If you have ever read “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, I am sure you would agree with me saying that it is a dark and suspenseful story. But what makes it so horrific? It is not just the gruesome plot that fills us with suspense and dread, but also Poe's use of various writing techniques and elements throughout the story that contributes to its horror. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe uses different gothic elements to intensify the themes of revenge and betrayal and highlight the dark and twisted nature of the main characters' friendship. The first gothic element that Edgar Allan Poe uses is “setting in a castle”. "The Cask of Amontillado” is set in Italy during the carnival season. The setting of a story sets the …show more content…
While Montresour is bricking Fortuno in, he relays Fortunato’s reaction stating that “a succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form.” To which Montresour narrates “For a brief moment I hesitated, I tremble” (Poe, 5). Essentially Fortuno is so overcome with terror and despair that it causes even Montresour to hesitate, to reconsider what it is that he is doing to his once good friend. Toward the end Fortuno displays high emotion, emphasizing the horror of what is being done to him. Montresour embraces the high emotion of Fortuno as he is walling him in “I replied to the yells of him who clamored. I re-echoed — I aided — I surpassed them in volume and in strength” (Poe, 5). Poe wants us to truly grasp the intensity of emotion in this scene, even Montresour becomes so overcome with emotion that he out-screams Fortuno fully embracing what he has just done. Poe utilizes high and overwrought emotions to immerse the reader in a dramatic and emotional atmosphere, intensifying the impact of the story and adding depth to the themes of betrayal and