ipl-logo

Amontillado Symbolism

772 Words4 Pages

Jerry Urizar
English 3
1/5/17
Symbolism in ‘The Cask of Amontillado”
“Revenge is a dish best served cold” is an expression used by many, but what exactly does the expression actually mean. The expression suggests that revenge is enacted in a time when it is not expected. In ”The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor, the narrator, was insulted by
Fortunato and was so offended that he decided to lure him to his vault so that he can kill him. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado”, there are lots of interesting symbols that give deeper meanings to the story. For example, the carnival is a great symbol that is used to refer to the world of the living, which is a place of joy, happiness, and freedom. Another big symbol in the story are the vaults (Graveyard, …show more content…

Fortunato seems to be having fun in this carnival as he was described to be drinking,”He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much.”(Poe, 1) Fortunato is obviously enjoying himself and having a great time because he had the freedom to do anything he wanted. All of that will change when he ended up being surrounded by death.
Another symbol in the short story are the vaults of Montresor, which symbolizes hell, death and imprisonment in many ways. As Montresor and Fortunato entered the vaults, there are skeletons all over the place, up against the walls and on the ground as stated by Montresor, “We had passed through long walls of piled skeletons, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs.”(poe, 1) The skeletons signify death and also foreshadows
Fortunato’s fate. As they go deeper and deeper into the vaults, the presence of death grows as
Fortunato's fate looms ever nearer. The vaults also signified that he is getting closer to imprisonment, where his freedom will be taken away from him when he dies.
The Coat of Arms of Montresor’s family is very symbolic because it symbolizes the characters and it also foreshadows Fortunato’s fate. While both men are walking towards …show more content…

During this, Fortunato also asks for the family motto, which is, “"Nemo me impune lacessit."(poe, 2) This motto translates to “Nobody harms me with impunity.”, which also foreshadows Fortunato’s future. The Coat and Arms and Motto symbolizes the entire Plot.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a great story that has three very symbolic symbols that give a much deeper interpretation of the story. The first symbol, the carnival, was a symbol for the living as it contained a lot of happiness, joy and freedom. The carnival is described to be full of “supreme madness”, which shows just how fun the carnival is and it is full of Freedom as
Fortunato is drinking as much as he wants. Another symbol in the story are the vaults of
Montresor, which is a symbol of hell, death and imprisonment. Throughout the story, the vaults are described to have skeletons everywhere, which foreshadows Fortunato’s death and loss of freedom. Last but not least, The Coat of Arms is also a symbol of the entire plot. It depicts a foot crushing a snake. Obviously, Montresor is the foot and Fortunato is the snake. Overall, the symbols have a huge influence in the understanding of the story, which makes “The Cask of
Amontillado” a great

Show More
Related
1139 Words | 5 Pages

The use of symbolism is often used by authors to show a deeper meaning to an object within a story. These enhancements to the meaning of objects gives readers insight to what is really being represented. Although they may seem vague, they create a path to better understanding of characters and scenarios within a story. A proper use of this technique can be witnessed in Lord of the Flies. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, symbolism is used to depict a greater meaning within the objects that appear throughout the novel.

Read More
284 Words | 2 Pages

The authors also want the readers to have a mutual hatred towards Fortunato. 2. The techniques the author uses to help the readers visualize the place, people, and the events taking place within the story is imagery. He goes into details about the settings, and he also describes the coldness of being underground. The author also uses foreshadowing “I shall not die of a cough” and Montresor says “true” meaning he’ll probably die from dehydration and starvation in the vault.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

At the beginning of the story the narrator chooses the setting of Carnival. When one thinks of the carnival, the thought of joyful people, celebration and social interaction comes to mind. No one would have thought that that was the precise moment for Montresor to take revenge. The name of Fortunato itself is ironic, because the name of Fortunato means fortune in Italy. When Montresor reveals the audience that he “had fettered [Fortunato] to the granite”, the scene sends chills throughout the reader’s body (Poe 471).

