Cask of Amontialldo

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In Edgar Allen Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado” there is a connective play on words used to create a theme of irony. Montresor has been offended in some way by his friend Fortunato and does not take this insult lightly. Using his passion of fine wines against him, Montresor lures a drunken Fortunato into the catacombs of his home. Catacombs are a group of passageways under the home, usually used in ancient homes as a burial place for ancestors. In “Cask of Amontillado” Poe uses this as the deep and dark place where Montresor tells Fortunato he is holding the Amontillado for his tasting. To Fortunato’s surprise he finds himself in a niche of the catacomb and is chained by Montresor having been entombed to suffer a slow and agonizing death. The title “Cask of Amontillado” has an ironic and foreshadowing meaning; not just a literal one. Cask is a word meaning a barrel used to hold wine, but also means a casket to lay the dead to rest in. Amontillado is a rare wine of that time usually brought out in great celebration. In this seemingly harmless title it would be used to draw Fortunato to his death. “Fortunato is extremely drunk, more than likely drunk on wine. It is probable that his venturing into the catacombs has little to do with his desire to serve Montresor. Fortunato understands that the trip will produce one of two results--free Amontillado or Montresor's humiliation” (Lorcher 1). The idea of being the privileged one to taste this amontillado from the cask is too appealing in his state for Fortunato to even question Montresor’s intention to put him in his own cask. The names, the clothes, as well as the events of the season are surrounded with irony. Fortunato is an Italian name meaning “fortunate one, or lucky one” in which this story he definitely is not (Collins Dictionary). Fortunato was celebrating carnival dressed as a clown or jester; normally a happy

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