Theme Of Irony In The Cask Of The Amontillado

“The Cask of The Amontillado” is not the short story you want to read to your child at bedtime. It is a creepy tale of a man who plots revenge on an acquaintance who has supposedly wronged him, a plot similar to other Edgar Allan Poe stories. This story is full of interesting characteristics such as hidden meanings, cunning dialogue between characters, and strange ironies, all assembled in a dark gothic setting. These details create an intriguing read, which is why this story needs to be analyzed to discover deeper meanings created in the mind of Poe and revealed in the lines of the story. The majority of the story takes place in an underground catacomb, somewhere beneath an Italian city, during the carnival season. It is about the interaction
Poe masterfully interweaves clever and humorous ironies throughout the story. For example, when the characters are walking down the catacombs, Montresor pretends to act as if he cares about Fortunato 's ill health. This is ironic because he obviously knows that he is going to kill Fortunato. The toast that Fortunato offers is another example. He says, "I drink to the buried that repose around us" (224), having no idea that he is soon to be one of the reposed. Montresor also says, "It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation" (222). This is ironic because Montresor is determined to keep his real intentions well guarded behind a smile of friendship. He does not want to reveal any of his anger or true feelings to Fortunato. And one of the more obvious ironies is Fortunato 's name, which means Fortunate One in Italian. This is an ironical name for someone who will soon not be so
One is Fortunato 's clothing that he will be wearing at his death. "The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells." (222). Fortunato was dressed in the style of a king’s fool or jester, a symbolic representation of the role he plays in the story. Another important symbol is the Amontillado wine itself. Montresor plays upon Fortunato 's pride of being a great wine connoisseur, and he tempts Fortunato with the imagined competition of a rival wine taster named Luchesi. It is unlikely that this fine wine is available in this quantity at this low a price during carnival season. The cask symbolizes that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Fortunato 's stubborn pride get him buried