The Cask Of Amontillado Analysis Essay

To begin with, “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story of revenge in which Montresor, the protagonist, retaliates to the “1000 injuries of Fortunato” (Poe 1) that he had bore; by meticulously planning the murder of his foe. Montresor seeks to avenge the insults made to his ancestral family name by Fortunato.

In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” it deals with how someone can turn a seemingly nice night into a horrible and tragic ending. Montresor lures an inebriated Fortunato to show him a rich wine. But in a twist, Montresor chains him up and suffocates him. It uses an exceptional amount of irony, verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. Edgar Allan Poe, author of “The Cask of Amontillado,” writes using three different variants of irony to create an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere within the plot.

Montresor’s actions lend to his vengeful and manipulative nature. He lures Fortunato into the catacombs of his home to carry out his plans to kill Fortunato. In the first step of his plan, he boosts Fortunato’s ego by saying that Luchesi was almost as worthy a judge of wine as he. Then Montresor tricks Fortunato into believing that there is an

There are many uses of irony throughout “The Cask of Amontillado.” One example that Poe includes states, “I drink,” he said, “to the buried that repose around us. “And I to your long life.” (passage 3) This statement shows a use of dramatic irony because the reader knows that the narrator, Montresor, has no intention of cheering the life of Fortunato and has a careful plan to murder him. This quote also demonstrates dramatic irony because it shows how Fortunato genuinely believed in the good intentions of Montresor, which would eventually result in his demise. This use of irony helps build up the rising action and suspense of the story leaving the reader wondering when the narrator is going to strike and kill Fortunato. Overall this use of

<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 Cask of Amontillado is about a man named Montresor who believes this other man named Fortunato insulted him. Montresor’s family motto is “no one insults me with impunity”, he feels justified in taking revenge on Fortunato. In the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, there are many examples of irony to convey Montresor’s crime, while using another layer of irony to undermine his revenge.

The Cask of Amontillado is a short story written by famous poet and author Edgar Allan Poe. This story depicts the search for revenge of a nobleman, Montresor, during the festivities of Carnival. The audience is quickly informed of Montresor’s distaste for his fellow nobleman, Fortunato. While we are left guessing what actually happened between these two men, we do know that it is Montresor’s ego that takes the damage. He was thoroughly insulted by Fortunato.

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

Furthermore, the fact that this story may have had another cultural influence such as the Washingtonian movement makes the story all the more interesting. The Washingtonian movement was a fellowship that promoted soberness. This gathering comprised of changed people who made it a mission to terrify individuals out of drinking liquor. It is even believed that Poe may have had an episode of substantial drinking prior in the 1940s and made a promise to join the group. Consequently, “The Cask of Amontillado” becomes a story meant to scare individuals out of drinking considering Fortunato is lead to his own death while strongly intoxicated.

There is a lot of evidence of premeditation in this story all leading to the demise of Fortunato. The narrator wants to get revenge but have no consequences for the murder. Early in the story the narrator states, “At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk,” (Poe 1). When the narrator states his idea of getting revenge without getting caught. This shows how much of a planner he is for this murder. He will plan the perfect way to kill without anyone knowing. The narrator also states, “It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend,” (Poe 1). The setting for this murder almost seems to perfect. It’s dark outside during carnival, later suggesting that everyone is drunk. This tells the reader that the narrator planned for this exact moment in which he will get revenge. Because of these quotes in the story the reader can suggest that the narrator has premeditated this

Yet, he has planned Fortunato’s murder so completely and concisely. Montresor deceives Fortunato the entire story by preying on Fortunato’s weakness. Montresor states in the story, “He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine.” He uses this to trick Fortunado by telling him he has a cask filled with Amontillado (a fine rare sherry), and he needs his expertise to determine the cask is genuine. Montresor is definitely unreliable in wanting us to believe he was betrayed. There is nothing to show us that Fortunato was not his friend or that his treatment of Montresor was unjust.

In Edgar Allan Poe’s short gothic story, “A Cask of Amontillado”, the narrator tells a dark and morbid story of how he sought out revenge to execute his enemy, Fortunato, the main antagonist in the story who had done wrong against the narrator. In Galatians VI of the King James Version of the Bible, there is a quote that states, “As you sow so shall you reap”, this is the message that is being sent throughout this entire story. True, what goes around comes around, but in Montresor’s case, the thirst for vengeance ran thick through his body to end Fortunato’s life once and for all. Rehana Whatley, shows how Poe’s criticism in the story fails, but turns into a better understanding of the overall plot of the story. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of characterization, setting, and symbolism develops that the theme of the story is that revenge is a powerful motivation.

The reader could predict that this story will end with a character dying and make connections throughout the story. Fortunato is described by the narrator as “A man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself in his connoisseurship in wine,” (Poe 3). The reader gets an idea of the type of person that Fortunato is along with his personal interests, and how that may affect the way Montresor gets revenge on him.

“The Cask of Amontillado” opens with the line “ The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (1117) all of this is clearly in reference to the fact that the protagonist Montresor, has been treated poorly by Fortunato. In addition to Montresor's intent to pursue revenge against his social assailant. Poe chooses to leave out specifics in regards to what ‘injuries’ Montresor has borne and, as a result allows the audience’s mind to wonder as to what Fortunato could have possibly done that would warrant his own murder. This ambiguity is perhaps suggestive of continually abusive relationship between the two parties that could have potentially been based off a difference in social class as later Montresor blatantly acknowledges Fortunato's elevated social status when compared to his own (1118). The line immediately following Montresor's vow for revenge begins with the phrase, “You who, so well know the nature of my soul.” (1117-1118). This line is exceedingly important, as rather than speaking in a monologue, Montresor addresses someone else in the room in the form of “you.”(1117)

Even from the start of the passage the irony Poe creates intensifies the mood. An ironic moment in “The Cask of Amontillado” would be when Montresor kills Fortunato during a carnival. In the text is states, “...one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season…” (Poe, 1). The author used dramatic irony in this situation to build suspense and tension. A carnival usually is associated with laughter, amusement, and just an overall good time. However, for Fortunato that isn’t what is happening at all. Although, Montresor may be happy, death isn’t a fun thing for Fortunato. As Fortunato slowly walks closer to the end of his life a throughout the passage you hear the jingle of his hat, and how foolish he looks in his jester costume. In the test it says, “No answer still...There came forthir return only a jingling of the bells,” (Poe, 7). Poe uses Fortunato's outfit, and hat, to show how foolish he is, and to intensify the mood of the story as it jingles in such horrifying situations. The hat Fortunato wears is considered to be humorous, yet nothing about him dying is funny. The blood-curdling mood of