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The Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

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The Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado
In the “Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allen Poe uses irony in setting to foreshadow the downfall of Fortunato. Poe uses the term cask in the title, but little do the readers know cask has a completely different meaning. Throughout the story, verbal irony is shown when Montresor uses different words and phrases that have other implications. Even Fortunato’s name and attire foreshadowed his untimely death. Looking at the title of this story Poe’s irony starts from the beginning. The word Cask is the first thing you read meaning a barrel of wine. However, cask is very similar to casket which would put the title of this story as casket or coffin of Amontillado. Dramatic Irony happens when the reader realizes what will happen to Fortunato despite …show more content…
It’s ironic that his name is Fortunato because he receives the most unfortunate surprise of all. Fortunato in Italian means lucky, but in this story, it just so happens to mean the exact opposite concluding much irony. His costume he has on for the carnival event makes Fortunato’s death a bit more pitiful. He his described to look something like a clown and is wearing a jingle bell hat on his head. Keep in mind, Fortunato is already drunk when Montresor takes him into the catacombs making his plan to kill him that much easier. Fortunato is now all the more eager to follow, less frightened, somewhat murky, and doesn't exactly get what is happening at first. So despite the fact that the festival is much unexpected for the morbid story to unfold at, it goes very much in Montresor's favor for everyone to be occupied celebrating while he takes care of Fortunato. Allowing Montresor to not get caught while bringing Fortunato to his death because there are no witnesses. The irony in the story compresses the mischievous route in which the relationship amongst Montresor and Fortunato is introduced by Poe. Montresor waiting fifty years to come forward with this dark secret is insane perhaps like Poe. He uses dark cleverness in Montresor's discussions with Fortunato, in his indirect suggestion at Fortunato's up and coming homicide, and makes a feeling of irony around death. What at last turns out as its genuine accomplishment

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