Examples Of Situational Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

Revenge is the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands.The short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe tells a tale of a man who let his need for revenge consume him. The central idea of the story is revenge. The author’s use of characterization helps us to develop the central idea and allows us to see the change in the characters as the revenge takes place.

The first sight of irony in the story is when Montresor waits for Fortunato at the carnival. The carnival is celebrated right before the Lent starts. In addition, this is ironic, because the last day of the carnival is usually the last day of sin before the Lent begins. Fortunato is already drunk from the party and Montresor leads him away with the promise of tasting a very expensive and rare wine Amontillado. As they walk down to the catacombs, Montresor pretends to act like he cares about Fortunato’s ill health. Similarly, it's ironic in the fact that he's planning on killing Fortunato. It’s also ironic that they're going in the catacombs, that's filled with bones that are hanging from chains, it's foreshadowing the death that awaits Fortunato. Basically, Montresor carries and explains away that he has it because he's a Freemason, the tool will lead to another murder. The toast that Fortunato makes is ironic. In other words, he toasts “a toast, to your long life”, having no idea that he's soon to be buried. Therefore, “It must be understood that neither by word or deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my goodwill. I continued, as was my won't, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.”

In the story "Cask of Amontillado" Fortunato and Montresor walked thru the vaults in search of Amontillado in what appeared to Fortunato as nothing more than a friendly encounter. Montresor states, "As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn, it is he. He will tell me--" Fortunato states, "Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry. Let us go"(237). As they continue their descent further into the vault, Montresor notices Fortunato excessively coughing and says, "Come, 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. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible"(238). Little to Fortunato's surprise, this 'friendliness' from Montresor was nothing more than an act in order for him to carry out his revenge from an earlier insult from Fortunato. In "The Cask of Amontillado", the author uses irony to expand on his theme of a man who seeks

Miles and Tobias walk into their fourth hour block ready to do an annual book report on something of their choosing.

For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible…” (Poe 5-6) and Fortunato persisted to continue, ultimately his death. Despite being the fortunate one, Fortunato lead himself to his own demise. Montresor’s lust for revenge goes all the way back to his family crest “No one Provokes me with impunity.” This highlights how Montresor feels like he needs to get revenge to keep his family name intact. Furthermore, there are also many ironic parallels made between the story and Catholic rituals. Montresor wears a roquelaire covering both his face and the back of his head. Looking like a hood, sleek, black executioner, Montresor resembles death while in contract Fortunato. In contrast Fortunato is dressed in motley carnival garb like a fool or clown (Clendenning). Coincidentally, after leading Fortunato to his grave by burning him alive as he laid the last brick he finished by shouting “for the love of god” (Poe 10) where Fortunato would lay for 50 years. Ironically despite Montresor enacting his revenge with impunity and never getting caught he is still filled with rage and anger even fifity years after while Fortunato was able to die peacefully (Clendenning).

In Edgar Allan Poe’s, “Cask of Amontillado”, Poe skillfully uses verbal irony in order to demonstrate the villainous intentions of Montresor. To begin, Fortunato’s name itself is a form of verbal irony. His name means “the fortunate one”. This is the first suggestion to the reader that this character may, in fact, not be as fortunate as his name implies. Later, Fortunato states, “the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me.

In “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolic irony and foreshadowing to tell the theme of a man who seeks revenge and vengeance to help provide the authority of his family and their motto. Poe showcases a clear use of symbolic irony within his short story on top of small hints of foreshadowing. In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor is out seeking revenge against Fortunato in order to preserve his family motto. Poe starts off the short story bit irony by In Poe’s short story one might believe that Montresor is a villain with an evil plan to kill a friend, but Montresor is just looking for revenge against Fortunato. There is never a clear understanding why Montresor believes Fortunato deserves the action

