Name:__________________________
Irony Worksheet: Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”
Instructions: Before reading Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” we’ll review the
different kinds of irony, their definitions, and examples of them from movies. Then, as we read
“The Cask of Amontillado” together, write down what you think are examples of the different
kinds of irony that appear in the story.
Irony - Using words or ideas that normally mean the opposite of what you are actually trying to say.
Irony is often broken down into three major groups: verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic
irony.
1. Verbal Irony – Speech that is the opposite of your real meaning, such as sarcasm,
overstatement, or understatement.
Example: In The Lion King, when Scar is about to kill his brother Mufasa, he whispers to
him “Long live the King.”
What are some examples of verbal irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”?
2. Situational Irony – A situations that is the exact opposite of what is expected to happen.
Example: In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly
Lion all travel to meet the Wizard of Oz, hoping to be given something they think they
are missing (like a heart, brain, and courage), only to find that the Wizard is an old man
who has no magical powers at all, and that they already had the things they were wishing
for.
What are some examples of situational irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”?
3. Dramatic Irony – A situations where the audience knows something dramatic that the
characters in the story do not know.
Example: In “The Dark Knight Rises,” the audience knows that the villain Bane is
planning to defeat Batman and take over Gotham City, but Batman does not know this
until he encounter Bain in the sewers. In one scene, the audience can see Bain in the
background, about to attack Batman, but Batman has his back to Bain and doesn’t know
that he is there until Bain attacks him.
What are some examples of dramatic irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”?
Can you think of other examples of irony from other stories, movies, or video games? What kind
of irony are each of the examples you came up with?