The Cask Of Amontillado Literary Analysis

As readers scan Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” they can easily find elements of a Gothic story. The story’s evident decay and death, suspenseful setting, and passionate narrator legitimize its place in Gothic literature. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe devises a nerve-wracking setting by establishing the Montresor’s catacombs, a place comprised of “long wall of bones, with casks and puncheons,” as the setting (110). As the bones and caskets reappear throughout the story, the appearance of death and decay is clear throughout the story. The presence of death unnerves the readers, and as the characters travel deeper into the catacombs, the suspense grows as readers wait for the foreshadowed deadly end. In addition to the hair-raising

setting and the obvious decay, the fervent narrator also fortifies the story’s position in Gothic literature. Poe characterizes the narrator as a vengeful man that believes he “must not punish, but punish with impunity,” and the narrator goes as far as to trap his enemy in the catacombs (107). As shown in the story, the narrator does not fear the consequences, nor does he let future guilt stop him. He only focuses on his current emotions and his murderous desire. As the story develops, Poe ascertains “The Cask of Amontillado” as Gothic literature by producing a frightening setting, establishing death and decay, and creating a vehement character.

In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar creates an untrustworthy narrator to keep his readers anxious about the upcoming events and the narrator’s enemy. While openly friendly to Fortunato, his unfortunate target, the narrator secretly loathes the man and smiles at “the thought of his immolation” (107). Furthermore, as the story progresses, the narrator leads his coughing victim to a suspicious area and covers up his bad intentions by drinking “‘to [Fortunato’s] long life’” (110). His impure thoughts and two-sidedness institute uneasiness within the readers and foreshadow a dark ending, furthering the tension within the story. Moreover, the narrator’s ill will towards a seemingly helpless victim increases the suspense. Fortunato’s condition allows the audience to sympathize with the antagonist and to worry for his condition, and the story’s dramatic irony causes the audience to fret over the fate of the poor victim. As Edgar reveals the narrator’s true nature, he increases the suspense in “The Cask of Amontillado” and induces the audience into a state of worry.