the cask of amontillado summary essay

Poe's Stories

Edgar allan poe, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

A Summary and Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Cask of Amontillado’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is one of Poe’s shorter classic tales. It was first published in 1846 in a women’s magazine named Godey’s Lady’s Book , a hugely popular magazine in the US in the mid-nineteenth century. (The magazine had published one of Poe’s earliest stories, ‘The Visionary’, twelve years earlier.)

‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is one of Poe’s ‘revenge stories’, and the way he depicts the avenger’s psychological state is worthy of closer analysis.

Plot summary

First, a quick summary of the plot of ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, which is our way of saying ‘those who wish to avoid spoilers please look away now’. The story is narrated by the murderer, Montresor, who takes revenge on a fellow Italian nobleman, Fortunato, during the carnival season.

Fortunato, drunk and dressed in motley, boasts that he can tell an amontillado from other sherry, and so Montresor lures his rival down into Montresor’s family catacombs, saying that he has some amontillado for Fortunato to taste. Fortunato finds the descent difficult, thanks to the nitre in the catacombs, which exacerbate his bad chest.

Montresor plays on Fortunato’s inherent sense of pride in his knowledge of wines, by telling him that, if Fortunato cannot make the journey into the catacombs, they can turn back and Montresor can give the wine to Luchresi, another nobleman, instead.

Of course, this only makes Fortunato even more determined to be the one to taste the amontillado, and so they two of them keep going. When they arrive down in the catacombs, Montresor having plied his enemy with Medoc wine, he chains his drunken rival to the wall and then proceeds to wall him up inside the family vault, burying the man alive.

Fortunato at first believes it to be a jest, but then realises that he has been left here to die. Fifty years later, Montresor says that the body of Fortunato is still there in the vault.

Why does Montresor want revenge on Fortunato? This is where we see Poe’s genius (a contentious issue – W. B. Yeats thought his writing ‘vulgar’ and T. S. Eliot, whilst praising the plots and ideas of Poe’s stories, thought the execution of them careless) can be seen most clearly in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’.

For Montresor has every reason to confide to us – via his close friend, the addressee of his narrative, who is our stand-in in the story – his reason for wishing to kill Fortunato. But instead of getting a clear motive from him, we are instead given a series of possible reasons, none of which quite rings true.

It may be that Poe learned this idea from Shakespeare’s Othello , where the villainous Iago’s reasons for wishing to destroy Othello’s life are unclear, not because Iago offers us no plausible reasons for wishing to cause trouble, but because he offers us several , the effect of which is that they all cancel each other out, to an extent.

This is made clear in the opening words of the story:

The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled – but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk.

Immediately, we are given an insight into the motive for the crime, but there is a sense that Montresor  wants  his crime – which he almost views as a work of art – to be acknowledged and even appreciated, in a strange way, by the victim. In other words, as Montresor explains, he wants Fortunato to know who has killed him (and why), but he wants to make sure nobody else finds out:

I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

That opening sentence is like a literal enactment of the familiar phrase, ‘to add insult to injury’. This provides a key clue to the motivation – shaky and vague as it is – of Montresor. His revenge is not motivated primarily by any tangible harm that Fortunato has done him, so much as a sense of resentment, a way Fortunato has of making Montresor feel inferior.

There are several clues offered by Poe in the story which suggest this as a plausible analysis of Montresor’s character and motivation. First of all, there is Fortunato’s name, suggesting fortune (wealth) but also being fortunate (luck), two qualities which don’t tend to enamour people to you, even though one’s possession of one or both of them hasn’t necessarily harmed anyone else. As F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby , put it: ‘Nothing is as obnoxious as other people’s luck.’

Although ‘Montresor’, the narrator’s name, suggests literally a ‘mountain of treasure’, the fortunate Fortunato still has the edge: as we know from such stories as Lawrence’s ‘The Rocking-Horse Winner’ , money is worth little without luck, for luck is how one acquires more money (though hard work doesn’t go amiss, of course). Another clue comes when Montresor fails to interpret a gesture made by Fortunato:

He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand.

I looked at him in surprise. He repeated the movement – a grotesque one.

‘You do not comprehend?’ he said.

This taut, clipped conversation continues, as Poe deftly outlines the underlying reasons for the animosity that exists between the two men. In short, Montresor fails to understand the significance of the gesture Fortunato performs, leading Fortunato to suspect that Montresor is not a mason. Montresor insists he is, but Fortunato is having none of it:

‘You? Impossible! A mason?’

Fortunato asks Montresor for a sign that he really is a freemason:

‘It is this,’ I answered, producing from beneath the folds of my roquelaire a trowel.

‘You jest,’ he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. ‘But let us proceed to the Amontillado.’

This moment suggests a further underlying reason for Montresor’s desire for revenge: Fortunato insults him by belittling him and reminding him that he is not part of the same ‘club’ as Fortunato.

It may be that Montresor – his name perhaps suggesting acquired wealth rather than first-rank nobility like Fortunato (who has inherited his wealth and name by being ‘fortunate’ enough to be born into the right aristocratic family) – is not quite of the same pedigree as Fortunato, and so has had none of the advantages and benefits that Fortunato has enjoyed.

Poe makes his point by some subterranean wordplay on mason : Fortunato refers to the freemasons, that secret elite society known for its mutual favours and coded signs, gestures, and rituals, but Montresor’s trowel suggests the stonemasons, those artisans and labourers who are not aristocrats but possess great manual skill.

This pun is confirmed later in the story by Montresor’s reference to the ‘mason-work’ when he is walling his hapless rival up inside the catacombs.

‘The Cask of Amontillado’ can be productively linked – via comparative analysis – with a number of other Poe stories. Its murderous narrator links the story to ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and ‘ The Black Cat ’; its focus on revenge and the misuse of alcohol links it to ‘Hop-Frog’; the alcohol motif is also seen in ‘The Black Cat’, while the use of jester’s motley also suggests a link with Poe’s other great revenge tale, ‘Hop-Frog’, where the title character is a jester in the employ of a corrupt king.

The live burial motif is also found in Poe’s story ‘ The Premature Burial ’ and ‘ The Fall of the House of Usher ’.

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.

Type your email…

10 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Cask of Amontillado’”

There is something very odd about this story – the title emphasises the ‘amontillado’ which the murderer uses as bait for his victim, and the victim dreamily repeates the word as if it refers to something very unusual and precious. But unless there is something special about this cask – and no one suggests that there is, it could just as easily be the kind of wine you can buy in Sainsbury’s – and I frequently do, to use in cooking. And there is the dismissal of the man who ‘cannot tell Amontillado from sherry’ – but actually of course Amontillado is sherry. And it’s not an ‘Italian wine’ but Spanish. Did Poe know all this? is he implying that the two are not the aristocrats they seem and claim to be, but a pair of drunken louts? or did he use the name because it sounded exotic, without knowing what it was…

I think he used the whole ‘Amontillado is sherry’ thing as a joke. Fortunato and Montresor are an awful lot alike, after all. Even there names mean the same thing.

