Cask Of Amontillado Essay
Jonathan Yuen
Mrs. Christina/Pd 2
12/22/14 Literary Analysis Essay
Task: Prove this thesis statement using textual evidence from “The Cask of Amontillado” and your ability to make an inference.
When does revenge get taken too far? In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe uses literary elements to create a terrifying environment. Montresor wants to murder Fortunato as revenge from past quarrels. Montresor leads Fortunato into the catacombs, using the cask of amontillado as a bait. Montresor intoxicates Fortunato as they walk further into the damp and cold tunnels. When the tunnels come to a dead end, Montresor chains Fortunato and buries him in the catacombs.The literary elements of foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony help to create a tale of horror found in the short story
“The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe.
To build suspense in the story, Poe often employs foreshadowing. For example, when
Fortunato says, “‘I shall not die of a cough [...]’” (Poe 66). Montresor replies, “‘True [...]’” (Poe 66), because he knows that Fortunato will in fact die from dehydration and starvation in the crypt. He foreshadows future events by employing the topic of death into the conversation. On the other hand,
Montresor’s description of his family’s coat of arms also symbolizes future events. The shield features a human foot crushing a tenacious serpent. In this image, the foot represents Montresor and the serpent represents Fortunato. Although Fortunato has hurt Montresor with biting insults, Montresor will ultimately crush him. The conversation about Masons also foreshadows Fortunato’s demise. “‘You are not of the masons.’ ‘Yes, yes,’ I said; ‘yes, yes.’ ‘You? Impossible! A mason?’ ‘A mason,’ I replied. ‘A sign,’ he said. ‘It is this,’ I answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire” (Poe
68). When he declares that he is a “mason” by showing his trowel, he means that he is a literal
Mrs. Christina/Pd 2
12/22/14 Literary Analysis Essay
Task: Prove this thesis statement using textual evidence from “The Cask of Amontillado” and your ability to make an inference.
When does revenge get taken too far? In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe uses literary elements to create a terrifying environment. Montresor wants to murder Fortunato as revenge from past quarrels. Montresor leads Fortunato into the catacombs, using the cask of amontillado as a bait. Montresor intoxicates Fortunato as they walk further into the damp and cold tunnels. When the tunnels come to a dead end, Montresor chains Fortunato and buries him in the catacombs.The literary elements of foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony help to create a tale of horror found in the short story
“The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe.
To build suspense in the story, Poe often employs foreshadowing. For example, when
Fortunato says, “‘I shall not die of a cough [...]’” (Poe 66). Montresor replies, “‘True [...]’” (Poe 66), because he knows that Fortunato will in fact die from dehydration and starvation in the crypt. He foreshadows future events by employing the topic of death into the conversation. On the other hand,
Montresor’s description of his family’s coat of arms also symbolizes future events. The shield features a human foot crushing a tenacious serpent. In this image, the foot represents Montresor and the serpent represents Fortunato. Although Fortunato has hurt Montresor with biting insults, Montresor will ultimately crush him. The conversation about Masons also foreshadows Fortunato’s demise. “‘You are not of the masons.’ ‘Yes, yes,’ I said; ‘yes, yes.’ ‘You? Impossible! A mason?’ ‘A mason,’ I replied. ‘A sign,’ he said. ‘It is this,’ I answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire” (Poe
68). When he declares that he is a “mason” by showing his trowel, he means that he is a literal