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Examples Of Verbal Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

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“The Cask of Amontillado,” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. As told by the narrator, Montresor, the story is of the murderous revenge Montresor takes on his friend Fortunato deep within the “catacombs of the Montresors” (167). Throughout the composition, the author expresses the theme of betrayal among friends using verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. In the first line of speech, verbal irony is observed when Montresor greets his friend at the carnival. When the two encounter at “about dusk” (166), Montresor welcomes his friend exclaiming warmly, “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met” (166). However, Fortunato is oblivious to how Montresor intends to murder within the coming hours. Thus, Montresor’s greeting of his friends is a form of verbal irony. Fortunato is not at all “luckily met” (166) as Montresor claims since Fortunato would have been better off not seeing his friend at all. By having Montresor great his friend using verbal irony, the author is able to emphasize the theme of betrayal among friends. While Fortunato truly thinks that the encounter was lucky, both Montresor and the reader know of the devastating deed to come. …show more content…

This can be discovered in the setting. When the story begins, it is dusk in an unnamed Italian City that is in the midst of “the supreme madness of carnival season” (166). During carnival season, a Mardi Graw type festival occurs and the people party in the streets drinking wine. In general, this is a joyous time for the people in the city. However, in this case, the setting is ironic as Fortunato is soon to be murdered by his trusted friend Montresor. By constructing the piece so that the two find each other at the carnival, a time of celebration, Poe is able to reinforce the theme of betrayal between friends. The slaying and betrayal occur at an unexpected time due to the celebratory nature of the

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