This is one of my favorite Poe stories and a fantastic analysis!

Thank you! It’s one of my favourites too – and there are plenty of fine stories to choose from :)

Nobody likes a clever dick, do they?

Sent from my iPad

Iago–yes, that is very clear intertextuality. I’ll bring that in with my Othello unit with my seniors.

Reblogged this on Greek Canadian Literature .

• Pingback: A Summary and Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ – worldtraveller70
• Pingback: Μια περίληψη και ανάλυση του Edgar Allan Poe για «το βαρέλι του αμοντιλάδο» – worldtraveller70

Interesting analysis. Revenge can not resolve conflict

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis

Introduction, characterization.

The stories of Edgar Allan Poe impress a lot with their gloominess, terrible reality, and cruelness. The Cask of Amontillado is one of such stories with a simple plot but rather complicated techniques and ideas. On the one hand, The Cask of Amontillado is a story of one person’s revenge over another person. On the other hand, it is a complex set of events, hidden intentions, and the inabilities to gain control over the emotions the main character believes he controls properly. In the current paper, the setting, characterization, narration, and plot of The Cask of Amontillado are analyzed to understand true intentions of the author and realize how many complicated things may be hidden between the lines of a short story where the revenge of the main character fulfills all the actions and words and defines the climax that impresses the reader.

There are no definite data or addresses described in the story; still, it is mentioned that “it was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (Poe 107). As soon as the main characters left the carnival, the main setting of The Cask of Amontillado was the catacombs of the Montresors where a cask of amontillado could supposedly be and then a particular vault where Fortunato was immured.

There are two main characters in The Cask of Amontillado ; however, three names are actually mentioned, that is why it is possible to admit that one character, whose name is mentioned only, is supportive. The main character, Montresor, is the protagonist (still, his intentions to take an act of revenge and kill a person by means of torturing cannot be defined as good ones). Another important character, Fortunato, is the antagonist, who has insulted the protagonist before the actual events are described in The Cask of Amontillado . Finally, Luchresi is a kind of supporting character, who is mentioned as an ignoramus, not able to “tell Amontillado from Sherry” (Poe 111).

The Cask of Amontillado is the story told by Montresor, a member of a “great and numerous family” (Poe 1019), who has huge catacombs and the vaults with a number of wine bottles. It is a character narrator, who begins his story with the description of his true feelings and coming plans in regards to Fortunato, who has offended him recently, and continues the description of the situation, the main characters are.

The peculiar feature of the character is his ability to weight all aspects of his thoughts and the desire to be avenged with “a point definitely, settled – but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk” (Poe 107). Montresor narrates that it is not enough to punish Fortunato, it is more important to punish him with impunity (Poe 107). Such explanations and plans introduce the main character, the narrator of the story, as a person with high ambitions and the inability to forget or forgive, but the necessity to take revenge and end Fortunato’s life within a short period of time.

One of the most amazing things of The Cask of Amontillado is the possibility to find some controversial aspects in a simple story. The central issue in The Cask of Amontillado is the idea of revenge and the necessity to make the antagonist suffer as soon as the action is taken. A perfectly developed plan how to make Fortunato regret about his past insults in regards to Montresor is the center of the story. In the beginning, the characters are introduced as noble men, the members of society, and wine experts, who like to follow the traditions and appreciate the quality of food and drinks.

However, the intentions Montresor actually has can be hardly defined as those of a noble man. He is blind in his desire to revenge and make Fortunato regret of his past words or actions. However, the author does not find it necessary to describe the reasons for Montresor’s anger. It is one of those things that may confuse or interest the reader. At the same time, the central theme of the story can become the idea of the instability of the facts that turn out to be evident. For example, Fortunato is introduced as an expert in vines, but his conditions can hardly be stable because of the number of drinks used during the carnival.

A number of questions also take place around the conflict that took place between the characters before the events described in The Cask of Amontillado . It is hard to understand what makes Montresor come to the conclusion to kill Fortunato and why Fortunato cannot even guess that Montresor may have some negative feelings towards his personality. Both characters have families, and someone can easily notice a conflict or some misunderstandings between these two people. However, the narrator states clearly that “for the half of a century no mortal has disturbed” (Poe 113).

The Cask of Amontillado teaches the reader that any kind of conflict can be solved in a variety of ways. However, each solution is based on the emotions of a person and the conditions under which a conflict takes place. Unfortunately, the reader does not know the reasons for the conflict the narrator has with Fortunato as well as Fortunato himself knows nothing about the problems Montresor and he actually have. During the whole story, it is interesting to observe how Montresor prepares and develops his revenge. It is hard to guess what method he can choose to remind Fortunato about his offenses. As a representative of masons, he can use a shovel to hit his victim to death. However, Montresor chooses another method to make Fortunato suffer – he buries him alive, drunk and enchained.

In general, though The Cask of Amontillado is not the best and the most prominent short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, it turns out to be a powerful example of how a human life can be ended unexpectedly. It is also a story of a human life and the desire to take revenge. The Cask of Amontillado does not contain too complicated phrases or ideas. It discloses the peculiarities of a human soul and the necessity to think about the consequences of human words, thoughts, and actions. Besides, it is necessary to be very careful with people, whose families have such slogans like the Montresors have. “Nemo me impune lacessit” (Poe 110).

It means that no one can offend me and avoid punishment. This motto can depict the central idea, describe the characters, and prove that goal-oriented people can easily achieve everything they want to achieve.

Poe, Edgar, A. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. 107-113. Print.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2020, December 24). The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis. https://studycorgi.com/the-cask-of-amontillado-by-edgar-allan-poe/

"The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis." StudyCorgi , 24 Dec. 2020, studycorgi.com/the-cask-of-amontillado-by-edgar-allan-poe/.

StudyCorgi . (2020) 'The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis'. 24 December.

1. StudyCorgi . "The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis." December 24, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-cask-of-amontillado-by-edgar-allan-poe/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis." December 24, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-cask-of-amontillado-by-edgar-allan-poe/.

StudyCorgi . 2020. "The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis." December 24, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-cask-of-amontillado-by-edgar-allan-poe/.

This paper, “The Cask of Amontillado Summary and Analysis”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: May 9, 2024 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, everything you need to know about the cask of amontillado.

Advanced Placement (AP) , General Education

As you prepare for the AP Literature exam, one of the things you’ll have to do is become an expert in a few literary works that you can use on the composition portion of the exam. We recommend that you choose four to five notable works with different genres and themes to make sure you can write an amazing student choice essay.

(Actually...practicing analyzing literature will help you on the whole exam, not just the written portion, so it’s a win-win situation!)

But just because these works have to be “notable” with “literary merit” doesn’t mean they need to be boring, too! That’s why we’re talking about Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” as a good choice for your AP exam. Not only is it widely recognized as an excellent piece of literature, it’s got a little of everything: horror! Suspense! A surprise twist! And as an added bonus...it’s short.

To bring you up to speed, we’ll start with “The Cask of Amontillado” summary, then we’ll jump into character and thematic analyses. By the time you finish this article, you’ll be able to write fearlessly about “The Cask of Amontillado” on your AP exam.

