...The Cask of Amontillado In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor wanted to engage the readers by telling us the story of how he killed his friend, Furtunato, to seek revenge for a grudge he held towards him. Knowing that Furtunato’s weakness is wine, Montresor manipulated him into insisting to verify the Amontillado. He then led Furtunato into his vault filled with nitre and left him to fall into his death. Montresor’s motivation to killed Furtunato and telling us how he was killed was articulated in several ways. Montresor illustrated his motivation to tell the reader his story through the quote, “You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.” He wanted his readers to know what kind of person he is by introducing them to his demeanor. He signified that he will no longer be able to handle the insults he was given to by Fortunato, therefore he must avenge himself by taking away Fortunato’s life. Montresor told the readers his goals and introduced us to Fortunato before he tells the story of how he got killed. He wanted to get the readers to be interested in his story before actually telling the story itself. The quote “He had a weak point--this Fortunato--although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared” foreshadows that death of Fortunato will involve in wine. Montresor is motivated to kill Fortunato because he planned to use Fortunato’s weakness against...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...In "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a journey into the mind of what many would perceive as a mad man. The story tells of what seems to be a horrible revenge made even more horrible by the fact that the vengeance is being taken when no real offense had been known. This notion sets the mood for true evil. The plot of the story is simple. Montresor takes revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the wine cellar under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a tomb in the wall. Was Montresor mad or was it premeditated murder? "Nemo me impune lacessit" (No one attacks me with impunity). This seems to be the theme running through the short story. Along with the Montresor Coat of Arms; a serpent being crushed under a gold foot and the saying "Nemo me impune lacessit". Is this the motto of a vengeful family who believes revenge is justified or of a mad man who has heard that motto so many times, that he feels revenge is justified at any cost? Knowing Fortunato was intoxicated from the wine and spirits of celebrating Carnival as well as in a Jester costume he is wearing, Montresor takes advantage of Fortunato knowledge of fine wines and entices him with a "Cask of Amontillado" (Barrel of Spanish Sherry) Montresor has just acquired to lure Fortunato to the vaults under the family estate. This sounds like a precalculated plan for revenge. Montresor never states what the insult...
Words: 477 - Pages: 2
...The cask of amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe Plot Sypnosis The characters in this story are Montresor, a deranged man who seeks revenge and Fortunato, a haughty wine connoisseur against whom Montresor seeks revenge. The story begins during the carnival. Montresor avenge against one of his "friends," ironically named Fortunato, for insulting him, and explains that he has found a way to avenge himself that satisfies the two conditions he has: that Fortunato knows for sure Montresor is behind it and that he himself escapes revenge or punishment. Fortunato has a cold. Montresor finds his friend Fortunato at dusk. He is drunk and dressed in carnival costume as a jester. Using reverse psychology, he induces Fortunato, whose knowledge of fine wine he admires, to follow him into the catacombs underneath his palazzo to determine if his newly-acquired barrel storage cask of Amontillado, a kind of Spanish sherry, is indeed authentic and thus worth the price he has paid. They talk as they walk deep into the catacombs, discussing Fortunato's health, the Montresor family motto Nemo me impune lacessit, Latin for "No one assails me with impunity", and membership in the Freemasons. The ominous atmosphere intensifies as they continue to the damp, potassium nitrate air of the Montresor crypt. Dumbfounded at the absence of the Amontillado at the end of their passage, Fortunato stands 'stupidly bewildered' and Montresor takes advantage of the situation, suddenly chaining Fortunato to the wall...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...Edgar Allen Poe uses irony and foreshadowing to develop the theme in the story where a man seeks revenge and salvation. Montresor is driven to seek revenge against the man who has caused him “a thousand injuries”, yet the author never goes into detail about these injuries. Poe is well known for his morbid style of writing and mortality seems to be a theme in many of his works. It is also a theme in the Cask of Amontillado. To begin with, the names Poe chose for the characters are very ironic. Fortunato translates to “the lucky one” or “the fated one”, and as the story pans out the reader discovers that Fortunato is condemned to a slow and miserable fate. He is the sacrificial lamb unwittingly being led to the slaughter. Fortunato is a very wealthy man and it seems that Montresor’s family was once just as wealthy and respected. It’s almost as if Fortunato is a part of Montresor’s personality. It seems that Montresor needs to carry out this evil act against Fortunato in order to be free. It seems to be a burden weighing him down until he finally seals Fortunato into the wall in the catacombs. Montresor’s name combines the two French terms montrer(to show) and sort(fate). The exact French translation of Montresor is “my treasure.” The author’s choice of this character’s name is also ironic and foreshadowing. The setting and time of the story are also ironic. It takes place during carnival which is a time for sins of the flesh. Montresor chooses this time to lure...
