Symbolism and Irony in The Cask of Amontillado

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.

Some people believe that Fortunato should have seen Montresor’s evil plan coming, and that he deserved this fate. At the very beginning of the story, Montresor “The thousand

Irony and foreshadowing are literary devices used in literature. Foreshadowing is when an element in the story is used to hint an event that will occur further along in the story. There are many different types of Irony. One of these is dramatic irony, which refers to when a character thinks something is true yet the audience know the actual truth of the situation. Another type of irony is

Fortunato,” ‘I should like your opinion. But if you are too busy, I will get Luchesi’s advice. If anyone is a good judge, he is’”(Poe 68). The citation shows Montresor's deceitfulness since he is trying to guilt Fortunato to come with him. By saying he would like Fortunato's advice, it’s guilting Fortunato to come into the catacombs; only a brilliant and deceitful man could come up with this proposal. I can deduce that without Montresor's deviance, he would’ve never been able to trick Fortunato into the catacombs and to his death. Montresor's deceitfulness also fooled Fortunato to help him in carrying out his own death. Montresor tricks Fortunato into drinking for his cough, intoxicating him more and more with each sip. “I do not wish to alarm you-but you should take care of yourself. A drink of this Medoc will defend you from the damp”( Poe 69). This cite reveals how Montresor is tricking Fortunato into killing himself practically, and helping Montresor succeed. I can summarize that Montresor planned from the beginning to fool Fortunato into helping him by

To begin with, Montresor taking revenge on Fortunato is quite evil. When Montresor trick Fortunato down to the cellar by using Fortunato’s ego and taste in wine it is very cool and calculating. In the text Montresor says, “ As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical turn, it is he. He will tell me--.” (Montresor 58) This plays off of Fortunato ego saying somebody else had a better taste in wine then he did. In like manner, Montresor was very happy and excited to see Fortunato during carnival. Which is just an act to lure Fortunato to the catacombs. Montresor says in his head, “ I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” (Montresor57) Furthermore, Montresor offers many times for Fortunato to turn back because of the cold or of his health. The short story states, “ Come sais Montresor, we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was.” This is cruel because once Fortunato gets to the bottom of the catacombs he will never get to turn back.

It is indicated that in the past that Fortunato has hurt Montresor many times, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.” However, there were never any insults or unkind acts actually mentioned in the story. It is exactly the opposite. Fortunato was friendly and helpful towards Montresor. From the very beginning of the story, one can obviously see that Montresor thinks that Fortunato has wronged him. “He had a weak point-this Fortunato-although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared.” This line shows that Montresor’s plan was well thought out. There is not any indication of what Fortunato thinks about Montresor. It can only be assumed that he trusts him do to the fact that he follows Montresor into the catacombs. It is up until the last moment, before the last brick is laid, that Fortunato believes this is all a joke. “Ha! Ha! Ha! – He! He! He! – a very good joke, indeed-an excellent jest.” Montresor is successful in his plan for vengeance. He succeeds in having Fortunato follow him into the catacombs and with great ease, had him up against the wall and shackled. Then tier-by-tier, Montresor constructed Fortunato’s tomb of bricks around him. When Montresor called out to him, he heard nothing and thus his plan was a success. “In pace requiescat!”

Montresor teases Fortunato quite a few times while leading him deep into the catacombs. In the beginning of the story, Montresor tells Fortunato that he has purchased a wine called Amontillado but cannot be sure that it

<br>The way the narrator treats his enemy is one of the clearest examples for ironic elements. When the characters meet, Montresor realises that Fortunato is afflicted with a severe cold, nevertheless he makes a point of him looking "remarkably well". Montresor acts in the most natural and friendly way towards the man object of his revenge, and even praises his "friend's" knowledge in the subject of wines. Also upon their meeting, Montresor begins a psychological manipulation of Fortunato. He claims that he needs his knowledge to ascertain that the wine he has purchased is indeed Amontillado. Furthermore, he acknowledges that Fortunato is engaged in another business (i.e.: the celebration of carnival), so he would go to Luchresi, who, one is made to believe, is a competitor of Fortunato's. To these words, Fortunato is forced by his pride to accompany Montresor to the vaults (where the Amontillado is kept), dissipate his doubts and also to prove his higher status than Luchresi as a connoisseur of wine. In fact, during their way down under in the catacombs, the twisted mind of Montresor, dares to give Fortunato the chance to go back, due to the almost unbearable dampness and foulness rampant in the vaults and Fortunato's state of health. The narrator clearly knows about the stubborn nature of Fortunato, and is

The amontillado was a significant symbol because it is what is used to lure fortunate and represents a rare, “fortunate would clearly imply that is man of good fortunate, when the actual cause is that he is about to scuffs a mostly untimely demise” which is ironic because fortunato is not very fortunito. “montresor plans to take revenge on fortunate for insulting him in a big manner, that montresor wants to kill him. “ montresor lures fortunate to his families catacombs and succeeds in killing him without nobody knowing rampant ‘ whose fangs are ibetted in the heel” and the motto?” nemo me impune lacessit.” “the protagonist bears the French surname motresor. “ His name (repatation) is his “treasure.””

Hoping to obtain revenge, Montresor, the narrator, lures Fortunato, one of his friends, into the depths of his

Montresor has always resented Fortunato for his actions towards him and suffered over fifty years from guilt and torment. As said by the narrator “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had

Then the narrator expresses that montresor wants to get revenge on fortunato. Montresor meets fortunato at carnival all dressed up as a goofy looking jester and already drunk from previous alcoholic beverages he has had before montresor arrived there. Montresor soon leads fortunato into his family vaults very drunk from the carnival. Montresor use reverse psychology by telling fortunato he did not want to be responsible for fortunato’s sickness and that they should go back, but fortunato was to drunk and not thinking straight he kept saying no and to kept going. Montresor knew fortunato would have been so eager and drunk that he would refuse to turn back even if he wa getting sick from the niter. Montresor is not emotionally and mentally stable when he overheard the insult fortunato has been saying about him. Montresor takes it to heart to where he stars going by his family motto which is “ nemo me impune lacessit” which translates to “ no one attacks me with impunity.” The deeper meaning for the cask of amontillado is that you should never jump to conclusion over something that you may not know the full details of. Like montresor when he hear about the rumor fortunato has been telling behind montresor’s back. In the story the cask amontillado there is a huge conflict between montresor and fortunato cause of an insult that could

Not only does the title represent the item that one of the main characters wants, but also the character himself. The way amontillado is made, is the same way Fortunato is characterized. Since the beginning of the story, it is established that Fortunato is an alcoholic. Montresor finds him drunk and lures him into the catacombs to drink more alcohol. True amontillado develops naturally, transforming through age; medium sherry, in contrast, is an amontillado that has been sweetened and fortified with alcohol from the start.

Montresor pretends to be very sympathetic of Fortunato in order to bait him into following. When Fortunato continues to cough excessively, Montresor constantly suggests they should turn back so Fortunato doesn’t fall ill. Though Montresor obviously has no concern for Fortunato’s health, he knows Fortunato has too much pride to turn back. Montresor also continuously suggests he can just ask Luchesi for help, which makes Fortunato even more determined to be the one to help. By offering Fortunato wine samples along the journey making him more and more drunk, Montresor makes his task easier.

As they walk into Montresor’s damp vaults to get the wine, it is apparent that the narrator sent all his servants to the carnival to guarantee that only he and Fortunato were at the vaults at the time. After Fortunato is heavily intoxicated with wine, Montresor ceases his moment and chains him up to a stone wall, and finally buries him alive. From the moment the two get