Angela Combs 1

Bach
English 1020
February 9, 2004

The Dramatic Irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Many stories and books that have experienced success all share one thing in

common: an interesting facet of the main story plot. In “The Cask of Amontillado,”

Edgar Allan Poe uses the lure of dramatic irony in which the audience knows what will

happen to the character while the character himself is left in the dark. This particular

short story is a prime example of dramatic irony in which the unlucky and ill-fated

character Fortunato surprisingly meets his fate.

The opening of the story gives the reader an omniscient viewpoint of what is to

happen throughout the rest of the story. From the very first sentence when the main

character Montresor says that when Fortunato “ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge,”

one may suspect something is amiss (Poe). The second paragraph confirms this suspicion

when Montresor says, “..and he did not perceive that my smile NOW was at the thought

of his immolation” (Poe). This statement is an allusion to the reader that the killing will

come without any warrant for suspicion of foul play while at the same time not giving

detail to any master plan of how it is to happen.

Montresor proceeds to lure Fortunato with the thought of Amontillado, a type of

wine, by using the appeal that perhaps someone other than the sickened Fortunato could

taste the wine instead so as to prevent further harm to his well being. The very thought of

this irritated Fortunato and it is obvious at this point in time he will pursue his death in a

shade of grandeur when he comments, “‘Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely
Angela Combs 2
Bach
English 1020
February 9, 2004

nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon; as for Luchesi, he cannot

distinguish Sherry from Amontillado’” (Poe). This then makes it clear that stubbornness

will override the better judgment of Fortunato and unknowingly lead him to his demise.

Further in Poe’s story toward the halfway point, the irony takes a turn to show that

Fortunato deems himself indestructible from the elements or any present physical

ailment. “‘I shall not die of a cough’” was the scoffed reply from Fortunato when

questioned of his ailments and how they might come over him if they persisted to achieve

the task of finding the Amontillado (Poe). The ironic thing about this is that he will in

fact not die from a cold that was afflicting him, but rather by the hands of a disgruntled

Montresor who will soon pour all his afflictions upon Fortunato ten-fold. Fortunato thus

retains an air of feeling indestructible without the any available advice from others and

misses all the road signs pointing him down the road of doom.

It is only toward the end of the story when Montresor begins to make his master

plan readily to his victim Fortunato and the irony is made completely known to all

involved. As Montresor begins to entomb the crypt in which he chained down a drunken

Fortunato, it is only then that Fortunato realizes that it may not all be a joke and cries

aloud, “‘FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!’” (Poe). This cry for desperation is

only met with an evil sarcasm from Montresor and all falls quiet from within when

Fortunato knows the real circumstances of his fate. The silence signifies that he comes to

grips with irony of his situation in which his only intentions were to have some fun. In

this way, Fortunato experiences a different viewpoint of the irony apart from what the

reader does.
Angela Combs 3
Bach
English 1020
February 9, 2004

From the beginning to the end of “The Cask of Amontillado,” dramatic irony

takes on a sizable role and the omniscient viewpoint Poe bestows upon the audience is

chiefly responsible for the reactions evoked from the audience. Everyone knew what was

to happen in the story while the intended character remained without a clue. In giving

this viewpoint, Poe knew exactly how to lure his audience into his story by making use of

his magnificent ability to display dramatic irony.