The Cask Of Amontillado Dramatic Irony Analysis

Irony Essay: The Cask of Amontillado Irony can bring a lot to the big table of the essence of a story. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the work of classic American author Edgar Allan Poe, irony is being used to further express the dark essence of the story being told. It is a story of a man named Montressor, who holds a murderous grudge against a renowned connoisseur of fine wine that he calls his friend. The story explains the progress of Montresor's plan to kill or punish Fortunato.

Revenge, a thought that has crept into the minds of almost everyone yet, most would not kill to attain it. Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” depicts the murder of a man named Fortunato at the hands of Montresor. “Revenge” being the justification for this cruel act makes the morals of Montresor questionable and gradually builds to form a terrifying story. The dialogue between the two characters and the imagery used to create the catacombs and the twisted carnival atmosphere ultimately makes up this dark story.

“He had a weak point… He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine…” (Poe, 360). Montresor use of verbal irony demonstrates that the murder is premeditated. “... the cough… it will not kill me…” states Fortunato who receives “True-true…” as a response from Montresor (Poe, 362).

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).

Edgar Allen Poe wrote many great stories in his lifetime including “The Cask of Amontillado” which is a suspenseful story about a man named Montresor getting revenge on a jester named Fortunato for insulting him and ruining his family name. Montresor got revenge by leading Fortunato to his family catacombs and trapping him in the wall for all eternity, by using suspense, verbal irony and foreshadowing Poe brought us to this climactic point in the story.

Montresor has wrath toward Fortunato for insulting and treating him less. Fortunato was tricked into thinking a different result would happen than his death. Montressor tried to make his own justice of the situation ‘’ At length, i will be avenged. ‘’ pg 83 Poe showing he's going to get back at Fortunato for what he did. “He did not perceive that my smile was at his demise’’

In the short story ,”Cask of Amontillado,” there are many examples of irony used by Poe throughout the story. In the story, the Narrator’s biggest challenge is to get revenge on Fortunato for “one thousand injuries,” but he has to plan how he’s going to do it successfully without getting caught. When the Narrator randomly runs into Fortunato, the author states that, “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met.” (Poe 59). This is an example of verbal irony because the Narrator didn’t mean it was lucky for Fortunato because he was just telling us how he vowed revenge on him. The Narrator invites him to his vaults to have some wine. When the Narrator is taking Fortunato back to his vaults to trap him, he tells him, “Enough, the coughs a mere nothing;

Montresor states, “I continued , as was my in to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe 1). Montresor devises an intricate and well thought out plan to murder someone he considers a friend, he highlights the evil of humanity when the thought of killing Fortunato brings a smile to his face.

Montresor told Fortunato that he is a “rich, respected, admired, beloved” (86) man. He does not actually think that. When he says he “must not only punish” (83) Fortunato, but he must “punish [him] with impunity” (83), which he does. The first step in Montresor's plan is to get Fortunato to go in the catacombs. He says to Fortunato, “Come, we will go back, your health is precious” (86).

We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible. [...]” This demonstrates Montresor being friendly with Fortunado and pretending to care about his condition. This shows how Montresor most likely is not completely sound in the mind because he has no problem with being normal with Fortunado. Another example is that throughout the entire story, Montresor refers to Fortunado as his “friend.” Most people would consider this inhumane and strange because he is being so kind even though he is going to murder him in such a brutal way.

Montresor tortures Fortunato, both physiologically and physically. Montresor clearly gives Fortunato “multiple chances to escape his fate” (Delany 34), as he gives Fortunato obvious clues to his true intensions. These include leading Fortunato into a place for the dead, telling Fortunato not to go due to his severe cough that made it “impossible to reply” (Poe 5) at times, reminding Fortunato of his family arms, mentioning Luchesi, and showing Fortunato a trowel. Montresor seems to receive morbid joy out of the fact that Fortunato is so intoxicated that, just like the foot on Montresor’s coat of arms, he is unintentionally “stepping into his own destruction” (Cervo

“The Use of Irony in "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe is a phenomenal writer and makes many points in his writings. There are three different ways in Poe 's writing of "The Cask of Amontillado" that irony is used: verbal, situational and dramatic. Verbal irony can be seen when Montresor first sees Fortunato at the carnival. Situational irony is also used and can be seen between the meaning of Fortunato 's name and his destiny, as well as Montresor 's response to his own. The last way irony is used is dramatic irony, this can be seen by any reader, this occurs when Montresor tells Fortunato he is also a mason.

Montresor then starts to easily manipulate Fortunato. Montresor uses Fortunato’s vanity against him to get what he wants. Fortunato thinks that Montresor has nothing against him and just wants him to taste wine. Fortunato goes with Montresor, and in doing this Fortunato becomes complicit in his own demise by insisting on sampling the amontillado. This allows Montresor to take control and lure Fortunato to the vaults, where Montresor becomes murderous.

To begin with it is evident Montresor is showing a generous amount of kindness. Leading up to the trap Montresor ironically tries to act as if he cares about Fortunato’s safety and wellbeing. Montresor expressing that he does not want Fortunato to get sick. Fortunato begs Montresor for them to go down to the vaults to taste the amontillado but Montresor explains that he does not want Fortunato to become ill because it is so cold down there. Poe writes “My friend, no.

Verbal irony occurs when what is said is different from what is meant. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” an example of verbal irony is the final line of the story when Montresor, the protagonist, has just killed Fortunato by walling him up in a tomb in the catacombs beneath Montresor’s palazzo. Montresor says, “In pace requiescat!” (214) which in English translates to “May he rest in peace!” This is verbal irony because, as Montresor has just murdered Fortunato, the reader can infer that Montresor does not wish Fortunato to rest in peace, though that is what he said. Poe carries verbal irony throughout the rest of the story, as well; Montresor refers to Fortunato as “my friend” in many instances, however, the reader knows