Cask Of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe Analysis

"The Cask of Amontillado" is one of Poe's best-known tales of horror. It is primarily about pride and revenge. “Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story” (Literary Device). Through the use of foreshadowing, Poe presents a horrific drama of two men. In the Cask of Amontillado, there are several examples of foreshadowing in the story.

In “The Cask of Amontillado” Poe creates suspense through foreshadowing with words with strong connotations which creates anticipation in the reader. Within the short story there are multiple examples of foreshadowing throughout. The narrator “vowed revenge”(1) on Fortunato,but then further emphasizes his point by stating, “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (1). One understands the speaker’s intensity to fulfill his desire, while being unaware of the process. Poe creates a very dark and heavy tone using words with strong connotation. It expresses the passion and commitment within Montresor to complete the deed. From this quotation one can understood that the speaker will release his revenge intensely as the quotation also represents

It is Edgar Allan Poe's intense use of symbolism and irony throughout the Cask of Amontillado that establishes the short story as an indeed interesting candidate worthy of thorough analysis. The skillful use of these devices are utilized by the author to create this horrific and suspenseful masterpiece.

Literary devices are a high importance in an author's work. We can use them to analyze and further investigate why an author decides to make word choices. These devices closely reveal how a story's plot is developed into a great work. For instance, Edgar Allan Poe is notorious for his use of them. In all of his works, there is always symbolism and other elements that make this great author unique. A closer look at "The Fall of the House of Usher's" use of subtle foreshadowing and themes will help reveal its desire to create a sense of fear.

During the conversation, Montresor flattered him by obsequiously asking his opinion on a newly acquired cask of Amontillado. He tantalized Fortunato with the rare liquor, even pretending that his vaults where the wine was stored had too much dampness and "nitre" for Fortunato's affliction. He knew that Fortunato would be determined to taste the wine and insisted on being taken to Montresor's home. Furthering his demented plan he even plays Fortunato’s own ego against him by suggesting that another man would tell him what he wanted to know, knowing this would only make him want to taste the sherry even more. With this in mind, he sets the trap for Fortunato. He gives Fortunato numerous opportunities to back out, using the tricks of classic conmen by playing on Fortunato's greed and pride. Fortunato insists so Montresor complied while wrapping himself in a cloak to make sure that he would not be recognized. Earlier, he had told all of the servants that he would not be returning for the night and to “not stir from the house” this “[insured] their immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned”. Montresor used the excuse of the carnival; in this way, he would avoid arousing Fortunato's suspicions and would also prevent anyone from witnessing the atrocity he planned to commit. Apparently, Montresor had been planning this revenge for a long time and, ironically, had chosen carnival time as

     Revenge can be sweet, but in this case it is just down right grotesque! In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” it talks about a gentlemen named Montressor and how he is angry at Fortunato for insulting him in the past. Montressor will not let this go unpunished, so he thinks up a clever scheme to get back at him. This plan is in a way, ingenious but most definitely insane and crazy.

Another interesting thing is how the story is full of irony and foreshadowing. From the beginning Montresor is determined to kill Fortunato. He on the other hand displays no uneasiness in Montresor's company, and is unaware that his friend was plotting against him. For example, the setting in which the story takes place, is during the carnival. It is supposed to be a time of celebration and happiness for everybody. However, in the tale it is a time of revenge and death. The way the narrator treats his enemy is the clearest example of ironic elements. Montresor acts in the most natural and friendly way towards Fortunato. Also he uses reverse psychology in order to fool him a number of times. He claims that he needs his knowledge to ascertain that the wine he has purchased is indeed Amontillado. Further more he says,”As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn, it is he.” It is believed that Luchesi is a competitor of Fortunato, so he is forced by his pride to accompany Montresor to the vaults. During their way down in to catacombs, the twisted mind of Montresor, dares to give Fortunato a chance to come back, do to the dampness and foulness rampant in the vaults and Fortunato’s state of health. He of course refuses. Other memorable lines in the story are given by Montresor in response to Fortunato saying, “I shall not die of a cough.” To what he replies, “True-true”. And finally the story ends with Montresor’s words, “In