In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado “, Edgar Allen Poe uses irony to reveal the misfortune of Fortunato. In short story, Fortunato is described by Montresor as being rich, respected, admired, and beloved. A person with these attributes would not believe that his life was about to change in a dramatic way. The first irony is that Fortunato’s name means fortunate, which is ironic because in the story he is murdered by someone he thought was his friend. Fortunato is most definitely not fortunate. The narrator says: “The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells,” (Poe 1). The narrator describes Fortunato in a jester costume. The irony is that Fortunato is playing

the reader is already aware of Montresor’s plan to kill Fortunato, but Poe's uses dramatic irony to show the strategy Montresor uses, to lead Fortunato to his death. Montresor acts like he deeply cares about Fortunato health, although the well-being of his health will soon be no matter of concern. “Come … we will go back; you health is precious… we will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible.” Montresor uses this line multiple times throughout the story, and even offers the sickly man wine, which he had placed throughout the catacombs before hand. “… you should take proper caution, a draught of this Medoc will defend us from the damps.” Another example of dramatic irony used to move Fortunato down the catacombs, is when Montresor lies and tells Fortunato he is a part of a secrete society know as the masons. Fortunato denies Montresor ability to be in the secrete society, thus again insulting Montresor. The reader knows Montresor is not apart of the secrete society, but is referring to the masonry skills he will later use to entomb Fortunato into his grave, which is foreshadowed when Montresor shows his

In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” Irony is used a lot throughout the to get more of the reader’s attention. He uses Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic Irony. Edgar Allen Poe puts a lot of Irony to make the story more interesting. He uses all 3 types of Irony in his story. He makes his story have more things to help his essay catch the reader’s attention.

Did the narrator really kill the beloved jester Fortunato or was it one of his many lies? In the story ¨The Cask of Amontillado¨ the reader can´t trust the narrator to accurately portray the sequence of events because he is a liar, psychopath and a killer. Montresor, the narrator, is definitely psycho since he prides himself in “killing Fortunato.” Montresor lied to Fortunato many times in the story, inferring that he lied about the murder.

Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer. In the “The Cask of Amontillado,” the narrator, Montresor murders his “friend” because Fortuna had insulted him a thousand times. Montresor performed the perfect crime by burying his so-called friend alive. One of the major themes of the short story is revenge.

First of all, Poe develops his eerie and ominous mood through his vivid sensory details. The description of the catacombs present in Montresor’s vaults haunt his readers. For example, at the end of the crypt the walls had been “lined with human remains” that “piled to the vault overhead” (Poe 348). The depiction of Montresor’s chambers is almost threatening because of the reminder of death, which the audience knows will likely be coming soon for the unfortunate Fortunato. Also, the illustration of Fortunato trying to escape the chains sickens readers. While Montresor is finishing his job of masonry he hears the “furious

In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, Fortunato is secretly planning revenge on a apparent friend. In the beginning Montresor seems friendly with Fortunato, but deep down he feels nothing but hatred for him. Could Montresor have a feeling of repulsion that only Montresor understands? Both of these men are wealthy, yet both have downfalls that will lead to a hopeless ending. Although the two men have differences, they both want the same thing. Edgar Allen Poe has a strong way of reproducing great elements in the story, the theme of deception and revenge is justified.

     In this story the character of Montresor is revealed through his own words. When he reveals he is going to punish Fortunato for merely insulting him, that he has planned the whole act of vengeance, and that he has been playing as being Fortunato’s friend, we know we are dealing with a deranged personality. His character is also revealed with references to his family. It is almost as if Poe has Montresor’s ancestors tell the reader how nicely he fits into the family tree. His legacy from his family motto “No one attacks me with impunity” and a coat of arms that depicts a serpent whose last wish before death is to poison the foot that crushed it. Does the fruit of ever fall far from the tree? Montresor is as evil as his forebears were. He shows no remorse about what he has done, even in old age. When he says, “May he rest in peace” at the end of the story, the reader gets the feeling he means, “ I hope you stay there and rot” rather than, “I hope you found joy and peace in heaven.”