In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe there are several themes, but the themes that stood out to me the most were freedom and confinement, and revenge. The incorporation of the themes make the readers, think more deeply about what makes them feel trapped, what makes them feel free, and personal faults. Edgar Allen Poe explores the themes of freedom and confinement and man’s desire for revenge through the use of dramatic irony, dialogue, and setting. The setting in the short story is greatly incorporated into theme; it has a special purpose, to suggest freedom or confinement of the characters. Most people go back and forth with feeling free and feeling trapped. The author makes us aware of these emotions through details …show more content…
This is suggesting that, as they travel farther away from the open world, they are also moving further away from that freedom. Fortunato is eventually trapped in a space, chained up and bricked inside a crypt with no air and no way out— the human emotion of entrapment. Unlike Fortunato, Montresor finds freedom at the end of the story by being alive. For one character to be free, another must die. The confinement in the crypts makes both the readers and the characters appreciate the freedom they …show more content…
Through the use of dramatic irony, the reader is reminded of the true intentions of the character. We know something that one or more of the characters do not. An example of such irony is when Montresor toasts to Fortunato’s “long life”, we the audience know that Fortunato might die. Another important passage depicting irony is when the two men discuss Montresor’s arms. "I forget your arms." "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." "And the motto?" "Nemo me impune lacessit" (Poe 168). The Montresor’s arms show an image of someone’s foot striding a ‘rampant serpent whose fangs were imbedded in the heel’. The motto ‘nemo me impune lacessit’ means ‘no one insults me with impunity’. Fortunato is unaware of all of this symbolism. He is unaware that everything symbolized in the Montresor’s arms is what’s going to happen to him. He is the foot that is going to be bitten by the Montresor’s fangs. Through the use of the theme revenge, Poe makes the reader think about his own faults and dooms with
One catches a glimpse of Montresor’s lost happiness from his obscure past, moreover his distressed self-esteem, in this statement. His façade begins to slip. The strain starts to show. At last Montresor leads Fortunato to the remote niche and secures him to the wall. Surprised Fortunato does not immediately respond.
563-7 Reynolds, David S. "Sources and Analogues of 'The Cask of Amontillado.' " From "Poe's Art of Transformation: 'The Cask of Amontillado' in Its Cultural Context. " New Essays on Poe's Major Tales. Ed.
Vengeance and pride are fundamentally important to this short story. From the inception of the tale it is clear that the narrator is a proud, vindictive man; opening with, “the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge,” the narrator immediately alerts the reader to the dark aspects of his own character. Because “insult” and not “the thousand injuries” caused the narrator to “vow” revenge, the reader can infer Montresor is prideful because, although he already had conflict with Fortunato, insult was what made the tense situation unbearable for Montresor––so much so that he vowed to take action. Use of the word “vow” is significant because it indicates that the grievance was meaningful in the mind of Montresor, allowing for the reader to more easily identify with the actions to be revealed throughout the course of the story; if the reader believes that Montresor was provoked in a profound way, ...
Within this plot of revenge, Poe uses irony and symbolism to develop his theme of a man who tries to gain absolution for the sin he is about to commit. Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado" Poe
Throughout the story, Montresor does not justify his reasons for committing murder. He does not disclose anything about the “thousand injuries” (250) done to him by Fortunato, nor does he even reveal the details of the supposed injuries that drove him to vow revenge. Montresor’s family motto, “nemo me impune lacessit” which means “no one insults me with impunity” (252), indicate that Montresor only killed Fortunato to protect his family’s
The author writes how in the beginning of the story, Montresor had reacted from all the hurt he had gone through. It states, “A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (174). This shows how Montresor is stating how he will create a plan that will make up for the actions that Fortunato himself had done. This would make them even, as Montresor’s plan wouldn't fail. Not to mention, Montresor clearly states that he is seeking revenge in the beginning of the story when he states, “but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge… At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk” (173). This explains the thought in Montresor’s head of why he wanted to kill Fortunato for Fortunato had hurt him. As a cause of the insults, Montresor would leave Fortunato in the catacombs to die. Last but not least, Montresor has very unusual statements. For example, the last sentence of the story states what Montresor said as he placed the last stone in the wall. He said, “In pace requiescat!” (179). This translates to In peace he rests. Someone looking to hurt another would probably not wish that they would live happily after death, so it is unusual that Montresor wishes that Fortunato rests in
...The phrase that Fortunato says, “For the love of God, Montresor!” provoked a great deal of critical arguments. suggest (insert citation here) that Montresor has finally brought Fortunato to the pit of despair, seen through his invocation of a God that has left Montresor behind. Other critics, argue that Fortunato ridicules the “love of God,” thus making use of the identical irony that Montresor has successfully used to attract him to the catacombs. Those were Fortunato’s last words, and in the intense desperation that Montresor displays in response implys that he wants Fortunato more than he is willing to admit. Only when Montresor screams Fortunato name twice loudly, with no reply, does Montresor have a sick heart. The reason why Fortunato is so silent are vague, but maybe his refusal to answer Montresor is a type of desperate victory in otherwise dire situation.
