expository essay on the cask of amontillado

Edgar Allen Poe American poet, short story writer and critic, born in Boston in 1809, died in Baltimore in 1849. His parents died when he was a child and parted over the young man's gambling debts, and from then onward Poe's life was a struggle with hack-work, poverty and alcoholism. He is one of the most complex American writers. He is master of creating an atmosphere full of terror, horror, and queer fantasies coupled with psychological abnormalities. In Cask of Amontillado Poe creates an atmosphere of death, horror and blood-chilling feeling of despicable moist and damp environment by taking us in a family underground graveyard. The main theme of the story is revenge as it is the primary force that drives Montresor to commit the horrible murder of Fotunato. The narrator opens the story saying that he has been grievously insulted by his friend Fortunato which is unpardonable from his view point. He had borne thousand injuries of Fortunato but when he ventured upon insult, the writer says he vowed revenge. The narrator wants to exact his revenge by thoroughly planning the entire affair. He exploits his friend Fortunato's weakness for wine. During the carnival season he asks Fortunato to use his skill and taste to ensure for him the genuineness of a wine Amontillado a light, expensive and rare Spanish cherry. The narrator tells him that he acquired this stuff from Montresor's vaults. He invites his friend to be with him and check the Amontillado wine by visiting the catacomb. Poe uses carnival costumes and colours as symbols to represent the inner psyche of both the characters. He also uses Montresor's family coat of arms as symbols to depict the deeper psychological pattern of the Montresor family. They enter the catacomb and descend into the moist vaults covered with niter or saltpeter, a whitish material that causes Fortunato to cough bitterly. The narrator keeps.
The Cask of Amontillado The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe is a classic horror story written by one of the best authors of all time. Poe s definition of horror seems to be a little different than what most people would think of a horror story today. The reader gets a feeling of horror, but not as a result of guts and gore as in most horror stories. This story s theme is possibly that no one can find refuge from a deranged mind, or that terrible crimes can be committed when an imaginary offense can turn into a deep hatred. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe uses a horrid setting, ghastly imagery, and offensive irony to support the theme. The setting adds to the horror of the story. He sets most of the story in a dark, damp series of winding tunnels piled with bones: We had passed through long halls of piled skeletons (Poe 78). As Montresor leads Fortunato through the vaults, we feel as if we are being led through the crazed corridors of Montresor s sick mind. The setting gives the reader the feeling of a dark, damp, frightening tunnel. Also all the events in the story take place during a carnival with loud noises and lots of people having fun, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season. This helps Montresor because nobody notices him taking Fortunato away. This all adds to the horror of the story and helps make it into one of the classics. Along with Poe s use of the setting to add to the horror, his style is what makes this a masterpiece of horror. He uses imagery to help the reader experience the catacombs. We see the vaults encrusted with nitre (Poe 76), the mask of black silk (76-77), and the flambeaux rather to glow than flame (78). These images all help give the reader the feeling of what it is like in the vaults. Poe also has several images of revenge. Fortunato s coughing while being led through the catacombs is one example.
The Cask of Amontillado is a story of revenge, but the reader is never told exactly what Fortunato did to warrant such vengeance. In fact, throughout the story, the reader gradually realizes that Montresor is an unreliable narrator; that whatever insult Montresor believes Fortunato committed is probably imagined or exaggerated. It's certain that Fortunato has no idea of Montresor's anger, and this makes the story even more tragic and frightening. The seemingly happy jangling of the bells on the top of Fortunato's cap become more and more sad the deeper the two venture into the catacombs. In the beginning of the story, Montresor defines revenge. He says he must punish with impunity. He states if the avenger is caught, or does not make the punishment known to he who committed the wrong, the wrong goes unavenged. With this in mind, he sets the trap for Fortunato. He gives Fortunato numerous opportunities to back out, using the tricks of classic conmen by playing on Fortunato's greed and pride. In fact, it is Fortunato who insists they carry on to find the Amontillado, and this will no doubt torture him as he is buried alive. Montresor also provides hints as to what he plans to do with Fortunato. He seemingly miraculously comes up with a cask of Amontillado during carnival, which Fortunato can scarcely believe. He tells Fortunato, You are a man to be missed, and after Fortunato says he won't die of a cough, Montresor agrees. His family motto is No one insults me with impunity and he is carrying a trowel. Yet Fortunato suspects nothing, and is so shocked when Montresor chains him to the wall, he doesn't even try to fight. The structure of the story places the events 50 years in the past. Montresor, perhaps on his own deathbed, is telling someone, perhaps a priest, the story, but not with any remorse. He still believes Fortunato wronged him, and at the end eerily says In.
The story – The Cask of Amontillado – by Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most stories in recent years. This paper aims at discussing the summary of the Cask of Amontillado. The story commences as the narrator, elucidates the cause for the felony. Based on the narrator, the victim, Fortunato had wronged him a number of times but not until Fortunato abused him that he sought vengeance. The Narrator runs into Fortunato at festival, who was already drunk. He investigates his foe carefully and sees his vulnerability for quality wines. Eventually, he uses wine to corner him. He reveals to Fortunato that he has obtained a cask of Amontillado though he is uncertain if it is real. He laments that he paid full price for Amontillado without discussing with Fortunato, thus fooling on Fortunato's arrogance. The Narrator then reveals that he understands that Fortunato is occupied and that he is going to request Luchesi to savor the wine, eventually, Fortunato's spirited nature comes to the front. Fortunato asserts that Luchesi knows naught and that he is the superior wine judge. Narrator argues that Fortunato is too occupied for such an errand. Narrator's argument is aimed at increasing Fortunato's curiosity to savor the Amontillado. He and the narrator head to a subversive cemetery, or “catacomb,” of the Narrator family. Ostensibly, that is the place the narrator stores his wine. The narrator guides Fortunato profoundly and deeper into the tomb, making him more drunk on the route. Fortunato continued coughing, and the narrator repeatedly proposes that Fortunato is too ill to go down amongst the wet tombs, and should head back. Fortunato presently talks about the Amontillado. Consequently, Fortunato gets into a small hole that is enjoined to the wall of a very horrible tomb. The narrator ties Fortunato to the wall, and then starts to bury Fortunato in the opening by blocking up the.
I believe that no individual is ever justified to take justice into his or her own hands. Even though many people do take justice into their own hands, I believe that they are not actually aware of what they are doing. So in that case I believe that they are justified. In the short story The Cask Of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor takes justice into his own hands. He actually buried one of his best friends alive because he embarrassed Montresor in public. In my mind that is just going too far. It may seem like nothing now a day. However, back then it was a great offence to do so and especially in public. It also seemed that when Montresor was building the brick wall, while Fortunado was moaning behind it, Montresor seemed to regret everything he was doing. But then he realized that if he freed Fortunado , Fortunado would proballey go to the police and then he would go to prison. Our Service Can Write a Custom Essay on The Cask Of Amontillado for You! I see that Montresor is a lot like many people today. Most people don't realize that they won't ever be able to justify themselves until it is just too late and something terrible has happened. Today it may seem that people do not take insults seriously however people do and the people that say those insults now a days may possibly die for saying it. For if you look at someone the wrong way they will literally kill you. Today people freak out about stupid things such as: characters in a play, grades, clothes, and a lot of other stupid things, actually just about anything. So they then go and seek revenge one the person that wronged them in such a stuped way, so that they will feel that justice was taken. In my opinion that is just stupid because if you do take justice into your own hands and do something to the person it will just come back at you because then they will get revenge on you. And it will just keep.