Analysis of Articles in Irony of Cask of Amontillado

826 Words4 Pages
Library Research Assignment: Irony in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado Thesis: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado is the story of a thrilling murder that is filled with intricate ironies that emphasize the actions that take place and forces the reader to think about the real motives behind these happenings. The irony in the story provides the plot with numerous complex layers. Finally, the reader is forced to rethink the point of the story and the success of Montresor’s revenge. Annotated Bibliography: First Article: 1) MLA: May, Charles E. "The Cask Of Amontillado." Magill’S Survey Of American Literature, Revised Edition (2006): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. 2) Summary: Charles May states in his article that Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado is a clear example of unity in short stories, and the reason for this is due to the use of irony; he mainly argues that even though the plot seems relatively simple, the irony filled story turns out to be decidedly complex. May supports his claim by providing numerous examples of some of the ironic situations that prevail in the story, such as some exchanges between Montresor and Fortunato, Montresor’s family motto and coat of arms, and other ironic elements. Furthermore, May does not only state these situations but also explains the true meanings behind these ironies. However, Charles overlooks some of the most obvious and relevant ironies: such as the title of the story and the ambiguity of the word Cask, meaning wine barrel and close relation to the word casket; also, the meaning of the name Fortunato, which means fortunate or lucky. Nevertheless, despite the omission of these and many other distinct and relevant ironies, May draws attention to certain situations that might be easily overlooked and raises relevant points that reinforce his statement that this short story’s plot is not
Open Document