Mood Of The Cask Of Amontillado

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A story of suspense, revenge, and nerves, “The Cask of Amontillado,” intrigues the reader. The author, Edgar Allen Poe, utilizes various settings and situations to convey the general theme of revenge and the lengths one will go to achieve it. As Montresor seeks revenge against Fortunato, the author uses setting and imagery to convey the mood of the story. Throughout the story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” the author utilizes setting and imagery to convey an eerie mood; this captures the reader and results in a very entertaining story.
Setting in the story is often utilized to convey the overarching eerie mood. For example, the text states, “We came at length to the foot of the descent, and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of …show more content…

This is represented by the scene in which Montresor walls up Fortunato. The quote, “I reapproached the wall. I replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I re-echoed — I aided — I surpassed them in volume and in strength,” (Poe, 7) is representative of this. The detail utilized in this scene conveys the general mood of the text. It allows the reader to gain an understanding for Montresor’s thoughts and the horrific scene taking place; these both make the reader uneasy. The terrifying nature of the scene is exaggerated by details such as the sound of Fortunato’s screams, which increases the fear factor for the reader. The author includes these details to cause the reader to feel the eerie mood of the story more so. Another example of Poe’s use of detail can be found in the statement, “My heart grew sick — on account of the dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones” (Poe, 8). The detail utilized in this piece of the text paints the picture of the scene in the readers head. Through the use of imagery, Poe further displays the mood of the story. The details provided in this instance are creepy and contribute greatly to the overall eerie mood of the story. The details, such as the bones, or the