Review of Poes Cask of Amontillado
"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge... at length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely settled... I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." Poe's story is a case of premeditated murder; a powerful tale of revenge. In reading this story, it becomes quickly apparent that this tale has been carefully crafted to create a desired effect. In fact, it seems that almost every detail of this tightly woven story contributes to the desired deception of reality. Through the use of irony, point of view, and symbolism, Poe manipulates the thoughts of the reader, just as Montresor manipulates his victim, Fortunato. Irony, both dramatic and verbal, play a crucial role in this short story. Fortunato's name itself is ironic, for the poor man is anything but fortunate. In addition, he is dressed in " a cap and bells," resembling the outfit of a clown or a fool. This could possibly be because Mon
However, I see it to be more appropriate to view Fortunato as a foot who has accidentally stepped on the snake, and Montresor as the snake ready to attack. Montresor's narration intensifies the effect of moral shock and horror. While researching this short story and Poe, I learned that there is symbolism in Montresor's final statement to Fortunato. tresor intends to fool him as part of his evil plan. He says "in pace reqiescat" which means "rest in peace" but according to Martha Womack, "in pace" also refers to a very secure prison. A tale of simple revenge becomes a tightly woven work of the narrator's evil mind. Perhaps the most obvious is when Montresor insists that he is a mason, even daring to pull out his trowel that he would use to seal Fortunato's fate. There are numerous examples of verbal irony throughout the story. For example, Montresor believes that he is upholding his family's motto, " no one dare attack me with impunity. At one point, Fortunato insists that he will not die of a cough when Montresor inquires about his health. Poe's intent of telling the story from Montresor's point of view is not so that the reader will sympathize with him, but rather have a peek into the inner workings of an insane mind. Montresor can definitely be considered to be an unreliable narrator.
Common topics in this essay:
Fortunato Watching,
Fortunato Irony,
,
Martha Womack,
Regardless Montresor,
tale revenge,
short story,
Cask Amontillado,
powerful tale revenge,
irony view symbolism,
tightly woven,
foot crushing,
thousand injuries,
crucial role,
irony view,
view symbolism,
powerful tale,
inner workings,
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Acceptance Essays
