James Gargano, a famous critic, said The Cask of Amontillado was a masterpiece; a powerful tale of revenge; one of Edgar Allan Poe 's richest aesthetic achievements; deserves more analysis than it has received; and that critics have rightfully expressed admiration for the tale (Gargano). Like Gargano, many critics give Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado great acclamation. Though few critics are displeased with the narrator, The Cask of Amontillado is widely praised by most critics. "The Cask of Amontillado" is a work of art, and not just an ingenious Gothic exercise” (Milne). Other critics such as Bettina Knapp and Charles Dana, did not like The Cask of Amontillado or that Montresor felt no guilt. Poe 's characters murder and commit heinous crimes and feel no remorse towards their victims. "Bettina Knapp places ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ among Poe 's ‘shadow tales,’ which do not offer values. No judgmental forces are at work. Crime is neither a negative nor a positive act. Poe 's psychopaths do not distinguish between good and evil, nor do they usually feel remorse or guilt”
When reading any of Edgar Allen Poe’s works, the reader can almost expect a reoccurring theme that focuses on the questionable sanity of the narrator and the overwhelming presence of death that drives the story to its resolve. The two stories being compared are no exception to this theme as both are built upon the thought driven narrative of a seemingly mad man with a fervor for revenge. In both stories the reader is told of the main character, “The Cask of Amontillado” gives us Montresor and “The Tell-Tale Heart” is simply the narrator of the story, who seek out a character to murder for vague reasons not fully explained to the reader in a way that builds a picture of the way their mind works. As both dictate how and why they plan to commit their crimes, the inner monologue that is provided by a first person narrative paints a picture of the unstable emotional state and irrational thought process that gives the reader insight to how unreliable their account of the story actually is. This unreliable narrative leaves the story open to interpretation on whether or not the act of murder was committed righteously, or simply just the misguided actions of two insane characters.
Edgar Allan Poe, a famous American writer and a poet, had written several short stories such as “William Wilson,” “The Fall of the House and Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and poems such as “The Bells” and “The Raven,” which was one of the most famous poems ever written in English. There is always something different about Poe’s writing. Most of the classical murders make a person ask “who’s done it?” but his writings such as “The Cask of Amontillado” makes one ask the why question “why did he [Montresor] do it?” (Baraban). Every “detail in his [Poe’s] works that appear” has a purpose behind it (Baraban) and he “rarely depended on much dialogue in constructing his stories (Benton). In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses setting, foreshadowing,
There's a great deal of symbolism through out the story given: through the culprit's (Montressor) family crest;"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." a foot in a blue background crushing a snake whose fangs are embedded in the foot's heel, with the motto Nemo me impune lacessit (No one attacks me with impunity). The nam...
In order to fully understand Poe’s use of the narrator the two previously mentioned stories must be summarized. "The Cask of Amontillado" is a tale about the narrator, Montresor, who desires to act revenge on his acquaintance Fortunato. He lures Fortunato into his basement in order for Fortunato to examine a rare wine called an Amontillado. While in the deep crypt Montresor offers Fortunato more and more wine so that by the time Fortunato gets to the area where the cask is kept he is heavily intoxicated. Montresor then chains Fortunato to a stone and begins to build a wall, trapping Fortunato inside the crypt to die while Fortunato screams and pleads for his life. Montresor, hearing his pleas for mercy and life, ignores them and continues to build the wall knowing that no one will ever find the body of the unfortunate Fortunato.
Edgar Allen Poe most commonly known for his short stories, poems, and descriptive language in is writings, also wrote the story of "Cask of Amontillado". Mr. Poe uses several different descriptive words to set the tone for his story. From the very beginning of the story we know that it will be an eerie, sadistic, vengeful story. Mr. Poe speaks of revenge against a drunken jester who hurt his pride and humiliated his narrator.
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 macabre short story set during carnival, a time of supposed merriment, but takes a dark twist when the narrator decides to use it as a guise to exact revenge on an acquaintance. The narrator’s perspective on the story remains entirely subjective, giving no motive for deciding to murder his friend, only a vague allusion to "thousands of injuries" and insults (Poe 115). Edgar Allen Poe’s peculiar narrative choices of limited perspective and heavy imagery and foreshadowing give the short story his classic sensations of dread and mystery.
Montresor, one of the protagonist, his name means “my treasure” in French and his secret murder plan to kill Fortunato was his perfect treasure. Fortunato, the second protagonist, his name means “fortunate” in Italian and that’s an ironic name for someone who is going to be murdered and killed in the catacombs. When Poe concludes with “a huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel” (176), allows the reader to see how Poe uses the image of a serpent as a symbol of revenge. Fortunato, it’s obviously the snake and Montresor is the foot that it’s going to crash and kill him. Following this quote, Poe concludes with “Nemo me impune lacessit” (176), a Latin sentence that means “no one provokes me without impunity” (176). The Montresor’s family had that sentence as their logo, and Montresor felt that his family was insulted by Fortunato and that’s why he wants
Edgar Allan Poe has a style that is dark and morbid. His tone is very gloomy and obscure. The tone of “The Cask of Amontillado” is almost tame compared to the tone of “The Black Cat”, his other work we covered. The tone of that work is almost maddening. “The Cask of Amontillado” tone is very sinister and methodic. Whereas “The Black Cat”, has a pulse to a cadence and rhythm though no clear pattern is established. Poe’s style of writing seems so personal, as a reader I had to remind myself this was fiction. His first-person style of writing is so detailed and intricate it is very easy to become invested in the world he creates. “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat” both have themes of revenge where the supposed victim is untimely
“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.
"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.
The first literary device used by Poe in his short story “The Cask of Amontillado,”
In the opening lines Montresor explains what Fortunato has done to him: ?he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge?(75. The next line Montresor explains that he did not threaten him back and he did not reply to the threats. It was not in Montresor?s nature to do return the threat, ?You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat?(75).
Furthermore, just as Fortunato's words may have caused Montresor years of distress, as does both characters fulfillment of Montresor's coat of arms. Montresor is the heel, crushing and ending the life of a serpent, which fittingly represents Fortunato.