A photograph of Edgar Allan Poe.

Historical Background: Who Was Edgar Allen Poe?

Critics consider Edgar Allan Poe  to be the father of the detective story (thanks to “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” which predates the Sherlock Holmes stories by more than 50 years!) and a pioneer of the American short story.

But despite his literary success, Edgar Allan Poe’s life was marked by tragedy. Orphaned just a year after his birth in 1809, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan (who weren’t blood relatives). Frances Allan and Poe fought often, usually over money, and Poe would flirt with poverty throughout his life...especially after he was cut out of John Allan’s will.

Poe tried to go to college but couldn’t pay for it, so he dropped out. This was a blessing in disguise, since it kicked off Poe’s writing career. Fueled by both his passion and the death of his older brother, Poe moved back to Baltimore to become a full-time writer. There, he married his cousin—Virginia Clemm—who was just 13 at the time of the marriage. (Poe was 26!)

By all accounts, the couple was happy until Virginia’s death thirteen years later. Poe would never recover from her death and would pass away two years later, shortly after turning 40 years old.

Poe’s life might have been short, but his writing has lived on. Although Poe was a poet, literary critic, essayist, short story writer, and novelist, he is most well-known today for his grisly stories of terror and the macabre. Most of Poe’s works fall into the Gothic genre , which is characterized by a sense of terror, doubt, and the uncanny . The genre was incredibly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Poe’s writing would make him one of the best-known writers of Gothic horror.

The Cask of Amontillado Background

“The Cask of Amontillado” is one of Poe’s most famous short stories, and it was originally published in 1846 in Godey’s Lady Book, the most popular periodical in the United States at that time.

Though scholars aren’t 100 percent sure what inspired Poe’s short story, many believe it’s based on a story he heard while stationed at Fort Independence in Massachusetts in 1827. At that time, Fort Independence had a statue of Lieutenant Robert Massie, who had been killed in a sword duel following a card game, on the premises. As legend has it, after Massie’s death, other soldiers took revenge on his murderer by getting him drunk and permanently sealing him in a vault...alive.  

A more popular theory is that Poe wrote “The Cask of Amontillado” in response to his personal rival, Thomas Dunn English , who had written a scathing critique of one of Poe’s novels. “The Cask of Amontillado” skewers elements from English’s novel, 1844, including making references to the same secret societies and subterranean vaults featured in English’s work.

Others believe that “The Cask of Amontillado” was inspired not by a person, but by a widespread fear of being buried alive. Because medicine was in its infancy, sometimes coma victims were assumed to be dead and were buried accordingly, only to awake in their coffins days later. People started inventing easy-open coffins, burial vaults with windows, and even coffins with breathing tubes attached to save people who were prematurely buried. And of course, the fear of being buried alive—only to die in your own coffin—is echoed in the plot of “The Cask of Amontillado.”

Regardless of what inspired Poe to write “The Cask of Amontillado,” the fact remains that this short story remains one of his most famous and enduring works of Gothic terror.

The Cask of Amontillado Summary

Now that you know a little bit about the background of Poe’s short story, let’s take a look at the plot of the text. ( You can find a free, legal copy of “The Cask of Amontillado” online by clicking here. )

The Story Begins

Poe’s short story actually takes place in two time periods . The bulk of the events occur on the night of Carnaval , which is a Western Christian celebration that takes place before Lent. Carnival is a celebration of excess—of food, drink, and fun—before the restriction of the Lenten season sets in before Easter. (In the United States, the Carnival season is better known as Mardi Gras .)

But the story is told in retrospect by the narrator, Montresor, fifty years after the event to an unknown listener (only referred to as “you” in the story). That means that there are actually two different time frames happening in “The Cask of Amontillado.”

Setting the Trap

Readers learn that Montresor is planning to take revenge on his one-time friend, Fortunato. Readers never learn exactly what Fortunato has done to Montresor to push him over the edge, only that Montresor feels he is the victim of a “thousand injuries” and one unnamed “insult” he must avenge. Readers also learn that Montresor has hidden his rage in order to convince Fortunato that they are still friends—which is all part of his plan.

On the night of Carnival, Montresor puts his plan into action. He knows that Fortunato considers himself a wine connoisseur, so Montresor isn’t surprised that Fortunato is already drunk when he finds him in the middle of the Carnival celebration.

Montresor tells him about a pipe, or about 130 gallons, of Amontillado he bought. (>Amontillado is a fine sherry wine.) But now that he has the wine, Montresor is afraid that he was duped. He tells Fortunato that he was on his way to find Luchresi—another wine connoisseur—to help him determine the wine’s authenticity.

Entering the Vaults

Montresor’s ploy works. Montresor knows that Fortunato is full of himself, and the idea that someone could judge the Amontillado pricks his ego. As a result, Fortunato insists on checking the Amontillado himself.

Montresor half-heartedly tries to dissuade Fortunato, telling him that going into the catacombs , or underground vaults where generations of the Montresor family are buried, will worsen Fortunato’s head cold. Fortunato waves off Montresor’s concerns, saying that he “shall not die of a cough,” and he follows him into the vaults to taste the Amontillado anyway.

As the men venture further into the dark, underground passageways, Montresor makes sure that Fortunato keeps drinking. Fortunato asks about the Montresor family’s coat of arms, and Montresor tells him that their family motto is “ Nemo me impune lacessit,” or “no one attacks me with impunity.” Fortunato is so drunk that he misses the warning in Montresor’s words, and instead asks whether Montresor is a member of the masons , a fraternity with an elite membership. Montresor says yes and holds up a mason’s trowel, implying that he’s a literal mason instead.

Fortunato thinks Montresor is joking, and by the time they arrive at the niche where Montresor says he’s stored the Amontillado, he’s too drunk to notice that there’s no wine inside. He doesn’t even resist as Montresor chains him to the wall.

The End of Fortunato

Montresor then reveals the bricks and mortar he has stored in the vault, and he begins to wall up the opening to the niche...with Fortunato chained inside. The process is a long one, and Montresor describes Fortunato’s fearful cries and attempts to pull free from the chains. But Montresor is determined, and he throws a lit torch into the niche with Fortunato before he finishes walling him in alive.

By this point, Fortunato is panicked. He’s screaming for help, but the pair are so far underground that there’s no one to hear him. He tries to appeal to Montresor’s logic, saying that he’ll be missed by “Lady Fortunato and the rest.” Montresor is unmoved, finishes sealing up the vault, and leaves Fortunato there to die.

Montresor finishes his story by telling the listener that there Fortunato’s bones remain, fifty years later.

m ninha/Flickr

“The Cask of Amontillado” Character Analysis

Read on for an in-depth analysis of the major characters in “The Cask of Amontillado.”

Fortunato’s name means “the fortunate one” in Italian, which is ironic given that he ends up bricked within the Montresor catacombs and left to die. This is just one example of the dramatic irony that permeates the short story.

