How Did Poe Create Tension In The Cask Of Amontillado

1485 Words6 Pages
“The Cask of Amontillado” The topic of crime is one of the most popular in Edgar Allen Poe’s novels. “The Cask of Amontillado,” the short story of thriller character, Poe is trying to show from the inside the mental side of the crime. He is not interested in the social roots of the crime but rather in non-motivated actions that go beyond normal behavior of a human being in society. What truly strikes in this story is the masterfully created setting of the vaults and constantly creating tension, created by Poe’s graceful play of words, irony and symbolism. Lets dwell upon the stylistic pecularities of the story and show how the devices used by the writer help contribute to the atmosphere of thriller. “The Cask of Amontillado,” is the story…show more content…
Whatever "thousand injuries" could be caused by Fortunato to Montresor, they most probably do not correspond to the cruel nature of the revenge act. Otherwise Fortunato, if he had truly done something horrible to Montresor, would definitely know that, and would not trust Montresor too much. Besides, judging by the amount of human bones in the vaults, Fortunato was not the first to insult Montresor and to be killed by him. The way Montresor "renders justice" is truly horrifying as well - he is calm, reserved, and remains completely cold and untouched by his victim's misereres. Edgar Poe is definitely a master of horror, and the atmosphere of horror is achieved in "The Cask of Amontillado" by a variety of stylistic devices and expressive means. From the contrast between celebration (carnival) and death, knowledge and ignorance, jest and murder, to the use of puns and irony, every line of the story contributes to creating the perfect thriller, when the reader can easily step into the shoes of Fortunato and bit by bit realize all the horrendousness of Montresor's actions. "The Cask of Amontillado" is the story combining the aesthetics of the broken psyche with the stylistics of irony, strange symbols and hints, alltogether creating tragic and terrible
Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of A Non-Communicable Plague By Edgar Allan Poe

    1271 Words  | 6 Pages

    understandable to see the recurring theme of “horror” in Edgar Allan Poe’s work, especially in “The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell Tale Heart and Imp of the Perverse.” Furthermore, one must break down the details of how the horror is, built upon, or played out. One way horror is brought out, is through first person narration, such as Montressor’s opening “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity” (Poe, 2002a, p. 231). With the first person narration being used, one could try to empathize with the

    Read More

More about How Did Poe Create Tension In The Cask Of Amontillado

Open Document