Question

Select the correct inference of the given passage from "The Cask of Amontillado."

"These vaults," he said, "are extensive."
"The Montresors," I replied, "were a great and numerous family."
"I forget your arms."
"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."
"Good!" he said.

Fortunato likes the Montresor family motto.

Fortunato is forgetful.

Fortunato is jealous.

Fortunato does not respect Montresor or his family.

Answer 1

Even though it seems Fortunato is forgetful because he asks about what the coat of arms is and then follows up the question about what the arms is with a question about the accompanying motto, the inference in this excerpt is not about being forgetful. The entire tone of these lines is painted with the one word Fortunato closes this topic of conversation with—“Good!” What is inferred is that Fortunato actually likes the Montresor motto, and this plays into the theme of revenge and irony within the story because it is out of revenge that Montresor kills Fortunato.

Answer 2

Fortunato likes the Montresor family motto.

We can tell that Fortunato is impressed with the vaults when he says that they "are extensive". Because of this, we can eliminate the answers which say Fortunato is forgetful and that he does not respect Montresor. In looking at Fortunato's only other dialogue from this passage, "Good!", we know that he is not jealous. The exclamation point and simple dialogue tag, said, show that his exclamation, "Good!", is meant positively without any sarcasm. This statement of his also supports the correct answer that Fortunato likes the Montresor family motto. The motto is fitting for the Montresor's plan. The motto "Nemo me imune lacessit" means 'No one can harm me unpunished'. In the coat of arms, the human foot is punishing the snake who bit it by crushing it. In the story, Montresor feels that he has been horribly wronged by Fortunato and the entire plot is Montresor's revenge.