Poe’s Irony
To develop the analytical paper about the text “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, some sources will be used to support the thesis statement, which is “The author uses irony in the text to illustrate the murder of Fortunado by Montresor, who seeks salvation through death”. Also, there is going to be an analysis on the irony found in the text in relation with the story. To support this thesis, I am going to use some examples from some sources such as “Literary analysis: Irony in The Cask of Amontillado" by Amelia Tibbett, “Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado” by Kerry Michael Wood, and “Poe 's Short Stories Summary and Analysis” by Bella Wang , and the text will be written in the third person.
Although most of readers
…show more content…
The story “The cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe already starts with irony in the first sentence; “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”. By using irony the author allows readers to have different interpretations of his story; for example Poe’s antagonist characters has the name of Fortunado. He is the one that is murdered in the end, thus demonstrating that he is not as fortunate as his name seems to indicate. Bella Wang and Amelia Tibbett exemplify this by saying, in her analysis of Poe’s story; “Poe gives the victim the name of Fortunato, which may mean "fortunate" in Italian, but adds an extra element of cynical humor to Fortunato 's jovial and unsuspecting character.” (Wang) and also “the word "luckily" also recalls the meaning of Fortunato 's name and is thus entirely unfitting for Fortunato 's fate.” (Wang). Moreover, in her analysis of the text, Amelia Tibbett confirms the fact that the reader has a kind of freedom in interoperating the story; Poe cleverly weaves this story so that he has perfect control over the narrative, all the while allowing the reader some freedom in their own interpretations. (Tibbett).
In addition to this, the murder happens on carnival, which is an environment filled with festivity. It is also not a good environment to have a murder take place in. This is illustrated by Kerry Michael Wood; “the ironies grow more numerous. It is the carnival season -
Is killing someone justifiable? In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado that question is one that could be asked. The short story is about a man named Montresor and his quest to get revenge on his foe Fourtando who has apparently insulted Montresor. Around the time of the carnival season Montresor leaves his house to go find Fourtando and get his revenge he tells none of his servants to leave his house, but Montresor knows once that he has left the servants will leave and go to the carnival. Montresor who is dressed in all black finds a intoxicated Fourtando who is a professional wine taster, and then Montresor claims to have some Amontillado wine but he is not sure whether is genuine or if it s a fraud. In order to intimidate Fortunato and to lure him in, Montresor tells him he is going to get Luchresi another wine taster in the area, but Fortunato tells him no thus Montresor plan comes together and then he leads hims to the catacombs and chains Fortunato up where he leaves him to die. In my opinion the first question should be what did Fortunato do that was so bad for Montresor to want to and eventually kill him? Then the next question would be was the killing justifiable? In my opinion the killing was not justifiable. The reason the killing was not justifiable is because of the fact that nobody deserves to die such a brutal death. Another reason why the killing
“The Cask of Amontillado” composed by Edgar Allan Poe is one of the precise examples of Poe’s hypothesis of solidarity of the short story. Poe’s utilization of language helps the reader to understand the conflict between two men, Montresor and Fortunato. In the story, Montresor, cunningly, wants to take revenge from Fortunato. Although the two men are seen in an unexpected way, they both need a similar thing; to fulfill the desire for something that has long past due. Montresor is confessing his crime in front of someone. The story broadens Montresor character but limits Fortunato’s character. The theme of trickiness and revenge, is explained with the utilization of symbolism and irony, Montresor seeks peace
Throughout analysis of Edger Alan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” the readers are able to infer the intentions of the characters through Poe's use of irony. The character Montresor has been insulted by another character, Fortunato. As a result of Fortunato’s insult, Montresor vows to seek revenge on Fortunato by punishing him with impunity during the carnival season. To carry out his plot of revenge, Montresor creates a plan to sneakily rope Fortunato into examining a pipe of Amontillado because Montresor knows Fortunato prides himself on being a wine connoisseur. The Amontillado is supposedly located deep in Montresor's family vault which is where Montresor plans to bury Fortunato alive. Poe implements various examples of verbal irony throughout his story in order for the readers to see Montresor’s devious plan be carried out in a unique way.
The story initially starts off telling us the situation where Fortunato had wounded Montresor a “thousand” times. One day, Fortunato goes too far and insults Montresor ultimately resulting in Montresor vowing revenge. Montresor has to craft a perfect plan, for if Fortunato is able to revenge him in return then Montresor’s efforts will have been in vain.
What can a character that lived in 1700s Italy have in common with a teenager in the 1960s? Though it may seem impossible Edgar Allan Poe’s character Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado shares similar characteristics to John Updike’s A&P teenage Sammy. Both of these characters share sarcastic tendencies and a need to make a name of himself. Though, each man differs in the way he goes about making that name. While Montresor decides murder is the way, Sammy quits his job to be noticed.
Irony plays a key role in the events that take place within “The Cask of Amontillado.” There are three different types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. Verbal irony is when something has a different intended meaning then what is said. Situational irony is when what is expected to happen is different then what actually happens. Finally, dramatic irony is when the reader/audience knows something that a character in the story does not. Poe uses each of these types of irony in “The Cask of Amontillado.”
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe is a story of crime. It is not a “Who done it?” requiring a detective to solve (Baraban). The reader’s mind is compelled to use intelligence to determine the reason for the crime. The murderer treats his prey with high respect to hide his real deviant intentions. The villain uses flattery and the victims declared pride in wine to lure him as a participant in his revenge plan. The murderer makes certain that his concerns towards the victim’s health are heard and decides to strike during carnival season.
