1cook

Brittni Cook

Ms.Oberg

English 11

19 September, 2016

Poes Use of Irony, Foreshadowing, And Imagery

Bone chilling, dark, scary stories are always everyone's favorite stories to tell or

hear.Edgar Allan Poes short frightful story The Cask of Amontillado gives us a story about

murderous revenge.Throughout Poe uses rhetorical devices to intrigue readers; Poe uses a large

amount of irony, foreshadowing, and imagery to develop the chilling story.

Irony is almost humorous at times when used correctly in stories. Poe's use of irony

throughout the story gives the little humor needed and also gives readers a bit sympathy for

Fortunato: i encountered my friend (3). Here the murderer refers to his victim as his friend

which readers know he is not. When Montresor tells Fortunato how remarkably well you are

looking to-day (5). Some who know how the story will end would see what Montresor says as

you look remarkably well to die today or your looks are to die for. Fortunato even up until the

end has this irony against him; he is an 1ignoramus (8). Even to his grave he's mocking people

about being ignorant yet he too is ignoramus.

The advantage readers have over characters if the authors foreshadowing. Poe in the beginning

starts the story off with a little foreshadowing informing readers on what Montresor intentions in

the story are: i vowed revenge (3). From the beginning we knew what Fortunatos most likely

1 an ignorant or stupid person

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fate would be in the story. Allan uses foreshadowing with bits of irony since readers know what

will happen in the end to Fortunato: you are a man to be missed(6). Montresor is indication

Fortunato will be missed when he is gone which will be sooner than what Fortunato probably

expects.What's on the outside doesn't matter it's what's on the inside that does goes the cliche

saying but in Montresor's case his insides are pretty nerve racking: i continued, as was my wont,

to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was the thought of his

immolation(3). He on the outside is acting like they've been friends since the dawn of time yet

in the fearsome reality if just of Fortunato being burned alive, not out of kindness or friendliness.

Poe uses foreshadowing to give a little preview to Fortunato's fate before he know what will hit

him.

The best scary stories are those that are, yes, scary but they also feel as if you are there

with the characters in the story. Poe throughout the story uses imagery as if he wants us to feel

like we're in Montresors shoes. Poes use of imagery allows readers to feel the setting: it was

about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival seasons(3). Readers are

able to grasp the time, occasion, and feel of the evening. Readers also get the understanding of

characters through the story:putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing a 2roquelaire closely

about my person, i 3suffered him to hurry to my plazza(5). Here with a small portion of text

were able to gather he doesn't want to be recognized in a crowd and in a small way a feel of what

the character may be like. The way Poe uses imagery takes the story and gives it a menacing feel

i took the 4sconces two 5flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several

2 a knee-length cloak worn especially in the 18th and 19th centuries.

3 allow (someone) to do something
4 a flaming torch or candle secured in a holder that is attached to a wall.
5 a flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax.
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suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passes down a long and windy staircase,

requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came at length to the floor of the descent and

stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors(5). Its walls had been

lined with human remains, piled to the vault overhead, in the fashion of the great catacombs of

paris(8). We get a feel as if one can vividly see both Fortunato and Montresor descend down the

windy staircase standing then at the bottom. Its as if readers can spectate as if they were there

following behind.

In Poes story The Cask of Amontillado, Poe uses a large amount of irony,

foreshadowing, and imagery to develop the story. The use of irony throughout the story gives the

perfect sinister humor every scary stories need. He uses foreshadowing mixed with bits of irony

to show Fortunato's fate. Finally Poe uses imagery to give the feel as if readers were inside the

story seeing what the characters are seeing and feeling.

Works cited:
Poe, Edgar Allen. The Cask of Amontillado. Elegant Ebooks, public domain. Web. 1846