“The Cask of Amontillado” is about a man named Montresor who wants revenge on a man named Fortunato for something that Montresor suffered in the past. His plan of revenge for Fortunato was planned perfectly. He made sure the timing, location, and all other aspects of the plan were perfectly in place so Fortunato would not suspect anything. With this plan, Montresor was able to lure Fortunato and execute his plan. This resulted in a slow and painful death for Fortunato, and a successful day for Montresor.
The story itself was dark and mysterious, which could have given the reader an eerie feeling. The setting was also described as dark, gloomy, and eerie when the characters entered the catacombs. The way the story was written could have related
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to the way Poe lived his life. His life was too dark and gloomy, which could have affected the way the story was written. The way Poe described the catacombs supported the eerie effect of the story.
The catacombs were described as dark and secluded. With these details, Poe was inferring that this was the way Montresor wanted it. Montresor planned it so when he and Fortunato went into the catacombs, no one would hear them because of the festivities taking place above them. The further Montresor and Fortunato travel into the catacombs, the stronger the eerie feeling grows on the reader.
After Montresor had executed his plan, the reader should realize that his plan was perfect. He timed it so no one would hear them when they went down to the catacombs, he made sure the location he chose was secluded and hardly visited, and made sure that Fortunato died the way he wanted him to, a slow and painful death. After Fortunato dies, this can make the reader horrified that someone could do this to another person. Montresor was successful and was most likely never caught since he is telling the story 50 years later.
The setting in this story had an important part on the effects it had on the reader. Poe’s description of the setting and atmosphere was able to give an eerie feeling throughout and a horrific feeling in the end. If the setting had been different, Poe might have not been able to give the same effects as he does now. Stories may contain these types of endings to give the reader something to think about after reading the story or even allow the reader to create their own
ending.
In "Cask of Amontillado", Montresor is the narrator. "The thousand of injuries of Fortunato he has borne as he best could; but when he ventures upon insult, Montresor vows revenge" (Poe 528). As the story unfolds, "Montresor's idea of perfect revenge" is "characteristically precise and logical in detail" as to how he commits his crime (Delaney 1).
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the combination of the carnival and the catacomb settings contribute to the themes of revenge, and deception which the protagonist takes responsibility in. Because the story takes place during the carnival, the protagonist, Montressor, has an easier time plotting against Fortunato:
The story “The Cask of Amontillado” is written in first person point of view and this story is fairly simple to understand. This story is affected by the narration when looking at what the narrator's focus is, the narrator’s thoughts or opinions, and how the reader interprets the story.
The writing style of Edgar Allan Poe shows the writer to be of a dark nature. In this story, he focuses on his fascination of being buried alive. He quotes, “To be buried alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these [ghastly] extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality.” page 58 paragraph 3. The dark nature is reflected in this quote, showing the supernatural side of Poe which is reflected in his writing and is also a characteristic of Romanticism. Poe uses much detail, as shown in this passage, “The face assumed the usual pinched and sunken outline. The lips were of the usual marble pallor. The eyes were lusterless. There was no warmth. Pulsation had ceased. For three days the body was preserved unburied, during which it had acquired a stony rigidity.” page 59 paragraph 2. The descriptive nature of this writing paints a vivid picture that intrigues the reader to use their imagination and visualize the scene presented in the text. This use of imagery ties with aspects of Romanticism because of the nature of the descriptions Poe uses. Describing the physical features of one who seems dead is a horrifying perspective as not many people thing about the aspects of death.
...ontresor's sociable facade, then the catacombs below symbolize the hate within him. Poe gives explicit descriptions fo the foul caverns. They are "insufferably damp . . . encrusted with nitre." The "founess of the air" nearly extinguishes their torches. Poe describes the "white web-work which gleams from these cavern walls." Clearly Poe's desired efect is to expose the evil that consumes from within.