Dramatic irony is when the reader knows something that one or more of the characters don’t know. In this case, readers know what Montresor plans to do, but Fortunato remains ignorant. This creates tension in the short story. As a reader, you want to yell at Fortunato to run away, but you can’t. The thrill of “The Cask of Amontillado” comes from knowing exactly what will happen and being powerless to stop it.

Other than the fact that he seems to have wronged Montresor somehow, readers learn very little about Fortunato directly. Everything we know about his character we have to infer from Montresor’s descriptions of Fortunato and his actions.

For example, we know Fortunato thinks he and Montresor are friends, and they likely were at one point. But we also know that Fortunato is “rich, respected, admired, beloved,” and happy, according to Montresor, at least. But he also seems to be egotistical and self-indulgent; he drinks to excess, has no qualms talking badly about other people (like Luchresi), and thinks he’s the best wine connoisseur around.

Ultimately, whether or not Fortunato’s character flaws are enough to warrant Fortunato’s fate is up for readers to decide.

Montresor is the main character of “The Cask of Amontillado,” and the story is told in first person from his perspective. Like Fortunato, readers know very little about Montresor’s backstory outside of what they can infer from the text. For example, Poe implies that Montresor seems to come from money—he lives in a palazzo, which is basically an Italian palace, which has its own crypt.

But Montresor’s actions tell readers even more about his characte r. First, he’s driven by revenge. He doesn’t take insults lightly, and he’s able to nurse a grudge to an extreme degree. He’s also witty—he makes double entendres about Fortunato’s death that the latter never catches—and knows how to plan ahead, too.

But most importantly, he lacks remorse . At the end of the story, Montresor ends with an exclamation, “ In pace requiescat, ” which means “rest in peace.” Montresor is proud of what he’s done...and even prouder that he hasn’t been caught. As a result, his final wish for Fortunato comes across as sarcastic rather than sincere.

All of this together makes readers question Montresor’s role in the story. At the beginning, he seems like he’s the protagonist : he’s a man who’s been terribly wronged looking for revenge. But by the end of the story, it’s not clear whether Montresor is the story’s hero...or its villain.  

Luchresi never appears in the story, but he plays a vital role in Montresor’s plan. Luchresi is clearly one of Fortunato’s rivals, if not in reality, then at least when it comes to his expertise in wine.

Montresor plays this rivalry to his advantage. He keeps mentioning Luchresi’s name to motivate Fortunato and keep him interested in the Amontillado, especially since he’s drunk and his attention keeps wavering. (Keep in mind that Luchresi is an innocent bystander in all of this—Montresor is just borrowing his name and reputation.) Poe uses the mention of Luchresi’s name to remind Fortunato—and the readers—what’s happening.

Unnamed Listener

Like we mentioned earlier, “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story told in retrospect. An older Montresor is speaking to an unnamed listener, recounting how he killed Fortunato in revenge.

Readers know nothing about the listener, only that he’s Montresor’s audience in telling the story. But from an analysis standpoint, the listener is important. It reminds us that Montresor is telling this story to someone else, and in doing so, trying to communicate his personal perspective. It makes readers question whether Montresor is telling the whole truth, too. Was Fortunato really as bad as Montresor says he was, for example? Because the story is told from Montresor’s perspective—and likely with an agenda in mind—readers are left wondering if Montresor’s account is totally accurate.

Brandon Heyer /Flickr

The 3 Key The Cask of Amontillado Themes

“The Cask of Amontillado" is considered one of Poe’s best short stories, and with good reason: it melds tension, horror, and surprise together masterfully. But what are the messages of Poe’s story? Let’s look at three of major themes of “The Cask of Amontillado” below.

The Unreliability of Perception

Think of a time that you did something you knew your parents would punish you for. When you explained the situation to your parents, how did you do it? More than likely, you tried to downplay your actions (without lying!) to make the consequences a little less severe.

This is a good example of how perspective matters. For your parents, what you did is a serious offense. But if you could just offer a different perspective on things, maybe you won’t be grounded for quite so long!

In “The Cask of Amontillado,” readers are presented with Montresor’s perspective of the story. He tells readers he’s been wronged—for what, he doesn’t say—and paints an unflattering picture of Fortunato. Even though Montresor says he’s rich and well liked, Fortunato’s actions make him seem like a stuck-up, overindulgent idiot.

But is that accurate? Because we only get Montresor’s side of the story, it’s hard to know. It’s up to the reader to decide how reliable, or trustworthy, Montresor is as a narrator. Do we believe him and his argument that killing Fortunato was the only way to have his revenge? Or is Montresor just a cold-blooded killer?

By making the readers ask these questions, Poe draws attention to the idea that people’s individual perspectives on a situation aren’t necessarily 100 percent accurate.

The Danger of Pride

Although Montresor is responsible for Fortunato’s death, the latter has a hand in sealing his own coffin, too.

Even though he’s drunk and sick, the mention of Luchresi’s name triggers Fortunato’s massive ego. The idea that anyone could be better than him—especially Luchresi, who can’t “tell Amontillado from sherry”—drives him to follow Montresor into the catacombs. Despite wanting to kill Fortunato, Montresor gives his victim many chances to turn back. Montresor cites Fortunato’s cough, saying that it might be best to ask for Luchresi’s help instead.

But each time, Fortunato says he wants to push forward because he cannot stand Luchresi getting credit for determining whether the Amontillado is authentic. It’s his pride that makes him want to beat Luchresi, but in the end, it’s his pride that makes him lose.

The Power of Revenge

Perhaps the scariest aspect of “The Cask of Amontillado” is how far Montresor goes for revenge. In many ways, what Fortunato has done to warrant Montresor’s wrath is immaterial; Poe is more interested in how revenge drives a man to extremes.

In this case, it’s clear that Fortunato’s perceived wrongs have dominated Montresor’s thoughts and actions. His plan to kill Fortunato is highly premeditated: he’s clearly put a lot of thought into how he will do it, right down to making sure he has bricks and mortar handy to entomb Fortunato alive.

This is not a spur-of-the-moment, in-the-heat-of-passion action . No, Montresor has thought long and hard about his plan.

Given this, Poe shows readers how powerful the need for revenge can be. N ot only can it drive people to extremes, it can warp their sense of reason, too. After all, short of murder, what insult could Fortunato have delivered to warrant such a gruesome death? Could it be that Montresor’s desire for vengeance, rather than Fortunato's actions, are what allows Montresor to justify murder?

Ultimately, because the whole story is written from Montresor’s perspective, Poe doesn’t give readers any clear answers. But in doing so, Poe also shows how the truth is often obscured by people’s perceptions and motivations.

It’s great that you’re preparing for the composition part of the AP Literature exam, but don’t forget that there’s a multiple choice section, too . Get the skinny on the multiple choice section—and how to ace it!—here.

One of the best ways to practice for any exam is to take practice tests. Did you know that there are practice exams for AP tests, too? Here’s a list of practice tests for the AP Literature exam that you can take to help you study smarter.

