Student Essay on Analysis of "the Cask of Amontillado"

Analysis of "the Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe

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Essay

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.