Essay On Fortunato

. Once Montressor gets Fortunato down into the catacombs, he gets Fortunato to drink the wine. “The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled” (Poe 51). Again, Poe uses the bells on Fortunato’s hat to symbolize a foolish decision he has made. It was unwise for Fortunato to drink the wine and become intoxicated, because it made him an easier victim for Montressor. In the final paragraph of the story Poe writes, “I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells” (Poe 88). Poe uses only the response of the jingling of Fortunato’s hat to illustrate that all that remains is the foolish mistakes that Fortunato has made. Poe uses the final jingle of Fortunato’s jester or fool hat to express how his foolish decision led him to his demise.
Poe is using another character’s attire to help foreshadow the horrid upcoming events. The mask and roquelaire are described as being black, which is a color traditionally worn to funerals. Poe puts Montressor in this black outfit to symbolize that he is attending Fortunato’s funeral. In the past, “executioners would wear these type of masks before beheading a criminal” (Enotes). This quote helps the reader see that Poe was foreshadowing not only the funeral of Fortunato, but also his execution by Montressor. Montressor views Fortuanto as a criminal for talking bad about him, and so he feels he needs to execute him. These dark colors described by Poe can also be used to symbolize the intense negativity of the situation. The color black is often associated with the death, evil, and mystery. The dark colors worn by Montressor can also be viewed as symbolism for the darkness inside the wall that Fortunato becomes imprisoned