Edger Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado utilizes tone, irony, and symbolism to foreshadow the unfortunate fate of Fortunato. The tale of suspense and revenge consists of the narrator's confession to a close confidant of a murder he committed over fifty years ago. The narrator goes on to describe the careful planning and execution of his crime as he lures an unsuspecting man down to his family's catacombs and proceeds to slowly bury him alive. The narrator, referred to only by the last name Montresor, develops an eerie obsession with exacting revenge on Fortunato, a man he feels has wronged him in numerous ways, as described in the text as, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” …show more content…
Fortunato's insults and Montresor's sincere vow of revenge carry heavier weight when the Montresor family coat of arms, described as, “A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel” (Poe 414). This symbolizes that those of the Montresor have an obligation to take revenge on those who have harmed members of the family in some way, and in doing so must harsh and unforgiving. On the other hand, Fortunato symbolizes the snake, resulting from his insulThe confessed encounter between the narrator and Fortunato begins at a Italian carnival in which both characters appear dressed up in costumes. Fortunato’s ensemble is described in the text as, “He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Poe 411). The colorful image of Fortunato dressed as a jester symbolizes his role within the story as he foolishly places all his trust within Montresor and is effortlessly manipulated by the narrator as he believes the threatening actions of Montresor are merely jokes, ultimately resulting in his demise In contrast, Montresor’s attire consists of much more conservative attire depicted as, “Putting on a