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Character and characterization - the cask of amontillado
Critical analysis of the cask of amontillado
Edgar Allan Poe the humorous
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An Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado
In “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a journey into the mind of a mad man. The story relates a horrible revenge made even more horrible by the fact that the vengeance is being taken when no real offense had been given. In a short space and with ultimate technical skill, Poe creates a nightmare, guaranteed to give the reader a sleepless night.
The plot of the story is a simple one. Montresor tales revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the tunnels under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a niche. The story is told in first person from the point of view of Montresor himself. The exposition of the story occurs when Montresor tells us that he wants to take revenge on Fortunato because “he ventured upon insult.” We also learn that he intends to go unpunished for this act of vengeance. The narrator informs us that he is going to continue to smile in Fortunato’s face, but use the pride his victim has in wine to lure him into the catacombs to taste some of his non- existent amontillado. At this point, the reader knows the conflict will be one of man against man. It is an external struggle because Fortunato and Montresor are in a life and death fight. However, the conflict is largely internal, because Montresor has a fierce hatred that Fortunato is unaware of. The narrative hook seems to occur when Fortunato follows Montresor into the vault. Even if the reader was confused by the language of the first paragraph or is puzzled by the motive of the narrator, he is curious to know what will happen next. We know the moment of revenge is at hand, but what is Montresor going to do to Fortunato? Why is he taking him underground?
The climax of the story is when Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall and begins to layer the bricks. It is our high point of emotional involvement. We are like Fortunato in that we cannot bring ourselves to believe what is about to happen. The denouement lets us know indeed, Montresor was never punished for this crime. Fifty years has passed and he is an old man telling the story on his deathbed. The true horror is that Fortunato died a terrible death, utterly alone, and his killer was never brought to justice.
Perhaps the theme in the story is the least imp...
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...ng about Fortunato’s health and says he will not die of a cold. The greatest use of irony is when Montresor says he is a member of the masons. Fortunato thinks he means he is of a fellow member of a society when what he really means is that he is a bricklayer about to brick him in for all eternity. This conversation also provides foreshadowing in the story. This is the first clue the reader gets about how Montresor will punish Fortunato.
The overall mood of the story is one of horror and impending evil. The ending of the story is filled with suspense. What will happen now that Fortunato is chained to the wall? Will Montresor come to his senses and have mercy on Fortunato? We see Montresor carefully construct each tier of the wall. Why does he hesitate at the end? Will he react to the desperate cry of Fortunato? When the last brick is set in place, we know Fortunato’s doom has been sealed.
I find that this story makes the hairs on my back of my neck rise every time I read it. There is no real violence in the modern sense of the word, yet it is more horrifying because of all the things you don’t see with your outward eye but the with inward eye of the imagination.
Montresor must trick and manipulate Fortunato to accomplish his goal of revenge. He tells Fortunato the reason he is at the ...
Society shows prejudice towards black people through their tainted prejudgment, which is seen when the two girls run away from Cole. In addition, society treats black people with discrimination by isolating them from society by denying them entrance to bars and carding. Finally, police officers demonstrate injustice towards black people by treating them harsher than regular citizens, which are seen through constant surveillance in their communities and when Cole and his friends were illegally searched. Ultimately, “The Skin I’m In” shows the magnitude of racism in modern-day Canada. It is society’s mission to ensure that the tragedies of racism are found only in history—nevermore in
Meanwhile as Fortunato was concocting his plan beneath the earth, Montressor was heading back to his house feeling slightly guilty about what he had done. “He insulted me, he made me to be less that I am, he had it coming.”, Montressor told himself reassuringly. But that did not erase the ominous tone he now felt in the vaults. Something was not quite right since he pushed that last brick into place in Fortunato’s tomb. Shaking the feeling off as best as he could he reached the top of the catacombs and entered his home with a taste for the barrel of wine that he knew was Amontillado all along. After his drink he returned to his bedroom for the night and before he fell asleep he heard a small voice in his head saying that Fortunato was still alive and that he was coming for him.
Montresor is a man who feels pride in himself and in his family, so when Fortunato—an acquaintance of Montresor— “venture[s] upon insult,” Montresor “vow[s] revenge” against him (1). Montresor hastily decides that he must kill Fortunato, even though his use of the word “venture” implies that Fortunato had not yet insulted him, but nearly did. Montresor’s impulsive need for revenge causes him to formulate a plan to murder his acquaintance. He keeps Fortunato intoxicated by “presenting him…[with] wine,” he “fetter[s] him to the granite,” and he “plaster[s] up… [a wall of] new masonry” to trap Fortunato in the catacombs (39, 71, 89). All of these acts are signs that the need for revenge has made Fortunato insane. A person who has any sense of morals would not commit crimes such as Montresor’s. His impetuous decision to exact revenge caused him to lose his
No matter how well executed, a crime of this magnitude will leave scars on the conscience, thus marring it’s perfection. Conflicting psychological emotions and actions plague the journey causing inner conflict ranging between pity and revulsion by the time the narrator concludes. Notwithstanding the shortage of information on Montresor’s life in the ensuing fifty years since Fortunato’s death; it can be surmised from the events leading to the murder that Montresor does, in fact, have a conscience and that it builds upon itself as the action
When they arrive at the Montresor estate, Montresor leads Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs. Down here is where the Amontillado Fortunato is going to taste and where the revenge of Montresor is going to take place. As he get closer and closer, the narrator opens up more and more to how he is going to kill his "friend". It sound like it is a premeditated murder. Montresor seems so inconspicuous that he acts like he cares about Fortunato which is still a part of his plan.
