...many horror movies and poems is the presence of psychological torture. The most sadistic and cruel inflictor of pain is often our own mind, and when someone manages to manipulate us on a mental level, we are at our most vulnerable. Edgar Allen Poe was a master at painting vivid storylines of people going insane with the prospect of their own doom. Hollywood has combined classic fear-inducing plots with gruesome special effects to bring that same mentality to audiences. In the short story by Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”, the main antagonist effortlessly manipulates and traps his victim. In much of the same way, the gory “Saw” franchise focuses on a madman who sees himself as a vigilante and takes justice into his own hands by torturing his victims on both a mental and psychological level. “The Cask of Amontillado” and the “Saw” movies share the combined use of entrapment, manipulation, and psychological and physical infliction of pain while being at polar extremes in the methods used upon their victims. Entrapment plays an important role in both horror sagas. In the story of the Amontillado, Fortunado is taken deep into the vault. As the two walked deeper down, Fortunado was repeatedly asked if he wanted to turn back “We will go back; you will be ill and I cannot be responsible. Besides there is Luchesi” (Poe), but his pride and vanity drove him on farther into the catacombs in search of the Amontillado. Fortunato was led into a niche where instead of the Amontillado stood...
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...Rosa Trahin Ms. King ENG 102 9/2/13 The Thin Line between Obsession and Insanity What triggers people to murder; or to even have the slightest thoughts about killing someone? There might be many answers; however, the best answer could be insanity. Edgar Allan Poe was a well-known writer; best known for his short mystery and horror stories. “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” were two short stories written by him. Both of these stories consist on some sort of paranoia, obsession, and death. The “TBC” and “TCOA” are stories being narrated by the ones that have committed the crime of the story, such as murder. On the “TBC” the narrator is a man that with time turned into an aggressive, alcoholic, obsessive person. The man’s name was not revealed on the story. On the other hand, the narrator of “TCOA” was Montresor. This man was seeking revenge. Montresor stated “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (“Amontillado” 144). On both stories the narrators kill someone due to their obsession. These two short stories written by Poe had similar altercations but different outcomes; such as Montresor never getting caught for what he did and the man from “TBC” got sentenced to the death penalty for the crime he committed. The story of “The Black Cat” talked about how this man murdered his wife due to his obsession with the black cat. This man had a cat named Pluto. As he was growing older his...
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...Marek Hullinger Mike Fiscel English W132 26 September 2013 From Tribes to Literature The word Goth derives from a German tribe referred to as the Goths. The term Gothic was later used during medieval times for the construction of buildings with pointed arches and vaults (Lad). In my essay, I chose to discuss two pieces of Gothic fiction. The first piece of Gothic fiction I decided to discuss is, “The Cask of Amontillado.” It was published in 1846 by the famous short-story writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. The second piece of Gothic fiction I chose to discuss is, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” It was published in 1966 by Joyce Carol Oates. In Gothic literature there any many characteristics to its writing and famous short-stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” contain many of those Gothic fiction characteristics. Summary “The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. Montresor is the main character of the story and also acts as the narrator. The story begins by him vowing his vengeance towards Fortunato for insulting him. Montresor hides his animosity towards Fortunato so he does not expect anything. He maintains a deceiving presence towards Fortunato and plots to exploit Fortunato’s weakness for luxurious wines. Carnival season came upon the city and Montresor finds Fortunato at the carnival. He invites him to try some of his sherry at his home. Montresor doubts Fortunato’s skill with...
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...Edgar Allan Poe Essay 9. The mood of “The Cask of Amontillado” is one of rising horror. What descriptive details help produce this mood? “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, was about a man named Montresor who was seeking revenge on another man named Fortunato. Fortunato had insulted Montresor is some sort of way so he arrived at the carnival with a masterful and evil scheme to get rid of him. Throughout this story there are many events that make you gasp and sit on the edge of your seat. Horror is the mood in this graphic short story. One descriptive detail in the story that is filled of horror was when they arrived at Monstresor’s house and they explored his vaults. It was filled with dead corpses. While I was reading this I felt a little disturbed. If I was the one walking through multiple dead bodies lying on the ground I would feel very uneasy and petrified. This event showed horror. Another example of a horrid scene was when both of the men walked into Monstresor’s crypt. A crypt is usually a place where people are buried and they contain coffins. Fortunato had a little too much to drink so he didn’t exactly notice his unpleasant surroundings. Also, there were human bones on the walls. Lastly, the most horrifying, descriptive scene in this short story was the ending. Montresor wanted revenge on Fortunato so bad that he was willing to take his life. He trapped Fortunato inside the wall and began to place stones over top of him. Since...
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...That many have also created the darkness inside of him to write gothic. They are very similar to how he uses his gothic qualities to tell the audience how the short stories have led up to the ending because of the misery Poe may have been feeling. Poe gets his main characters to murder cold heartedly and feel nothing but pleasure of doing such horrendous acts to their victims. In “Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” Poe represents his betrayal by not letting the victims suspect what will happen to them until the very end, when it is too late. The narrator states,“He shrieked once - once only. . . I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done” (“The Tell-Tale Heart” 75). The old man must have seen who had betrayed him. Poe mentions in “The Cask of Amontillado,” “It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato” (“The Cask of Amontillado” 112). Poe states that so the audience can understand that Fortunato acknowledges on what is taking place for him. Poe makes sure Fortunato know that his own friend betrayed him by taking him to his doom. Edgar Allan Poe may have written the “The Tell-Tale Heart” because he must have known his own father betrayed him by never being in his life and his families. In “The...
