Evil In The Cask Of Amontillado

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Recommended: The first-person narration style of "the cask of amontillado" is essential in creating the original quality of the story

In the short horror story “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe exhibits demonic evil, the evil of harming others for enjoyment and pleasure of their pain, through the character Montresor. Fifty years after the events occur, Montresor informs the readers of his descent with Fortunato into his family’s catacombs, leading Fortunato to what he anticipates is a cask of Amontillado—but what is actually his death. Montresor is the embodiment of humanity’s malevolence for he takes it upon himself to chain his “friend” to a wall in the catacombs. Throughout his text, Poe exemplifies demonic evil with the use of irony and first-person narration; he instills horror into readers by bringing to light to the evil in the world.First person narration allows the reader to witness Montresor’s demonic nature through his pleasure in killing Fortunato and his lack of guilt in doing so. …show more content…

Additionally, demonic evil is present as Montresor’s “heart grew sick on account of the dampness of the catacombs,” (7) rather than on account of murdering Fortunato. Montresor shows no regret for killing his friend, but instead enjoys this perverse action. Furthermore, Montresor's ironic yet horrifying malevolence is clearly present when Fortunato says, “I shall not die of a cough” and Montresor replies with: “true - true.” (3) Montresor’s mocking of his friend’s foolishness and obliviousness to his plot only further demonstrates how Montresor shows demonic evil. Poe presents this evil once more when he “fetters [Fortunato] to the granite” wall in the catacombs and then mocks him by saying Fortunato has the chance to

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