The Cask of Amontillado Characters, Summary, Setting, Analysis, Theme, Plot
The Cask of Amontillado, the short story (first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey’s Lady Book, the most popular American periodical) takes place in a nameless Italian city in an unspecified year (probably in the 18th century), narrated in the first person point of view. The Narrator is Montresor, the protagonist.
The Cask of Amontillado Meaning
The Cask- meaning wine barrel, is derived from the same root word used to construct ‘casket’, meaning “coffin”. It ironically indicates the “Coffin of Fortunate” The cask is capable of holding 31.5 gallon barrel. Amontillado’ is a kind of Sherry, a product of Spain, called ‘Montilla.’The Cask of Amontillado Characters
1.Character Sketch of Monstresor :
The very name ‘Monstresor’ means ‘my treasure’. He, the teller of the tale, narrates the story of his killing Fortunato fifty years before. He hails from an established wealthy family, living in a large “palazzo” with a staff of servants. His speeches are interspersed with Latin and French phrases. He cherished a grudge against Fortunato who has been engaged in several offences against him. His planning of revenge-taking is in Jacobean spirit. He lures his friend into the deepest catacombs beneath the ‘palazzo’, chains him to the walk of a small alcove, seals him in behind a new brick wall, in spite of Fortunato’s fervent appeal for mercy and leaves him to court death. Montresor is made of different metal than generally met with Poe’s horror fiction. Having no regret, he reveals the story of revenge fifty years later.
A subtle manger of macabre setting and situations, Montresor is a ruthless, quick-witted, planner with careful manipulating power of revenge-taking. His predecessors can be detected in the Jacobean Revenge Tragedies of England. He is a skilled utilizer of the twilight dusk. Determined in avenging his strange motive, he has a Machiavellian psyche, though he has endured “the thousand injures of Fortunates”. He “vowed revenge.” He deliciously relishes the fortune of Fortunants. The unique burial is itself a sort of dramatic irony. Read More
