ANALYSIS SHORT STORY

“THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO”

EDGAR ALLAN POE
The Cask of Amontillado "The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first
published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book. Published: November 1846
Original language: English Genres: Short story, Horror.

What happens in The Cask of Amontillado?

In "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor describes how he took revenge on Fortunato during a
carnival in Venice. Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs with a cask of amontillado, and
then proceeds to bury him alive.

SUMMARY

The narrator (Montresor) begins by telling us that Fortunato has hurt him. Even
worse, Fortunato has insulted him. The narrator (Montresor) must get revenge. He
meets Fortunato, who is all dressed up in jester clothes for a carnival celebration −
and is already very drunk. The narrator (Montresor) mentions he’s found a barrel
of a rare brandy called Amontillado. Fortunato expresses eager interest in verifying
the wine’s authenticity.

So he and the narrator (Montresor) go to the underground graveyard, or

“catacomb,” of the Montresor family. Apparently, that’s where the narrator
(Montresor) keeps his wine. The narrator (Montresor) leads Fortunato deeper and
deeper into the catacomb, getting him drunker and drunker along the way.
Fortunato keeps coughing, and the narrator constantly suggests that Fortunato is
too sick to be down among the damp crypts, and should go back. Fortunato just
keeps talking about the Amontillado.

Eventually, Fortunato walks into a man-sized hole that’s part of the wall of a really
nasty crypt. The narrator (Montresor) chains Fortunato to the wall, then begins to
close Fortunato in the hole by filling in the opening with bricks. When he has one
brick left, he psychologically tortures Fortunato until he begs for mercy.
After Fortunato cries out Montresor’s name, he doesn’t have any more lines. But
just before Montresor puts in the last brick, Fortunato jingles his bells. Then
Montresor finishes the job and leaves him there to die.

"The Cask of Amontillado" summary key points:

 Montresor tells Fortunato he has obtained some rare Amontillado wine and lures him into
his cellar.
  Montresor leads the way into his family catacombs, with the drunk Fortunato following.
 Montresor chains Fortunato to a wall deep in the catacombs, then bricks up the opening.
Fortunato screams for release, but Montresor only mocks him.
 Fortunato’s body remains undiscovered for fifty years.

Extrinsic element:
1. Background of the writer
Edgar Allan Poe Born on January 19, 1809, in Boston. American writer, editor, and literary critic.
Best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.
Considered as the inventor of the detective fiction genre. The first well-known American writer
tried to earn a living through writing alone. He switched his focus to prose and spent the next
several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of
literary criticism. His works influenced literature in the United States and around the world.
2. Background of community
This literary work is a reflection of the social institutions from which they originated (Italy). "The
Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe is a story of revenge, but more than one person seeks justice
for each other. This is a representation of Poe's personal life experience with the upper classes and
the increasingly important symbols of the nobility versus the lower classes. Every time a great
power begins to lose influence, there is always a counterattack and that is what Montresor
(narrator) represents. In the end, Montresor (narrator) represents the dying nobles in the world and
how strong they will fight to keep the lower classes from rising to status; however, like the scene
in the catacombs where Fortunato and Montresor moved, the lower classes would eventually
replace the nobles.
3. Massage and morals
The message of revenge is an important one in this story. Also, you reap what you sew. Fortunato
has sown grevious insults and now he will reap the ultimate insult. Montresor is about to put
Fortunato behind a wall, there to die.

INTRINSIC ELEMENT

1. THEME

The theme of “The Cask of Amontillado” is revenge, murder, drugs and alcohol.

2. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO CHARACTERS (FIGURE)

 Montresor: vengeful, prideful, unreliable, and manipulative. (antagonis)
 Fortunato: prideful, gullible, alcoholic, and incensitive. (antagonis)
3. SETTING
An underground Catacomb, somewhere in Italy, during the carnival season

4. POINT OF VIEW

First Person (Central Narrator)

The Point of View used in this short story is the First Person - The story is told by
the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist
or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc). The reader sees the story
through this person's eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she
knows or feels.

5. PLOT

-Initial Situation
Fortunato and Montresor have a history, and a painful one at that. Fortunato has
wounded Montresor a “thousand” times. Montresor never complains. But one day,
Fortunato goes too far: he insults Montresor, and Montresor vows revenge.

-Conflict
For Montresor to revenge himself for Fortunato’s insult, he has to get away with it,
if Fortunato can revenge him back, then Montresor has lost. The punishment must
be permanent. Fortunato has to feel it, and he has to know it’s coming from
Montresor.

-Complication
Fortunato insists on following Montresor down into the underground graveyard.
Montresor baits him and plays with him, but Fortunato never considers turning back
until it is way too late.

Climax
He’s chained inside an upright casket in the foulest depths of the catacomb!

-Suspense
Montresor is building a wall of suspense, especially if you are Fortunato. Fortunato’s
watching himself being bricked in, waiting, breathlessly to see if this is some kind
of really creepy carnival joke.

-Denouement
After Montresor puts in the final brick, the suspense is dissolved. He’s heard the
pitiful jingle of Fortunato’s bells, and it means nothing to him. As soon as the air is
used up in the tiny brick casket, Fortunato will be dead.

-Conclusion
 This conclusion lets us know that Montresor has gotten away with his crime so far.
His vengeance has been a success, and he wants us to know it.

6. Figure of Speech
A. Irony
Verbal irony: Verbal irony is the gap between what is said and what is meant. In
many cases, Montresor says the opposite of what he means. He pretends to be
cautious about the life and health of Fortunato and tells him that since the catacombs
are covered with niter, which is hazardous to health, especially as Fortunato suffers
from a severe cold and coughing, it is better that they go back. Montresor drinks to
Fortunato's "long life," although he knows that Fortunato will not live very long
because he intends to kill him soon.
-Fortunato's Name: His name means fortunate one in Italian, but he is anything but
fortunate when he is buried alive in the catacombs.
-Fortunato's Costume: He's dressed as a court jester, which contrasts his horrible fate
-Montresor referring to Fortunato as “my friend”
-While in the catacombs, the two characters drink to a "long life".

HYPERBOLA
“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he
ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”

This work uses figurative language, Fortunato did not hurt Montresor thousands of
times, but because of his pain Montresor, Poe wrote "this figurative language is
known as hyperbole, or an exaggerated statement

B. Symbolism
1. Symbol of Revenge
"Nemo me impune lacessit" = No one provokes me with impunity. So who's
the serpent and who's the foot?
Fortunato is the serpent biting on Montresor's heel. This represents the
"insult" caused by Fortunato on Montresor, and why he seeks revenge which
is represented by the heel crushing the serpent's head.
2. Symbol of Death
Let's break down the title "The Cask of Amontillado" The meaning of cask
is a barrel like container to store beverages, usually alcoholic. "Cask" is also
the root word in casket.
The Spanish verb "amontinallar" means "collected in a pile or "gathered in a
mount." The casket of death/pile of bones.

7. MASSAGE
In "The Cask of Amontillado," the message is: be careful how we treat or judge
others. If we are careless, we can regret it, and as you sow, so shall you reap.