...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
...Developed by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic criticism is used in literature to reveal the motives, motifs, and themes in a work of literature. This analysis focuses on the inner workings of the human mind. The short story, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, depicts Freud’s conclusion of psychoanalytic criticism. The sole motive for the killing of Fortunato is due to Montresor’s projection of his own failures. To Montresor, Fortunato represents his own downfalls and the way his life used to be––fortunate. Montresor’s motive for killing Fortunato began as an id; an unconscious instinct. It is only natural for a man to be jealous of something he once had. In this case, Montresor is jealous of the life Fortunato lives because this is the lifestyle his family is used to. Not only is it natural to be jealous, but it is also instinctive to feel the pressure of the burdens in a person’s life. Montresor feels as if he is being buried alive by the stress of his misfortunes. Because Montresor feels buried alive, he feels he needs kill Fortunato the same way. This jealousy is proven in the third paragraph of the short story, “In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack but in the matter of old...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...Part Two: Introduction Topic: What happened after the story ended in “The Cask Of Amontillado” Fifty years ago, Monstressor murdered Fortunato one night in a catacomb. Unknown to either of them, Fortunato’s six year old boy watched as the entire crime unfolded. So young and weak, he dare not say anything, as who would believe the tales of such a young boy? As the boy grew, he lived a full life had had a daughter, named Clara, in the process. Now, he lay in a bleak hospital, dying, with Clara at his side. “Worry not, father, for I have gained my courage and the time has come,” said Clara as she held the hand of the dying man lying in his hospital bed. Although he had no strength to move, he still tried to press his hands on his daughter.Trying to mutter words to encourage Clara, he moved his lips slightly and made little sound; however, his words were incomprehensible. Knock.. Knock.. “ Lady Clara, it’s now time. We are waiting for you downstairs.” “I will not be much longer.” “Understood, my Lady.” “Father, soon we will say goodbye to the family that betrayed us. It’s time to take revenge for what we have lost. They made you suffer in silence for decades…. I will go now father. I know in my heart that I have...
Words: 1033 - Pages: 5
...The Cask of Amontillado “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves,” by Confucius. In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado”, the description of one of the character’s, Montresor, wants to get revenge on his “friend”. The title caught my eye, because it was a unique title. It was unique because it had the word Amontillado sounded haunting to me. I wondered where it came from. The author, Edgar Allan Poe gives a really good message in the story. I learned that even if you are stressed about an insult from a person, don’t try to hurt them in such a way they might die, try to reason with them. The connection to life is to talk to the person that may have made you mad, to reason with that person. During carnival season, in...
Words: 333 - Pages: 2
...The Cask of Amontillado is a story about how someone seeks revenge for being insulted by his former friend. Montresor gets his revenge by devising a plan and tricking his former friend into his own death. In The Cask of Amontillado, Poe uses the theme of getting revenge through the use of misplaced trust, betrayal, and hatred for another person. Poe uses the misplaced trust of Fortunato towards Montresor to show the theme of getting revenge in the story. Montresor asks Fortunato to come check his cask of wine for him and Fortunato tells him that he will gladly help. He sees no reason to not trust Montresor so he goes willingly to help someone he considers to be a friend. Secretly Montresor is carrying out a plan for Fortunato’s demise and...
