How “The Cask of Amontillado” Captivates Readers Several qualities in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe engage the reader’s attention, including the use of dramatic and verbal irony, the vivid imagery throughout the story, and the building of suspense. The first aspect Poe uses to capture the reader’s attention is the utilization of dramatic and verbal irony. Until Montessor can actually chain Fortunado, he verbalizes the idea that Fortunado will live a long and prosperous life, as shown here, “your health is precious” (Poe 2), and here, “And I to your long life” (Poe 3). Montessor has no intentions of letting Fortunado live this long life, which leaves readers with two questions: has Montessor changed his mind all together about his …show more content…
The use of verbal and dramatic irony helps construct these questions. This, among other factors, keeps the reader interested until the end to find out the answer to their question. The final way Edgar Allan Poe makes this story a riveting read is through vivid imagery. Examples of this appear in multiple places, but specifically here, “Its walls had been lined with human remains” (Poe 4), and here, “We perceived a still interior crypt or recess, in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven” (Poe 4). In “The Cask of Amontillado,” setting the scene is one of many engaging qualities in the story because it allows readers to foreshadow events such as Fortunado’s death. Poe describes the setting thoroughly to assist the reader in predicting the ending. For example, Poe foreshadows Fortunado’s tragic death when he mentions all of the bones piled up along the walls. This mental image keeps readers guessing, which is vital to engaging them. The second aspect of the story that makes it engaging is the