A Deeper Taste of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe tells a story of committing the perfect murder out of revenge in his short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” Poe captures his audience by using the elements of setting, dialogue and characterization in the horrific tale. Often times, the dispute with setting refers to whether the story is set in France or Italy (Reynolds 183). This is not as important, however, as the setting of Montresor’s home. It is completely empty with only Montresor and Fortunado, no attendants. “I had told them I should not return until the morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to ensure their immediate disappearance . . . as soon as my back was turned.”(Poe) Montresor leads Fortunado through his silent house towards the wine vaults. They climb …show more content…
The short story never explains the wrong doing that Fortunado inflicted on Montresor, it only reveals Montresor’s need to kill Fortunado in order to perform the perfect act of vengeance. After he seals the tomb, however, he calls out “Fortunado!” twice almost as if he is waiting for a response. Hearing no answer, he speaks of his heart growing sick (Poe). It lets the reader know that he feels some sort of remorse, he is guilt ridden. In conclusion, it is Poe’s use of setting, dialogue and characterization to tell the horrific story of the perfect murder that makes “The Cask of Amontillado,” so intriguing. Works Cited Delaney, Bill. “Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado.” The Explicator 64.1 (2005): 33-35. Web. 4 Aug. 2015. Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Online Posting. Web. 4 Aug. 2015. Reynolds, David s. “ On The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. 183-184.