“Cask of Amontillado”
EDGAR ALLAN POE
Verbal irony
Enough," he said; "the cough is a mere nothing; it will not
kill me. I shall not die of a cough."
"True -- true," I replied-”
Explanation:
The quotation sounds sincere and well-meaning; yet this
statement is nothing short of humorous. It appears to be a
hopeful statement that Fortunato will not die coughing. It is
actually wicked and mean spirited and completely accurate
because Fortunato will not die from his cough.
Dramatic Irony
The whole story is an example of dramatic irony
because Fortunato is unaware of Montresor's plot
to kill him while the reader knows this from the
very beginning. Montresor goes through an
elaborate plan to lure Fortunato to the
catacombs beneath his house in order to punish
him for an unknown insult Montresor feels
Fortunato has inflicted upon him. We know what
Montresor is doing, but poor Fortunato has no
idea until it's too late. Poe's use of dramatic
irony allows us, the readers, to be a part of
Montresor's plan and to watch how he skillfully
carries it out. We see Fortunato's reaction when
he realizes what is happening. We know what's
coming, but it adds suspense to see how
Fortunato will react to it.
Situation Irony
The very name "Fortunato" is ironic, because
despite his name meaning "lucky" or
"fortunate" in Italian, he ends up imprisoned
behind the walls of the catacombs. Once
Montresor decides to undertake revenge
against Fortunato, he "neither by word nor
deed" gives Fortunato a reason to doubt his
friendship. The whole time that Montresor
continues to smile at Fortunato, though, he is
plotting Fortunato's doom. When Montresor
greets Fortunato, saying, "You are luckily
met," the luck that Montresor feels is not due
to Fortunato's expertise. Rather, it is that the
carnival provides an excellent backdrop for a
secret murder.
ASSESSMENT- IRONY
Finish your assessment on
irony from Thursday’s class!!!
You have 15 minutes
What is revenge?
Revenge
Noun- the action of inflicting hurt or harm on
someone for an injury or a wrong suffered at their
hands.
Verb- inflict hurt or harm on someone for an injury
or wrong done to (someone else).
HOW IS REVENGE PRESENT IN “Cask of
Amontillado”?
An Eye for an Eye
Read each quote, interpret the meaning of
each quote, state whether you agree or
disagree with the quote, and give a reason
for why you agree or disagree.