Describe Fortunato's Character

Fortunato appears to be an extreme extrovert.
He likes to get drunk. He has a lot of money and evidently enjoys spending it on his own
enjoyment. He is wearing a jester's costume when Montresor encounters him on the street. People
generally choose costumes that represent what they think of themselves, how they would like
others to perceive them, and/or what they would like to be. Fortunato would like to be thought
of as a very funny fellow, but if he has really injured Montresor a thousand times, then he is
the kind of "funny fellow" who likes to inflict pain. The court jesters of old were
often cruel in their jests because they had the protection of a powerful patron. The grave
digger in Hamlet says that Yorick, the king's jester, poured a bottle of
wine over his head one time. That may have amused the king and his guests, but the victim would
not have been amused. King Lear's fool is constantly saying hurtful truths to Lear and to
others. Many of the "injuries" Montresor suffered from Fortunato may have been painful
digs that hurt his pride. Montresor describes Fortunato as "a man to be respected and even
feared."