Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
literary insight on the cask of amontillado
reflection about cask of amontillado by edgar allan/poe
literary insight on the cask of amontillado
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: literary insight on the cask of amontillado
The Two Personalities of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous writers in the American literary world. His stories and poems are known for their gothic style and having the common theme of death. This is certainly seen in his short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” It is speculated by many that Poe suffered from the mental illness known as bipolar disorder. In a letter to James Russell Lowell, Poe said, “I am excessively slothful, and wonderfully industrious — by fits. There are epochs when any kind of mental exercise is torture, and when nothing yields me pleasure but solitary communion with the “mountains & the woods” — the “altars” of Byron. I have thus rambled and dreamed away whole months, and awake, at last, to a sort of mania for composition. Then I scribble all day, and read all night, so long as the disease endures.” In “The Cask of Amontillado” he presents two very different characters, Montresor the spiteful, revenge seeking killer, and Furtunato the impulsive, pleasure-seeking victim. The two opposing personality types in these two characters fit the mania and mixed state characteristics of those suffering with type one bipolar disorder. Poe used the characters in “The Cask of Amontillado” to express the feelings of madness he dealt with during his lifetime.
Montresor and Fortunato are presented as two opposing personalities, yet they also share a lot of subtle similarities. Mon trésor in French means my treasure and fortunato in Italian means lucky, successful, or fortunate. Both of their names have very similar meanings, which is wealth. Throughout the story I found that they repeated each other quite a bit, almost as if they were a reflection or a mirror image of each other. After Montresor tel...
... middle of paper ...
...s is or is not the loftiest intelligence -- whether much that is glorious- whether all that is profound -- does not spring from disease of thought -- from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect.” (Allan Poe)
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. N.p.. Web. 2 Apr 2014. .
Healthline Editorial Team, , and George Krucik, MD, MDA, eds. "What Do You Want To Know About Bipolar Disorder?." www.healthline.com. N.p., 25 09 2013. Web. 2 Apr 2014. .
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." Trans. Array Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing. . 5th. Glenview, IL: Pearson , 2012. 226-230. Print.
Fawcett, J. A.. N.p.. Web. 5 Apr 2014. .
Allan Poe, Edgar. n. page. .
Valiunas, Algis. "No to Poe." Commentary 127.1 (2009): 42+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.
Poe, Allan Edgar. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Norton Introduction to Literature: The Shorter Eleventh Edition. Ed. Spencer Richardson-Jones. New York: Norton, 2013. 164-170. Print.
Known for his mystery, macabre and detective fiction genre, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most remembered poets of all time. Usually when people think of him, mind images of premature burials, murders, madmen, and mysterious women who are taken back from pure death like some zombie-like creatures comes to mind. In 1809, Edgar was born the second son out of three, two of which became actors. After the death of his mother and father at the age of three, John and Francis Allan raised him in Virginia. Edgar was sent to the best boarding schools and later on attended the University of Virginia where he was successfully academic. He was forced to leave due to refusement to pay his gambling debts. In 1827, he moved back to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army where his first poems titled Tamerlane, and Other Poems were published.
Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Cask of Amontillado." In An Introduction to Literature, by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto and William E. Cain, 180-185. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006.
The life of Edgar Allan Poe, was stuffed with tragedies that all affected his art. From the very start of his writing career, he adored writing poems for the ladies in his life. When he reached adulthood and came to the realization of how harsh life could be, his writing grew to be darker and more disturbing, possibly as a result of his intense experimenting with opium and alcohol. His stories continue to be some of the most frightening stories ever composed, because of this, some have considered this to be the reason behind these themes. Many historians and literature enthusiasts have presumed his volatile love life as the source while others have credited it to his substance abuse. The influence of his one-of-a-kind writing is more than likely a combination of both theories; but the main factor is the death of many of his loved ones and the abuse which he endured. This, not surprisingly, darkened his perspective considerably.
Fortunato is depicted from the outset of the tale as arrogant and egotistical. Montressor begins his narration by saying, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (240). Though the exact nature of the insult is not made known, there are numerous examples of subtle slights by Fortunato throughout the narrative. Perhaps Fortunato is unaware that his comments are frequently demeaning but his remarks make him seem arrogant and uncaring. Early in the story, he indicates his belief that Montressor is not a true connoiss...
Montresor, fifty years after it happened, is confessing to the murder of his foe, Fortunato. He justifies his actions by saying that Fortunato caused him a thous...
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. Mankato, MN : The Creative Company, 2008. Print.
Weebly Editors.” Irony in ‘ The VAsk Of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe. “ Alice English. Portfolio Inc., June 2012. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Edgar Allen Poe’s gruesomely fascinating tale of vengeance and murder, “The Cask of Amontillado”, achieves its effect only through its usage of the first person point of view. This unusual perspective enables the reader to view the characters and conflicts through the eyes of the narrator, as he first discusses and justifies, and eventually, carries out his plans for the ruthless murder of his friend. The eerie tone and disorienting and materialistically-related setting of the story contribute to its theme of defending one’s honor and name and avenging all wrongdoings, even something so small as an insult.
Just about everything Montresor says is ironic. He says just the opposite of what he means. He keeps inquiring about Fortunato’s health, Fortunato says that he “shall not die of a cough” (554). Montresor agrees with him, he knows what will ultimately be the death of Fortunato. Montresor deviously leads Fortunato to the vaults “down the long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious” (554). Montresor opens a bottle of wine and makes a toast to his friend’s “long life” (555). As For...
Poe, Edgar Allan. "A Cask of Amontillado." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997. 209-14.
Hoping to obtain revenge, Montresor, the narrator, lures Fortunato, one of his friends, into the depths of his catacombs to be murdered. Montresor says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge"(149). This is the first line in the story, and this is why Montresor seeks revenge. There is no explanation of the insults that Montresor received, so the reader may infer that Montresor is just lying. The insults that were received could possibly be just outdoing in the business arena. Montresor might be using that excuse for his desire to kill Fortunato, because he may be killing Fortunato out of jealousy. Montresor is likely telling this story to a family member, friend, or his doctor while lying on his deathbed. Montresor says, "…your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter."(150). Montresor just admitted that he knows Fortunato is better than he. Montresor may have been under the influence of jealousy. Redd 4 There are different theories to ...
The first indirect factor that could contribute to Montresor’s vengeful act, and thus the story’s theme of revenge, is the character of Montresor. Montresor tends to harbor feelings of resentment and has a hard time not taking things out of context (Womack). He also plans the murder of Fortunato in advance and devises it in such a way that he will not be caught. In killing Fortunato, Montreso...
Poe, Edgar Allan. “That Cask of Amontillado.” Ibiblio. U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.d.