Theme Of Imagery In The Cask Of Amontillado

Imagery: “Broadly defined, imagery is any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Imagery may be described as auditory, tactile, visual, or olfactory depending on which sense it primarily appeals to—hearing, touch, vision, or smell. An image is a particular instance of imagery.”

Religion is the main focus point of the land and to obey the laws it sets forth is the highest calling anyone can hope to achieve. During Carnival that too is inverted making religion ignored. Many unreligious acts happen at Carnival in the traditional merrymaking including the law that prevents the killing of another person. This would give Montresor the ability to kill Fortunato without the guilt of betraying his faith. Montresor was, up until Carnival, the oppressed victim of Fortunato. During Carnival, however, that prospect is inverted making Montresor the oppressor of Fortunato. Fortunato’s name means he is fortunate “someone who becomes rich and prominent by chance (Fortune), rather than through personal virtue” (Baraban 52). During Carnival, however, Fortunato loses his luck and becomes unfortunate. Poe further foreshadows Fortunato’s fate by describing the costumes that they wore to Carnival. Costumes are a tradition to Carnival’s inversion on reality. The participants would dress up as someone opposite of what they are. In Fortunato’s case he was dressed with tightly fitted striped dress with a conical cap with bells attached which resembles the outfit of a jester or fool. Fortunato’s costume as a fool is symbolic because he would later be a fool to follow his enemy Montresor to his own demise. Montresor also had a costume that foreshadowed the fate of his victim. Montresor wore a mask made of black

In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor is guilty of the cold-blooded murder of Fortunato and should go to jail for his crime. Montresor speaks of the “thousand injuries” Fortunato caused him and, more recently, the “insult” that Montresor cannot forgive. Vowing to seek retribution, Montresor comments on the importance of ensuring his own innocence throughout the process of revenge. He goes out of his way to be friendly to Fortunato. Other evidence that supports the crime as being preconceived includes Montresor preying on Fortunato’s weakness, his love of wine and his conceited nature. He praises Fortunato on his knowledge of wine and taunts him with the full barrel that he just purchased asking him for his expert opinion. In preparation

Imagery is used by many writers and this is when the writer uses visually descriptive or figurative language.

However, in Montresor’s eyes, this “carnival” is a crazy event, since he was going to kill someone in this “carnival”. Therefore, during the event, Montresor wore a “black silk mask” and a “roquelaure”. Here, “black” can symbolize as a dead, evil and unlucky thing. It is just like the conspiracy that he set for Fortanato, without any hope and future. On the other hand, Fortanato wore a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress”, which is full of joy and happiness in the event. At this point, besides the season, the author also shows irony in Fortanato’s costume. It is because nobody would dress in colorful attire in his own funeral. It seems stupid for Fortanato dressed in this way.

An important element in any story is setting. Authors use setting to convey certain feelings brought on by the character’s surroundings. It also subliminally serves to illustrate the character’s intentions. In “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allen Poe uses the dark, imposing setting to do just that, communicate the underlying theme of the story, being death, revenge and deception.

Vengeance is monster, a monster that can grasp you and bring you to the depths of your soul; it can control you like no one else can. Vengeance has grasped characters as well, characters like the sadistic Montresor, and an utterly conflicted man. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “A Cask of Amontillado” depicts a murderer, a vengeful soul, and a sadist, this man is Montresor. Montresor decides to seek revenge for an inexcusable act of insult from his dear friend, by trapping him deep inside the catacombs, with no one to hear. Similar to Poe’s short story, “A Poison Tree” from William Blake displayed a conflicted man who is happy, sad, and finally angry. Once his anger overtakes him he decides to please his instinct and murder the foe he was

<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

Many people in today's world use revenge to satisfy their troubles or situations they are in. Often times people desire revenge so bad that it ends up driving them crazy. In the short story, ¨The Cask of Amontillado¨ by Edgar Allan Poe, this situation is displayed perfectly. A character by the name Fortunato triggered Montresor, which resulted in him developing a deeply thought out murder plan. This is why the theme, revenge can drive a person crazy, fits with this short story. This theme works because the author shows it through foreshadowing, verbal irony, and indirect characterization.

Imagery is any piece of language that provokes the readers mind to form a mental picture or image.

The Cask of Amontillado is considered to be one of the best short stories. Written by Edgar Allan Poe in first person and having all the main events as a three hundred page fiction book, The Cask of Amontillado is a complete novel. This short story has several themes which function from the first page of the story such as: suspense, fear, and revenge.

"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.

Montresor seeks vengeance in an amusing way to fulfill his family’s moto nemo me impune lacessit. Fortunato insults Montresor’s family casting impurity among the Montresor name. Fortunato desires for an amontillado wine clouds his mind to any incoming danger. Montresor persuasion and cunning ways lead Fortunato, to an early grave. The grave occupants are none other than Montresor’s own family.

One day, after the carnival, Montresor invites Fortunato to his family’s vaults to taste a new barrel of Amontillado that he had recently bought. After Fortunato falls for his trap, he carefully guides him through the damp vaults of his house, surrounded by dead bodies, till they reach the crypt, where Montresor conducts his action. He begins to build a wall to this crypt and traps Fortunato inside, left terrified and helpless. Fortunato has a hard time believing his situation, and hope that his is all a “joke” till the end. At last, after his final plea, Fortunato stops answering Montresor, even after his own calls. Montresor believes that his “heart has been sickened” with the damp vaults as he decorated the bones on his fourth wall. In the end of the story Montresor writes that for fifty years no one has disturbed them, and may he rest in peace. A part of American gothic, this type of horror story writing was used by american authors to write about the evils of society.

The story has subtle clues of how the grotesque conclusion will end. The name Fortunato has an indication of luck, a word association that his success is from being lucky. A fortune possessed that was not earned infuriating our narrator. The Fortunato has a rising social status, a status that used to be associated with the Montresor family name. This is stated by the remark, “You are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed” illustrates the Montresor who has a social status in decline and the