Answer

Epilogue to The Cask of Amontillado

The respondent, Montresor, gets summoned and avails himself in the court on the day the jury would make the judgment. The courtroom was occupied by people who had heard about Montresor’s cold-hearted crime. The people settled down, and the prosecutions began. The prosecutor started the session with the declaration; “Your honor, the evidence we have has found the Montresor guilty for the murder of Fortunato. We found Fortunato’s bones left underneath a house that belonged to him. The DNA tests prove that the bones belong to Fortunato.” At that particular time, the jurors whispered in low tones. The prosecuting attorney then proceeded. “Though we are unable to justify that Fortunato was there freely or forcefully, it is clearly evident that the killer enclosed the assassination. The magistrate observed the snapshots provided and nodded. Montresor brazenly looked down as the prosecutor handed over the photographs.

The prosecutor continued; “All the remains were found beneath his house. The remains of the deceased were in a catacomb room. Fortunato’s remains were found together with other bones, thus suggesting that Montresor might have been involved in the killing of other people. The defense attorney’s time to speak came, and he said, “Your honor, the accused really regrets, and he is remorseful of his deeds that lead to Fortunato’s demise.  He is a sick man and he never understood what he was doing since he is insane. It is impossible for an insane man to fathom what he does. Consequently, I request this law court to permit the respondent to be admitted to a mental health facility.  He has to be treated to evade such incidences in the future. It is vital to put away an insane man from the public and let him get treatment from specialists. His condition is the reason for his obsession with Fortunato.

The defense attorney continued with his presentation; “It became unavoidable when the departed was unable to offer the accused the attention he wanted from him. Request the panel to let the suspect be put under medication to advance his health. He had been undergoing depression due to his fascination with Fortunato.” At this moment, the bench started to listen to the defense attorney. He proceeded, “Members of the jury, if the accused is jailed for life because of his insanity, it might lead to more stress, and he might be tempted to end his life. It is because individuals who suffer from depression tend to have suicidal thoughts. Therefore, I urge members of the jury to have mercy on the accused and allow him to be checked into a medical facility. This tragedy could have been avoided if the illness was discovered early enough.

The judge was recording as the defence attorney was closing his presentation. The jury is confused since they are unable to verify whether Montresor suffered from pathological psychology or unstable psychology. Montresor’s condition occurs after fifty years when he tortures Fortunato to death out of rage for calling him a freemason. Being a mason is a lame reason for the defendant’s insanity. He probably suffers from personality disorder. The jury ruled that Montresor was in a steady state because he was still alive and could recall everything that occurred after fifty years. The jury makes a verdict that Montresor be imprisoned for life.