preview

Cask Of Amontillado Unity And Effect Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

The short story “A Cask of Amontillado” was written in 1846 by Edgar Allen Poe, the famous gothic horror story writer. The story is widely considered a perfect piece because of Poe’s ability to utilize what he called the unity of effect. This is a process that Poe uses in which he makes every aspect of the narrative to be relevant to the effect on the reader. Essentially, the story only includes plot details that are important to the purpose of the piece, and any unnecessary subplots are strictly expelled. The unity of effect approach is clear in “A Cask of Amontillado,” and the use of it provides a clear, concise, and unwavering support to Poe’s themes of revenge and foolishness. The most important part of the plot of “A Cask of Amontillado” is the consistency of the …show more content…

There is such a great deal of irony in “A Cask of Amontillado” that it can be directly related to the characters, setting, and plot of the story. Poe does this most effectively through dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. First, the situation irony is brought forth due to “the supreme madness of the carnival” (Poe 291). Carnivals would most likely be times of enjoyment, but Poe uses this situation as an advantage for his main character. The dramatic irony comes from the reader’s knowledge of Montresor's revenge plot. Fortunato does not suspect any wrongdoing, but the reader knows everything about his fate. And finally, the verbal irony of the masons. The irony derived from this situation will make every reader cringe at the foolishness of Fortunato. When Montresor brings out “a trowel,” the ultimate act of deception is committed (Poe 293). Montressor literary shows Fortunato the tool in which he will bury him. Even more ironically, Montressor is not even a real mason! Such irony throughout “A Cask of Amontillado” advances the story in a direct manner, and ultimately provides a better understanding of the purpose of the

Get Access