Now that you’re well on your way to taking an AP English exam, why not try your hand at some other AP tests? Here’s a comprehensive list of all the AP classes and tests you can take to help earn credit for college.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

The Cask of Amontillado Introduction

Edgar Allan Poe, an American short-story writer, essayist, and poet, published “ The Cask of Amontillado ” in 1846. It was his last, and some say greatest, short story. It’s a tale of revenge, murder, torture, and addiction set in a vast underground Italian catacomb (underground cemetery). It’s also a journey into the dark and mysterious recesses of the human psyche. Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to actors David and Eliza Poe. He and his brother and sister were orphaned shortly before Poe’s second birthday, and were each taken in by different families. Maybe this helps explain why he was attracted to the dark themes. His biography is fascinating, and the subject of much debate, gossip, and speculation. For example, he’s rumored to have died from the bite of a rabid dog, but he probably passed away as a result of drug- and alcohol-related complications. He was a heavy drinker, and also addicted to the drug laudanum. This information helps us decipher a difficult symbol in the story, which you can read about in “Symbols, Imagery, Allegory.” If you are interested in getting to know Poe better, we’ve provided you with lots of handy links in “Did You Know?” The most important thing you need to know about Poe is that he was a truly brilliant, visionary, and influential writer. He basically invented the genre of mystery or detective fiction as well as science fiction, and he had very precise ideas about what stories are supposed to do and be, as is reflected in his essays .

What is The Cask of Amontillado About and Why Should I Care?

Why is horror so popular? Our culture is awash with it. Although some may avoid scary movies and books, most of us crave that occasional tingle running down our spines. But that doesn’t answer our question: Why? Why do we want to be scared, and why do all these people want to scare us? There are several answers, not limited to what we talk about here. Horror writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, author of the dismal tale at hand, will tell you that scary stories are a great way to express social and personal anxieties over sex, drugs, parents, children, bullies, and war, to name a few. We want to talk about them because we want to understand them, but we can’t always find the right time or place. For the person reading or watching horror, it’s also a kind of freedom. The horror story is an argument, usually a dark and mysterious one, about human nature. By reading or watching, we participate in this argument. Horror-master Steven King says, “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones” ( source ). In some ways, we read and watch horror for the same reason: our own lives often seem nice and calm after a few hours of fear. Plus, Edgar Allan Poe's stories are fun because they're complicated puzzles. You have to exercise your brain muscles to figure them out. And because “The Cask of Amontillado” is so very short, we can really focus on its details, and we can read it as many times as we want.

Tired of ads?

Cite this source, logging out…, logging out....

You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds...

W hy's T his F unny?

The Cask of Amontillado

45 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Introduction

Before Reading

Reading Context

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Discussion/Analysis Prompt

Essay Questions

Exam Questions

Exam Answer Key

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Get access to this full Teaching Guide and much more!

• 7,700+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,850+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

The SuperSummary difference

• 8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
• Study Guides you won ' t find anywhere else
• 175 + new titles every month

1. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe masterfully employs suspense and symbolism to create a chilling tale of revenge.

• How does Poe build suspense throughout the story, and what effect does it have on the reader’s experience? ( topic sentence )
• Analyze specific examples of suspenseful moments and how they build toward the story’s climax.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss the significance of the suspense in enhancing the theme of Revenge in the story.

2. The narrator, Montresor, embodies the theme of Deception and Devious Calculation as the story unfolds.

• What role does deception play in Montresor’s plot for revenge? ( topic sentence )

Don't Miss Out!

Access Teaching Guide Now

Related Titles

By Edgar Allan Poe

A Dream Within a Dream

Edgar Allan Poe

Annabel Lee

The Black Cat

The Conqueror Worm

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

The Fall of the House of Usher

The Gold Bug

The Haunted Palace

The Imp of the Perverse

The Man of the Crowd

The Masque of the Red Death

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

The Oval Portrait

The Philosophy of Composition

Featured Collections

Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense

View Collection

Required Reading Lists

Truth & Lies

The Summary Of The Cask Of Amontillado

The Cask of Amontillado, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, is the story of a man named Montresor who takes revenge on his one-time friend, Fortunato. The story is set in an unspecified year and place in Italy.

Montresor never names his victim, but he mentions that they were once close friends. The two men have not seen each other in some time, and Montresor claims that Fortunato has wounded him deeply. The story’s opening lines suggest that Montresor is plotting revenge: “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”

Montresor meets Fortunato at a carnival and tells him that he has obtained a cask of Amontillado wine, which he believes is only a few drops short of being genuine. Fortunato is eager to verify the wine’s authenticity and insists on accompanying Montresor to his palazzo.

Once they arrive, Montresor takes Fortunato down into the catacombs. He tells his victim that he has been insulted and Fortunato agrees to help him seek revenge. The men come to a niche and Montresor tells Fortunato that the Amontillado is within. When Fortunato enters, Montresor chains him to the wall and proceeds to seal up the opening to the niche with mortar.

Fortunato screams and begs for mercy but Montresor ignores him, leaving him to die. The story concludes with Montresor revealing that this story happened 50 years ago and nobody knows about it except for him and his victim’s dead body.

The Cask of Amontillado is a classic example of Gothic fiction, a genre that emphasizes horror and suspense. The story is narrated in the first person by Montresor, who remains anonymous. The reader never learns his motive for killing Fortunato, but it is clear that Montresor enjoys watching his victim suffer.

The story is written in short, clipped sentences, which adds to the suspenseful atmosphere. The language is also rich and poetic, creating an elegant and sinister feel. The Cask of Amontillado is a short story but it is full of symbolism and dark irony. It is a popular choice for study in high school and college literature classes.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer who was famous for his dark and mysterious stories. He was born in 1809 and died in 1849, and during his short life he wrote many famous short stories, including The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. The Cask of Amontillado is one of his most well-known tales.

What makes The Cask of Amontillado so effective is the use of first person point of view. The reader is allowed into Montresor’s mind and experiences every twisted thought and emotion as it occurs. The language is rich with irony, and Poe creates an unforgettable atmosphere of horror. The story has been analyzed time and again by critics for its hidden meanings, but the true brilliance of The Cask of Amontillado is that it can be enjoyed on a simple level as a spine chilling ghost story. Whatever interpretation readers choose to bring to it, The Cask of Amontillado is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most successful short stories.

The story begins with Montresor telling an unspecified person, who knows him very well, of the day he took his revenge. The Montresor coat of arms is a huge lion holding a human skull in its mouth. The Montresor family motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit” which means “No one attacks me with impunity”. The story starts with Montresor telling someone who knows him very well of the day he took his revenge against Fortunato.

The Montresor coat of arms is a huge lion holding a human skull in its mouth and the Montresor family motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit” which means “No one attacks me with impunity”. The storyteller claims that this tradition has been passed down for generations and that 50 years ago, he took his revenge on Fortunato. The storyteller is not named, but it can be assumed that he is a male.