Montresor meets his fake friend Fortunato and tells him about amontillado. Montresor had probably been humiliated or embarrassed by this jest, because he is angered once he lays eyes on him from a distance. Fortunato was wearing a jester outfit which makes him seem that he is not meant to be taken seriously. Once met he then manipulate Fortunato into following him into the catacombs of the montresor’s. Once in the catacomb, Montresor then precedes to tell Fortunato about his cough. Trying to lead Fortunato into thinking that he deeply cares about his health, but Fortunato not wanting Luchresi to come along he keep moving forward. While walking
Poe uses the aspects of dramatic and verbal irony, foreshadowing and symbolism to shape his tale of revenge. Fortunato's fate is death and Montresor tries to make his intentions seem honorable. His intentions were not honorable, just evil. He does however, manage to get what he set out for, revenge.
Fortunato asks about Montresor’s coat of arms and he replies “A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." (Poe 146) This imagery symbolizes that Fortunato has taken a bite out of Montresor and he is bringing his foot down on his attacks. The motto of Montresor’s Family "Nemo me
Montresor is planning on seeking revenge on a man who wronged him named Fortunato; however, in order to carry out his plans he “gives explicit orders [to his attendants] not to stir from the house” (118). Through telling his attendants not to leave the home he knew with certainty they would vacate in the blink of an eye. With the usage of irony in his story, Poe displays Montresor’s mastery of manipulating his attendants showing to the reader the more atrocious side of the human mind. Carrying on with the “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor’s manipulative and wicked characteristics come to full front when Fortunato ironically comments about the stupidity of his rival. As they are walking about the catacombs, Montresor comments,“herein is the Amontillado.
While commenting on how extensive the vaults are, Fortunato is told by Montresor that his is “a great and numerous family.” To which Fortunato replies that he forgets his coat of arms so Montresor describes it for him and reveals that the motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit.” An obvious symbol that although this is Montresor’s family motto, it is directed at Fortunato for the transgression he has
Because Montresor narrates the story in the first person, the reader is able to perceive his thoughts and understand his motivations and justifications for his ruthless murder in a manner which a third person point of view would not allow. Montresor’s personal narration of the events of the story does not justify his crime in the audience’s eyes, but it does offer a unique opportunity for the audience to view a murder from the perspective of a madman killer. It is Poe’s usage of this unique angle that causes the story to be so captivating and gruesomely fascinating. As the story opens, Montresor explains why it is necessary that he “not only punish but punish with impunity” to avenge for Fortunado’s insult to him. This justification for his crime is a piece of information that the audience is able to learn only because they are permitted inside the mind of the protagonist. In the final scene, when Montresor is carrying out his murder pl...
Despite being urged against it several times; he ventures on willingly to his tomb. The warnings also serve another purpose; Montresor offers his prey a way out in exchange for Fortunato’s pride to be injured. Accepting the invitation of heading back would mean weakness, but possibly would have saved Fortunato’s life for losing his pride.
The major characteristics of the narrator and main character, Montresor, are anger, hatred, and revenge. In the story, he is angry with Fortunato because he believes that Fortunato has wronged and insulted him many times by saying, “thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could…he ventured upon insult…” (Poe). In addition, Montresor’s hatred for Fortunato goes so far that he believes he must kill Fortunato. He mentions this in the story as, “[y]ou, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat” (Poe). He seems to say that his soul is made of hatred and goes on to say he must give Fortunato the utmost punishment: death. Montresor even shows traits of revenge when he says, “…but when [Fortunato] ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” and “...I would be avenged…” (Poe). He is saying that he will get revenge on Fortunato, whom he is angry with and hates for being insulted by.