Words: 510 - Pages: 3
...Symbolism in “The Cask of Amontillado” Symbolism in “The Cask of Amontillado” The symbolism throughout Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” constantly pair similar ideas that contradict each other. The characters are unaware of the symbolic details in conversations or events that occur throughout the story. The reader may find him/her self siding with Montresor since we have all been insulted at one time or another, but that doesn’t constitute revenge to the point of killing a person. Literature containing symbolism can be interpreted or viewed differently by the reader. Poe put much effort and thought into the details of his literature, he painted a descriptive picture for the reader matter how dark and dreary. The name “Fortunato” means fortune/fortunate, which is symbolic because it is the complete opposite for the character in this story since his fate has been decided for him, “derivation from the verb fortunate, blessed by the goddess fortuna, or random fate. Naturally, to embrace fortuna was unthinkable in the Reformed traditions. Fate was not random” (87). Montresor is constantly smiling at Fortunato so he will have no suspicion of his bad intentions. “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” (108). A kind gesture such as a smile can be misleading, it is hard to depict whether an individual is a friend or foe. Fortunato is dressed as...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...Poe once stated, “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.” (Goodreads.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.). “The Cask of Amontillado” tells the story of Montresor, who has been insulted by Fortunato, and wants him to pay the ultimate price for it. “The Raven” is a story about a man having to brutally come to terms with being alone in his life. Because Edgar Allen Poe uses ominous detail, each of his stories portray a strong mood of suspense. Poe uses ominous detail for create an idea of death in “The Cask of Amontillado”. While walking in the catacombs, Fortunato and Montresor reach the end of the tunnels, and walking toward where Fortunato will be murdered, attempt to slice through the darkness with...
Words: 527 - Pages: 3
...“Revenge is a dish best served cold”. This is a quote I am sure Edgar Allen Poe has herd after reading his short story “The Cask of Amontillado”. “The Cask of Amontillado” is the story of man, Montresor, and his brutal revenge against his former friend, Fortunato, who had insulted him. Poe’s story is riddled with examples of dramatic, verbal and situational irony which highlight the brutal revenge and brings humor into the story. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something that one of the characters does not. Such is the case in “The Cask of Amontillado” as the story begins with Montresor stating “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”(510). This statement sets up dramatic irony throughout the story as the reader knows Montresor has sworn revenge on Forunato, while Fortunato believes they are still friends. This irony is evident through the whole story as Montresor pretends to be friends luring Fortunato to his cellar where he would eventually trap and kill him. The irony enhances the brutality of the murder as the reader knows throughout Montresor is planning some revenge while Fortunato believes he is going to sample his friends wine. Secondly Poe weaves verbal irony, a statement in which the meaning that a speaker employs is sharply different from the meaning that is ostensibly expressed, throughout to add humor to the story. The story is filled with verbal irony as Montresor is planning...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...The Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe is always known for writing “different” than other authors out there. His stories are always dark, dreary and mysterious ranging from what is going on in the story to how he is going to make people die or kill themselves. In “The Cask of Amontillado” Poe uses a great plot and describes the characters dark also. As you read the story you become more and more surprised on what some friends can do to each other and how they can manipulate you into something without you knowing what they are doing. In the beginning, he begins the story in a carnival that has happy and bright colors where nothing would go wrong, making us believe that the story will continue that way and not thinking that it would turn around so suddenly. He also talks about the two guys, Fortunato and Montresor and how they are friends until one says something rude to the other one. Using the two friends as characters makes you think that nothing terribly bad would happen to either one of them. Friends are friends and they will say things to you whether you like it or not, you just have to except it and move one, but not in this story. As the story continues, they get out of the carnival and start going into a cellar. As they walk it gets darker and darker. Making you realize something is going to happen to one of them or both. You also get to realizing as Montresor keeps on asking him if he would like to turn around and go back. He knew that Fortunato wouldn’t...
