Here's an in-depth analysis of the most important parts, in an easy-to-understand format. A commentary on a classic Poe story ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is one of Poe’s shorter classic tales. In this story, Montresor too plays the role of main character.I chose to analyze him because his … “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. The first-person narrator, Montresor, is unreliable and is attempting to explain his actions of 50 years before. The Cask of Amontillado is a horror short story, which revolves around the themes of revenge and pride. Even though I reread it a couple of times, Poe’s writing got confusing to me. The story starts off with the murderer telling what he did with satisfaction. (including. The plot is quite simple. Instant downloads of all 1408 LitChart PDFs "In the opening paragraph of … I must not only punish but punish with impunity. The story was only published one additional time during Poe's life, in the November 14, 1846 New England Weekly Review.. The narrator feigns caring and innocence by insisting that the vaults are dangerous, but he is really appealing to Fortunato’s sense of competition. Obsessed on Revenge. Analysis of The cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe essaysA cold dish: "The cask of Amontillado" The story of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe is full of conflict from beginning to end. He acts like an enthusiast but also like the opposite of an expert: he guzzles wine … Like many of Poe’s pairs of rivals, behind the hatred is a level of respect and kinship. The lack of a reliable narrator and exposition to explain the revenge or the characters’ motivations creates sinister undertones—almost as if the audience is missing out on major parts of the story. Yet while his manner is eccentric and tipsy, he does not seem cruel, raising the question of why (or whether) he deserves the narrator’s vengeance. The terror of The Cask of Amontillado, as in many of Poes tales, resides in the lack of evidence that accompanies Montresors claims to Fortunatos thousand injuries and insult. The narrator of this story does not reveal why such a conflict exists other The Unreliable Narrator – Any analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” must take into account the story’s point of view. The dank catacombs under the river, with nitre dripping from the walls, is a very Gothic setting. Fortunato remains oblivious to the narrator’s plans. Whether the narrator and Fortunato run into each other at the carnival, or this meeting was cleverly engineered to seem like coincidence by the narrator, is never explained. “The Cask of Amontillado… My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin Classics edition of, Narrator (The Fall of the House of Usher), Narrator (The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Purloined Letter). Literary Analysis Of The Cask Of Amontillado 1639 Words | 7 Pages. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Narrator (The Cask of Amontillado) appears in, ...show up foreigners, but Fortunato’s appreciation for Italian vintages is sincere. In ‘Cask of Amontillado,’ Montresor is the narrator and explains to us the nature of his basement and the vaults. Poe is known to have a sinister, creepy tone in many of his works and “The Cask … The scale of the narrator’s deception comes into focus. Our. The Cask of Amontillado 1. Montresor can stand no more; he vows revenge upon Fortunato. Upon a first reading of "The Cask of Amontillado," we might be tempted to view Montresor simply as an unreasonable, cold-blooded murderer. Not only does it provide the narrator with his motive for bringing Fortunato down to the vault, it also shows us Fortunato’s obsession when he repeats the word “Amontillado.” It also provides the arena that these two men compete in – wine represents wealth and legacy as well as knowledge and sensitivity. The story is made famous not only by its brilliant storyline, but by its incorporation of a first-person narrator, its themes, and ironic symbolism. The Cask of Amontillado Summary. The reason this is so important in this particular story, is because when a sane killer, Montresor, is allowed to tell the story from his point of view, the reader gets a unique, disturbing look into the calmness of his mind. "The Cask of Amontillado" was first published in 1846. The Cask of Amontillado: The word cask, a sturdy cylindrical container for storing liquids, and the word casket have the same root. The plot involves two men: Montresor, the narrator, who is an Italian aristocrat seeking revenge against the second main character: Fortunato, a proud man that boasts about his conoisseurship of wines and who finally walks to his own death. The motif of murder remains undiscovered, adding to the mystery of the story and making it … That he did not, that he chose to bury Fortunato alive, shows how important the game of torture is to this narrator’s revenge. "The Motive for Murder in 'The Cask of Amontillado. " Having trouble understanding The Cask of Amontillado? Poe’s overall tone in The Cask of Amontillado is unsettling and ominous. Fortunato’s first thought, meanwhile, seems to be for the wine, further reinforcing his obsession with it. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Because the narrator does not make clear the nature of the original wrongdoing, we as readers have no way of knowing if the punishment fits the crime, which in turn raises the suspicion that the narrator might be unjust, disingenuous, or insane. He simply does it, quickly and cleanly. 1. The Amontillado represents two causes of Fortunato’s demise: (1) Fortunato is extremely drunk, more than likely drunk on wine. Montresor is easily offended, jealous of Fortunato, and a little strange. And yet, when Fortunato goes silent, the narrator is disappointed. Irony and symbolism create the grotesque story told from the first-person evil narrator. Furthermore, Fortunato’s persistent cough and the confinement of their underground path to the Amontillado is a constant reminder of death. The plot summary of ''The Cask of Amontillado'' begins with the narrator Montresor explaining that a man called Fortunato has wronged him a … He knows that by daring Fortunato, he can make him do anything. Poe is known to have a sinister, creepy tone in many of his works and “The Cask … "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Read on for an in-depth analysis of the major characters in “The Cask of Amontillado.” Fortunato. "The Cask of Amontillado" was first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book, which was, at the time, the most popular periodical in America. The theme of revenge is a major theme in this story. 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. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe is a short story that is both creepy while also being somewhat amusing.Poe uses many literary devices to convey his story in the best possible way. Montresor uses his subjective experience of Fortunatos insult to nam… Fortunato's ego, greed, and competitiveness cloud his judgment. Teachers and parents! In this way, Poe engineers an unexpected twist to the murder–the sadness and emptiness that comes for the narrator when Fortunato disappears behind the bricks. The narrator of "Amontillado" begins by telling us about his friend, Fortunato, who had ‘injured’ him many times over... (full context) ...show up foreigners, but Fortunato’s appreciation for Italian vintages is sincere. Having trouble understanding The Cask of Amontillado? Detailed analysis of Characters in Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. Also, Montresor is the story’s narrator, and a lot of details about his character are revealed in the story. The narrator enacts his revenge still without any explanation for why he is doing it. Also, Montresor is the story’s narrator, and a lot of details about his character are revealed in the story. Plot 3. The motif of murder remains undiscovered, adding to the mystery of the story and making it … And to top it all off, the wine creates a condition of drunkenness that slows the wits and quickens the emotions – perfect for the narrator’s manipulations to be successful. The narrator expertly uses his rival’s own vices to carry out his plan, so that it hardly seems like manipulation at all. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Law is nowhere on Montresorsor Poesradar screen, and the enduring horror of the story is the fact of punishment without proof. Instant downloads of all 1408 LitChart PDFs Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The most prominent element in his short story is tone, which is a significant part of any piece of literature. The main character in “The Cask of Amontillado” is Montresor with Fortunato being a minor character in the short story. There is enough evidence to suggest that Montresor is certainly an unreliable narrator in Poe's classic short story "The Cask of Amontillado. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe is a short story that is both creepy while also being somewhat amusing.Poe uses many literary devices to convey his story in the best possible way.