Words: 575 - Pages: 3
...Whether it is in a kingdom by the sea or below the alluring city of Italy in the catacombs, or even in a dank dungeon in Toledo ( or perhaps in a masters house for which you take care of him and look after); all the settings have something in common, and all the settings are chosen for a specific reason. In the “Cask of Amontillado” the setting starts above on the bustling streets of Italy roughly around dusk “during the supreme madness of carnival season” where people reek of intoxication and laughter and then it moves on to the nitre encrusted maze like catacombs that lay deep beneath the city of Italy. This setting change was important in the story of the “cask of Amontillado” do to the fact that if the main character and his antagonist had not gone into the vaults and stayed up above in the bust streets; Montresor could have never had walled up Fortunato in the walls of the catacombs where no one could hear him scream and plea and hope that Montresor was actually just pulling a sick joke. For if this was the case it would have made Montresor’s task at hand much more complicated and practically imposable. So you see because they went into the catacombs Montresor did not have to worry about the “succession of loud shrill screams...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...Selfishness and revenge are woven through “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner like a fine silk thread, supporting the theme of death in each. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, the cause of death is never obviously revealed but lightly hinted upon Emily as the cause. “The Cask of Amontillado,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the cause of death is revealed but no one knew the cause of Fortunato’s disappearance. These stories contain many differences as well as similarities ranging from imagery, symbolism, theme, and tone. The recognizable commonality of the two is the theme of death. Each of these stories portrays death, or murder, as a result of vengeance, revenge and betrayal. “The Cask of Amontillado” deals with the death of Fortunato and “A Rose for Emily” deals with the death of Homer and Emily. William Faulkner never admits that Emily is the cause of Homer’s death but gives the audience clues that suggest Emily was indeed responsible. Emily’s death seemed to be of natural causes (Faulkner, 1931, p 531). Edgar Allan Poe, in “The Cask of Amontillado” tells the audience of Montresor’s plot of revenge and murder of Fortunato. Betrayal and revenge are obvious throughout both stories. In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily first betrayed Homer after he did not take her for his wife after the whole town saw the two of them together. In “The Cask of Amontillado” betrayal is shown in Montresor’s actions,...
Words: 1989 - Pages: 8
...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...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1978 - Pages: 8
...Subject : Introduction 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...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...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
...The two stories I will be using for my analysis will be Edgar Allen Poe’s short story called The Cask of Amontillado and Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston. I will be using the main idea of revenge for both stories. The elements of the stories I will analyze will be their theme. I will compare the theme of revenge that occurs in both stories and contrasts the theme of justified and unjustified revenge. my comparison will teach the readers about how the theme of revenge occurred and how the theme of revenge differs in each story as well as the reasons for the revenge. Similarities Revenge both themes of revenge are Premeditated The form of revenge the characters take are killing the person they are vengeful against The revenge comes from an...
Words: 278 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 1505 - Pages: 7
...Montresor character analysis Montresor is a truly astounding character. He is a part of the Freemasons and has a very long, reputable, family history. The Montresor family has a motto, “Nemo me immune lacessit”, and this motto could not represent Mr Montresor better. Though “The Cask of Amontillado” is short, one can feel as if they've gotten to know Montresor quite well. This is because we are introduced to him in a time of his life where we can see all aspects of his personality. Despite this, the three traits that illustrate his character the most are: his cunning and intelligence, his meticulousness, and his ability to orient himself towards a goal and follow through with its completion. While these are all very admirable traits, his intelligence is what makes him able to succeed. Before he even starts to work towards his endgame, he not only identifies why it could go wrong, but also the cover he would need to carry the task through. He had not “given Fortunato cause to doubt [his] good-will” and this was probably the most important part of his plan. He fully understood his target’s fatal flaw: pride, and was able to manipulate Fortunato into his grasp because of it. Although manipulating someone can be perceived as wrong, Mr. Montresor saw it as simply redressing the wrongs of Fortunato....
Words: 542 - Pages: 3
...Cornelius Hughes Dr. Montgomery LibA 102 October 13, 2009 Poe’s Use of Irony in His Short Stories Gargano says that “Poe intends his readers to keep their powers of analysis and judgment ever alert;…” (178). Poe is not your average type of literary figure. He often uses personification, metaphors, and symbols in order to give hints at details that would otherwise be unknown. These type of tactics help to keep the readers on their toes, otherwise they would be subject to misinterpreting what they read. In particular, Poe was a profound user of irony in his short stories. Poe used irony to depict the errors in his characters’ ways of thinking and their actions. Stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Masque of the Red Death” are all short stories that convey this notion. It is my intention to, based on the evidence found and presented, to prove this point. Let us first look at how Poe’s use of irony proves this point in “The Cask of Amontillado.” . The setting of the events is an “evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (Poe, “Cask” 426). This setting alone is symbolic for in this time during a carnival, people dressed themselves in costumes, becoming for a short time something other than their normal selves. Both Fortunato and Montresor are outfitted. Fortunato is wearing “a tight-fitted parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (426). In short, his attire was much...
Words: 2682 - Pages: 11
