It is not at all surprising that so many of Edgar Allan Poe’s works explore such themes as death, eyes, the power of the dead over the power of the living, retribution, the human conscience, and especially death and murder. From his disturbingly morbid short story “The Telltale Heart” to the mysteriously supernatural poem “The Raven”, Poe’s tales are a direct byproduct of the mayhem experienced in his life, as well as his (arguably) psychologically-tormented mind. Though all of this author’s pieces are very rich in elaborate themes, motifs, and especially fantastically blatant irony, one particularly stands out to me -- “The Cask of Amontillado”. This story recounts how a man called Montresor seeks revenge upon a “friend” who allegedly insulted him. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the brilliant use of situational irony and macabre humor creates significant parallels between the plot and the author’s own strange life. From the very first sentence, “The Cask of Amontillado” is absolutely saturated with both verbal and dramatic irony. In fact, even the title has an element of irony to it -- the word “cask” (which means “wine barrel”), shares its root word with “casket”, which means “coffin” (Cummings). Therefore, it is possible that the “cask” figuratively symbolizes Fortunado’s ultimate casket (death). Another notable ironic device used in the beginning of the story, is, of course, the name “Fortunado”. Though the name means “fortunate one” in Italian, Fortunado is anything but at the end of the tale, when he becomes the victim of Montresor’s brutal revenge (Cummings). Poe adds to the irony of Fortunado’s character by dressing him in a playful court jester’s costume. This outfit not only contrasts the horrid fate that awaits Fortuna... ... middle of paper ... ...d. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 552. Merriman, C.D. "Edgar Allan Poe ." The Literature Network. 19 Apr 2006 . Jalic, Inc., Web. 6 Mar 2010. . Meyer, Michael, ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 553-557. Swenson, Tree. "Edgar Allan Poe ." POETS. 16 Mar 1999. The Academy of American Poets , Web. 6 Mar 2010. Womack, Martha. "Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"." Poe Decoder. 08 Apr 1997 . Christopher Hallqvist , Web. 6 Mar 2010. Wood, Kerry Michael. "Literary Analysis: Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe." Helium. 09 Mar 2009. Helium, Inc. , Web. 01 Mar 2010.
The mood established by Edgar Allan Poe in his short story, "The Cask of Amontillado," plays a crucial role in conveying to the reader his underlying theme. For example, when Montresor, the narrator, st...
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a dark piece, much like other works of Edgar Allan Poe, and features the classic unreliable narrator, identified by himself only as Montresor. This sinister central character is a cold ruthless killer that is particularly fearsome because he views murder as a necessity and kills without remorse. Montresor is a character who personifies wickedness. Poe uses this character and his morally wrong thoughts and actions to help the reader identify with aspects of the extreme personage, allowing them to examine the less savory aspects of their own. The character of Montresor detailing the glorious murder he committed is a means of communicating to the reader that vengeance and pride are moral motivators that lead to treacherous deeds and dark thoughts.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “ The Cask Of Amontillado.” Heritage Of American Literature .Ed. james E. Miller.Vol.2.Austin:Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1991.20.Print.
Poe’s first-person narration style in “The Cask of Amontillado” allows the reader to experience a different type of story, from an unusual perspective. By making a killer the narrator, and by making him familiar with the audience, we can see the situation in different darker light. Rather than focusing on the actual physicality and action that takes place in the story, Poe focuses on the thoughts and emotions of the main character, thus making for a more intimately disturbing story for the
"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.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Online. Personal Computer. Simpatico. Internet. 18 March 1999.
Poe, Edgar Allan. Ligeia. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 692-701. Print.
Evans, Robert C. "Edgar Allan Poe , "The Cask of Amontillado"." 212. Literary Reference Center. Web. 1 May 2012. .
Meyers, J. (1992). Edgar Allan Poe: his life and legacy. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons Frank, F. S. (1997). The Poe encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press..
Asselineau, Roger. "Edgar Allan Poe." American Writers Vol. III. Ed. Leonard Unger. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974: 409-432.
In 1846, Edgar Allan Poe wrote the story The Cask of Amontillado. The story is about a dispute between characters Montresor and Fortunato. When Fortunato questioned Montresor’s honor, Montresor thought up an elaborate scheme to kill Fortunato in the catacomb where all his family is buried and, as it turns out, Amontillado. In this short story, Poe uses irony to emphasize Montresor’s dislike for Fortunato, how their names are different from their personalities, and ultimately, Fortunato’s death.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: The Modern Library 1992
Edgar Allan Poe is a wonderful writer. He is most widely known for his hair-raising stories. His writing style is unique in that he uses subtle details to add suspense to his stories. He also uses dark details to help his audience figure out lingering questions they might have upon finishing his stories. One perfect example of his famous style of writing is, “The Cask of Amontillado”. Throughout the story there are four important details that help the reader realize that the murder of Fortunato was not perfect revenge.
The style of the story is somewhat discombobulating, but this is Poe’s signature to the work. These ultimately mind contorting work grabs the attention from the reader in the opening line. The “Cask of Amontillado” is not written in a simple manner; if it were then it could not have been written by Edgar Allen Poe. Overall, the story is filled with irony, symbolism and imagery, embedded in a plot. Essentially, the story completely revolves around the components of irony. As disturbing as the story ends, the reader encounters a myriad of foreshadowing elements, and although we know how the story ends Poe still leaves us with bewilderment and unanswered questions buried within the story that can never be fully answered.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “That Cask of Amontillado.” Ibiblio. U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.d.