...Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe & “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemmingway Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe Abstract “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, is a short story about a man named Montessor who gets revenge on one of his “friends” named Fortunado by trapping him and burying him alive. Treatment Setting: Two kinds Plot: Man gets revenge on his “friend” Characters: Montresor, Fortunado, Montresor’s family, and Luchesi Setting: An underground catacomb, somewhere in Italy, during the carnival season Time: Over two days Conflict: For Montresor to revenge himself for Fortunato’s insult, he has to get away with it – if Fortunato can revenge him back, then Montresor has lost. The punishment must be permanent − Fortunato has to feel it, and he has to know it’s coming from Montresor. Resolution: The satisfaction of the death of Fortunado Narrative point of view: First person, Central (Montresor) Literary devices: Repetition- "Amontillado" - This shows Fourtunato's doubt about the wine being Amontillado. Dialect- "I will not impose upon your good will." - The way the character talks suggests that they are in the past and educated. Onomatopoeia- "ugh...ugh, ugh...ugh." - instead of just saying that Fortunato had a cold or was sick, the author used onomatopoeia to show the reader that he had a cough and was very ill. Evaluation At the end of the story The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan...
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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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...In “The Scarlet Ibis”, written by James Hurst, and “The Cask of Amontillado”, written by Edgar Allan Poe, the characters in both works are the theme of Appearance versus Reality. The authors use Appearance versus Reality by revealing the cruel intentions of Montresor and the reality of how Doodle learned to walk. Both “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Cask of Amontillado” are influenced by Appearance versus Reality as the plot progresses in both of these stories. The process of maturation in Doodle and Brother demonstrate the theme of Appearance versus Reality in “The Scarlet Ibis”. When Doodle was born, his family and the doctor presumed that he would not live to experience a full life. Even his own mother did not think that he would remain...
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...Critical Essay: Elements of Literature in Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” Is a well written shorty story filled with many significant literary elements. Firstly we will write about the plot, the overall summary of the story, and the main themes, the central ideas of this tale. The plot of "The Cask of Amontillado" is a great account of vengeance. The assassin promises “revenge” upon Fortunato for an “insult.” The main theme revolves around the assassin plans to pursue vengeance in support of his family motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit. This means “no one cuts (attacks) me with impunity.” On the coat of arms of his family, which bears this motto, looks "a huge human foot d'or, in a field of azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel.” Thus reflects the theme of vengeance because the assassin’s plan of revenge on Fortunato for an insult. Secondly we have characterization, the personalities of the characters of the characters produced. The true focus lies upon the assassin, the wicked Montresor. Montresor is an evil man who is happy at his chance to murder. The costume that Fortunato donned on the night of his murder was that of a jester, while appropriate...
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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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...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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...Hannah Mason Olsen WR100 Insanity in Literature 11 February 2015 “The Presence of a Motive in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’” In many countries, the highest offense one can commit is insulting the family of another, as family is a strong source of history and pride. Conflicts between families have fueled many a feud or violent campaign, and insult is never left to injury; action must be taken. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” the narrator, Montresor, does not appear explicitly insane, as many would argue, but rather to be acting on a motive against his victim, Fortunato. This premeditated intent to take revenge can be seen in Fortunato’s consistent disrespect for Montresor’s family, Montresor’s lack of guilt, which is exhibited during the act and also in the final phrase of the story, and finally through Poe’s method of singular effect. Montresor’s extreme distaste for Fortunato is immediately evident. He opens his murderous, half a century year old tale...
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...In the story we find that Montresor has an evil way of thinking and that Fortunato is a well respected man and should not be the enemy of anyone. In "The Most Dangerous Game," we have similarities between General Zaroff and Montresor, both have a taste for murder, even though General Zaroff denies that he is murdering anyone, while Rainsford and Fortunate have little similarities, Rainsford is one to be respected. General Zaroff insists that killing humans for amusement isn't murder because he believes living is for the strong and not the weak, while Rainsford insists that it truly is murder when you kill for amusement and that humans are all equal. Rainsford feels that when he kills an animal that is doesn't have emotion because it's just...
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...The Motive behind the Murder Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” describes Montresor’s deadly revenge against his friend Fortunato who he claims has insulted him. Since readers are unable to find the precise explanation of Montresor’s abhorrence of Fortunato, most of the readers conclude that Montresor is insane and unbalanced. However, this interpretation fails to explain the character of Montresor and goes against the intricate details of the plot. The short story’s emphasis on the elaborate murder shows Montresor’s sophisticated philosophy of revenge, which is “No one insults me with impunity”. The motive of his vengeance is because of Fortunato’s arrogance and his insulting Montresor, who is indeed equal or even superior to him. Since Fortunato can remember neither the coat of arms nor the motto of Montresor, it is logical to say that Fortunato comes from a less prominent family than Montresor. The conflict between Fortunato and Montresor arises from the sensation of incongruity between their current social standing and their right to prominence by virtue of their origin. Fortunato regards Montresor’s family as less prominent than his family because Montresor is not an active participant in the life of local aristocracy. When Fortunato noted how extensive the vaults are, Montresor tells him that he came from a great and enormous family. However, Fortunato cannot remember Montresor’s coat of arms and his family motto. At that time, the display of a family’s...
