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Literary analysis of the cask of amontillado
Literary thesis statement of the cask of amontillado by edgar allan poe
Literary analysis of the cask of amontillado
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In “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe uses verbal irony to emphasize the evil intentions of Montresor. Poe uses several instances of irony to demonstrate that Forntunato’s death is imminent and Montresor knows all along. One example of irony being used is when Fortunato says “the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough. ”(119)
This is a cruel way to kill someone and as the reader feel like this is alright and we feel for Montresor as he was insulted by Fortunato. Again though, a life is being taken but we don’t mind as Montresor tells us about why he wanted to kill
In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe uses many techniques to create and heighten the suspense of the story. In the article "Poe and the Gothic of the Normal: Thinking 'Inside the Box'" written by Elaine Hartnell-Mottram says, “this tale is told by an unhelpful first-person narrator, who is also the protagonist, to an addressee who is not directly involved in the action of the narrative and about whom we can deduce nothing with any certainty”. Nothing is certain in this short story. Poe uses many sources of irony and foreshadowing during the short story as well. As the story begins, there is suspense built up between the two main characters, Montresor and Fortunato.
Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” is the narrative of a man named Montresor who seeks vengeance against a man named Fortunato. Fortunato insults Montresor. Next, Montresor meet Fortunato at a carnival, eventually luring him into the catacombs of his home to bury Fortunato alive. Moreover, different types of irony are portrayed in this short story. Dramatic irony consists of the character in the story knowing less about his or her situation than the reader.
“Evil is always devising more corrosive misery through man's restless need to exact revenge out of his hate.” This quote by Ralph Steadman, exemplifies the heart of the character, Montresor, in Edgar Allen Poe's short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” Poe, a compelling writer, weaves together a story in such a way that it captivates and entices the reader to want more, even if it leads to mounting horror. He is an author that develops characters and reveals their complex personalities through descriptive language and imagery. The reader is able to imagine, in their mind's eye, the plot being played out.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, we find many instances of the use of figurative language. Identified as emphasizing, appealing to the senses, comparative, or having a meaning different from its literal definition, figurative language brings the story to life. One such example is the description of an intoxicated Fortunato’s eyes as Poe states “He turned towards me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication” (252). Again, Poe references Fortunato’s eyes as he states, “I broke and reached him a flagon of DeGrave. He empties it at a breath.
Edgar Allen Poe was an American writer in the 1800s, which was best known for his short stories, in particular his stories of mystery. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story of revenge, in which the main character Montresor is fed up with repeatedly being humiliated and insulted by a character named Fortunato so he devises a well thought out plan to kill him. Poe masterfully used symbolism and irony in many of his stories. Poe symbolizes many things in “The Cask of Amontillado”, and uses three types of irony in the story, which is dramatic irony, situational irony, and verbal irony. One of the first symbols used in the story is the setting; “the supreme madness of carnival season” which to many is a joyful time, but to Montresor it is the
Edgar Allen Poe, in his short story “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846), suggests that human nature, at it’s core, is duplicitous. Poe develops this theme throughout the story by revealing utilizing dramatic irony and foreshadowing to influence Montresor’s actions. Insulted one too many times by Fortunato, Montresor coerces Fortunato into his family’s vaults to “punish [him} with impunity” (Poe 866) under the guise of consulting Fortunato about a cask of amontillado. However, the inebriated Fortunato quickly realizes his imminent death and Montresor’s deception when Montresor buries him alive. This thoughtful story of Poe’s demonstrates the chicanery of humans in order to warn his readers that one should always be careful.
Edgar Allan Poe was a poet as well as an editor, a novelist, a short story writer, and an essayist. He was a pathfinding theorist of the short story, who grounds us in a theory of short fiction and its affects. In this paper we will work on his short story "The Cask of Amontillado". It is a great tale of suspense and revenge. We will analyze its aesthetic elements and work on the theory of irony that Poe describes so cleverly in this story.
The Cask of Amontillado In “The Cask of Amontillado”, E. A. Poe presents the thematic idea of revenge; Poe does this by showing us the action through Montresor’s perspective. If Poe were to write the story through the eyes of Fortunato or as a 3rd person point of view, then the theme would ultimately change. Writing it through Montresor’s eyes is the most effective way to illustrate the theme of the story. The telling examples of revenge are when Montresor is thinking to himself or monologuing.
Edgar Allen Poe’s main concern in short stories was “unity of effect”, which means that every element of a story should contribute to a single effect for the audience to feel. With each step of information, each part of the plot, being purposefully prepared and carried out, everything is relevant. Poe strives to achieve unity of effect in his short stories by making every line and comment bestow in a distinct sensation. In “Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allen Poe used elements such as irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing so as to develop the significant emotion of malevolence. The leading character Montresor, was endowed with this feeling and the story deals with Montresor’s methods of murdering his enemy Fortunato and effecting his revenge upon
Edgar Allan Poe is well known for his stories about mystery and horror. He often utilized articles in the newspaper to give him inspirations for his dark stories. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a great example of how he used real life events to make his stories. In “The Story Behind the Cask of Amontillado” you see how Poe gets his ideas for the general story, but also how he adds his own creative twist to it. To begin, “The Cask of Amontillado” is about Montresor, who wanted revenge on a man named Fortunato.
“The Use of Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe is a phenomenal writer and makes many points in his writings. There are three different ways in Poe 's writing of "The Cask of Amontillado" that irony is used: verbal, situational and dramatic. Verbal irony can be seen when Montresor first sees Fortunato at the carnival. Situational irony is also used and can be seen between the meaning of Fortunato 's name and his destiny, as well as Montresor 's response to his own. The last way irony is used is dramatic irony, this can be seen by any reader, this occurs when Montresor tells Fortunato he is also a mason.
For generations Poe’s Story, “The Cask Of Amontillado”, has horrified readers with it’s irony and dark humour. The story, written in 1846, has continued to bring up questions about Montresor’s mental state at the time of Fortunato’s murder. One of the most famous questions asked, is why Poe wrote the story. There has been speculation by researchers that it was in retribution to another writer he was suing at the time, Thomas
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” irony is applied throughout to help foreshadow future and give more of an insight to the readers, all while adding some humor. Irony is divided into three main types: dramatic, situational, and verbal. Poe uses dramatic irony when he has Fortunato dress as a jester, “a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Poe). The get-up makes Fortunato looks foolish and foreshadows his actions of following Montresor into the catacombs to taste some wine. Montresor even compliments the outfit and says “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met” (Poe), but it was not Fortunato who was in luck, but Montresor who would gain profit of their meeting.