The story then flashes back to the day Fortunato had insulted him. The insult occurred at a carnival and Montresor observed his victim from behind a red curtain. The “insult” was that Fortunato told him he looked like a “miserable wretch“. The reader can infer that Montresor is not of high social rank or importance because if he were, Fortunato would not have dared to insult him in such a way.

After the flashback, Montresor meets up with Fortunato and tells him about the amontillado and how he needs someone to taste it for him. Fortunato agrees to go with Montresor to the catacombs, not suspecting that he will be killed. The men go down a long flight of stairs into the dark, dank catacombs. The tension between the two men is mounting with each step. Fortunato is noticeably drunk and Montresor is taking great pleasure in watching his victim teeter on the brink of knowing what’s going on.

At one point, they come to a niche and Montresor tells his victim that the amontillado is inside. Fortunato enters drunk and unsuspecting and starts to become worried when he doesn’t see any wine inside. The narrator then chains Fortunato to the wall and proceeds to seal up the opening to the niche with bricks, mortar, and his victim’s screams.

Fortunato pleads for his life and tries to reason with Montresor, but the latter is having none of it. He tells his victim that he will be entombed alive and left to starve to death. The story ends with Montresor revealing that this has been going on for 50 years and no one knows about it.

The Cask of Amontillado is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. The story is about a man named Montresor who takes revenge on his one-time friend, Fortunato. The story is full of symbolism and dark irony.

Montresor is the narrator of the story. He tells the story to an unspecified person, telling them how he took his revenge on Fortunato. Montresor says that he has been hurt and insulted by Fortunato many times in the past, but he has always borne it silently. However, on this occasion, Montresor has had enough and decides to take revenge.

Montresor meets Fortunato at a carnival and tells him that he has obtained a cask of rare wine called Amontillado. Fortunato is very eager to verify the wine’s authenticity and agrees to go with Montresor to his palazzo. When they arrive, Montresor asks Fortunato to wear a jester’s motley and put on a conical cap. The two men then enter the dark catacombs of Montresor’s home.

As they walk, Montresor slyly insults Fortunato and tries to get him drunker and drunker. Eventually, Fortunato walks into a man-sized hole that has been dug in the wall and falls in. Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall and starts filling up the hole with bricks, trapping Fortunato alive.

Fortunato starts to scream but Montresor only laughs and continues to fill up the hole. As Fortunato’s screams become weaker, Montresor reveals that he has been planning this revenge for 50 years and that nobody will find out about what he has done. The story ends with Montresor revealing that his family motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit” which means “No one attacks me with impunity.”

More Essays

• The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Cask Of Amontillado Review
• Hyperbole In The Cask Of Amontillado
• Sensory Details In The Cask Of Amontillado
• The Cask of Amontillado: The Dangers of Pride
• Montresor Claims To Be Concerned About Fortunato Health
• Argumentative Essay On Revenge
• Hamlet Summary Essay
• Essay about Chapter Summary In Faulkner’s ‘A Rose For Emily’

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Edgar Allan Poe — Setting Of The Cask Of Amontillado

Setting of The Cask of Amontillado

• Categories: Edgar Allan Poe The Cask of Amontillado

About this sample

Words: 534 |

Published: Mar 5, 2024

Words: 534 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 890 words

3 pages / 1320 words

2 pages / 942 words

4 pages / 1725 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer, poet, and literary critic, is best known for his macabre and Gothic works that have secured him a place in the canon of American literature. His unique style and thematic preoccupations set [...]

The clock in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" serves as a powerful symbol of the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape it. In this essay, we will explore the significance of the clock in the [...]

Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" is a classic piece of literature that has captivated readers for generations. With its haunting refrain of "Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore,'" the poem explores themes of grief, loss, and the [...]

The Tell Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allan Poe, is a classic tale of suspense and horror. One of the key elements that makes this story so compelling is the effective use of symbolism throughout. In this essay, I will explore [...]

Many writing styles and techniques are applied in Literature courses for students to learn. One style that is rarely valued in the English Curriculum in the writing style of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe was an American [...]

As described by many critics and literary writers, Edgar Allan Poe is, without a doubt, one of the most influential writers, critics, poets and editors in America history and well-known in the world of literature. With his [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Cask of Amontillado Critical Essay

Introduction, works cited.

Edgar Allan Poe is perceived as one of the greatest authors and poets of all time. His works have elicited the need for analysis by various scholars and parties from the field of literature. His short story, “The Cask of Amontillado”, portrays various stylistic approaches, thus necessitating an analysis to evaluate the writing style.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a story involving horror due to Montresor’s vengeful motive upon Fortunato. Poe’s work on this piece of literature has been considered as one of the world’s perfect short stories. The narrative meets the qualities of a classic short story as theorized by Poe since it can be read in a single sitting. This paper will analyze the stylistic devices that Poe applies in the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado”.

The story’s narrator, Montresor, opens up his revengeful motive towards Fortunato, his acquaintance, by claiming that he insulted him irreparably (Poe 1200). Montresor seeks to use Fortunato’s liking for wine in a bid to carry out his revenge in a way that curtails the risks of being identified. Montresor brings the idea of using Luchesi to taste Amontillado, but Fortunato suggests that he is not good enough for the task and regards him as a competitor as well.

The two proceed towards Montresor’s burial vaults, which are exposed and filled with nitre. The nitre causes Fortunato to cough, and thus takes the wine to counter the effects even after being told by Montresor to go home. The two continue exploring the vaults that contain body remains of Montresor’s family members.

Fortunato tries to see if Montresor is a true mason by making a hand movement, but the latter does not recognize and he justifies himself by showing him a trowel implying a stonemason (Poe 1202). Montresor tells an intoxicated Fortunato to access a small recess through a wall made of bones to get the Amontillado before trapping him. Fortunato starts squalling as the walls go up.

The alcohol levels in his system drop as he starts moaning helplessly and later laughs at Montresor, who is not in the mood for jokes, as he continues piling the layers of the wall. Fortunato stops conversing with Montresor after making the final plea, “For the love of God, Montresor” (Poe 1204), but the latter continues to call his name twice.

Montresor positions the final brick and plasters the walls before reassembling the bones on the fourth wall. Montresor says that the bones have not been disturbed for fifty years, and he makes a conclusion in Latin that translates to “May he rest in peace” (Poe 1205).

Poe’s short story depicts a simple plot that portrays various aspects of his style in a compact way. Therefore, the analysis will explore the title, the use of irony, and other aspects writing and stylistic devices that Poe applies.

The title, “The Cask of Amontillado”, sounds mysterious and it tends to elicit fright. “Amontillado” simply refers to an alcoholic beverage that is linked to sherry. The title seems to conceal the story’s subject since moat people are not familiar with the various types of liquor unless one is a wine connoisseur.

On the other hand, “Casks” are used for the storage of alcoholic beverages. Montresor communicates that Fortunato possesses a “pipe of what passes for Amontillado” (Poe 1201). In this light, the “pipe” implies the “cask”, which could mean a “casket”. Poe uses the title to conceal and reveal the horrific nature of the story artistically as depicted by Fortunato’s ambitions of finding the Cask of Amontillado only to discover his death casket.

