Symbolism
This item of clothing visually represents Fortunato’s foolish pride and hints at his role in the story.
What is Fortunato’s jester costume?
“The Cask of Amontillado” is best classified within this subgenre of American Romanticism.
What is Dark Romanticism (or Gothic literature)?
This point of view allows readers to hear the story directly from Montresor’s perspective.
What is first‑person narration?
Montresor’s family crest, which compares his enemy to a crushed serpent, is an example of this type of figurative language that represents an idea rather than meaning something literally.
What is a metaphor?
Montresor’s stated reasoning for revenge reveals his belief that forgiveness is this.
What is unacceptable or a weakness?
Montresor’s family motto, translated as “No one attacks me with impunity,” symbolizes this central motivation.
What is revenge?
This defining characteristic of Dark Romanticism is shown through Montresor’s obsession and justifications.
What is psychological complexity or the exploration of the dark side of human nature?
Montresor is considered this type of narrator because readers only see events as he justifies them.
What is an unreliable narrator?
Montresor’s family crest functions as this type of figurative device representing abstract ideas.
What is a symbol?
Poe’s use of Gothic elements causes readers in 1846 to view revenge as something that is especially this.
What is horrifying or morally disturbing?
The Montresor coat of arms, showing a foot crushing a serpent, helps foreshadow this outcome of the plot.
What is Montresor destroying Fortunato as punishment?
Poe’s use of darkness, confinement, and death reflects a 19th‑century fascination with this topic.
What is death and burial (or mortality)?
Poe builds suspense by delaying this key action until the very end of the story.
What is Fortunato’s full realization of Montresor’s betrayal?
The description of the catacombs as increasingly damp and dark contributes to this overall effect on the reader.
What is mood or atmosphere?
Modern readers are more likely to focus on this flaw in Montresor rather than sympathizing with him.
What is his moral corruption or lack of empathy?
This underground setting symbolizes Montresor’s moral descent and the dark psychological nature of his revenge.
What are the catacombs?
The Gothic contrast between the busy carnival and the silent catacombs emphasizes this thematic concern.
What is the horror of hidden evil beneath social normalcy?
By combining first‑person narration with dramatic irony, Poe causes the reader to experience this emotion.
What is dread or anxious anticipation?
The comparison implied by Montresor’s crest suggests Fortunato is like this animal.
What is a snake?
The journey deeper into the catacombs most strongly reinforces this theme.
What is vengeance or revenge?
Taken together, the motto, the coat of arms, and the jester costume reinforce this Dark Romantic idea about human nature.
What is that pride and obsession lead to moral corruption and violence?
Poe’s Gothic techniques suggest that the greatest danger comes not from the supernatural, but from this source.
What is the human mind and its capacity for cruelty?
Poe builds suspense by telling the entire story through Montresor’s voice, forcing readers to rely on his justifications rather than an objective account. What is Poe blending?
What is first‑person narration with an unreliable narrator?
Rewriting a sentence so the subject performs the action, rather than receives it, changes the sentence to this voice.
What is active voice?
Despite claiming he got away with the “perfect crime,” this small detail suggests Montresor may not be as calm and satisfied as he wants us to believe.
What is the fact that he is still talking about it 50 years later?