Summary:
In the story "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator Montresor shows how he has managed to force revenge on a friend, Fortunato, for some unexplained injustices. The reader learns that Montresor traps Fortunato into the burial vaults and seals him away to die. This plot leads the reader to experience a sense of horror.
feeling.
In the story "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator,
Montresor, shows how he has managed to force revenge on a friend, Fortunato, for some
unexplained injustices. The reader learns that Montresor traps Fortunato into the burial
vaults and seals him away to die. This plot, leads the reader to experience a horror
feeling. The story's setting contributes greatly to this atmosphere of horror. Poe's analysis
of time and place cause the reader to expect, and be lost in the unfolding actions.
The time of the day in which "The Cask of Amontillado" is set produces an
element of tension and fear to the story. The Narrator, Montresor, informs the reader
that when he first plans revenge on Fortunato it was about dusk. The mention of "dusk"
brings about the sense that darkness and all that are fearful about dark may follow. The
sense of darkness comes back as Montresor describes the indoor setting in the vault
where Fortunato was trapped to death. Poe causes readers to suspect that something
frightening is about to happen by setting the narrative at "dusk."
Therefore, the manner in which Poe described time in "The Cask of Amontillado"
enhances the effect upon the reader. Readers feeling of fear increases as the bizzare
descriptions of time and setting. Poe's use of setting in this story shows the special effects
used in horror movies. Special effects that make viewers sit on the edge of their seats. It
was very impressive how a short story could evoke with words the same as to the
modern day cinematography.
This is the complete article, containing 261 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
