Montresor also intends to be responsible for Fortunato’s death. Montresor does not want Fortunato to die of a cough or from the catacombs but of his own destruction. The drunken Fortunato is the only one in the story who is unaware of Montresor’s real motives. Furthermore, Montresor addresses Fortunato as his dear friend when they first encounter each other. Fortunato believes that Montresor is his friend when he intends to make a fool out of him.
The first type of irony in the story, “The Cask of Amontillado”, is verbal irony. The first thing Montresor says to Fortunato is ironic. Montresor says, “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met” (237). Montresor wants Fortunato to think he wanted to see Fortunato, but in reality it was the perfect time for murder. Fortunato has a cold and is coughing.
This is shown through the actions of Fortunato when he is being lured by Montresor deep into the catacombs. Montresor appears to have been insulted by Fortunato, leading him to try and kill Fortunato. Fortunato is a very prideful man, who also happens to have a taste for alcohol. Montresor notices how vulnerable Fortunato is and takes advantage of his weaknesses. Montresor knows that Fortunato thinks very lowly of Luchesi, his wine-tasting rival, because Fortunato is very arrogant and prideful, so Montresor uses reverse psychology to lure him deep into the catacombs by often reminding him that “...[he] is on [his] way to Luchesi.
Most irony is used intentionally, but in some cases it can be used unintentionally. Irony is used to illustrate a point which is better than just plainly saying something.The Crucible contains several examples of dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. Dramatic irony is a situation of shock or drama in a story. This irony is most understood and known by the audience/person reading it, but is not yet understood by the characters in the story or play. In Act 1 Reverend Hale visits the Proctors home in Salem.
Irony can be seen throughout the story in the words and phrases of the character. The irony can create a disturbing, yet slightly humorous scene with the audience not knowing what’s coming for the characters. In the short story, The Cask Of Amontillado, irony can be seen through the conversations of the two characters, Montresor and Fortunato. Although, Montresor is the character with most literary devices. Verbal irony can be seen in the story when Montresor told the “attendees” to stay in the house while he was gone.
Throughout the story Montresor and Fortunato show that they are both very clever, but one of them becomes far more clever than the other. Characterization proves the theme that Fortunato's insults make an enemy of Montresor. Montresor becomes vindictive when Fortunato’s insults start turning towards his family. Montresor’s family motto is no one punishes him and gets away with it (Fields). This gives reason to believe that honor dictated that Montresor avenge the insults Fortunato laid at his feet.
His total obliviousness to the situation allows Montresor to take his revenge by easily manipulating Fortunato, starting when they meet at the carnival and lasting until Montresor chains Fortunato to the enclave’s wall (432). Poe introduces verbal irony through Montresor’s manipulative words, as the entire time Montresor is leading Fortunato down into the catacombs, he continuously badgers his drunken companion about the environment being bad for Fortunato’s health, even saying, “Your health is precious” (429). The voiced “concerns” qualify as verbal irony because the audience is already well aware that Montresor does not give a damn about Fortunato’s health and is only luring him into the catacombs to exact revenge. The third type of irony, situational, is not used by Poe until the end of the story when Montresor has almost completely sealed away Fortunato in the Montresor family tomb. When Fortunato stops yelling and making noise, Montresor immediately wants to know if he is still alive, so he drops “a torch through the remaining aperture….There came forth only in return a jingling of the bells” (432).
By killing Fortunato, Montresor is also symbolically killing a part of himself that he is ashamed to possess. The act is not purely performed out of revenge, but subconsciously as a way to move past Montresor’s weaknesses. This does not play out for Montresor, because even fifty years after the incident, his account of the event in question is highly detailed. The murder has not left his mind, and it is not bound
Montresor ends up luring Fortunato down to the catacombs with him, and chains Fortunato and builds a wall around him, leaving him there to die. Throughout the story, Montresor shows who he really is by showing signs of anger, and yet cleverness. The story begins with Montresor stating he will seek and attain revenge for the thousand injuries Fortunato has caused him. Montresor has been left extremely angry with Fortunato for what he has told Montresor, and therefore, Montresor believes the ideal punishment, or revenge, is to kill and get rid of Fortunato. Montresor’s hatred for Fortunato is what leads him to his plan of chaining and burying Fortunato behind a wall.
By using the words “dull” and “dark”, Poe also narrows the view down so the reader is not imagining a crisp sunny day in fall. By using this advanced variety of imagery, Poe sets the stage and mood for the remainder of the poem, as well as making it compelling and enjoyable to