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Literary analysis of “the cask of amontillado”
Literary analysis of “the cask of amontillado”
Literary analysis of “the cask of amontillado”
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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.
Due to the use of first person in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor’s syntax and diction are the only mechanisms used to characterize Fortuno in the story. This subjects the perception of both Fortuno and Montresor to a great deal of bias. Although Montresor claims that Fortuno has committed “a thousand injuries” (127) there are never any specific instances of his treachery cited within the text.
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.
The reader is unaware of the reasoning behind the death of Fortunado, leaving them to believe that Montresor is an unstable person. The “Cask of Amontillado”, depicts a murder by a vengeful man, of which the narrator never reveals his motive, giving the structure of this murder story an alternative point of view. A reader’s first interpretation of Montresor is most likely something of the cold-blooded sort or perhaps unreasonable, considering he was so adamant in seeking revenge upon Fortunado at the very beginning of the story,
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe displays the theme of revenge and manipulation. The narrator Montresor pledges revenge on Fortunato for an insult that is never explained. He maintains an appearance of goodwill towards Fortunato and decides to make use of Fortunato's weakness for fine wines against him. During the carnival season, the narrator approaches Fortunato, telling him that he has come across something that could pass for Amontillado a rare and expensive wine. Fortunato being excited about the news insists on accompanying Montresor to the vaults to determine whether it is Amontillado or not.
In Edgar Allen Poe’s story “The Cask of Amontillado”, the main character Montresor uses cunning and calculating deception to pull off his plot of revenge. This story is told in a calm and collective manner, with hints of jokes and merriment. Make no mistake Montresor is a cold blooded killer who shows no remorse for the misdeeds he has done. Montresor views his actions as an inevitable task that must be carried out. Montresor deceives his house staff and Fortunato to complete his successful, diabolic plan.
Though many readers argue for the insanity of Montresor through his brutal and inhumane actions, this claim can be dismissed with the varying levels of textual evidence supporting his rational and calculated steps taken to redress whatever wrong was committed upon him (Baraban 50). The character and actions of Montresor can be attributed to more than mental instability, his personal dialogue in recounting his murderous acts fifty years after their happenings is indicative of his sound mind. Instead the reader must consider the underlying messages Poe included within the text to fully comprehend the complexity of Montresor’ character. The main theme of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado gravitates towards the human flaw of jealousy, lending Montresor the first impression of being slightly irrational, however through further consideration his character can be described as calculative, passionate, and
I reechoed – I aided – I surpassed them in volume and in strength.” (Poe 1112-1113) Not only does Montresor bury Fortunato alive, but he mimics his screams as he entombs, taking sheer delight in Fortunato 's terror. Montresor is also an unreliable narrator, which, as defined by our text, is “a fictional character... whose knowledge or judgment about events and other characters is so flawed or limited as to make him or her a misleading guide to the reader.” (Charters 1745)
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.
Montresor: A Misleading Narrator The narrator, Montresor, in Edgar Allan Poe's unsettling short story "The Cask of Amontillado," designs a web of deception and manipulation to mislead and misdirect the reader. As the story progresses, the reader is increasingly lured into Montresor's troubled mind, questioning the narrator's honesty and becoming immersed in the disturbing atmosphere of approaching tragedy. Montresor's deceptive skills not only confuse the reader but also serve to justify his vengeful deeds, providing a lingering impression of psychological manipulation and the deadly depths to which human dishonesty may go. Montresor misleads and misdirects the reader with irony, verbal manipulation, and a false sense of friendliness, ultimately disguising his genuine goals and justifying his spiteful deeds.
Throughout the Cask of Amontillado, Poe creates a plot line that directly correlates with revenge and remorse of killing Fortunado. This is shown when Poe writes “he did not understand that I was now smiling at the thought of what I had planned for him, at the thought of my revenge”. Likewise, Poe describes Montresor as feeling remorse for the death of the man he sought revenge upon. As shown in the last paragraph, it reads “‘Fortunato!’ I cried.
As he continues to give Fortunato wine, he begins to lead him into a niche. Montresor builds up a brick wall, enclosing him inside, causing Fortunado to suffocate, therefore killing him. In “Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe uses verbal, dramatic, and situational irony to add horror and suspense to the story.
At the beginning, Montresor “vowed revenge”(390) against Fortunato and swore he “ would be avenged”(390). He was “requesting [Fortunato] to be cautious as he followed”(392) although he was leading him deeper into the dank tunnels. Poe places irony into the story to build the grotesque mood. Fortunato says:“‘The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I
The irony in this situation lies in the fact that Montresor says that he is worried about his friend's health, even though he intends to kill this so called “friend.” Edgar Allan Poe masters the art of verbal irony, and “The Cask of Amontillado” is crammed full of it. The use of verbal irony only strengthens the story. Because of Poe's dark and depressing history, he is able to masterfully explore the deep places of the human conscience. His experiences and his mastery of verbal irony create a twisted mangle of dark layers that truly make this story a gripping
