Situational Irony The Cask Of Amontillado Essay - 1034 Words

â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a unique story in many ways. There are many literary elements present throughout this story. One of these literary elements is irony. Irony can influence the portrayal of a character in a story. Irony can also add intrigue and excitement to the plot of the story. In Edgar Allen Poe’s story, he uses the literary element of irony to add to the plot and influence how the characters are portrayed throughout his story. One of the first examples of irony Poe utilizes in his story involves the situational irony of the title. Situational irony is when something turns out to be the opposite of what is expected. The title, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, leads a reader to believe that such a wine container or crate exists in†¦show more content†¦The Montresor is prompting Fortunato saying he is going to seek revenge. The serpents fangs embedded in the heel represents all the insults Fortunato has caused the Montresor to endure and the foot crushing the serpent represents the Montresor getting his revenge on Fortunato. Dramatic irony was also used when Fortunato and the Montresor were in the dark catacombs. After briefly entering the catacombs, the Montresor tells Fortunato to be mindful of the nitre that encrusts the walls. But in that instant, Fortunato starts coughing uncontrollably. The Montresor tells Fortunato that he is a man of great status and insists that it would be in their best interest to go back and leave his vaults. He says, â€Å"Come, we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. 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† (117). The Montresor pretends that he is concerned about Fortunatos precious health, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reader knows the Montresor is only concerned about his plan to lure Fortunato further into the catacombs and carryout out his revenge. The Montresor also pretends to be responsi ble for Fortunatos death. He does not want Fortunato to die of a cough or from the nitre in the catacombs, but from his own plan of murder. But despite all of this, Fortunato still fails to understand theShow MoreRelated The Paradox of Revenge in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillado1375 Words   |  6 PagesThe Paradox of Revenge in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillado ?The Cask of Amontillado? raises a question pertaining to the multiple character of the self (Davidson 202); Can harmony of ones self be restored once primal impulses have been acted upon? This question proposes the fantasy of crime without consequence (Stepp 60). Edgar Allan Poe uses first person point of view, vivid symbolism and situational irony to show that because of mans inner self, revenge is ultimately not possibleRead MoreRevenge In The Cask Of Amontillado1293 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is an American author famously known for short stories of mystery and horror. One of the many short stories that Edgar Allan Poe is known for is The Cask of Amontillado. This short story is about Montressor’s seek of revenge to Fortunato who had hurt him a â€Å"thousand times† and learned that Fortunato laughed at his â€Å"proud name, Montressor, the name of an old and honored family† (Poe). Montressor devises a plan of revenge by using Fortunato’s â €Å"great weakness; he liked to drink goodRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesof Cain a legacy of guilt that the outcast Brand shares with his Biblical counterpart. One must also, however, be alert to names used ironically which characterize through inversion. Such is the case with the foolish Fortunato of Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, who surely must rank with the most unfortunate of men. 2. CHARACTERIZATION THROUGH APPEARANCE. Although in real life most of us are aware that appearances are often deceiving, in the world of fiction details of appearance often provide essential