The Cask Of Amontillado Symbolism Essay
In The Cask of Amontillado, Poe uses the court jester costume, alcohol and masonry as symbolism to foreshadow Fortunato's impending demise at the end of the short story. Throughout The Cask of Amontillado, there are many clues that let the reader know what is about to happen and Poe wastes no time presenting them. The opening sentence, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” immediately tells the reader that the story will involve some kind of retaliation between the narrator and Fortunato (Roberts, 2012 p 226).
Immediately upon learning about the carnival in the story, we meet Fortunato. He is dressed in a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Roberts, 2012 p 227). The significance of the court jester costume is that it portrays Fortunato as someone who pokes fun …show more content…
The dialogue throughout the story between Montresor and Fortunato appeared sincere and between friends, however, if you were paying attention to the symbolism Poe used in his story, it is easy to see the clues of how the story will end. Montresor had great success in his plan to use Fortunato’s drunken state and reverse psychology to lure him to his death. Just as the death tarot card describes, the last laugh is reserved for death. Fortunato laughs in his last conversation with Montresor, desperately hoping that it was all some kind of a joke. The significance of the symbols Poe used are all made clear when Montresor lays the final brick and leaves Fortunato buried alive to die. Montresor says, “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them” (Roberts, 2012 p 230). He is telling the reader that he was successful in killing Fortunato without penalty because, the bones he placed against the new masonry have not moved in the past fifty
Immediately upon learning about the carnival in the story, we meet Fortunato. He is dressed in a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Roberts, 2012 p 227). The significance of the court jester costume is that it portrays Fortunato as someone who pokes fun …show more content…
The dialogue throughout the story between Montresor and Fortunato appeared sincere and between friends, however, if you were paying attention to the symbolism Poe used in his story, it is easy to see the clues of how the story will end. Montresor had great success in his plan to use Fortunato’s drunken state and reverse psychology to lure him to his death. Just as the death tarot card describes, the last laugh is reserved for death. Fortunato laughs in his last conversation with Montresor, desperately hoping that it was all some kind of a joke. The significance of the symbols Poe used are all made clear when Montresor lays the final brick and leaves Fortunato buried alive to die. Montresor says, “For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them” (Roberts, 2012 p 230). He is telling the reader that he was successful in killing Fortunato without penalty because, the bones he placed against the new masonry have not moved in the past fifty