Cask Of Amontillado Irony
There are always instances where one thinks that one outcome is going to happen and then something else completely different happens. Edgar Allan Poe has had a lot of issues throughout his life. His father abandoned him and his mother died when he was just a child. Through all of Poe’s struggles he has written many stories. Most in which are particularly morbid and full of irony. In Poe’s story The Cask of Amontillado, he uses three different types of irony to describe Montresor’s utter most vex towards his friend Fortunato. The types of irony Poe uses are verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.
Poe uses verbal irony towards Fortunato throughout the short story. Towards the beginning of the story, Poe writes, “It must be understood
that neither my word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (236). In writing this Poe is expressing Montresor’s sarcastic statements towards Fortunato. This is how most people are in real life when he or she is in a situation that he or she does not want to be in. Poe then continues to write, “In painting and gemmary Fortunato like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere” (236). This is a clear example of verbal irony because of what Montresor declares. Like many in life, people have said one thing and meant another whether one is thinking it, or saying it aloud.
Another form of irony that Poe uses is situational irony. “But in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially” (236-237). This is ironic because normally when someone is vengeful for another person or has hate for another person, one does not compare oneself to the other. Although the character that Poe is writing for is infuriated with Fortunato, the character is appreciative of Fortunato as well making this ironic to the reader. The story goes on, “I took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passed down a long and winded staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed” (237). The reason this passage is ironic is because in most murder movies or books people watch or read, the victim always goes to the cellar or vault first. By Poe writing this, he makes the reader think that he is going to lock Fortunato in vault and come back later but we later find out what he does to Fortunato down there.
Lastly, Poe also uses dramatic irony to make sure that Fortunato does not know what is going on. An example of dramatic irony would be when Poe writes,
In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally. From one of these depended a short chain from the other a padlock. Throwing the link about his waist, it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it. (239)
This is ironic because Fortunato had no idea that his dear friend Montresor was going to throw him down on the granite floor and tie him down. Even though Fortunato has now been tied down he still is unaware of what is to come due to the face he may have suffered a slight concussion from the fall so he is disoriented. “A very good joke indeed—an excellent jest. We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo—he! he! he!” (240). This is what Fortunato said as Montresor was building a wall to close the door way where Montresor had chained up Fortunato. This shows that this is an ironic moment because Fortunato at first does not believe that Montresor is going to leave him there. The entire time Montresor and Fortunato are walking down to the vault, the readers know that Fortunato is going to be murdered in some type of way.
In conclusion, there are many areas to write about when it comes to writing about Edgar Allan Poe’s work. He is a very creative and morbid writer. However; in The Cask of Amontillado, verbal, situational and dramatic irony are the best three ways to describe Poe’s point.
Poe uses verbal irony towards Fortunato throughout the short story. Towards the beginning of the story, Poe writes, “It must be understood
that neither my word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (236). In writing this Poe is expressing Montresor’s sarcastic statements towards Fortunato. This is how most people are in real life when he or she is in a situation that he or she does not want to be in. Poe then continues to write, “In painting and gemmary Fortunato like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere” (236). This is a clear example of verbal irony because of what Montresor declares. Like many in life, people have said one thing and meant another whether one is thinking it, or saying it aloud.
Another form of irony that Poe uses is situational irony. “But in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially” (236-237). This is ironic because normally when someone is vengeful for another person or has hate for another person, one does not compare oneself to the other. Although the character that Poe is writing for is infuriated with Fortunato, the character is appreciative of Fortunato as well making this ironic to the reader. The story goes on, “I took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passed down a long and winded staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed” (237). The reason this passage is ironic is because in most murder movies or books people watch or read, the victim always goes to the cellar or vault first. By Poe writing this, he makes the reader think that he is going to lock Fortunato in vault and come back later but we later find out what he does to Fortunato down there.
Lastly, Poe also uses dramatic irony to make sure that Fortunato does not know what is going on. An example of dramatic irony would be when Poe writes,
In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally. From one of these depended a short chain from the other a padlock. Throwing the link about his waist, it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it. (239)
This is ironic because Fortunato had no idea that his dear friend Montresor was going to throw him down on the granite floor and tie him down. Even though Fortunato has now been tied down he still is unaware of what is to come due to the face he may have suffered a slight concussion from the fall so he is disoriented. “A very good joke indeed—an excellent jest. We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo—he! he! he!” (240). This is what Fortunato said as Montresor was building a wall to close the door way where Montresor had chained up Fortunato. This shows that this is an ironic moment because Fortunato at first does not believe that Montresor is going to leave him there. The entire time Montresor and Fortunato are walking down to the vault, the readers know that Fortunato is going to be murdered in some type of way.
In conclusion, there are many areas to write about when it comes to writing about Edgar Allan Poe’s work. He is a very creative and morbid writer. However; in The Cask of Amontillado, verbal, situational and dramatic irony are the best three ways to describe Poe’s point.