The Cask of Amontillado

"The Cask of Amontillado" was first published in 1846. The first-person narrator, Montresor, is unreliable and is attempting to explain his actions of 50 years before. Edgar Allan Poe, the author of “The Cask of Amontillado” is one of the most well-known poets and authors of all time. As an accomplished writer, Poe published “The Cask of Amontillado” for the first time in Godey's Lady's Book in November of 1846. “The Cask of Amontillado” contains strong literary devices, a great plot, and entertaining characters who help unfold the story.

The short story begins with Montresor, the main character of “The Cask of Amontillado”, addressing someone familiar, who knows the "nature of my soul." He explains that he had borne "the thousand injuries of Fortunato," but finally Fortunato, Montresor’s enemy, went too far, and he devised a plan for revenge. .It is dusk on a day during the annual carnival celebration in an Italian city. People are eating, drinking, and making merry before the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season. But one of the city’s residents, Montresor, is not at all merry. Some time ago, a man named Fortunato, a wine connoisseur, wronged Montresor. In fact, according to Montresor, who is the narrator of the story, Fortunato had committed numerous offenses against him, the last one an intolerable insult. Montresor now plans revenge against Fortunato. A man can stand only so much.

.......When the upset and revengeful Montresor encounters Fortunato on the street, Montresor does not let on that he is angry or means harm to Fortunato, who, in keeping with the carnival festivities, has been drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages. Fortunato is wearing a court jester’s motley outfit and a cone-shaped hat topped with a bell that sometimes rings when he moves his head. After Montresor greets Fortunato and shakes his hand, he tells Fortunato that he recently came into possession of a pipe of Amontillado, a prized amber dry wine from Spain. However, Montresor says, he is not sure whether the wine is the genuine article. Proud Fortunato, eager to demonstrate his knowledge of wine, immediately agrees to take up the challenge of determining whether the Amontillado is the real thing.

.......After they arrive at Montresor’s palazzo, or house, they descend into the cold, damp vaults where the wine is kept. The vaults are part of a network of catacombs containing the bones of long-dead members of the ancient Montresor family. Several times, Montresor pretends to be concerned about the health of Fortunato, who has a cough, and suggests that they turn back. But Fortunato says, “The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me.”

.......“True–true,” Montresor answers without outward show of the inner glee he must have been feeling.

.......Montresor takes a bottle of Medoc from a shelf, opens it, and gives Fortunato a drink against the cold. He toasts Fortunato, saying, “To your long life.” Moments later, Montresor presents Fortunato a flagon of De Grave. Fortunato empties it. His mind now swims in drunken joy.

.......When they arrive at a wall at the end of their subterranean journey, Montresor quickly claps his drunken companion in chains attached to iron staples in the wall, then turns the key of a padlock attached to the chains. “The Amontillado”, Fortunato says, failing to comprehend his predicament. With stone and mortar that had been placed nearby, Montresor plans to wall up Fortunato. Montresor shackles Fortunato to the wall and begins to build his brick death chamber for his hated enemy. There are screams from the niche, then laughter. Fortunato thinks he is the victim of a joke. Montresor continues to work on the vertical tomb. Before placing the final stone into place, Montresor thrusts his torch into the tiny remaining aperture, and is answered by Fortunato's seemingly deranged giggles. Fortunato pleads one last time for his life, imploring Montresor with the impassioned cry, "for the love of God," but Montresor, quietly answers, "yes, for the love of God." Fortunato makes no further reply, and Montresor, heartily frightened, speedily completes his work. Piling bones upon the masonry to conceal the newly finished work, Montresor departs, and since then has allowed Fortunato to rest in peace for over fifty years.

Edgar Allan Poe uses strong literary devices in “The Cask of Amontillado”.