As one of the greatest German philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche, said, “It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge.” In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor mentions in the beginning of the story, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato” and that he is suffering because of these injuries. Montresor does not clarify what these injuries are. These injuries might be related to the fact that Fortunato thinks that nobody is a wine connoisseur who knows everything except himself and this might be insulting Montresor indirectly. Because of this, Montresor thinks about taking revenge to make Fortunato pay for these injuries, but not any kind of revenge; he

Poe is also using foreshadowing in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. At the beginning of the story, before the narrator enters the house he says: “Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn.” The small crack described shows

Edgar Allen Poe is known for the various literary devices he uses in his works. One of the most famous devices he uses is symbolism. In many of his stories, including “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses symbolism to further develop each story by the messages he writes between the lines. Symbolism is an important aspect of Poe’s many works, seeing as how it allows the readers to make connections within the stories. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe represents symbolism through the title of the short story, the outfit Fortunato wears, and the Montresor family motto and coat of arms.

The cast of Amontillado was written by Allan Poe at a time when he felt he was being unjustly attacked. Most critics believe that the cask of Amontillado was written by Poe against his critics in the Mirror. I believe the cask of Amontillado is a story of Revenge and Hatred against some friends whom be believed had wrongfully accused him. A review of Allan Poe as a person and his experiences in life is essential a clear understanding of "The Cask of Amontillado". Hence, I will apply a cultural method of interpretation.

The structure of a story is the backbone of the story and one of the fundamental aspect that keeps the plot going, but Poe uses the timing of the information to scare his readers. The beginning of these stories start innocently enough, but the reader soon obtains a piece of information that starts the rising action, and also sends chills down the reader's spine. In “The Tell-Tale Heart” the nameless narrator begins that story by saying that he is not insane, then promptly convinces the reader that he is insane by contradictions. “The Fall of the House of Usher” starts with the nameless narrator making a house call to a childhood friend, but the reason that he even came was that his friend told him that he was suffering from a mental disease. Coupled with the beginning is the

Imagine someone you thought you knew, turning out to be a complete opposite person. Even the people you think you could trust with anything could turn out to be the one’s who hurt you most. How do you really know if someone is who you think is good, is actually the type of person in which you had thought them out to be? And how can you tell this, before someone gets hurt? In The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, Fortunato starts to view the speaker as a friend, and then he was tricked and killed, just so that the speaker could get his revenge on him. Likewise, in Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning, the girl was killed by the guy that she loved, because he wanted her to stay loving him forever, and he wanted the moment to last. Poe

Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, sets a tone that is dark, gloomy, and threatening. His inclusion of highly descriptive words and various forms of figurative language enhance the story’s evil nature, giving the house and its inhabitants eerie and “supernatural” qualities. Poe’s effective use of personification, symbolism, foreshadowing, and doubling create a morbid tale leading to, and ultimately causing, the fall of (the house of) Usher.

Edgar Allan Poe’s life was the epitome of unfortunate and melancholy. At a very young age he was orphaned and separated from his siblings, leaving him quite isolated and alone. However, if he had never gone through such an arduous and cruel life he would have never become one of the most revered writers of all time. His life was best described by Alfred Tennyson at his funeral, “Fate that once denied him, And envy that once decried him, And malice that belied him, Now cenotaph his fame.” A couple of years prior to his funeral, he published a short story called ‘The Cask of Amontillado’. In this short story, the narrator keeps his intentions clear but does not reveal the reason for them. He leaves the reader confused as to why he decided to murder Fortunato. Some believe that this story is nothing but, Poe unveiling the truth about human nature. On the contrary, a paper published by Lena V. Baraban argues that the reason for the assassination of Fortunato is simply hidden in the text. In my opinion, Baraban makes an interesting and compelling argument because Poe’s writing is never what it actually seems.