IB English
November 3rd, 2012
November 3rd, 2012
Commentary on 40
lines of “The Cask of Amontillado”
The first 40 lines of Edgar Allan Poe’s
short story “The Cask of Amontillado” reveal that the narrator Montresor is
going to take a terrible revenge upon Fortunato because he has insulted him.
The function of this excerpt is to build up the story’s skeleton for one final
effect: Giving shocking insight into a murderer’s mind. Poe uses many
rhetorical devices to create this effect.
The story starts a hyperbole within a hyperbole. Montresor is upset about the “thousand injuries” (line 1) that Fortunato did to him, which is a hyperbole because Fortunato most probably did not injure the narrator as much as a thousand times. The hyperbole makes the narrator seem quite unreliable and dramatic due to this overstatement. Anyhow, Montresor is even more indignant about an unspecified insult of Fortunato. He pledges to take revenge on him, which is another hyperbole as it turns out that this revenge is going to be murder when Montresor mentions his “thought of (Fortunatos) immolation” (line 13) – a very extreme, exaggerated reaction on an insult. It seems like Montresor is so affronted by the insult that he goes wild and makes such an insane plan to punish Fortunato.
On a day of carnival, Fortunato is encountered drunk by Montresor. It turns out that Fortunato is a respected Italian known for his understanding of wine but also his fraud. This characterization turns out to be ironic when Montresor tells about his receiving of Amontillado, a rare wine, but says that he is afraid of having been subject to a scam. It effects the feeling that Montresor makes fun of Fortunato. Another irony is that Fortunato wears “motley” (line 24) clothes like a jester. Here it foreshadows that Montresor is going to make a fool out of him. The next irony follows immediately as Montresor claims that he is “so pleased to see (Fortunato)” that he can not stop shaking hands with him. Moreover, he pretendingly greets his “dear Fortunato” and compliments him for his good-looking appearance on that day. It is multi-ironic since Montresor is actually not happy to see Fortunato but already in a thrill of anticipation to take revenge; and secondly, because it is carnival season and therefore everybody looks kind of funny but Montresor fawns on Fortunato by saying he would look “remarkably well.” (line 29) Another irony is the name Fortunato; it is Italian for “fortunate” but it turns out that the man is not fortunate at all because Montresor will kill him. The setting and atmosphere, as it is “about dusk” (line 22) during the “supreme madness of the carnival season” (line 22-23) foreshadows Fortunato’s bad fate since evening settings allude to something coming to an end or perish and the carnival season, usually being a time of ridiculousness and folly, sets a contrast to the serious destiny that is waiting on Fortunato.
In conclusion, Poe uses a lot of irony and foreshadowing in order to show how crazy Montresor’s plan of revenge. As a result the reader is directly woven into the story, especially through the use of first person narration. It becomes clear that fortune can not assist Fortunato. Montresor’s force of rage finds an easy opportunity of payback when Fortunato is drunk. This situation makes the reader realize that one does not always have control over other people’s minds and reactions, and that it can be dangerous in life under actual unconcerned circumstances.
The story starts a hyperbole within a hyperbole. Montresor is upset about the “thousand injuries” (line 1) that Fortunato did to him, which is a hyperbole because Fortunato most probably did not injure the narrator as much as a thousand times. The hyperbole makes the narrator seem quite unreliable and dramatic due to this overstatement. Anyhow, Montresor is even more indignant about an unspecified insult of Fortunato. He pledges to take revenge on him, which is another hyperbole as it turns out that this revenge is going to be murder when Montresor mentions his “thought of (Fortunatos) immolation” (line 13) – a very extreme, exaggerated reaction on an insult. It seems like Montresor is so affronted by the insult that he goes wild and makes such an insane plan to punish Fortunato.
On a day of carnival, Fortunato is encountered drunk by Montresor. It turns out that Fortunato is a respected Italian known for his understanding of wine but also his fraud. This characterization turns out to be ironic when Montresor tells about his receiving of Amontillado, a rare wine, but says that he is afraid of having been subject to a scam. It effects the feeling that Montresor makes fun of Fortunato. Another irony is that Fortunato wears “motley” (line 24) clothes like a jester. Here it foreshadows that Montresor is going to make a fool out of him. The next irony follows immediately as Montresor claims that he is “so pleased to see (Fortunato)” that he can not stop shaking hands with him. Moreover, he pretendingly greets his “dear Fortunato” and compliments him for his good-looking appearance on that day. It is multi-ironic since Montresor is actually not happy to see Fortunato but already in a thrill of anticipation to take revenge; and secondly, because it is carnival season and therefore everybody looks kind of funny but Montresor fawns on Fortunato by saying he would look “remarkably well.” (line 29) Another irony is the name Fortunato; it is Italian for “fortunate” but it turns out that the man is not fortunate at all because Montresor will kill him. The setting and atmosphere, as it is “about dusk” (line 22) during the “supreme madness of the carnival season” (line 22-23) foreshadows Fortunato’s bad fate since evening settings allude to something coming to an end or perish and the carnival season, usually being a time of ridiculousness and folly, sets a contrast to the serious destiny that is waiting on Fortunato.
In conclusion, Poe uses a lot of irony and foreshadowing in order to show how crazy Montresor’s plan of revenge. As a result the reader is directly woven into the story, especially through the use of first person narration. It becomes clear that fortune can not assist Fortunato. Montresor’s force of rage finds an easy opportunity of payback when Fortunato is drunk. This situation makes the reader realize that one does not always have control over other people’s minds and reactions, and that it can be dangerous in life under actual unconcerned circumstances.
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