Read More
1239 Words | 5 Pages

Montresor tortures Fortunato, both physiologically and physically. Montresor clearly gives Fortunato “multiple chances to escape his fate” (Delany 34), as he gives Fortunato obvious clues to his true intensions. These include leading Fortunato into a place for the dead, telling Fortunato not to go due to his severe cough that made it “impossible to reply” (Poe 5) at times, reminding Fortunato of his family arms, mentioning Luchesi, and showing Fortunato a trowel. Montresor seems to receive morbid joy out of the fact that Fortunato is so intoxicated that, just like the foot on Montresor’s coat of arms, he is unintentionally “stepping into his own destruction” (Cervo

Read More
97 Words | 1 Pages

In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe displays the theme of revenge and manipulation. The narrator Montresor pledges revenge on Fortunato for an insult that is never explained. He maintains an appearance of goodwill towards Fortunato and decides to make use of Fortunato's weakness for fine wines against him. During the carnival season, the narrator approaches Fortunato, telling him that he has come across something that could pass for Amontillado a rare and expensive wine. Fortunato being excited about the news insists on accompanying Montresor to the vaults to determine whether it is Amontillado or not.

Read More
690 Words | 3 Pages

Everybody will eventually want revenge on an old friend or just someone they know. Montressor, similar to many people in the world, wants revenge on one of his old friends, Fortunato. The story opens with, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 212). In this statement, Montressor tells the reader what the cause of his revenge against Fortunato is. “The Cask of Amontillado”, written by Edgar Allen Poe, tells the story of how Montressor brings Fortunato into the catacombs to bury him alive.

Read More
917 Words | 4 Pages

The book describes him as “ He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells”(Poe, 174). His costume is also ironic because it shows how he considers the night a joke. So, when he gets chained to the wall, naturally he assumes it is a harmless prank. But, in reality his foolishness has led to his death. In the Explanation of: The Cask of Amontillado they state “Further, we are told that Fortunato "wore motley," the garb of a fool.

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

The fictional short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe takes place in the catacombs of Montresor’s palace, during the carnival’s climax. The story begins when Montresor, the villain of the story, vows revenge on Fortunato. Throughout the story, the author doesn't tell us what the revenge will be, but his choice of words in the details creates a mood in the reader. The author’s detailed description in the short story creates different moods in the reader like anger, satisfaction, curiosity, and victory because the chosen words connect with the audience.

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

The Ultimate Revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allen Poe’s twisted nature is well represented in the unique writing style of “The Cask of Amontillado”. This short story takes the reader into the mind of a vengeful murderer who seeks the ultimate revenge. Throughout the writing, Poe combines emotion and imagery to impact to the reader. The construction of this dark and sinister work is manipulated by Poe by using the theme, point of view and tone.

Read More
1182 Words | 5 Pages

Symbols in “The Cavemen in the Hedges” In the short story “The Cavemen in the Hedges” by Stacey Richter, there are many important symbols that make up the story. All these symbols all have a type of connection to each other. The couple, the narrator and Kim have been together for ten years and trying to live a happy life but the neighborhood has filthy cavemen wandering around doing uncivilized unlike a human being. The whole neighborhood wants to get rid of them wild cavemen.

Read More
748 Words | 3 Pages

What is a symbol of a story? A symbol is something that stands for something else. Also it can contain several layers of meanings that stand for, or represent, something else. Symbol is using an object or action that has a deeper meaning for something more than its literal meaning. The story The Glass Castle contains a lot of different types of symbolic meanings.

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

Visuals and word usage help convey the mood in the scenes where it is the strongest. The mood of “The Cask of Amontillado” has a mood that is dark and mysterious with a tone of revenge. One can see this in the quote in which the character Montresor says “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”(3). The story is based on Montresor’s need for revenge on Fortunato.

Read More
2065 Words | 9 Pages

For the rest of Montresor’s life, he has to hold on to the secret that he murdered Fortunato. Secrets such as these take a toll on individuals. Another take on “The Cask of Amontillado” is that Fortunato acts as a symbol for Montresor. By killing Fortunato, Montresor is also symbolically killing a part of himself that he is ashamed to possess.

Read More
323 Words | 2 Pages

Montresor told Fortunato that he is a “rich, respected, admired, beloved” (86) man. He does not actually think that. When he says he “must not only punish” (83) Fortunato, but he must “punish [him] with impunity” (83), which he does. The first step in Montresor's plan is to get Fortunato to go in the catacombs. He says to Fortunato, “Come, we will go back, your health is precious” (86).

Read More
1208 Words | 5 Pages

Within the novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” the author uses specific symbols throughout the book to get certain points across. He uses symbolism through the setting of the book so we are able to read between the lines. The weather and specific objects in nature are two symbolic representations used consistently throughout the novel. Other forms of symbols can include the way he uses character names, senses, and animals. The author chooses to use all of these at specific points in the book to make our attention really drawn to key factors in the novel.

Read More

More about Amontillado Symbolism

Related Topics

Open Document