Because Montresor narrates the story in the first person, the reader is able to perceive his thoughts and understand his motivations and justifications for his ruthless murder in a manner which a third person point of view would not allow. Montresor’s personal narration of the events of the story does not justify his crime in the audience’s eyes, but it does offer a unique opportunity for the audience to view a murder from the perspective of a madman killer. It is Poe’s usage of this unique angle that causes the story to be so captivating and gruesomely fascinating. As the story opens, Montresor explains why it is necessary that he “not only punish but punish with impunity” to avenge for Fortunado’s insult to him. This justification for his crime is a piece of information that the audience is able to learn only because they are permitted inside the mind of the protagonist. In the final scene, when Montresor is carrying out his murder pl...
Edgar Allen Poe uses figurative language throughout the story to develop the mood. For example, “He had the eye of a vulture, the eye of one of those terrible birds that watch and wait while an animal dies, ...”. This sets a creepy and horrifying mood. Also it shows the author of thinking the eye is a little disturbing. Another example is ,“ Yes. He was dead! Dead as a stone. His eye would trouble me no more!”. The narrator is saying that the person the had killed was as non moving as a stone. Also it sets an eerie mood knowing the narrator killed the man. The final
Poe begins setting the tone of the story by describing the gloomy and threatening vaults beneath Montressor’s home. The first description of the Montressor home, as well as the reader’s first hint that something is amiss, is the description of the time off Montressor had required his employees to take. This alone lets us know that some of his intentions are less than virtuous. He describes the vaults as extensive, having many rooms, and being insufferably damp. This description of Montressor’s vaults strikes a feeling of uneasiness and fear in the reader, as well as a fear of malevolent things to come. References to the bodies laid to rest in the ca...
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
The Cask of Amontillado is a horror short story, which revolves around the themes of revenge and pride. The plot involves two men: Montresor, the narrator, who is an Italian aristocrat seeking revenge against the second main character: Fortunato, a proud man that flaunts about his knowledge of wines and who finally walks into his own death.
For instance, in the first paragraph Poe leaves the reader with the image of a cold, dark, empty, and dead forest. As demonstrated in these quotes, “The skies they were ashen and sober;”, “The leaves they were withering and sere;”, and “... by the dim lake of Auber, In the misty mid region of Weir It was down by the dank tarn of Auber, in the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.”. All of these quotes, show Poe creating an image or setting for the reader that’s gloomy, dark, and scary. Not only did authors leave the reader in a gloomy, sad mood by describing that kind of setting, but also in the manner they spoke, authors of this time period used a lot of intense and dramatic emotion, which will be analyzed in the following
The theme of revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado” is the driving force for the entire short story. The main character, Montresor, vows to take revenge against the other main character, Fortunato, because of an “insult” that Fortunato has apparently made against Montresor (Baraban). This is evident in the opening line of the short story when the narrator Montresor states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge (Poe 1612). This opening line makes it obvious that the insult is what directly led to Montresor’s insatiable desire for revenge, but there are also some underlying factors that could have indirectly led to this revenge as well.
The Cask of Amontillado, the narrator, Montresor, want to seek out revenge after Fortunato because Fortunato irreparably insulted him. Throughout the whole story, Montresor made it his mission to get back at Fortunato. The major theme is vengeance as it can drive a person to go as far as committing murder. The author uses many literary devices to elaborate this theme in the story, such as where the story is taken place, Irony, and Foreshadowing.
The Cask of Amontillado was written using Edgar Allan Poe's fear of being buried alive. In Cask of Amontillado, Montressor the narrator wanted revenge on Fortunato. Fortunato and Montressor use to be good friends until conflict arose between them. So now Montressor hates Fortunato and is confident that he will make him pay. He wanted revenge because it Fortunato hurt many of Montessor friends, Burying him alive explains why he got him drunk and why.
In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” the setting begins with a party and people being happy. This could represent the beginning of Montressor and Fortunato’s friendship. Then somehow, Montressor feel Fortunato has wronged him. This starts the path of darkness in theme. The anger or darkness he feels is building, as represented in going down the cellar stairs. The more you think about revenge the darker and more complex it gets.