Amontillado Symbolism

Jerry Urizar

English 3

1/5/17

Symbolism in ‘The Cask of Amontillado”

“Revenge is a dish best served cold” is an expression used by many, but what exactly does the expression actually mean. The expression suggests that revenge is enacted in a time when it is not expected. In ”The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor, the narrator, was insulted by

Fortunato and was so offended that he decided to lure him to his vault so that he can kill him. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado”, there are lots of interesting symbols that give deeper meanings to the story. For example, the carnival is a great symbol that is used to refer to the world of the living, which is a place of joy, happiness, and freedom. Another big symbol in the story are the vaults (Graveyard,

Fortunato seems to be having fun in this carnival as he was described to be drinking,”He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much.”(Poe, 1) Fortunato is obviously enjoying himself and having a great time because he had the freedom to do anything he wanted. All of that will change when he ended up being surrounded by death.

Another symbol in the short story are the vaults of Montresor, which symbolizes hell, death and imprisonment in many ways. As Montresor and Fortunato entered the vaults, there are skeletons all over the place, up against the walls and on the ground as stated by Montresor, “We had passed through long walls of piled skeletons, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs.”(poe, 1) The skeletons signify death and also foreshadows

Fortunato’s fate. As they go deeper and deeper into the vaults, the presence of death grows as

Fortunato's fate looms ever nearer. The vaults also signified that he is getting closer to imprisonment, where his freedom will be taken away from him when he dies.

The Coat of Arms of Montresor’s family is very symbolic because it symbolizes the characters and it also foreshadows Fortunato’s fate. While both men are walking towards

During this, Fortunato also asks for the family motto, which is, “"Nemo me impune lacessit."(poe, 2) This motto translates to “Nobody harms me with impunity.”, which also foreshadows Fortunato’s future. The Coat and Arms and Motto symbolizes the entire Plot.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a great story that has three very symbolic symbols that give a much deeper interpretation of the story. The first symbol, the carnival, was a symbol for the living as it contained a lot of happiness, joy and freedom. The carnival is described to be full of “supreme madness”, which shows just how fun the carnival is and it is full of Freedom as

Fortunato is drinking as much as he wants. Another symbol in the story are the vaults of

Montresor, which is a symbol of hell, death and imprisonment. Throughout the story, the vaults are described to have skeletons everywhere, which foreshadows Fortunato’s death and loss of freedom. Last but not least, The Coat of Arms is also a symbol of the entire plot. It depicts a foot crushing a snake. Obviously, Montresor is the foot and Fortunato is the snake. Overall, the symbols have a huge influence in the understanding of the story, which makes “The Cask of

Amontillado” a great