The author introduces the readers to the narrator who is known as Montresor when he is talking to an unknown audience. In the course of the discussion with the unknown audience, Montresor attests to the fact that Fortunato, who is a close friend of his has morally insulted. Due to the moral insult labeled against him, Montresor intends to revenge. “Part of Montresor's vengeance plan, however, is to ensure that he does not expose himself neither to Fortunato nor to the society at large” (Johnson et.al, 8). To this effect, he does not let open the ill feelings that he harbors against Fortunato. Montresor asserts to the fact that he would consider his vengeance plan a failure if at all Fortunato found out and exerted revenge. That notwithstanding though, he says that he would let Fortunato know that he is the mastermind of all his misfortunes when he will be satisfied that his vengeance plan will not backfire.
Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado" is similar to the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" in that his obsession with consuming the soul of Fortunato influences his every action. However, it is with Fortunato himself that he is obsessed. He feeds off of Fortunato's pain, unlike the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" who's obsession is with destroying a menacing inanimate object. Montresor's entire conspiracy is focused around making Fortunato suffer, and for him to know just who is causing this suffering. This is why he goes to such lengths to put together this intricate strategy. It could have been so much easier to kill Fortunato in some easier, quicker way. Instead, he dedicates himself to torturing Fortunato. He creates a plan that leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs beneath his home, and kills him in an excruciating manner.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a dark piece, much like other works of Edgar Allan Poe, and features the classic unreliable narrator, identified by himself only as Montresor. This sinister central character is a cold ruthless killer that is particularly fearsome because he views murder as a necessity and kills without remorse. Montresor is a character who personifies wickedness. Poe uses this character and his morally wrong thoughts and actions to help the reader identify with aspects of the extreme personage, allowing them to examine the less savory aspects of their own. The character of Montresor detailing the glorious murder he committed is a means of communicating to the reader that vengeance and pride are moral motivators that lead to treacherous deeds and dark thoughts.
Overall, CTE programs are a wildly beneficial option for high school students. They offer a chance for the student to have an inside glimpse into the field they are considering and allows them to solidify their decision or gives them the opportunity to change their career early on. Although cost is a major factor when it comes to enabling these programs, giving the student the option to learn and grow in an alternative environment may be worth the effort of raising the funds.
With Fortunado dead and buried, Montresor has won. Thanks to his deception he has the revenge he wanted for so long. There are no more insults or injuries for Montresor to tolerate. Fortunato is dead, never to be seen again. Because Montresor believes what he has done is not wrong he does not have to worry about the guilt or shame afterwards.
The first irony is verbal irony. Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant. There are many examples of this kind of irony through this story. The first irony is the name “Fortunato.” Fortunato’s name suggests good fortune, or of being fortunate, but he is exactly the opposite, he is killed. Another irony is when Fortunato follows Montresor go to the vault, Montresor acts like he cares about Fortunato’s health, “we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible.” (1202) But readers know from the beginning of the story, Montresor only wants to kill Fortunato. “And I to your long life,” (1202) Fortunato has lived out his life already, it is about to be over. Going deeper into the vaults, Fortunato gets more and more coughing, and Montresor shows his concern to Fortunato’s health “Come, we will go back ere it is too late. Your cough—“It is nothing.”(1202) But Montresor knows that the more he acts as he cares Fortunato, the more Fortunato wants to reach Amontillado-his dark fate. Fortunato is a man who is being blindly led to his death by someone who he feels as an admiring friend, but this friend is actually a person in searching for his own revenge.
The first indirect factor that could contribute to Montresor’s vengeful act, and thus the story’s theme of revenge, is the character of Montresor. Montresor tends to harbor feelings of resentment and has a hard time not taking things out of context (Womack). He also plans the murder of Fortunato in advance and devises it in such a way that he will not be caught. In killing Fortunato, Montreso...
That is equivalent to downing four beers and then getting behind the wheel.”. Texting while driving is considered to be the highest form of distracted driving. In 2002 2,600 people died from distracted drivers and in 2011 3,331 this number has gone up by 22% in the last 9 years. In 2002 drunk driving accidents have killed 12,405 people but by 2011 that number has decreased by 25% to 9,296. This shows that texting while driving is on its way up and may continue to get worse. The National Highway & Transportation Administration (NHTSA) declares that 1.6 millions accents are caused by texting and driving every year, thats almost 25% of all automobile accidents (Masters).We already know that texting increases chance in an accident, well so does dialing by 2.8%. Also so does talking and listening at 1.3% and reaching for your cell phone at 1.4% (Texting). On November 28, 2010 Nina Todd was leaving her mother house with her two sons, when Karli Brown struck her car head on. In result of the accident Nina’s
According to Ian Mulgrew, a journalist/author from Canada, many accidents are blamed on distracted driving and most of the distractions are caused by cell phone usage (Mulgrew). This shows that accidents are being caused by texting and driving. A majority of people have busy lives that leaves them to get things done while on the road. Texting or using a cell phone while driving is very hazardous to yourself and the people surrounding you. Most people are against this action is because it causes many car accidents every year. Did you know that texting while driving is one of the longest eyes-off-the road time of distracted driving activities? According to DWI, text messaging makes a crash up to 23 times more likely. While other activities like, dialing, talking or listening or reaching for a device is less likely. While driving, adults and teenagers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cell phone and send a text or respond to one. When a