"The Cask of Amontillado" - Literary Analysis Essay on

Introduction

The Cask of Amontillado is among the tales of the romantic movement in art, romantic gothic subgenre, cadavers, catacombs, as well as a horror tale with the dungeons of the gothic paraphernalia. Poe transcends the genre at his best because his horror tale was of the soul. He was a pioneer in writing and analyzing extreme neurotic psychological fiction. Moreover, whatever meaning or reference that is offered by the tale lies in Montresor's picture, contained in his words. The paper, therefore, is premised on a discussion regarding themes in the story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.

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Theme of Revenge

The force that drove Montresor to kill Fortunato was his powerful revenge desire. As depicted in the story, his first words were, "I had borne the thousand Fortunato injuries, but immediately Fortunato ventured upon insult; I promised to revenge" (Poe). Moreover, the revenge idea is severally repeated in most of the opening paragraphs of the story.

Montresor also depicts that he will never rush to act because he knew that at length, he would be avenged. Additionally, he was determined to seek revenge and punish his enemies with impunity (Baraban 51). The revenge terms would always be seen in the mind of Montresor as he would never feel entirely revenged unless Fortunato realized that his retribution would be in the hands of Montresor. Thus, from the story, when Montresor is seeking revenge, he acts out his people's motto as depicted in the arms of the family coat, Nemo me impune lacessit meaning nobody can wound a person with impunity (Poe).

The Theme of Confinement and Freedom

The contrast between confinement and freedom is extreme in the story such that for one character to be freed, another aspect must die. The narration is conducted in an underground graveyard or a massive and incredibly foul-smelling catacomb abound by dead bodies. There is less freedom possibility as the characters in the story move into smaller crypts (Baraban 54). Each tomb they run into is more disgusting than the last. The depicted confinement, thus, makes the characters and readers to appreciate fresh air deliciousness. It also makes readers deeply think of what makes people feel free, as well as what makes them feel trapped (Stott 86).

Theme of Betrayal

Betrayal is driven in the story as the betrayal of one character sets of a hidden punishment chain that is reinforced in a mass grave below the ground. Behind all deaths and acts of revenge, the story focuses mainly on trust (Poe). Also, The Cask of Amontillado aims at the points a person might go to feel good when they have been betrayed as well as the repercussions that they will encounter when the depicted points hit murderous extremes (Scott 86).

Theme of Disguise

Disguise, both in literal and metaphorical terms, grants Montresor the freedom to commit his crime. Both Montresor and Fortunato are literally in disguise as it is a carnival that logistically allows Montresor to lead Fortunato to the catacombs (Stott, 2004). With the author's use of dramatic irony, the meaning behind most of the words said by Montresor, as well as his true intentions, can be said to be disguised by Fortunato.

Conclusion

The Cask of Amontillado is a tale of addiction, torture, murder, revenge, and disguise set in a large Italian underground cemetery. It is also a journey into the mysterious and dark recesses of the human psyche. The main characters depicted in the tale are Montresor and Fortunato, who showcase different traits to their people as well as the readers.

Works Cited

Baraban, Elena V. "The motive for murder in" The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe." Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature (2004): 47-62. Doi: 10.2307/1566552

Poe, Edgar Allan. The cask of Amontillado. The Creative Company, 2008. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4b6PnHfQ1y8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA22&dq=the+cask+of+amontillado+by+edgar+allan+poe&ots=sk3ejvb8bO&sig=_MsMWXtQzZUb5zW6TfLFCDj7i2Q&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20cask%20of%20amontillado%20by%20edgar%20allan%20poe&f=false

Stott, St Graham John. "Poe's the Cask of Amontillado." The Explicator 62.2 (2004): 85-88. Doi: 10.1080/00144940409597179