Additionally, Amontillado has different meanings to Montresor and Fortunato. To Fortunato, Amontillado represents pleasance and delectation, while Montresor uses it for the pursuit of his vengeful mission.

The use of irony

Poe uses three types of irony in the story as a literary tool that facilitates the readers’ understanding of the friendship that exists between Montresor and Fortunato. He uses situational, dramatic, and verbal irony throughout the story to make it intriguing to the audience.

In verbal irony, the speaker uses parables to imply the opposite meaning of what is being said. For instance, the name “Fortunato” implies good fortune, but it seems to be the contrary in this story. Fortunato turns out to be unfortunate as he is eventually trapped and killed by the revengeful Montresor.

Verbal irony is also depicted as Montresor leads Fortunato to the vaults. Montresor pretends to be caring about Fortunato’s health by noting, “We will go back; your health is precious…You are a man to be missed. For me, it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible” (Poe 1203).

Montresor’s intentions are the opposite since he intends to destroy Fortunato’s health by killing him. Fortunato proceeds deeper towards the vault as his coughs persist, but Montresor tells him that they will go back before it gets late and that his cough is nothing to worry about at the time. Going deep into the vaults means that Fortunato would meet his dark fate, which is signified by Amontillado.

Fortunato’s source of pleasure turns out to be his painful ending as Montresor revenges on him. Poe also uses dramatic irony in the story whereby he reveals some things to the audience, which are unknown to the characters. Fortunato’s dress code appears ironical as it depicts his eagerness to taste the rare alcoholic beverage. He posits, “The man wore motley.

He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Poe 1202). In this regard, Fortunato’s dressing mode symbolizes a fool that can be easily tricked into his death. Fortunato also says, “I will not die of a cough” (Poe 1202). Montresor affirming, “The cold is merely nothing” (Poe 1202). The readers know what is looming for Fortunato, but he is not aware of what may happen to him according to his enemy’s plans.

Fortunato toasts bodies that had been buried in the catacombs without realizing his impending death (Poe 1203). In situational irony, the opposite of the anticipated outcomes occurs. Poe utilizes this type of irony during the night of the carnival. He posits, “I had told them that I should not return until the morning and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house.

These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance, one, and all, as soon as my back was turned” (Poe 1203). This assertion implies that the Montresor wants his servants not to leave without him, which ensures that they would do the contrary. Another instance of situational irony is whereby the non-existent cask containing the Amontillado turns out to be the connoisseur’s casket.

Fortunato ultimately discovers his coffin instead of the rare wine that he anticipates. Montresor commits a premeditated murder of Fortunato, which is not punished legally after fifty years (Poe 1205). Therefore, it is ironical that Fortunato has been resting in peace as Montresor lives freely with impunity.

A good story should entail aspects of an initial condition, the conflict, complication, climax, suspense, and the conclusion. Poe initiates the story by depicting the painful history between Montresor and Fortunato. Montresor claims, “Fortunato had hurt me in other ways a thousand times, and I had suffered in quiet” (Poe 1200) implying that there were personal differences that existed between them.

Fortunato also insults Montresor, thus causing him to vow for revenge. This section provides a good basis for the story’s initial situation. The conflict aspect of the story is comes out when Montresor posits, “I must punish him with impunity” (Poe 1201). This statement translates into his vengeful strategies that depict the conflict in the story.

The story is not complicated and it might only confuse the reader on the aspects of Amontillado and Luchesi. The climax of the story stands out when Fortunato is chained in the catacomb as Montresor starts erecting the walls that would act as Fortunato’s casket.

The suspense is created where Montresor positions and plasters the bricks for the tomb. The denouement of the story happens when Montresor places the final brick thereby ending the suspense that calls for the conclusion by writing, “In pace requiescat!” (Poe 1205).

Montresor describes various events elegantly, which intrigues the reader. For instance, Montresor describes the bones and human remains in a tone that does not evoke fear. He says, “We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux [torches – pronounced “flam-bow”] rather glow than flame” (Poe 1204).

The Setting

The story adopts a horrific and gothic setting. The setting of the story proceeds from freedom to confinement as Montresor kills Fortunato by confining him in a casket. The carnival aims at creating happiness and celebrating freedom, but it turns out to be the opposite for Fortunato.

The dusk hours imply that something horrific is imminent as manifested by Montresor’s trap. The season is considered as a period of “supreme madness” (Poe 1203), and thus it evokes a feeling of uncertainty. However, the actual setting of the story is not specified, but events are perceived to take place in the European setting since the names of the characters like Fortunato and Luchesi have a European origin. Amontillado is a wine of Spanish origin whereas Montresor’s coat of arms originates from Scotland.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a perfect short story that depicts Poe’s stylistic features of his works. The title creates a concealed horrific topic that requires the readers’ interpretation of the “Cask” and “Amontillado”. Poe uses symbolism, irony, suspense, and horror to give the story a creative element as the setting flows from freedom to confinement.

The plot used is simple as it initiates the issue between Montresor and Fortunato before proceeding to build up the conflict that climaxes at Montresor’s catacombs. Therefore, Poe depicts his exceptional writing skills in authoring the short story, thus making him one of the greatest writers and poets of all the time.

Poe, Edgar. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature . Eds. Nina Baym et al. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. 1200-1205. Print.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, June 24). The Cask of Amontillado. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cask-of-amontillado-3/

"The Cask of Amontillado." IvyPanda , 24 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-cask-of-amontillado-3/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'The Cask of Amontillado'. 24 June.

IvyPanda . 2019. "The Cask of Amontillado." June 24, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cask-of-amontillado-3/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Cask of Amontillado." June 24, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cask-of-amontillado-3/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Cask of Amontillado." June 24, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cask-of-amontillado-3/.

• Imagery Use in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Single Effect in Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado
• Poe's Short Story "The Cask of Amontillado"
• "A Different Mirror" by Ronald Takaki
• The Warning Effects of Catastrophe Narratives
• The Use of Ambiguity in “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James
• "Speckled Trout" by Ron Rash
• Phillis Wheatley’s Neoclassicism

The Short Story “The Cask of Amontillado”

This essay will analyze the rich symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” It will explore how Poe uses various symbols, such as the carnival setting, the catacombs, and the coat of arms, to enhance the story’s themes of revenge, deception, and mortality. The piece will delve into the symbolic meanings behind the characters’ names, Montresor and Fortunato, and the significance of the wine, particularly the Amontillado. This essay aims to provide a deeper understanding of Poe’s use of symbolism to create a tense and foreboding atmosphere, ultimately contributing to the story’s dramatic and psychological depth. You can also find more related free essay samples at PapersOwl about Short Story.

How it works

The short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe contains various different forms of symbolism. Writers tend to use symbolism to describe an object or something with more clarity, it provides additional meaning to the text. Edgar Allan Poe’s intense use of symbolism throughout “The Cask of Amontillado” establishes a brilliant use of these elements to create this suspenseful short story.

