In the short “The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe, the author uses elements of horror to provide a thrill-seeking experience for his audience. Similar to horror movies, the author uses mystery, revenge, and foreshadowing to build suspense to entertain his readers. The antagonist, Montresor, is the evil force in the short story and wants to get revenge on Fortunato. There is a great deal of mystery behind Montresor’s motives to get revenge, especially since Montresor takes revenge to the extreme and kills Fortunato. Montresor uses Fortunato’s desire for Amontillado to lure him to his demise. While Fortunato and Montresor search for the Amontillado within Montresor’s catacombs, Poe creates various foreshadows of Fortunato’s death. …show more content…
“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”(Par. 1 Poe). Montresor alludes to the fact that Fortunato has done too many wrongs against him and that finally Fortunato’s actions deeply insulted Montresor. This creates the desire within the reader to want to continue to read and learn more about Montresor’s motives. However, its not only the motive for revenge that pleases the reader but the revenge itself provides the thrill the reader seeks. Also, the narrator never expands on Fortunato’s wrongdoings and refers to him as a friend throughout the rest of the story. At the end of the story, the narrator reveals that his revenge against Fortunato happened fifty years ago, making the accuracy of Montresor account of the story less reliable. The fact that it happened fifty years ago also creates more mystery behind the vagueness of Montresor’s
Fortunato “takes possession” of Montresor’s arm, for which he suffers (716) in order to carry out his plan. Poe’s use of possession and suffer give the impression that Montresor is being afflicted again by Fortunato. Once Montresor reveals this meeting at this evening is no coincidence by divulging he made sure none of his attendants would be home. By giving the direct orders to be home. Poe shows us that Montresor was not respected or feared by his servants’ actions. The servants’ leaving after being given a direct order to stay does give credence to the fact that Montresor must be very methodical and unyielding to his schedule. Only once Fortunato to the catacombs does he betray his own premise. Montresor refers to Fortunato as his “poor friend” (716). At this point Poe has depicted this instigator of a “thousand injuries” as a drunken jester that can barely catch his breath at this point in the story. Now Montresor is showing some sympathy towards him. At this point the transition is complete. Where the two men stopped at the entrance to Fortunato’s tomb, this is the moment that leaves no doubt that Montresor is the villain and Fortunato is the
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” is a short psychological thriller. The murder of Fortunato haunts Montresor so greatly that he feels the compulsion to tell the story some fifty years after the fact. He appears to be in the late stages of life desperately attempting to remove the stain of murder from his mind. That it is still so fresh and rich in specifics is proof that it has plagued him, “Perhaps the most chilling aspect of reading Poe’s ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ for the first time is not the gruesome tale that Montresor relates, but the sudden, unpredictable, understated revelation that the murder, recounted in its every lurid detail, occurred not yesterday or last week, but a full fifty years prior to the telling” (DiSanza).
“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.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado,” the main character and narrator, Montresor begins the story by expressing how he has put up with many insults from a man named Fortunato and that he has had enough and vows revenge against him. Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs to taste the Amontillado so as to kill him secretly. Montresor portrays in the beginning of the story that he is going to be lying to Fortunato’s face, acting one way while really thinking another. This fact indicates that Montresor is an unreliable narrator for telling the story because he lies to people he knows, gives hints that he is jealous of Fortunato, does not offer an explanation for wanting to murder Fortunato and his tone of narrating the story.
A main theme presented in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is that Montresor shows obsession with the murder of fortunato. This is exemplified by Montresor’s precise planning, carefulness and slowness of speed in the process.
In his article “On Memory Forgetting, and Complicity in “the Cask of Amontillado”” Raymond DiSanza suggests that an act of wrongdoing is always at the heart of good horror stories. (194) DiSanza’s article on “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe describes Poe’s writing in a way I didn’t think of myself. DiSanza finds Poe’s language in this story to “taste like amontillado: smooth, slightly sweet, and appropriately chilled”. (DiSanza 195) Throughout his article he mostly talks about what possibly could have been Montresor’s motive to kill Fortunato? And why did Montresor wait fifty years to tell the story?
The short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edger Allan Poe, is based on Montresor taking revenge on his old friend Fortunato. The play holds many literary elements that connects to the life of the author as well. It is clear in the short story that the author placed his emotions and personal touch to the aspects of the story and the scenery. Some of the elements in the play that are detailed are; foreshadow, hyperbole, and metaphor. The death of Fortunato is foreshadowed in his eagerness to get the wine and in his cough. The latter matches with Poe’s life with the deaths of both his mother and wife to pneumonia. Furthermore, hyperbole comes in as the narrator speaks about the thousand insults that Fortunato has pronounced over him. This as well can be compared to Poe, as he was an editor during his time and may have been criticized for his work also. Moreover, metaphor is used in stating the drunken look that Fortunato is depicted as having during the trip. This may be a comparison to the drunkenness of Poe himself. Every author places their own experiences into their work to make it more believable, or to give more of a draw to the audience.
