Edgar Allan Poe was an American author continuing on the English tradition of crime fiction. Poe published his first piece in 1827. This text is very imaginary and it is hard to draw the line between horror and crime fiction. Poe was brought up in an orphanage in which he had an awful time, perhaps his work is a reflection of how he felt as a child.
Throughout Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado”, a sense of irony is present, with Montresor and the reader knowing of the plan for revenge, and with Fortunato blissfully unaware.
This sense of irony colludes with the ever-descending setting, which deepens into a macabre vision of the underground tomb where Montresor’s ancestors are buried.
As the dual tones of macabre terror and ironic humor continue to create narrative tension, the reader is left wondering just how serious will be the revenge that Montresor expects to exact against his enemy.
Dramatic irony occurs when a reader or viewer knows more about a situation than the characters do. In conclusion “The Cask of Amontillado” is full of irony. Examples of verbal irony was when Montresor met or ran into Fortunato and told Fortunato “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met.”
But Montresor is actually happy because Fortunato is the one that is unlucky at the end. While going to the amontillado Fortunato asks Montresor if he is a mason. Montresor says yes but actually later on he is a craftsmen because he traps Fortunato and lays stones to seal him off.
Lastly, Montresor finds wine and has a toast with Fortunato “for his long life.” But at the end he dies shortly after the wine toast. Situational Irony occurs when things turn out contrary to what is expected or intended which often occurred in the “Cask of Amontillado.”
First of all Fortunato means Fortunate but Fortunato is not Fortunate at the end of the story. Moreover Fortunato is dressed as a happy person but at the end his happiness will be gone.
Montresor also order his servants not to leave when they find out about the absence so they can actually leave or do the opposite when the Cask of Amontillado is actually is a casket for Fortunato. Dramatic Irony occurs when a reader or viewer knows more about a situation than the characters do.
Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado when Fortunato is coughing he tells him we can go back because Fortunato is sick and Montresor tells him you’re a man to be missed because of his fame and money.
Fortunato says I cannot die of a cough. Montresor like in the movie says true and by that you can tell Montresor is going to do something but Fortunato does not know only Montresor and the reader knows. All the irony that Edgar Allen Poe used in The Cask of Amontillado gave away the ending but made readers thrilled like at the edge of their seat.
I found it interesting because all the things Montresor said or did tricked Fortunato but the readers knew exactly was going to happen. Poe enhanced the story with irony. If the story had no irony the story probably would have been plain and dull.
The bottom line is Edgar Allen Poe and his various uses of irony made the story more interesting rather that dull.