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...Murder is never tolerable, no matter the motive. In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor, the narrator of the story, explains that a friend, named Fortunato, had wronged him many times. In response to this, Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs in promise of an expensive wine, but instead murders him. Montresor’s actions in the story are not justified, as Fortunato couldn’t have done anything that terrible, his actions were morally wrong and illegal, and there are multiple other ways to resolve the conflict. In the beginning of the story, Montresor tells the reader that Fortunato had wronged him, but he doesn’t explain what the deed was. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured...
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...Revenge can be a healthy way to punish those who have wronged. However, some people can take revenge to the extremes. Ray Bradbury’s “Utterly Perfect Murder” describes Doug, a man in the midsts of an alleged mid-life crisis, who returns to his hometown to seek revenge on his childhood bully. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe depicts a psychotic narrator, Montresor who avenges insults by burying a former friend in the catacombs. While Doug and Montresor have similar motives, their methods and mental states differ. Doug and Montresor murder their assumed friends to seek revenge. Doug kills his childhood companion, Ralph for bullying him in the past. As he recollects childhood memories, he recalls Ralph’s abuse; “[Doug] was covered...
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...A Glossary of Literary Devices Allegory A symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary meaning. Allegory often takes the form of a story in which the characters represent moral qualities. The most famous example in English is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in which the name of the central character, Pilgrim, epitomizes the book's allegorical nature. Kay Boyle's story "Astronomer's Wife" and Christina Rossetti's poem "Up-Hill" both contain allegorical elements. Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, as I suppose, off some sweet wood." Hopkins, "In the Valley of the Elwy." Antagonist A character or force against which another character struggles. Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone; Teiresias is the antagonist of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose, as in "I rose and told him of my woe." Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" contains assonantal "I's" in the following lines: "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, / Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself." Character An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” Goodman Brown was not asleep in this short story. As I read, I believed that Goodman did indeed meet the devil in the forest. If he had indeed dreamt about the trip he was sent on and meeting the devil, I think his nervousness would have been described in more detail then it was. Concentrating more on the anxiety he was feeling would have led the reader to believe that the events were not real. I also saw this story as an allegory. I saw the allegory after reading the story two times. I think it is centered on Goodman Brown having a bumpy past and that he wants to go beyond his past and reach heaven. The characters names also show the religious allegory in the story. The names Goodman and Faith are used and the characters are then soon faced with terrifying evil. I think that Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith’s names symbolize that they are good, religious people and that Goodman is making up everyone being evil in his head. I found an essay by Alexa Carlson that described the symbolism in light vs. dark, forest vs. town, nature vs. human, and fantasy vs. reality. In her paper, Essay #1: Young Goodman Brown, she states that “…fantasy vs. reality are employed to reinforce the idea that good and evil have been set up as strict categories into which no one, not even the religious figures of the community, fit neatly.” As she later writes, if Hawthorne was apprehensive about “what he considers right and wrong in terms of human behavior, I...
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...Symbolism Ever since the first sin has happened in paradise on Earth – human beings are struggling to find a perfect balance between how they have to be and what they really are. In the short story “The Cask of Amontilado” Edgar Allan Poe makes an attempt to observe human’s nature very close by putting two friends together in the middle of the plot and places ambitions and anger of one of them on top of friendship. The story that the narrator tells us takes place in Italy during the carnival in the town. In a time everyone cheers up and has fun dressing up, one soul is deeply obsessed with revenge. The narrator of the story describes the story of punishment that happened fifty years ago with all the details and the feeling of satisfaction; he still considers his past act as the only right thing that had to be done in order to protect his dignity. The short story is presented with symbolism that creates a unified pattern, which leads to a dramatic end. Montresor’s and Fortunado’s costumes, dialogue while walking through the vaults and Fortunato’s torture death – all that symbolizes carelessness and foulness of Fortunato, and careful prudence and hidden anger of Montresor. The author gave to his characters totally opposite costumes which makes the reader imagine them from different perspective right away. Fortunato is dressed as a jester and “he had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells”. The reader doesn’t...
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...LIT 210 Entire Course (UOP) For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Tutorial Purchased: 5 Times, Rating: A LIT 210 CheckPoint 1: Literary Canon Response LIT 210 CheckPoint 2: Writing About Literature Response LIT 210 Assignment: Literary Definitions Activity LIT 210 CheckPoint: Final Paper Rough Draft 1 of 2 LIT 210 CheckPoint: Final Paper Rough Draft 2 of 2 LIT 210 Week 2 CheckPoint: Young Goodman Brown Matrix LIT 210 Week 2 DQs LIT 210 Week 3 CheckPoint: Analytical Essay LIT 210 Week 4 DQs LIT 210 Week 3 Assignment: Comparative Character Matrix and Newspaper Ads- Appendix D LIT 210 CheckPoint: Newspaper Ads for Dramatic Characters LIT 210 Week 5 Assignment: Oedipus Rex and A Raisin in the Sun Essay LIT 210 Week 5 CheckPoint: Comparative Drama Matrix LIT 210 Week 7 Assignment: Comparative Poetry Matrix- Appendix h LIT 210 Week 6-Checkpoint - Word Order Activity LIT 210 Week 6 DQs LIT 210 Final Paper Outline LIT 210 Week 8 Checkpoint Analyzing the Essay LIT 210 Week 8 DQs LIT 210 Capstone Checkpoint LIT 210 Final Project Comparative Literature Paper ............................................................................................................................................................... LIT 210 Assignment Literary Definitions Activity (UOP) For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Tutorial Purchased: 4 Times, Rating: A+ Resources: Appendix B and the glossary on pages 1204-1215 in Literature:...
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