Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Cask of Amontillado,” is an interesting short stories. Poe falls into the literary period known as the Romantic Movement in the United States. The period is known as Nineteenth Century American Romanticism — – a period which extols the remote and faraway, the never-never land of ghouls and goblins. The stories of revenge were intensely romantic. Clanking chains, castles, dungeons and dragons: these subjects became a lush garden of delight for romantic writers, especially after Edgar Allan Poe. Poe delved into the dark psyche of men to record their misdeeds in a way that had never been done before.
Poe goes beyond realism and naturalism to produce the exotic tale of spellbinding drama, a world where few people ever trod. Poe displays a combination of irony, wit, and style. Poe takes us inside the mind of a madman and allows the “readers to vicariously ‘live’ the story through Montresor, the first person narrator who tells the tale” (Literature 3 rd Edition p 208).
The very beginning of the story introduces us to his madness. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.
At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled- but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity ” (The Norton Introduction to Literature p 70).
The Essay on Edgar Allan Poe Stories One Life
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a bizarre and often scary writer. People throughout history have often wondered why his writings were so fantastically different and unusual. They were not the result of a diseased mind, as some think. Rather they came from a tense and miserable life. Edgar Allan Poe was not a happy man. He was a victim of fate from the moment he was born to his death only forty ...
This is our first glimpse into the madness. We realize that Montresor is consumed with a calming rage and is not a sane man. Montresor’s determination to seek revenge leads the reader down a dark and winding path where every word gives an added twist to the irony of the situation. As Montresor pursues Fortunato to inflict justice, he encounters Fortunato at the carnival.
The irony of Fortunato being dressed in motley, “and his head surmounted by the conical cap and bells,” is amusing (The Norton Introduction To Literature, p 70).
Unaware of having offended Montresor in the past, Fortunato unwittingly is dressed as the fool Montresor shall soon make of him. Another amusing and ironic choice of wording is the line, “The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode” (The Norton Introduction to Literature p 71).
One definition of gait is, as to lead before judges to show its matter of moving. Fortunato was being lead by his judge, dressed as a man who had made a foolish mistake, in the mind of his foe. Using the name Fortunato leads the reader to believe he would be a man of good fortune when in all reality his future and good fortune did not look so bright.
The setting is in a cheerful time and of the two characters only one is truly elated. Once again we are laughing at the wit and irony hidden in the wording. On account of pride, one man plots revenge, and the other falls prey to the plot for revenge. Montresor’s pride caused him to go to great lengths to penalize Fortunato for offending him, and Fortunato’s foolish pride causes vulnerability and idiocy. Montresor tempts his “friend” by implying that Luchresi would taste the Amontillado too determine if it was really Amontillado or if Montresor had been cheated. Fortunato claimed Luchresi could not distinguish Amontillado from Sherry.
Montresor insisted that Fortunato not follow; yet his foolish pride would not allow him to stay. We are once again introduced to Poe’s wittiness and style at this point of the story. The two men driven by pride find themselves on an obscure path to a dark and dangerous world. Poe’s style is ingenious.
The Term Paper on Cask Of Amontillado Montresor Fortunato Revenge
Words = 2469 Thesis: The Cask of Amontillado is about revenge. I. Introduction II. Psychoanalytical Criticism A. Poe s Revenge 1. Father 2. Mother III. New Criticism A. Irony of Revenge 1. Controlled 2. Structured IV. New Historicism A. History s view of Revenge 1. Poe s Time 2. Critic s Time V. Comparison of New Criticism and New Historicism A. Text s view similar to Poe s B. Text s view ...
As the two men are on their way to taste the Amontillado, once again a play on words catches our attention. Montessori explains to his companion the journey is a little farther on and states to Fortunate, ” but observe the web work which gleams from these cavern walls” (The Norton Introduction to Literature p 71).
Luring the fly to the web was part of the great thrill Montessori enjoyed. As the two men venture about, to the designated place Montresor had planned to take Fortunato to seek revenge Fortunato became even more intoxicated than when Montresor had found him.
Which proved to be a fatal error for the narrator’s opponent. Unknowingly Montresor’s nemesis, in his drunken state made a grotesque gesture towards Montresor. Montresor becomes confused and shortly after insulted once again. Fortunato had explained that that was a gesture of the Brotherhood and questioned his being a part of the masons. Montresor replied yes, and was asked to give a sign.
The sign Montresor gave was that of a bricklayer. Having been insulted once again by his companion Montresor once again smiled in his enemy’s face. Our madman felt that his unworthy assailant, had once again belittled him by flaunting his prestige in his face. As the story continues, the narrator keeps the reader in suspense of what his plan for revenge is until the end when he reveals to us his intentions.
From beginning to end, we are hit with irony, wit, and style. Montresor is also sarcastic and arrogant. Montresor, the narrator sarcastically remarks to his companion how he is so concerned with his health. The narrator’s statements are dripping with sarcasm and arrogance.
The narrator tells this story as though his soon to be victim is a complete idiot. Revenge for Montresor involves making his enemy sound and seem like a complete fool. The arrogance the story relates to the readers is comical and somewhat ironic. The perfect victim I have found, is the presumptuous attitude of the narrator.
Throughout the story a madman is guiding us. The joy he gets out of begging his friend not to come for fear of his health was entertaining and amusing for the reader and Montresor. We envision a jolly man dressed in a jester’s outfit with ringing bell’s being lead into a set trap. The setting was perfect. The plan to commit the perfect crime is the genius of Poe’s work. After being insulted, our villain did not explode or let Fortunato know he had been injured by his thoughtless words.
The Term Paper on The Black Cat Narrator Story Poe
A Glimpse Into the World of 'The Black Cat' Those who have read any of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories know that most of them are full of suspense and mystery and that they a feeling of horror and shock upon the reader. Poe studies the mind, and is conscious of the abnormalities of his narrators and he does not condone the intellectual expedient through which they strive, only too earnestly, to ...
“I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile was now at the thought of… .” (The Introduction to Literature p 70).
Smiling in his face and biding his time was the actions of the madman. Timing was perfect in order to attempt to cause injury for everyone was masked and drunk. An alibi was not a problem for Montresor, for he had planned his revenge so well. The unity of time, place and circumstance perfect.
The two men were friends, there was no ulterior motive. The plot was carefully thought out and planned on the part of Montresor. Psychos often dupe their victims and society without ever a clue to the storm raging within their soul, as Poe so explicitly demonstrated. The Cask of Amontillado, in my opinion, reflects Poe’s dark side, like every story he has written. Foster parents raised Edgar Allan Poe and his foster father was an antagonizing man. Did Poe fantasize about being Montresor and his foster dad Fortunato? The circumstances surrounding Poe’s upbringing could lead one to believe this story was purely about the animosity he felt towards the man who had brought harm to him while growing up.
Maybe Poe was just entertaining himself writing this story. Was it a fantasy, just a tale, or a true story? We will never know, but we can speculate on his reasoning for such a cold and calculating plot for revenge. By any means this short story is highly recommended by many critics, literature teachers, and myself.
