The Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

Montresor tells the story in detail of how he leads a man, Fortunato, to his death. Montresor repeatedly expresses the need to kill Fortunato because he has done something to insult him and he must pay for it with his life. Montresor tells readers early in the story that he is going to be lying to Fortunato’s face by acting one way, but thinking about killing him the whole time. He says "I continued, as was my wont, to smile in

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.

     We don’t really know much about Fortunato: just enough to know that he must not have really known the true heart of his friend. He must not have

Irony is perhaps one of the best tools in enhancing a story. In Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado”, the narrator Montresor meets Fortunato, an old friend of his. Montresor has vowed revenge for Fortunato’s many wrongdoings upon him. Throughout the story, there are many examples of irony. Poe uses each type of irony to enhance the plot.

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

In the Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe uses verbal irony to emphasize the evil intentions of Montresor. Poe does this all throughout the story like when Montroso and Fortunato first meet. Montroso says, “‘My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met’” even though it is not lucky they met at the carnival because Montroso plans to kill Fortunato. Another way Poe uses verbal irony is, ‘"And the motto?" "Nemo me impune lacessit." "Good!" he said.”’ The motto Montroso uses means no one attacks me with impunity and in the beginning Montroso says that Fortunato insulted him so Fortunato just clapped to the saying that will be implemented on him by

<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 first case in which he uses irony is when Montresor comes in contact with Fortunato at the Carnival. In this meeting Montresor says, “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met." (Poe 80) This is an example of dramatic irony. Although the readers know of Montresor’s plans for revenge, Fortunato has no idea how truly unlucky he is to have come into contact with Montresor at that

Ultimately, it can be argued that the whole short story has the overall theme of dramatic irony, because Montresor knows all along that he is going to kill Fortunato, and Fortunato is completely oblivious towards the whole situation (Poe 1-6). A specific example of dramatic irony, however, could be when the audience finds out that Fortunato is dressed as a jester, which is also known as a fool (Poe 1). This is ironic, because as the audience, we already know that he is going to be tricked into something fatal. Another example of dramatic irony can be seen through the dialogue between Montresor and Fortunato discussing masonry; Fortunato states, “You are not one of the masons”, Montresor replies with “Yes, yes” (Poe 4). The conversation goes on to where Fortunato asks Montresor to show a sign of him being a mason, where Montresor then presents a trowel, a tool for masonry. This is ironic, because little does Fortunato know, that same trowel that Montresor offers, is the same one that will, figuratively and literally, seal Fortunato’s fate in the catacomb wall (Poe

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.

Later on the story Montresor is offended by Fortunato when the fortuned one tells him that he

"The Cask of Amontillado" is one of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest stories. In this story Poe introduces two central characters and unfolds a tale of horror and perversion. Montresor, the narrator, and Fortunato, one of Montresor's friends, are doomed to the fate of their actions and will pay the price for their pride and jealousy. One pays the price with his life and the other pays the price with living with regret for the rest of his life. Poe uses mystery, irony, and imagery to create a horrifying, deceptive, and perverse story.

He tells his foe “you are a man to be missed. That statement creates an unknown tension between the both of them, But Fortunato does not know what’s truly going, as he only knows about reaching the

The first instance of irony is Montresor's feigned attempt at shooing Fortunato away. Montresor attempts to leave Fortunato three times before the two venture to the vaults together, and by the time they do so it is by Fortunato’s prompting. It ironic

I shall not die of a cough”. The reader again sees Poe’s brilliant use of irony by showing that Fortunato does not expect to perish anytime soon. Finally, verbal irony can be seen when Montresor toasts, “to the buried that repose around us.” This reminds the reader that death is all around them. Later, Montresor toasts