If someone feels that they have been wronged, it is difficult to forgive the wrongdoer and seek revenge instead. In the story the Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe shows how revenge can be a compelling emotion in a person’s life. This story is about how one man takes his revenge on another by making him suffer significantly for the wrongs that were done to him. The main character Montresor lures Fortunato into his underground cellar with the promise of Amontillado, a fine wine that he has especially saved for Fortunato. On arriving, they are still not alone, but Montresor’s friend has left. They go down into the cellar and work laying up some wine casks. Montresor gets Fortunato drunk on Amontillado, and when he is completely drunk, he chains him between two wine casks and walled him up alive. Consequently, the three literary elements explored in this essay include point of view, theme, and tone.
Stories usually have two points of view that are the first-person point of view or a third-person point of view. In the story, Poe uses the first-person point of view. This point of view tells the story so the reader can quickly understand how the author feels. The first-person point of view is also used to give away much information about a character’s feelings through their speech. Writers use the first person because it allows them to show sympathy for or sympathy with the character they are writing about and make the audience feel that they are one of those characters. Using this point of view allows a writer to immerse readers in a scene and make it real so they can feel as if they were there experiencing what is happening in this story. For example, in the story, Poe makes readers feel Montresor’s emotions when he says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (116). It gives readers a clear idea of what Montresor is thinking about, which helps them understand why Montresor does what he does with Fortunato.
In addition, Poe also uses a third-person point of view in this story. Poe uses the third person point of view to tell readers about other characters in the story without being too intrusive or annoying. For example, Poe uses third person-person point of view to show readers about other characters, such as Francisco Fortunato, who was once a wealthy man known for his generosity and generosity. However, Montresor did not leave this unpunished by chaining him alive. The third-person point of view gives readers a complete understanding of the character. For example, Poe uses this point of view to show readers how Fortunato feels while in the cellar. It gives readers a sense of how Fortunato feels and what he thinks about when he learns that Montresor wants revenge. It allows them to understand how awful it must be to be chained up alive. For example, Poe can make readers feel sorry for Montresor when he says, “I know his generosity, and would not admit that he had any real cause of complaint against me”(170). Thus, the reader can see what Montresor is feeling and how he feels when he knows that Fortunato will never see his daughter again.
Stories have themes defined as the main ideas that are indirectly specified and can be found throughout the story. In the story, Poe uses death as one of his themes. It is shown in both the title and in the words of Fortunato at the end of the story. For example, Fear and Death are the first two words of the title, which show that death is a major theme in this story. Fortunato says: “Fear no more because I have done”(Poe 163). The entire second paragraph indicates that Fortunato wants to overcome death. He tries to control it by discussing his “Final Resting Place” with Montresor (Poe 160). These lines show that Fortunato has acted to prevent himself from dying even though he thinks it will not happen. When he tells Montresor that he has done with fear and says, “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (Poe 161). It is because he knows that he will die soon. He was about to be killed, so he needed to save himself from this difficult situation and did so. Fortunato hides in the wooden cell and thinks about how his pain will cease if he dies. The final part of the story expresses how Fortunato has overcome his fear of death. It shows that there is no such thing as death or fear because “all’s well that ends well” (Poe 164). By using these literary elements, Poe demonstrates how death can be controlled if you have no fear of it.
The tone is also found throughout short stories through a change of tone. Tone expresses the writer’s attitude towards the subject. In the story, Poe uses irony to change his tone. It is shown when Montresor says, “There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honour of the time. I had told them I should not return until the morning and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house” (Poe 162). Poe also uses tone in this story when Montresor speaks to Fortunato with menacing tones, “Prepare him for the chain that holds him “(Poe 165). It makes readers feel that Montresor is out to hurt Fortunato and that he will make his life a living hell. Then, at the story’s end, Fortunato says, “You are mad, my friend. But there is still time” (Poe 168). This change of tone helps readers understand how Montresor feels about what he has done to poor old Fortunato.
In conclusion, the literary elements explored include point of view, tone, and theme. Poe uses these literary elements as a way of getting his message across. Using these tools, he makes the reader feel as if they are there experiencing what is happening in this story. Edgar Allan Poe also uses these elements to let the reader know the true intentions of Montresor and how he truly feels about following through with this plan. In the story, Poe uses the point of view of a second person to show how Fortunato feels and what he thinks about when his friend wants to kill him for revenge. Besides, Poe uses the theme of death in this story. It helps to show off how Montresor feels about Fortunato in the story. Poe conveys to readers Montresor’s feelings on his treatment of poor old Fortunato by changing the tone. Hence, it is clear that Poe uses many literary elements to help readers understand what he is trying to say and how he wants his readers to feel throughout his fascinating story.
Work Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. The cask of Amontillado. The Creative Company, 2008.
