3. Did Montressor have alternatives to killing Fortunado?

Of course he did! Any number of ways. But Montressor was obsessed with revenge on Fortunado, he wanted him to suffer an “equally” cruel death as possible. Likewise, Montressor did not want to be caught, hence his not being caught for decades. To kill him in other ways would have definitely ensured his capture, arrest, and punishment for a murder which is wholly unjustified to everyone but Montressor.

So the passage is about the comic mask is ugly