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...Diana Rodriguez English 1302 David Glen Smith, Instructor October 4, 2012. The Tale of Horror In “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, in his story Montresor is the protagonist and also the narrator. Poe uses his narrator to explain situations that are going on in their characters life. Montresor reveals from the beginning of that story that he intends to have revenge over Fortunato. On the other hand “The Goose Girl”, by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm in their story, the chambermaid plays the role of the antagonist. Grimm brother’s story is of a good-hearted princess usurped by her chambermaid and is turned into a common goose girl in a classic fairy tale. The chambermaid does not have any intent at the beginning of the story to usurp the princess place, but she is taking advantage over the princess, because of the circumstances that are happening over the course of the story. Regardless that the Poe story and as well Grimm’s Brothers story utilize common characteristics such as, development of manipulation, betrayal, deceitful, sly and calculating characters. Montresor from Poe story and the chambermaid from Grimm Brothers story, they both have similar characteristics in order to satisfice their own beliefs and desires. Montresor character of Poe’s story initially opens with a clear and specific purpose, which is to kill his friend Fortunato to be able to obtain revenge. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured...
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...An Interpretation of Literature Stephen King, a very successful author of contemporary horror and supernatural fiction books, once said, “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool”. The liar is able to take advantage of the innocent due to the exchange of trust. In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor yearns to wreak vengeance on Fortunato. Montresor utilizes Fortunato’s trust to get what he wants. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allen Poe parallels King’s theme, through dramatic irony and the climax, that once trust has been gained, the bad qualities in a person are much less noticeable. One way Edgar Allen Poe emphasizes that the establishment of trust masks lunacy through the use of dramatic...
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...The “Cask of Amontillado” is a gothic tale of revenge and horror, the true genius of which lies in Poe’s abundant use of symbolism and irony. * Symbolism in "The Cask of Amontillado" Fortunato's Outfit: Fortunato's carnival garb is described as follows: "The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells." In short, Fortunato is dressed as a fool, a symbolic representation of what he is. The Setting: The "supreme madness of carnival season" represents the supreme madness of the narrator's mind. It is the backdrop of carnival season that lends the story its fantastic nature, a nature trumped only by the madness of Montresor's revenge. The Cask of Amontillado: The word cask, a sturdy cylindrical container for storing liquids, and the word casket have the same root. The Amontillado represents two causes of Fortunato's demise: (1) Fortunato is extremely drunk, more than likely drunk on wine. It is probable that his venturing into the catacombs has little to do with his desire to serve Montresor. Fortunato understands that the trip will produce one of two results--free Amontillado or Montresor's humiliation; (2) Fortunato's passion for good wine leaves him susceptible to flattery, flattery which Montresor provides. Montresor: In French, mon tresor means my treasure. The treasure the narrator possesses is the knowledge of the perfect revenge. The Montresor Family Motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit": Fortunato...
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...stated this in a letter to one of his admirers, referring to his depression and alcoholism. He was an American editor, writer, and literary critic. Poe was famous for his horror and mystery stories, but he had faced multiple tragedies within his family. Some of his popular works are The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Fall of The House of Usher. These stories tell of tragedies of madness that end in a death or an emotional problem. Poe died on October 7 in 1849 in Maryland, but the cause of his death is still disputed. The course of his life and the tales that he wrote have multiple similarities. Edgar Allan Poe’s personal life is reflected within his stories. To begin, Edgar Allan Poe’s own depression is shown in The Raven. At the end of the poem, the narrator says, “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!” (The Raven 186). Poe had lost his mother, foster mother, brother, and wife to tuberculosis. These losses had sent him into a depression that could not be lifted. He had been taken in by the Allans when he was three after his parents died. Allan...
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...Alcoholism through his Stories “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat” Jen Andalou Edgar Allen Poe’s stories “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” are among his most popular. Both of these stories can be read on several different levels causing everyone who reads them to come up with a totally different interpretations, yet none of the interpretations I have read seem satisfying. The two stories at first seem simple enough, with “The Black Cat” reading as a darker version of “The Telltale Heart”, this time with the conscience given a physical form, and “The Cask of Amontillado” as a chilling tale of revenge exacted told as a deathbed confession. Yet these simple interpretations leave too many questions. Many reviewers unfairly single Poe’s works out as coming directly from his subconscious, ignoring not only how carefully Poe chose his words and phrases but also the sources that inspired the stories (E A Poe Society, “Autobiography”). That being said, I think Poe did deliberately use his stories as a kind of self-therapy thus revealing at least a little about himself. A large constant in Poe’s life was his fight with alcohol, which made itself known in his writing in many ways. The main theme of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” centers on the narrators’ attempts to wall off, or suppress, his alcoholism, with the narrator succeeding over alcoholism in “The Cask of Amontillado” while the narrator of “The Black...