Words: 766 - Pages: 4
...The Cask of Amontillado While reading the story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, the readers were probably thinking “What possessed Montresor to do such a thing?” or “I wonder what his character traits are that would cause him to do something like this?”. Well in the story, Montresor wants revenge on Fortunado, he does this exactly by telling Fortunado he has Amontillado at the end of the catacombs in his home, getting him drunk, and then burying him alive. Montresor accomplishes this murder because he is insane, yet very clever, and organized. Due to the fact that Montresor is (or at least seems to be) insane, that Could easily help him think of smart, yet grotesque ways of trapping and killing Fortunado. Its obvious that Montresor has killed someone or something before because he says “I busied myself among the pile of bones which I have before spoken.” (Poe, 216) this indicates that he has killed before, and the worst part is he isn’t even phased or bothered by this! If that doesn’t prove he’s insane, then what does? Based on his actions, Montresor is obviously very clever, making it easier to come up with ways he can kill Fortunado and get away with it! The fact that Montresor uses reverse physiology to get Fortunado to stay (Poe, 214) This shows that he had this planned out and knows exactly how to get him to the end of the catacombs. All of the above actions show that he’s very clever. Looking at how Montresor acts throughout...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 1521 - Pages: 7
...The Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe provides suspense using irony, foreshadowing and setting in his book The Cask of Amontillado. To begin, irony creates suspense, “’we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed.’” (163). Montresor is thinking the exact opposite of how he is describing Fortunato. This provides suspense for the reader because they know Montresor is up to something. Next, foreshadowing builds suspense, “’we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed.’” (163). This is a hint that something fearful will happen in the future because Montresor is telling Fortunato that he is not happy and that something will happen to Fortunato in the future. Something will happen in the future because Montresor is clueing in that he will be missed. Lastly, the setting creates suspense, “We had passed through long walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs.” (164). This setting could be described as dark and eerie and most people would be disturbed by their surroundings. It is not a usual place anyone would want to be and provides suspense to the reader. In conclusion, irony, foreshadowing and setting are being used in the book to provide suspense to the reader. In order to be a suspenseful writer, one must use these elements of...
Words: 264 - Pages: 2
...Answer the questions: 1) What does cask mean in the story the Cask of Amontillado? A cask is a very small barrel in which wines of high value were stored. Sometimes such wines were too expensive or valuable to come in the larger size barrel so they were stored and sold in smaller ones. It is also a variation of "casket" a container for burying a person. 2) What is ironic about Fortunato's name in 'The Cask of Amontillado'? The name Fortunato can mean fortunate one or simply fortunate. It is ironic because he is about to receive a most unfortunate surprise and meet a most u nfortunate end once Montressor kill’s him. 3) What happened in 'The Cask of Amontillado'? The Cask of Amontillado is a story about how Montresor avenged his anger at Fortunato. His family motto contributes a lot to the whole of the story. Montresor's anger towards Fortunato is not only based on a one time happening, he saved up a lot of things that Fortunato did that provoked his anger. Motresor was like a jar, slowly filling up with anguish and when that anguish overflowed, he decided to take action for his revenge. In the beginning of the story, Motresor described his fleeting anger, his undefined emotion, his wish to be an avenger. He slowly created a plan on somewhat called a perfect crime. Having this "crime" planned, he proceeded to do it. He treated Fortunato with irony. We all know what he's planning yet he used sweet words to lure Fortunato into the catacombs. He devised a plan to...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 1290 - Pages: 6
..."The Cask of Amontillado" is a story of revenge, but the reader is never told exactly what Fortunato did to warrant such vengeance. In fact, throughout the story, the reader gradually realizes that Montresor is an unreliable narrator; that whatever insult Montresor believes Fortunato committed is probably imagined or exaggerated. It's certain that Fortunato has no idea of Montresor's anger, and this makes the story even more tragic and frightening. The seemingly happy jangling of the bells on the top of Fortunato's cap become more and more sad the deeper the two venture into the catacombs. In the beginning of the story, Montresor defines revenge. He says he must "punish with impunity." He states if the avenger is caught, or does not make the punishment known to he who committed the wrong, the wrong goes unavenged. With this in mind, he sets the trap for Fortunato. He gives Fortunato numerous opportunities to back out, using the tricks of classic conmen by playing on Fortunato's greed and pride. In fact, it is Fortunato who insists they carry on to find the Amontillado, and this will no doubt torture him as he is buried alive. Montresor also provides hints as to what he plans to do with Fortunato. He seemingly miraculously comes up with a cask of Amontillado during carnival, which Fortunato can scarcely believe. He tells Fortunato, "You are a man to be missed," and after Fortunato says he won't die of a cough, Montresor agrees. His family motto is "No one insults me with...
Words: 337 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 829 - Pages: 4