Feuds and arguments between individuals who may disagree with or dislike one another are a common occurrence in everyday life, often varying in degrees of intensity, but rarely reaching a point of extremity. However, in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado”, This threshold of extremity is reached by the narrator of the story, Montresor, who explains that his acquaintance, Fortunato, has repeatedly and irreparably insulted him over the course of years, and uses it as justification to take justice into his own hands and seek retribution through murder, despite there being no proof of Fortunato's guilt other than Montresor’s claims. His motive for murdering Fortunato can be attributed to his state of mind, as Montresor’s lack of guilt, empathy, or remorse highlights him as a character with psychopathic tendencies. As the story progresses, Montresor’s cold and calculating nature leaves the audience full of dread and suspense while he lures the oblivious Fortunato towards his inevitable demise. The employment of rhetorical devices such as irony, theme, and structure builds the suspense for the ultimate climax of Poe’s gothic masterpiece.
Amontillado is a classically known amber-colored, medium-dry sherry wine, and in the case of Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, it is the taste for Amontillado that results in the unfortunate and rather untimely death of Fortunato at the hands of the maniacal Montresor. Revenge is something that no one should have to experience; however, sadly sometimes, it is an inevitability that cannot be avoided. The Cask of Amontillado exposes Poe’s dark side and cruelty towards society and the world. In this short story, Poe tells about a rich drunk man, Fortunato, picking on a not-so rich friend, Montresor, but things quickly take a turn when Montresor decides to take out his revenge against his “pal.” Poe uses ethos, logos, and pathos deeply throughout his storyline to enhance the story and better the imagination of the characters, the deep meaning behind the setting, and the Amontillado’s secret.
When used properly, withholding information that is vital to the story without angering the reader, can keep many readers returning to solve a question. Or, at least, keep a story in a readers head even if they did not enjoy reading it. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a famous example of holding back information to keep the reader looking for more. It is done in such a way that it almost makes sense that the narrator, Montressor, does not tell us why he murders Fortunato, because, according to him, “you, who so well know the nature of my soul”, should already know this. (Poe 35) However, there are also way to use the same narrative technique, to hide vital information from the reader, but in search of the opposite effect, complete
In the short story,”A Cask of Amontillado”, Poe uses the literary device, irony to reiterate the idea that hateful or angry feelings can lead to deception. In the story, Montresor (the narrator) is seeking revenge on his work partner (and apparent friend), Fortunato. According to Montresor, Fortunato hurt and insulted him. While at a party the night that Montresor plans to kill Fortunato, he speaks about how “I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand” (Poe 6). This is an example of dramatic irony, as the readers know that Montresor is in fact pleased to see him, but for the reason being that he wants to kill him. Fortunato is oblivious to the fact that Montresor has anything going against him, which supports the idea that deception can be induced by another’s hatred. Later that night at the same party, the two characters are in the catacombs toasting with glasses of wine. Montresor shares that he is drinking to “(Fortunato’s) long life” (Poe, 7). This is an example of verbal irony. Fortunato believes that they are simply toasting to their long lives and the dead that surround them. Montresor not only says his proposed toast in what seems like a sarcastic tone, but he also means the exact opposite of what he is saying. Montresor is actually toasting to the fact that he gets to kill Fortunato later that evening. Because of Montresor's sickly-sweet attitude and the author’s clever use of irony, Fortunato is unaware that he is being
The purpose of the short stories “The Cask of Amontillado”, “El Tonto del Barrio”, and “Cathedral” is to explore the concepts of prominence in religion driven by symbolism, characterization, and theme used to manipulated the reader’s analytical views. Christianity plays an imperative role on all three short stories by the author’s through their descriptive scenarios symbolizing a religious ideology. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of religion as a hidden message in “The Cask of Amontillado” is portrayed through the ambiance developed in and the characters symbolism compared to Christianity and Freemasonry. In comparison, “Cathedral” exposes Christian principles shown in the beginning through the title and the symbolism behind the characters description. On the other hand, “El Tonto del Barrio” unveils the principles of Christianity via the theme of greed. Thus, all of the three short stories have a deeper meaning directed towards a religious audience that can capture the symbolism behind the story.
Is there anything that someone could do to you that would cause you to commit murder? Could you get away with it? Montresor is the murderous narrator who has committed the perfect murder in just such a tale, “The Cask of Amontillado.” Montresor plots and kills an unwary friend/foe during carnival time for motives that are unclear. The author of this tale, Edgar Allan Poe, influenced by his somewhat tragic life and one of the most influential Gothic writers, uses symbolism and irony to show the multitude of complicated motives of the narrator in his famous horror story.
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a story full of irony. Irony is defined as a literary technique in which what appears differs radically from what is actually the case. In addition, irony can be divided into three groups: dramatic, verbal, and situational. Dramatic irony is when the readers notice something before the characters do. Verbal irony is when the characters say something that differs significantly from what they really mean. Situational irony is when the actual result is different from what was initially expected. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe combines all of these ironies to tell the story and to construct the personalities of the characters in an entertaining way.
Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846) is narrated by Montressor. He is a gothic narrator, as his motives are associated with revenge and mental instability. In fact, the story opens with Montressor’s description of revenge of his friend Fortunato, who supposedly “insulted” him, and he lures Fortunato to his family’s catacombs for his death. However, Montressor is unwilling to reveal Fortunato’s insult and he is uncertain of why he wants to commit the horrendous act. Montressor’s narration is unreliable, and as the story unfolds we deduce his mental state. By carefully analyzing the tale, Montressor’s psychological dilemma encourages us to find the missing pieces of the puzzle and interpret the events in a metaphorical sense suggesting that the events are far less associated with revenge but more with Montressor’s guilt.