Cask Of Amontillado By Grimes Essay, Research Paper

Thesis: The descriptive details in ?The Cask of Amontillado? not only appeal

to the senses of the audience, but also show that the narrator has a memory that

has been haunted with details that he can recall fifty years later. I.

Introduction II. Auditory Appeal III. Humor Appeal IV. Visual Appeal V.

Conclusion Grimes 1 ?The vividness with which [Poe] transcribes his sensory

experiences contributes powerfully to the response his stories invoke? (Fagin

202). In ?The Cask of Amontillado,? Edgar Allan Poe uses captivating images

to descriptively tell a tail of revenge, while appealing to the senses of the

audience. In ?The Cask of Amontillado,? Montressor seeks to have revenge on

Fortunato for an unknown insult. Montressor confesses at the beginning of the

story, ?The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but

when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge? (Lowell 214). Montresor wants

to ?not only punish, but punish with impunity?(214). The nature of this

insult is not made clear; however, the reader is led to believe that the insult

changed Montresor?s social status. Montresor says to Fortunato ?You are

rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was.? This leads

the reader to believe that Montresor once had high social status, but that

status has changed due to the insult by Fortunato. Fortunato, entering the scene

wearing a jesters costume, is unaware of Montesors? evil intentions of murder.

Montresor persuades Fortunato, who prides ?himself on his connoisseurship in

wine,? to go into the family vaults so he can taste and identify some

?Amontillado? (Lowell 215). Along the way Fortunato becomes extremely drunk

and unaware of Montresor?s evil plot of murder. Montresor then proceeds to

lead him through the catacombs and finally buries him alive behind a wall.

Montresor calls to Fortunato, but the only reply that he receives comes in the

?jingling of the bells? from Fortunato?s cap (222). Grimes 2 II. Auditory

Appeal The fact that the narrator mentions the ?jingling of the bells?

several times after fifty years indicates that he is haunted with a memory of

their sound. Poe knew that the audience would relate the terrifying sound of the

bells to premature burial. Premature burial is a concern during the 19th century

when Poe writes this short story (Platizky 1). Live burial is practiced during

this time as a form of capital punishment in Europe (1). It was a ?Rite of

social purification (2). ?Being buried alive was the severe punishment for

sexual offenses and grand larceny (Van Dlumen 6). With Poe?s fear of being

buried alive these bells have a horrifying sound to him. Being buried alive is

such a fear during this time that many people (especially the wealthier classes)

have special coffins made (Platizky 1). These coffins have special ?sounding

devices? so that if a person is buried alive they can set off this type of

alarm (1). Also, another common practice during this time involves the

?placing of bells on the limbs of the recently dead?(1). Poe uses the

horrifying sound of the bells to appeal to the auditory senses of the audience.

The sound of these bells has a freighting effect on the audience. Every time

Montresor takes special notice of the sound of the bells the audience is made

aware of the surrounding silence. ?Poe knew well the electrifying effect of

sudden silence in the midst of revelry, revelry stages as escape from

intolerable fear. His silences are as eloquent as those of Chekhov, except that

the emotional lava with which Poe?s silences are charged is different?

(Fagin 202). His silences are ?eloquent? because they alternate with

sound(202). Grimes 3 ?The bells upon his cap jingles as he strode? is one

sentence in which Montresor takes specific notice of the sound of these bells.

The audience is made extremely aware of the specific notice of the sound of

these bells. After Montresor finishes building the wall ?there came forth in

return only a jingling of the bells.? ?The ironic jingling of the bells

which marks the end of ?The Cask of Amontillado? is as perfect a curtain as

could be devised? (Fagin 204). The reader is left with only the sound of the

bells, a sound that even they cannot help but recall after reading the story.

One can imagine the effect the sound of these bells would have when the story is

performed. The final and most memorable sound would be the jingling of the

bells. II. Humor Appeal Through the ironic naming of the characters Poe gives

visual images to the readers. The naming of Fortunato, which is ironic since he

is anything but fortunate, suggests a lucky or fortunate person (Womack 5). He

is given the name ?Fortunato? though to make him appear as a ?fool? (4).

Montresor says that ?Fortunato, like his country men, was a quack? (Lowell

214). Montresor?s name being associated with ?treasure? gives the reader

an image of a rich and powerful man (Gruesser 1). Throughout the story Montresor

uses verbal irony numerous times to foreshadow his intentions to the audience.

One use of this verbal irony is in Montresor?s concern for Fortunato?s

health. Montresor tells Fortunato that his health is precious and they should

Grimes 4 turn back so Fortunato does not become ill. Fortunato responds saying,

?The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me.? Montresor knowing how

Fortunato will die responds ?True-true.? Another example of verbal irony is

occurs when Montresor toasts to Fortunatos long life. Verbal irony is also

apparent when Montresor calls Fortunato ?friend.? When he makes it clear to

the reader that he is seeking revenge on an enemy. Montresor also referred to

him as ?the noble Fortunato.? He heard ?a sad voice, which I had

difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato?(Lowell 221). In the

fact that he is retelling this story after fifty years, one is led to believe

that Montresor must feel guilt for the murder that was committed. III. Visual

Appeal Fortunato enters the scene wearing a jesters cosume. This jesters costume

coincides with the setting of the carnival. The costume is also appropriate for

the story because Montresor wants to make a ?fool? out of him (Womack 4).

The audience can picture Fortunato in this foolish costume. Montresor wears a

?roquelaure? which is a cape making him appear evil and mysterious.

Montresor also puts on a ?mask of black silk? which adds to his horrifying

and evil appearance (Lowell 216). While Fortunato is dressed as a ?fool?

Montresor dresses as an ?executioner? (Platizky 1). Montresor must dress as

this executioner to let the audience know that he is planning on murdering

Fortunato. Grimes 5 Another instance where the narrator is remarkably

descriptive occurs in the depiction of the nitre filled catacombs. The picture

the narrator paints a picture in the audience?s mind that captivates the

imagination. The picture appeals to the reader?s visual sense in such a way

that we enjoy reading the story even more. V. Conclusion ?The Cask of

Amontillado,? by Edgar Allan Poe, is an extremely enjoyable story to read and

study. Poe captures the audience?s attention by using descriptive details in

that appeal to the senses of the audience. The descriptive details in this story

not only appeal to the audience?s auditory and visual senses, but also to

their sense of humor. Through the extraordinarily memory of the narrator as he

recounts these details, the audience is able to see that he is haunted with

details that he can recall fifty years later.

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Gleams?.? Studies in Short Fiction (1991): 183-195. Fagin, N. Bryllion. The

Historic Mr. Poe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1949. Gruesser, John.

?Poe?s The Cask of Amontillado; Criticism & Interpretation.? The

Explicator (1998): 129-130. Lowell, James R. Tales of Mystery and Imagination.

New York: The Book league of America, 1940. Moss, Sidney P. Poe?s Literary

Battles. North Carolina: Kingsport, 1963. Platizky, Roger. ?Poe?s The Cask

of Amontillado; Criticism & Interpretation.? The Explicator (1999):

206-210. Thompson, G.R. ?Cask of Amontillado?: A Case for Defense Van Dulmen,

Richard. ?Rituals of Execution in Early Modern German.? The Social Dimension

of Western Civilization. 4th Ed. Ed. Richard M. Golden. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martins, 1999. Womack, Martha ?The Cask of Amontillado.? http://www.poedecoder.com/essays/cask/