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...to literature and literary analysis(551) Hem lal pandey 31th july,2015 “ The cask of Amontillado” as a gothic story The story “The cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a fine example of his Gothic writing. As the story features numerous characteristics of gothic literature. For example dark setting, imagery, underground chamber, violent and revenge, the theme of death and decay, extreme circumstances of terror oppression and the motif of double. The story “the cask of amontillado” carries a perfect example of Gothic setting. As the main action takes place in damp catacomb, which is dark and snoopy. As it is mention in the story “it was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of carnival season” (Kirszner and Mandell 119) thus the story appears an entirely Gothic story when it’s revenge content is supported with it’s atmosphere which is melancholic and dreadful. Montressor assures Fortunato to provide amontillado and takes him to the underground vaults and winding staircase. He says; I took their scones two Flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato bowed him through several suits of rooms to the archway that led into vaults I passed down a long and winding staircase … we came at length to the foot of the descent and stood together on the damp ground of the catacomb of the montresors. (Kirszner and mandell 192-193) Montressor and fortunato passed through “walls of piled bones with cask and puncheons intermingling into the inmost recesses of the catacombs”(kirszener...
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...wrote several critiques of Hawthorne’s work. On a personal level, Poe often disagreed with how often Hawthorne used allegory. As a literary element that many people use, Poe was not a fan. He once stated that: “I allude to the strain of allegory which completely overwhelms the greater number of his subjects, and which in some measure interferes with the direct conduct of absolutely all.” (Poe, 1847) It seems as though Poe regarded Hawthorne’s work as works of allegory. To say that this was the only literary element he employed, however, would be false. Throughout history, authors have endeavoured to master other forms of literary elements, to become the master of those elements, and equal to none in them. By comparing “The Cask of Amontillado” with “Young Goodman Brown”, is to study two masters, at odds with their specific forms of writing, but each a master in his own right. Each story shows how two people that can be so far apart on a scale, can use the same literary elements in similar and different ways without compromising their work as a whole. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is vital in the world of literature. Foreshadowing is always about being subtle. How can an author slip in a clue or help build a story to a dramatic, yet unforeseen conclusion? Foreshadowing in the hands of a master seems to be a piece of elegance and can be so subtle that the reader wonders how he or she missed...
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...Edgar Allan Poe is a writer of horror stories and poems. His stories, generally follow a common theme and have some similar events throughout his many short stories. Some of his well known books include The Black Cat, The Masque of the Red Death, The Cask of Amontillado, and the System of Doctor Tarr. Most of his work involves the motifs of irony, arrogance, and insanity as well as many other elements commonly seen in horror. Poe weaves a lot of irony into his writing, especially in the name of the characters. For example, In the story of the “Cask of Amontillado” , the main character's name is Fortunado, implying that he is fortunate and lucky. When in the story, he is actually extremely unlucky because he ends up getting killed by the speaker. Poe does this to create the element of surprise, because you wouldn't expect the character named Fortunato to be as unlucky as to die in the end. Another example of the irony in one's name is in “The Masque of the Red Death”. In this story, the prince's name is Price Prosperous. The name “Prosperous” makes you think that he is very wealthy and successful. When in reality, although he is wealthy,...
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...The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe is a gothic horror story written in 1846. This short story by Poe uses many different techniques to grab and hold the reader’s attention. While the main subject of the story is murder, there is no shown repercussions of Montresor’s actions. In this reading response we will discuss the basic outline of the story, the setting, and, the symbolism behind each portion of the story. The Cask of Amontillado is set in an unspecified Italian town in what I estimate is the early 1800’s during carnival season. The story starts off by the main character and narrator Montresor telling a backstory about how Fortunato insulted him, and that Montresor vowed to get revenge. Montresor formed a plan to get his revenge during carnival when all his servants would be away. When Montresor runs across Fortunato in the streets, he tells Fortunato that he is on his way to the rival wine connoisseur in town Luchasi, to get a pipe (130 gallons) of a wine named Amontillado authenticated. This causes Fortunato to follow Montresor to his demise....
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...The Cask of Amontillado by: Edgar Allan Poe In The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe manipulates the story to be the way he wants it to be by using the point of view of the narrator, the setting, and a common monotonous sentiment throughout the story. Poe is successful in maintaining a spirit of perverseness. The point of view plays a very important role in influencing the reader's perception of the story. The first line of the story is a good example of how the narrator attempts to bring the reader to his side, right from the start. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (101). Montresor, the narrator of the story, immediately tries to win the reader to his side, by telling him/her that Fortunato has “ventured upon insult,” and apparently crossed the line. This attempt is clever, but the reader never gets a sense of what Fortunato has actually done to the narrator, or whether Montresor is creating it in his own mind. The point of view of the story can also affect the emotional attachment that the reader gets, or fails to get, in this case, for a given character. When a reader is involved in a story, the point of view from where the story is being told is crucial to the feelings the reader has. In this story, Montresor dominates the progression of the story in every regard. This being the case, it is difficult for the reader to develop a liking for another character, unless Montresor...
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