the
perfect moment to strike back at his foe, in the same way a snake hides in tall grass.
The motto, as well, is important. Translating from Latin to English, it reads “No one wounds me
with impunity.” It is taken directly from the national motto of Scotland, and in the context of the story,
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is representative of Montresor's mindset. He is a deeply vindictive man, murdering Fortunato for a
previous insult that remains unexplained to the reader. While the motto typically is meant as an
exclamation that one is ready to defend themselves against attackers, here it takes on a far more sinister
tone.
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Works Cited
Charters, Ann and Edgar Allan Poe. The Story and Its Writer, "The Cask of Amontillado"
MacMillan Learning, 2023, 614.