Edgar Allan Poe is one of greatest American authors and poets. He is well-known as a master of using irony in his story. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a horror story about revenge of Montresor upon Fortunato. Fortunato believes Montresor is his good friend, but he ends up with being chained and walled in to the catacombs. There are three types of irony used in this short story: verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony. Using these ironies, Poe wants the readers to understand about Montresor’s “friendship” with Fortunato.
In her article, Renee utters that when the thought of vengeance build up in an individual’s brain, it coerces him insane and does not tolerate him to present it a second thought. The first sentence of the story, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge,” clearly describes the whole theme of the story as a deeply enrooted revenge in Montresor’s mind” which is an absolute portrayal of retribution that occurs due to arrogance and jealousy. Author sees himself as a superior individual and was victimized by a superiority complex which is quite visible through the phrases which he wrote in the story that Montressor expresses superiority as showed his victim as a foolish person by attributing weird physical appearance and dress appearance in which he described his dress code of “tight fitting parti striped dress and head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells.”
In Author Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Cask of Amontillado", the main character, Montresor, is determined to seek his revenge on his fellow friend Fortunado due to his rude remarks towards him. Montresor comes up with a very treacherous and sneaky plan in which he would strategically bump into Fortunado at the carnival. After this, Montresor would lower Fortunado into his house, take him down to the catacombs, and then bury him alive in one of the caves, no mercy would be had for him. This story is rather sinister in the way it is portrayed, tying in the themes of honor and revenge. Montresor never really tells the reader what insults Fortunado told against him, but it is made quite obvious that Montresor is engulfed into seeking revenge against
Edgar Allen Poe’s tale of murder and revenge, “The Cask of Amontillado”, offers a unique perspective into the mind of a deranged murderer. The effectiveness of the story is largely due to its first person point of view, which allows the reader a deeper involvement into the thoughts and motivations of the protagonist, Montresor. The first person narration results in an unbalanced viewpoint on the central conflict of the story, man versus man, because the reader knows very little about the thoughts of the antagonist, Fortunato. The setting of “The Cask of Amontillado”, in the dark catacombs of Montresor’s wine cellar, contributes to the story’s theme that some people will go to great lengths to fanatically defend their honor.
When it comes to being bullied, would the slow and painful death of the accuser normally be one’s first thought? If yes, the person in question should not be allowed to roam free and should very well be checked by a licensed psychiatrist. Montresor in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” should be once such individual. After being taunted by Fortunato, which the specifics were never given, Montresor sought his revenge in a very dark and elaborate way. Throughout the story, Poe uses irony, a change in setting, and symbolism to represent Montresor’s revenge against Fortunato.
Edgar Allan Poe's "A Cask of Amontillado" is perhaps the most famous tale of terror ever written. Montresor, the story's narrator, leads the reader through his revenge on Fortunato. Montresor entices Fortunato into the dark recesses of the family catacombs with the promise of a very fine wine. At the climax of the story, Montresor shackles Fortunato to a wall and seals him away forever behind brick and mortar. In all of Poe's short stories he attempts to convey "a certain unique or single effect." "A Cask of Amontillado" expresses its dark view of human intention by using elements of irony, foreshadowing, and metaphor. The first person point of view also lends itself to an exploration of the inner secrets of Montresor.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor sets out on a vengeful mission that will end Fortunato’s life in an untimely fate. Montresor appeals to Fortunato’s love for wine to tempt the unsuspecting fellow to his impending doom. While Montresor tricks the foolish Fortunato frightfully, it is ultimately Fortunato’s pride that leads to his demise in the crypt. Poe uses several literary devices to foreshadow this murderous exploit of Montresor. Through the use of irony, symbolism, and imagery, the story entices readers to delve into the relationships and differences between Montresor and Fortunato.
Poe starts out with a man, by the name of Montresor, wanting revenge on another man, named Fortunato. Most of the story takes place deep in the Montresor family catacombs. As Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs, he chains Fortunato up to a small hole in a wall, bricks it over, and leaves Fortunato to die. Even through the traits of anger, hatred, and revenge, as the story progresses on, Montresor, the main character in “The Cask of Amontillado”, starts to show signs of feeling guilty for wanting to murder Fortunato.