Cask of Amontillado Essay
Did you know there are 520,000 murders in the world year?
Title: The cask of Amontillado
Author: Egar Allen Poe
Genre: Short story
The story is about an ironic, foreshadowed murder. In the story Montresor is always
teased by Fortunato and now he wants revenge. By a pre meditated murder, in the story the
literary elements such as irony and foreshadowing are being used. The irony used was
Dramatic, Situational. Dramatic irony is a literary device by which the author lets the audience
know facts that one or more characters in the story do not know. Also situational is what turns
out to be very different than what is expected. Lastly Foreshadowed is hints in the story that
leads you in what is going to happen. Fortunato’s Death is foreshadowed through the irony of
Montresor’s elimination of witnesses, ‘’ his toast to the buried’’, and his motive for revenge.
First, Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed through the irony of the elimination of
witnesses. In the story, Montresor invites Fortunato to his home, and when they get there all
the servants are gone. ‘’I had told them that I should not return until the morning and had given
them explicit orders not to stir from the house’’ (Poe214). This irony of the quote relates to the
foreshadowing of Fortunato’s death because even though Montresor told his servants to stay
they left, disobeying his orders. This related to the elimination of witnesses. First, Literally the
phrase ‘’not to stir’’ means no movement or flow. But latently in the story this foreshadows
Fortunato’s death that when he dies he’s not going to move and be gone forever like he meant
in his plan., ironically stir means like a soup but in the story it means not to move. Next right
there in the story the phrase ‘’explicit orders’’ means fully expressed demands. But in a deeper
meaning ironically in the story, it showed that go in hand signals and the servants left. Lastly
obvious in the text the phrase ‘’no return’’ means no coming back. Ironically underlying in the
text this foreshadows his death because when someone dies it’s ‘’no return’’, in the story
ironically you think Fortunato is going to be a live and around, but he really died with ‘’no
return’’. Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed through the ironic phrases and words that lead to
the elimination of witnesses.
Second, Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed through the irony of his toast to the dead. In
the story Montresor and Fortunato are drinking wine and Montresor using dark terms in his
toast foreshadows Fortunato’s death. Fortunato says, ‘’I drink…to the buried, that repose
around us and Montresor replies, ‘’and I to you long life’’ (Poe214). Obviously ‘’ buried’’ means
put underground. This is ironic because he is talking about the ‘’buried’’ and he is about to be
‘’buried’’. The denotative meaning of ‘’repose’’ means situated. But underlying in the story
Fortunato in his toast he uses ‘’repose’’ to describe the resting dead, but ironically the
foreshadowed he is going to be put to rest soon. Surface level the phrase ‘’long life’’ means
treated to stay fresh longer. But the figurative meaning in the story ‘’long life’’ ironically
foreshadows Fortunato’s life won’t be longer but cut short. Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed
ironically through the toast to the dead.
Third, Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed through the moment to his death. In the story
Montresor and drunken Fortunato are inside the catacombs and Montresor is preparing his
punishable death ‘’Within the wall thus exposed by displacing of the bones’’ (Poe215).
Obviously ‘’exposed’’ means uncovering it. But in a deeper meaning in the story Montresor
wants to uncover that he wants to kill Fortunato. Right there ‘’wall’’ means protection of an
upright structure. Hidden in the story ‘’wall’’ means the punishment of no way out which leads
to his death. Surface level ‘’Bones’’ means hard tissue making body part. But underlying in the
story ‘’bones’’ foreshadow death is going to happen in the catacombs. Fortunato’s death is
foreshadowed through the moment before his death that is Montresor’s plan.
In conclusion Fortunato’s death is ironically foreshadowed till his death. By the orders
given by Montresor to his servants to go because he knew they will go. Next by the
foreshadowing of the toast to the dead given by Fortunato. Lastly the displacing of the bones,
dead body’s that was already there. This connects to foreshadowing and irony by the quotes
meaning. For the thesis is connects by the elimination of witnesses and his motive for revenge.
You can connect to this by you being teased by your friend then coming up with a plan to get
him back. So the lesson learned is when is revenge justified?