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Edgar Allan Poe academic literary analysis
Literary analysis of the man who wrote poe
Edgar Allan Poe academic literary analysis
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Judgement, humans place it upon others every day whether they realize it or not. Rather it is positive, or negative, it is hard to avoid, but the toll it takes on others can be much worse than the judgement itself. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story ‘Hop-Frog,” Poe describes just what can happen if one’s judgment about another is wrong. The story tells of a disabled professional joker named “Hop-Frog” who is treated less by the king and his ministers because of the way he looks, and his rank among them. In the end, Hop-Frog not only gets the last laugh, but gets revenge on those who judged him poorly and underestimated him. Edgar Allan Poe precisely establishes the theme to not judge a book by its cover through his use of detailed imagery, tone, …show more content…
The king and his seven ministers are all described the same. They are each known for being large, fat, oily men, as well as adamant and unique jokesters that are more prone to practical jokes (341). During the time period that this story is based on, the meaning behind describing these men as fat and oily is to show that they are of high importance and of a wealthy status. The men are able to afford and indulge in the pleasures, such as large amounts of food, or even feasts, which keep them the size they are. From here, Poe turns towards describing the characteristics of Hop-Frog. It is important to note that Hop-Frog is not the original name of this man, but when he becomes the king’s professional jester, the seven ministers place it upon him because of his disabilities (341). Hop-Frog is a dwarf with distortion of his legs that cause him to not be able to walk straight, but the thing that stands out about him the most is the power and strength in his arms (341 & 342). Although, this is not what the men notice, all they notice is that Hop-Frog is not as well off as they are so the only use for him is to give them a good laugh or ideas for a new prank. The men place judgement upon him solely due to his looks and what was on the outside; they did not take the time to learn about his personality or anything of actual importance. The imagery used to describe the …show more content…
The first bit of irony in this story comes from the fact that the king and his ministers fuel Hop-Frog’s hidden rage and anger by forcing him to drink wine for their benefit. They never notice how they are treating him, and how it has more of an effect than they expect. Because of their rank, they see it as nothing more than their right to be in charge of someone deemed less worthy than they. Another bit of irony comes from the fact that everyone who helps with the masquerade, as well as the king and ministers willingness to play the game proposed by Hop-Frog, ultimately leads these men to their deaths. There was no way that someone with the stamina and build of Hop-Frog could pull off the stunt he does, or so it is thought. In the end, Hop-Frog uses the oblivion of his “masters” to his benefit, and ends his torment once and for all. Hop-Frog takes advantage of the fact the king and his ministers only judge him by his outward appearance, proving them that he is so much more than what can only be
The narrator of the story seems to give off a biased opinion of the character and does so by using the literary devices of point of view and irony to contribute to the development of Clarence’s complex nature.
There are several examples of points made in How To Read Literature Like A Professor in “The Cask of Amontillado.” However, both the failed communion and the words drenched in irony are incredibly important. To conclude, “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe, draws many connections to Thomas C. Foster’s How To Read Literature Like A
Though the king initially represents a joyous man, his physical characteristics and dark humor state otherwise. In fact the narrator makes note of, that for the king “He would have preferred Rabelais’ ‘Gargantua’ to the ‘Zadig’ of Voltaire: and, upon the whole, particle jokes suited his taste far better than verbal ones” (Poe 1).Thus, in accordance to the unknown narrator, the king would fancy laughing at people as opposed to laughing with people. The narrator goes out to even state that the king also has a preference of what type of joke he likes. Instead of enjoying riddles and spoken humor, the king enjoys physically abusive humor. This quote is significant because it gives the reader an idea of how one characters outside role completely differs from their inner darker personality. A King is meant to govern his people, in this case however, the King wishes to oppress for his own pleasure. The Kings main sources of enjoyment were Hop-Frog and Trippetta. Both Hop-Frog and Triplett are described as being helpless and innocent. Hop-Frogs short height only adds to the child-like description given
Precise definition of a festive comedy is best outlined in the distinctive depictions if merry in the tone, exhibition of Elizabethan holidays, satire depiction in the composition to mockery which is to a greater extent natural. The same is resonated in depictions of comic faith wherein what matter most is the rather satirical and happy depiction of events in the hope of a greater cause such as religion and love. In structuring up the play ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream,’ there is clear mapped outline that makes reference to the ideal of it being regarded as a festive comedy but notions of the same are heavily transcended in the different sections of the play coupled with the ideal of comic faith as well. What is followed
Redfield, J. S. "The Genius of Poe." Foreword. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. A.C. Armstrong & Son. New York: A.C. Armstrong & Son., 1884. xv-xxvi. EPUB file.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "A Cask of Amontillado." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997. 209-14.
The manner in which Poe addresses the topic of class differences and the struggle for power with his fictional characters resounds of his own struggles in his personal life. However, unlike in Hop Frog and the Masque of the Red Death, he was never himself able to emerge wholly victorious over his adversaries, including the publishing industry. In addition, Poe’s characters appear to hint that while wealth may be the source of power for many, the correct use of information itself is the surest path to the acquisition of power.
