Fortunato of "The Cask of Amontillado" has two flaws: he
loves wine and he considers himself a great connossieur. In fact, it is his excessive
pride which leads to his nemesis much more than his love of wine. However, his
excessive drinking certainly inhibits his reasoning. For instance, when Montresor
cautions him about the niter and the dangers of his becoming ill, Fortunato does not
think about the threatening conditions; instead, he lets his desire to be the one to say
that he has first tasted the Amontillado overrule any
judgment.
In his drunkenness, too, Fortunato notes that the
vaults are extensive, but he thinks nothing of getting lost in them. And, when
Montresor makes a pun upon the word mason, Fortunato does not
comprehend. So, when Montresor leads him into the dark recess, Fortunato is so
inebriated that he does not back away in caution. When he is fettered to the wall, he
is bewildered: "He was too much astounded to resist."
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