The Cask of Amontillado

English Comp II

23 April 2003

An Ironic tale:
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”
Irony is the means of illustration through words and or events to convey a reality different from and even opposite to appearance or expectation. With the use of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony, Edgar Allan Poe’s “ The Cask of Amontillado” presents a dark sadistic tale of a more than meets the eye. Montresor seeks revenge on the intoxicated Fortunato. Montrasor leads Fortunato into the catacombs in search of the exotic cask of Amontillado to prove his connoisseurship of wines, only to find the bitter taste of death. The dialogue and actions of both men is overflowing with irony. From the apparent concern by Montresor about Fortunato’s health to the notion that Fortunato thinks Montresor is his trusting friend are all examples of irony in Poe’s story. James Cooney comments “Montresor uses the cutting edge of irony to give a surgeon’s neatness to his work a...