Examples Of Dramatic Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

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“The Cask of Amontillado” is an interesting story told through the eyes of a murderer. Throughout the story, Montresor lures an intoxicated and powerless Fortunato into the catacombs, thinking he will to see a rare wine. All the while, Montresor is conducting a murder, he feels no guilt. Throughout, the readers witness Fortunato’s morbid death first hand in an intense story that brings out the evil in the world. Edgar Allan Poe uses verbal, situational, and dramatic irony in this short story “The Cask of Amontillado” to give the readers a sense of horror and suspense.
A common form of irony that is frequently used throughout the story is verbal irony. In the beginning of the story, Montresor greets Fortunato and tells him how lucky he is to have met him today. This is ironic because Fortunato is not lucky at all due to the unfortunate events later in the story. While Montresor and Fortunato are in the catacombs, Fortunato begins to cough profusely. Montresor asks about the cough and tells Fortunato his health is
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“The Cask of Amontillado” has numerous examples of dramatic irony, which develop suspenseful and tragic elements in the story. For example, in the beginning of the story, the setting takes place at a Mardi Gras festival. Mardi Gras is a joyful celebration for people before Lent. Soon enough, the setting is changed to a dark gloomy setting and Fortunato will eventually die. Another example is that throughout the story, the audience and readers know that Fortunato is going to be killed, but the whole time he is unaware what is going to happen to him. Fortunato is disguised as a fool during the time of Mardi Gras. Fortunato resembles his costume after he is deceived by Montresor. This is a form of dramatic irony because the reader knows that Fortunato is being made as a fool by Montresor. The suspense in the short story keeps the readers on the edge of their