The title of this short story seems to have some sort of additional meaning to it. To start off Amontillado is a certain type of alcoholic beverage.

For Fortunato, Amontillado symbolizes pleasure and enjoyment.. He would probably do just about anything for it, but it betrays him.This is basically what led Amontillado to his tragic death, if he would have been sober he would not have fell for Montresors tricks.While for Montresor, Amontillado means something completely different instead of being controlled by it he uses it to get what he wants, which is the power to get revenge against Fortunato While the word cask means a sturdy cylindrical container for storing liquids, and the word casket have the same root. The relationship between the two represents the way in which Montresor tricks Fortunato down to the catacombs and then eventually into what will become his walled-in casket.

The Montresor family has both a crest and a family motto which are both very symbolic in this short story. The motto“ nemo me impune lacessit” (Page 252) basically means nobody harms me without being punished which is what Fortunato did to not only Montresor but to many others as well. Fortunato brings up the Montresor family motto and emblem. The picture above it is an allusion to the Book of Genesis in the Bible “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.” (Page 252)

It is symbolic of what happens to Fortunato. Fortunato has wounded Montresor’s pride which can be seen as the snake biting the heel but then the heel fights back but with double the power like Montresor. Montresor kills Fortunato in the most wicked way which then can be seen as the heel crushing the snakes head. Montresor can be seen as the heel in this act.

Poe uses symbolism in this short story is through both of the main characters names. Fortunato’s name basically means fortunate one in Italian even though he is anything but fortunate. He is set in an unlucky destiny as Montresor’s victim of revenge or payback as he sees it. Fortunato adds to his name by wearing the costume of a jester which can also be thought of as a fool. Fortunato playing his role in jest can also be seen as Montresor’s plan to fool him since he is so drunk. Montresor means treasure in french. The treasure the narrator owns in this case is the understanding of perfect revenge for what Fortunato has done to him.

Another way that the author uses symbolism through both characters is in their clothing. Montresor was wearing “a mask of black silk, and drawing a roquelaire” (Page 251) A roquelaire is a knee length cloak which was worn a lot around the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Montresor uses it as a nice gesture to cover up Fortunato but it can also be seen as symbolic because he uses it capture Fortunato. When Montresor runs into Fortunato on the street, Fortunato is wearing colored motley and a cap with bells on it. The jesters costume that Fortunato is wearing gives the reader a way to visualize what his character is going to be like. This is the type costume jesters or fools in the old form of theater would wear. Fortunato practically plays the part of a fool throughout the story because Montresor seems to give him various clues about what his plans are but he never reacts in time to them. Now the jingling bells can also be as symbolic. “ His head was surmounted with conical cap and bells”. (Page 250) The bells can give him attention especially since it was during carnival season and there was so many people around. This might be considered a problem for Montresor since he probably does not want people to notice that he was the last person Fortunato was seen with when people realize he is missing. But with Montresor practically wearing all black and Fortunato wearing an absurd outfit gave less attention to Montresor since Fortunato attracted people’s attention more. With Montresor dressed in all black it seems like he is not participating in the carnival. It is almost as he is invisible amongst all people since everyone is colorfully dressed. When people ask about Fortunato other’s will remember or seeing him in the carnival, but noone will remember seeing who he was with. It seems that one Poe’s purposes in the characters outfits was to portray Montresor as a shadow.

Lastly it is very clear that the nitre and the carnival setting have a very symbolic meaning in this short story. Nitre in this case can be thought of as nitrate which is very common in caves or in this story it would be in the catacombs. Nitrate is actually an irritant while breathing it in it can cause a lot coughing. “The nitre!” I said; “see, it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults. We are below the river’s bed. The drops of moisture trickle among the bones. Come, we will go back ere it is too late. Your cough… “It is nothing,” he said; “let us go on.”(252) Here it can be seen as Montresor trying to act as if he cares about Fortunato’s health. It seems as just another step that he is taking to continue with the revenge he has planned out for his “friend” it is really clear that he is just trying to get Fortunato to trust him. Even though the nitre has many it additional meanings it can be seen as more of a trap then its actual meaning. “It is farther on,” said I; “but observe the white web- work which gleams from these cavern walls.” (251) As you read this you get to see the additional meaning to the nitre. The nitre can be the web or trap that Montresor has planned for his victim. Now the setting has some symbolism as well, “It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season.” (250) This can represent all of the craziness going on in Montresor’s head and everything he is willing to do to get revenge. A carnival can be thought of as a happy free place the difference in this would be that at first it was a happy place for Fortunato but it was quickly changed due to Montresors crazy plan for revenge.

In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism to add double meaning to the text, it can be seen in the Amontillado, the Montresor family motto, the characters names, outfits, the nitre and carnival setting. Poe’s use of symbolism makes the story even more interesting than it already is because it constantly leaves you thinking about any additional meaning there can be.

Cite this page

The short story "The Cask of Amontillado". (2019, Feb 14). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/

"The short story "The Cask of Amontillado"." PapersOwl.com , 14 Feb 2019, https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/

PapersOwl.com. (2019). The short story "The Cask of Amontillado" . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/ [Accessed: 21 May. 2024]

"The short story "The Cask of Amontillado"." PapersOwl.com, Feb 14, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/

"The short story "The Cask of Amontillado"," PapersOwl.com , 14-Feb-2019. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/. [Accessed: 21-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2019). The short story "The Cask of Amontillado" . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-short-story-the-cask-of-amontillado/ [Accessed: 21-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Poe’s Art of Seduction: Montresor as Author in “The Cask of Amontillado”

• Matthew Hutton

 Herein I argue that the character Montresor, the narrator and protagonist of “The Cask of Amontillado,” serves as Poe’s fictional illustration of an author engaged in the creative process. Montresor, in his actions and in his recounting of them, executes a “plot” that puts Poe’s theory of “unity of effect” to the test. Montresor seduces Fortunato just as Poe seduces the reader: through verbal craft. His intent is to induce terror, and the measure of his success is the measure of the degree to which he achieves maximum effect. Montresor’s plan, his execution, and his delivery of the tale all exemplify the principles Poe outlines in “The Philosophy of Composition”—an essay published just months before “The Cask of Amontillado.”

In the first section of the paper, I trace Poe’s development of the unity of effect theory in the years leading up to the publishing of “The Philosophy of Composition.” I then apply the theory to a close reading of “Amontillado.” In the final section, I discuss the tacit contract between author and reader required for Poe’s brand of horror. In observing the correlation between Poe’s conception of the author and his fictional illustration of the author, we see how Poe sets the preconditions for 20th-Century genre fiction by placing the audience in the foreground—an emphasis that would find full flower in the age of mass media, when the distinction between “art” and “entertainment” would become immaterial.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

The author(s) retains/retain the copyright to the work, but grants Scientia et Humanitas the right to publish, display, and distribute the work in the Scientia et Humanitas journal, in print and electronic format. Please see our Author Agreement for more details. You can download this as a PDF and fill/edit electronically.

Digital Scholarship Initaitives , Walker Library

Middle Tennessee State University