The Cask Of Amontillado Symbolism

Edgar Allan Poe is well known for his dark, gothic stories. From murder, to animalistic tendencies to even insanity, Poe wrote them all. In his short story, The Cask of Amontillado, murder is the main character, Montresor’s weapon of choice. Akin Poe’s many other stories, oppressive, sinister writings, this one is no different. The Cask of Amontillado is full of imagery, suspense and a setting that contributes to the venomous mood that affects the reader with a sense of foreboding. While reading this short story, Poe uses imagery to give you this sense of danger and malevolent intentions Montresor has toward Fortunato. Portraying that he must avenge his wounded ego and pride. The first line for example, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe). shows from the beginning that Fortunato has done wrong against Montresor, which he must be punished for. Using imagery as an asset to give the reader a feeling of ominous, injurious intent as you read through Montresor actions and thoughts. With that in

The Cask of Amontillado starts off in the midst of a carnival, but slowly it transfers to the dark catacombs beneath a mansion, where death lurks. Poe describes the catacombs as full of old human skeletons, cobwebs, and dank air. Without this setting, the story may have lost its appeal to the reader, and the mood of the story may have been disrupted. The figurative language used is well used to create a vivid image in the mind of the reader. ”We had passed through walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs” (Poe). This line is taken directly from the short story, portraying a mild sense of threatening surroundings. Once again Poe uses a method of great writing to set the mood in his