Essay On The Cask Of Amontillado

Revenge Shall Be Mine

In the short story, The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe, we see a man who is dead set on revenge. Has anyone ever done something to you, and you thought to yourself, “you just wait, your time will come?” If we were being honest, the answer to that question would be yes. The opening line to the story suggests that the narrator has had dealings with Fortunato before, but had never been insulted. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (as cited by Kirszner & Mandell, 2012, pg. 190). In other words, I have put up with a lot from this person but now that he has insulted me, I will make him regret it. The symbolisms within this story are numerous and uncanny, and can be seen throughout, the entire piece, by analyzing the elements of fiction contained within. The story is written from a first person point of view, meaning the narrator is telling his or her story. It isn’t until near the end of the story, that we find out the narrator’s true identity, but we do get a detailed account of how he made good on his pledge, for vengeance. The first symbolic point found, in this story, is that our storyteller tells

He made it seem like the narrator was part of the secret society of the Mason’s but after failing to recognize a simple hand gesture, we saw Fortunato’s skepticism. When he questioned the narrator, he responds by showing him a trowel (a tool used in brick laying). That is when Fortunato responds with the phrase, “You jest” (as cited by Kiszner & Mandell, 2012, pg. 192). The significance of this is again, not only figurative but it is also illustrative. Why? Because, the one who is dressed as a jester is the one getting played. After this scene, in the story, plays out, we know things are about to come to a