The Cask Of Amontillado

In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, the short story is about revenge and contains conflicting events that lead to the death of Fortunato. The reliability of the narrator is questioned throughout the story due to Montresor being mentally unstable and vowing for revenge until he fulfills his thirst and “punish with impunity” (Baraban). Montressor also states "A thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (O’Neill 666). This statement exemplifies Montresor 's unreliability as a narrator because he is consumed with revenge. In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator Montresor is unreliable because his revenge on Fortunato is all in his mind, making

Poe is known for his dark, horror, and mystery short stories as they portray the writing style he uses ("Explanation of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe"). In the beginning of the short story, the setting takes place at the "It was about dusk, one evening during the madness of the carnival season." which represents a good-humored time. The setting of a carnival provides Montresor with the opportunity to lure Fortunato to come with him to look at the wine ("Explanation of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe"). Nevertheless, Fortunato agrees to go and the story 's setting changes into the catacombs a strong symbolism used to represent the upcoming death of Fortunato. The main symbols the reader is given by Poe is life and

Irony is used as a symbol in the short story as Fortunato and Montresor both set forth toward the catacombs, Fortunato starts to cough for "many minutes" and Montresor asks if he is alright and Fortunato answers him in the most ironic way replying "the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." "True—true" Montresor answers in sharp irony. A cough will not kill Fortunato, because Montresor will ("Explanation of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe"). The thousand injuries that Fortunato had on Montressor is what caused him to vow for revenge towards Fortunato. However, Poe differentiates the insults for injuries which show a psychological effect that it had on Montresor. The disrespect that Fortunato had toward Montresor whether it was an insult or injury caused Montresor 's vengeance, making him go insane (Barbaran). Since the narrator Montressor is vengeful its causes him to be an unreliable narrator. In order for him to be a reliable narrtaor Montressor must be objective and not contain emotions that are influenced by one 's personal feelings. As the reader we know Montressor vows revenge and is driven by his emtoions making his Since we know Montresor is seeking revenge, we know that he is being driven purely be his emotions, making his standpoint intutive and an unreliable