The Cask of Amontillado

   Written by Edgar Allan Poe in the 19th century, the short story ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ portrays the psychology and the inner thoughts of a cruel murderer. The story focuses on the thoughts and actions of Montresor, the avenger. The setting of an underground vault and the use of irony are very significant in a way that they contribute to other literary features such as the fearful mood. Poe successfully employs the literary features and incorporates language techniques to communicate the psychology of a murderer and thus, create a sense of horror.

   The point of view in ‘The cask of Amontillado’ is important as it assists the characterisation. As a first person narrative, the descriptions contain a certain degree of unreliability. The persona tries to portray his side of the story and validate his cruel deed. He claims that although he ‘bore thousand injuries’ Fortunato insulted him. This creates sympathy towards the persona despite his cold-blooded deed. This reinforces the grotesque nature of Montresor; the audiences feel both disgust and empathy towards one person. As a first person narrative, the persona’s train of thoughts is transferred more distinctively. All the words employed by the narrator reflect on the characteristic of Montresor. The words ‘leer’, ‘promiscuously’, ‘ejaculated’, ‘erected’, and ‘re-erected’ are all linked to ‘sex’. Therefore, Poe may have attempted attribute a sort of sexual desire within Montresor although this cannot be fully supported. Montresor is a very cunning and determined person who organised the death of Fortunato. His confidence is also illustrated in the following phrase – ‘precluded the idea of risk’. He can also judge other people and use psychological reactions to change the actions of people. Montresor realises the ‘weak point’ of Fortunato which is his pride and confidence. Montresor stimulates this weakness by constantly intimidating Fortunato with  references to Luchresi. The point of view helps illustrate the characteristic of Montresor, a typical grotesque character.

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   The story is a recount of what happened fifty years ago. The action of story is set in the 18th century which is evident from ‘roquelaure’. More precisely, it is set in dusk during the carnival season. The ‘supreme madness’ which is used to describe the carnival provides a certain mood of activity and joy. Dusk, however, symbolizes the unclear boundary between night and day. This symbolizes the oblivious psychological state of the grotesque character. The physical setting of a dark, damp vault filled with remains of the dead provides a contrasting mood of terror. This also acts as a ...

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