"The Cask of Amontillado": Analyzed

Poe not only emphasizes revenge through journey, but he illustrates revenge using irony. “Irony, both dramatic and verbal, plays an important role in this story. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader becomes painfully aware of what will become of Fortunato even though the character continues his descent into the catacombs in pursuit of the Amontillado” (Womack). Poe goes even further with using irony by giving Fortunato his name. In Italian Fortunato means “the fortunate one,” and in this story symbolizes what happens to Fortunato when he becomes a victim of revenge (Womack). In the end Fortunato is killed, and turns out not to be fortunate. Fortunato’s costume for the carnival is also ironic. While Montresor is dressed wearing a black mask made of silk, Fortunato is dressed as a court jester, and in the end is fooled into his death. In this story, there are also a number of verbal irony examples. Many times throughout their journey through the catacombs, Montresor tries to make it seem like he cares about Fortunato’s health, “We will go back; your health is precious,” (Poe 138). Montresor already has his revenge planned out, which makes it ironic that he tries to sound concerned with Fortunato’s health.

Montresor tells this story in his point of view. He tries to convince the reader that his intentions are honorable in an effort to uphold his family motto "Nemo me impune lacessit,” (Womack) which means “no one harms me with impunity.” Montresor is an unreliable narrator. For one, he tells this story fifty years after it happens. “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them” (Poe 141). By the time Montresor tells the story, there may be some differences as to what has really happened. Montresor also tries to convince the reader that Fortunato’s insult made it necessary to seek revenge. Montresor believes that what he has done was the right thing to do, but no insult should ever result in murder.

Poe demonstrates revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado,” through his use of journey, irony, and narrative point of view. By the end of Poe's story, Montresor has gotten his revenge against unsuspecting Fortunato, whose taste for wine has led him to his own death (Womack). This story is written from Montresor perspective, which makes the story unreliable because he tells it according to what he believes. He tells the story through one long journey through the catacombs. In the course of this journey, Poe illustrates irony in both dramatic and verbal form. In structure, there can be no doubt, that both Montresor's plan of revenge and Poe's story are carefully crafted to create the desired effect (Womack).

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry,

and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 136-141.

Womack, Martha. “Precisely Poe.” Poe Decoder. Ed. . 14 June 1997.

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