More handpicked essays just for you.
Symbolism in the cask of amontillado
What are the allusions in the cask of amontillado
Symbolism in the cask of amontillado
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Montresor begins his story by expressing his excitement over the future events that would culminate in Fortunato’s death. When he sees Fortunato one day during carnival season, he is so overcome with excitement that he says, “I was so pleased to see him, that I thought I never should have done wringing his hand” (1). Montresor reveals his true conscience by showcasing his enthusiasm for Fortunato’s future demise; in doing so, he shows that he is incapable of compassion and has no guilt. Because of his inability to feel guilty over what is to come, Montresor’s confession of the crime has no remorse. It lacks the grief associated with remorse and is more of a brag.
In the “Cask of Amontillado” Montressor is a very angry and vengeful man. He says that he was insulted by Fortunato, but fails to give a reason as to why or how. He begins to enact his revenge by luring Fortunato in with the rare wine and when his “friend” Fortunato is drunk, he t proceeds to bring him deeper and deeper underground, while telling him to turn around repeatedly. Once he reached a place where no one can hear them, Fortunato walked into what he thought was another corridor, but it would turn out to be his grave! For as soon as Fortunato hit the wall, Montressor chains him against it.
The lack of mental stability, homicidal tendencies, and the large gap in time, it is safely said that Montresor is not a reliable narrator. It is apparent to the reader that he does not have all his marbles. In what society would someone who is not all mentally there be seen as a reliable source? The fact that he is able to pick up on Fortunato’s weakness and exploits them proves how unreliable he is.
Unfortunate Fate in “The Cask of Amontillado” From the beginning of the of the story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator, Montresor, opens the story stating that the “thousand injuries” and irreparable insult caused by Fortunato won’t stay unpunished, and he seeks for revenge (Poe 467). Poe creates a sense of terror while he guides the audience to the unexpected revenge. The terror that Poe creates in the audience is only successful due to the use of literary elements. The use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and irony are essential to build the suspense that guides the reader throughout the story to a tragic ending.
Montresor is the story 's protagonist, as well as its narrator, meaning that the story is told in the first person point of view. Because of this, the audience has no idea what is true or what Fortunato is thinking; only the information Montresor remembers and chooses to disclose. Clearly, Montresor is unbalanced, and has a complete lack of remorse for his actions. The audience witnesses this most notably toward the end of the story, when Montresor describes “A succession of loud and shrill screams... I replied to the yells of him who clamored.
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.
As the story progresses it becomes exceptionally evident the role external conflict plays in creating Montresor’s character. To begin, Montresor mentions “the thousand injuries of Fortunato” and the revenge he is determined to get from the most recent injury, an insult (Poe 543). By Montresor choosing to open the story with remarks about Fortunato’s wrong doings towards him, it’s clear that he holds a grudge. These conflicts between the two men throughout their friendship have had such an impression on Montresor that it’s over taken him – it’s all he can think about; thus, he immediately mentions these conflicts at the beginning of the story. In result, Montresor as a character appears quite hostile and as a narrator appears unreliable.
The author's choice of words helps create the mood of shock because he describes Montresor’s actions after Fortunato gets a sense of what is being done to him. The author’s description keeps readers in shock because they can’t believe how cold Montresor was. Even though he never showed the side of him, he had it all along. The author’s use of words in the description makes the readers feel like they are in the story wondering what will happen next. Poe wanted the reader to understand what was going on in the “Cask of Amontillado”, so he wrote a detailed story choosing words that connected with his readers.
Do you think you could ever get away with murder? For Montresor, he thought he could. But he will soon realize the past can not be easily forgotten. Following the events after “The Cask of Amontillado”, you will see a man spiral into an abyss of fear as he comes to terms with killing(?) Fortunato, and the people close to him.
A case can be made on the relationship of Montresor and Fortunato, in The Cask of Amontillado. We are introduced to Montresor, a man looking for revenge, while his elaborate scheme falls into place, little by little, eventually resulting in Fortunato’s death. He then marvels at his work, thinking what to do next as he believes he has succeeded in his vengeance.
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.
He obsesses to revenge with physically and perfectly, and also enjoys it during the process of the plan. He is not lazy to prepare for revenge, he takes advantage of Fortunato’s pride well and lures him to the vaults. He chews well and enjoys the last moment of his death. In this story “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor is described a very callous and cruel man. Poe describes the mental state of a man who is going to kill people horribly and admirably.
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.
He states that Fortunato is a respected man, and that he will be greatly missed, and that he is happy as he once had been. He insists on turning around, and Fortunato refuses. Fortunato says that a cold shall not kill him, and he insists on moving forward. Montresor, I believe, enjoys the irony and agrees that a cold shall not kill him, because he knows that he will be the cause of Fortunato’s death. Fortunato’s lack of knowledge allows his to easily fall for Montresor’s 3rd step in his
The first-person point-of-view found in Poe’s "The Cask of Amontillado" is essential in creating the central theme of the story. This style of narration is also important in this particular story, because when a murderous protagonist, Montresor, is allowed to tell the story from his own perspective, the reader obtains a disconcerting look into his mental composure from the initial conjuring of his plan to the end result. The style of narration develops the unsettling tone of the story by allowing the reader to become personally acquainted with the thoughts and intentions of the protagonist. The first person point of view allows certain ironies to become evident, and furthermore, “The Cask of Amontillado” would not have been as psychologically powerful were