The character of Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is frequently foolish, but he is not a fool. His exuberance and energy are allied to practicality and resourcefulness, with an alarming lack of self-consciousness. He, at any rate, is not at all tongue-tied before the duke, as Theseus has known others to be. We do laugh at Bottom in many situations, but should note that these are situations in which any man might seem ridiculous: amateur theatricals are almost a byword for unintended comedy, whether in planning (1.2) rehearsal (3.1) or performance (5.1); any artisan afflicted with an ass's head and appetites, and beloved of the fairy queen would have difficulty retaining his dignity.
As a literal deathbed revelation, William Wilson begins the short story by informing the readers about the end of his own personal struggle by introducing and immediately acknowledging his guilt and inevitable death, directly foreshadowing the protagonist’s eventual downward spiral into vice. The exhortative and confession-like nature of the opening piece stems from the liberal use of the first person pronoun “I”, combined with legal and crime related jargon such as, “ crime”, “guilt”, and “victim” found on page 1. Poe infuses this meticulous word choice into the concretization of abstract ideas where the protagonist’s “virtue dropped bodily as a mantle” (Poe 1), leading him to cloak his “nakedness in triple guilt” (Poe 1). In these two examples, not only are virtue and guilt transformed into physical clothing that can be worn by the narrator, but the reader is also introduced to the protagonist’s propensity to externalize the internal, hinting at the inevitable conclusion and revelation that the second William Wilson is not truly a physical being, but the manifestation of something
'Young Goodman Brown,' by Hawthorne, and 'The Tell Tale Heart,' by Poe, offer readers the chance to embark on figurative and literal journeys, through our minds and our hearts. Hawthorne is interested in developing a sense of guilt in his story, an allegory warning against losing one's faith. The point of view and the shift in point of view are symbolic of the darkening, increasingly isolated heart of the main character, Goodman Brown, an everyman figure in an everyman tale. Poe, however, is concerned with capturing a sense of dread in his work, taking a look at the motivations behind the perverseness of human nature. Identifying and understanding the point of view is essential, since it affects a reader's relationship to the protagonist, but also offers perspective in situations where characters are blinded and deceived by their own faults. The main character of Poe?s story embarks on an emotional roller coaster, experiencing everything from terror to triumph. Both authors offer an interpretation of humans as sinful, through the use of foreshadowing, repetition, symbolism and, most importantly, point of view. Hawthorne teaches the reader an explicit moral lesson through the third person omniscient point of view, whereas Poe sidesteps morality in favor of thoroughly developing his characters in the first person point of view.
Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most celebrated classical authors, known for his unique dealings within the horror genre. Poe was a master at utilizing literary devices such as point of view and setting to enhance the mood and plot of his stories leading to his widespread appeal that remains intact to this day. His mastery of aforementioned devices is evident in two of his shorter works “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.
Human nature is a conglomerate perception which is the dominant liable expressed in the short story of “A Tell-Tale Heart”. Directly related, Edgar Allan Poe displays the ramifications of guilt and how it can consume oneself, as well as disclosing the nature of human defense mechanisms, all the while continuing on with displaying the labyrinth of passion and fears of humans which make a blind appearance throughout the story. A guilty conscience of one’s self is a pertinent facet of human nature that Edgar Allan Poe continually stresses throughout the story. The emotion that causes a person to choose right from wrong, good over bad is guilt, which consequently is one of the most ethically moral and methodically powerful emotion known to human nature. Throughout the story, Edgar Allan Poe displays the narrator to be rather complacent and pompous, however, the narrator establishes what one could define as apprehension and remorse after committing murder of an innocent man. It is to believe that the narrator will never confess but as his heightened senses blur the lines between real and ...
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a frightening and entertaining short story about the severe consequences that result from persistent mockery and an unforgiving heart. Poe’s excellent use of Gothicism within the story sets the perfect tone for a dark and sinister plot of murder to unfold. “The Cask of Amontillado” simply overflows with various themes and other literary elements that result from Poe’s Gothic style of writing. Of these various themes, one that tends to dominant the story as a whole is the theme of revenge, which Poe supports with his sophisticated use of direct and indirect factors, irony, and symbolism.
Though each of the above works varies in the degree of satire employed, the pattern among them accentuates how satire can best be understood not only as a lens of criticism, but also in captivating the audience into considering their own role in the criticism. Often times, as has been shown, the authors’ utilize the end-states of protagonists to emphasize critique made throughout the literary work. Yet, the degree of ambiguity serves to engage the audience, which leads to a greater effectiveness of the satire. Therefore, returning to Swift’s quote on satire, the most effective satires not only allow for beholders to discover everybody else’s face, but through degrees of ambiguity, they also are able to discover their own.
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” is a saying is commonly used to emphasize how ignorance can result in decisions that lead to unfavorable situations. Likewise, in Where Angels Fear to Tread, Edward Morgan Forster uses irony, point of view, and satire to effectively emphasize how stereotypes, prejudices, misunderstanding of cultural differences, and hypocrisy could lead to unfavorable circumstances. Where Angels Fear to Tread begins as a light and comedic novel but later develops to become more dense and tragic.