Eng 102 - Poe's Use of Irony In‭ "‬the Cask of Amontillado‭"

Christopher Hinton

Professor Joe Vines

English‭ ‬102

1‭ ‬July‭ ‬2011

Poe's Use of Irony in‭ "‬The Cask of Amontillado‭"

In‭ "‬The Cask of Amontillado‭" ‬by Edgar Allen Poe,‭ ‬the narrator Montressor is seeking vengeance‭ ‬on an old nemesis.‭ ‬His only concern seems to exact revenge with impunity.‭ ‬We never get a clear understanding as to why,‭ ‬or what Fortunato did to Montressor,‭ ‬but as our narrator states‭ "‬The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could‭; ‬but when he ventured upon insult,‭ ‬I vowed revenge‭"‬.‭ ‬He took no thought of the risk involved,‭ ‬but was prepared to go to great length to ensure the wrong was avenged.‭ ‬He plans to bury Fortunato alive,‭ ‬and unwittingly,‭ ‬Fortunato winds up a sacrificial lamb led to slaughter. Montressor carried out his plan with a smile, while symbolically cluing Fortunato in to his fate. Poe's use of irony is abundant throughout this story, and it helps develop the situation in which Fortunato eventually finds himself.

The character names Poe chooses provide the first ironic twist. The name Fortunato, an obvious play on the word fortune or fortunate, would lead one to believe the he is just that. It even appears that he is, until this night. Montressor's family motto "Nemo me impune lacessi" translates to "No one attacks me with impunity". When he reveals this to Fortunato it is a symbolic gesture that is lost on him. Montressor basically tells Fortunato that he is exacting revenge, but Fortunato is either too drunk, or too excited to make the connection. I would imagine that Fortunato was not even aware of the fact that Montressor was insulted to begin with.

Fortunato is described by Montressor as being "rich, respected, admired and beloved", yet during this carnival season "He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells". Hardly the dress of a rich and respected man, more like a court jester as if to say the joke is on him. Montressor, on the other hand, dresses more like a priest or an undertaker than a party goer, another nod to his intentions for Fortunato. As a respected and admired man, it seems Fortunato had an affinity for strong beverages. He was already drunk when Montressor presented him with the opportunity to taste the Amontillado. He seems to have little self control, and easily gives in to the temptation of tasting it before Luchesi. His arrogance is what led to his fate, and it is likely to be the root of Montressor's issue with him.