'The Cask of Amontillado'

Paper Summary:

This paper serves to introduce, discuss and analyze the short story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. Specifically, the paper critically analyzes the short story for its theme and purpose. Poe's theme in this dark short story is not difficult to discern. According to the paper, Poe's theme and Montressor's purpose in the story is to gain revenge and he uses revenge to show how destructive and disabling this emotion can be.

From the Paper:

"Even more unsettling is just how thoroughly Montressor has planned his revenge. He knows exactly what will happen to his friend, and how ghastly it will be, and yet he plunges ahead without compassion or remorse. He dismisses his servants so there will be no witnesses. He carries a trowel underneath his cloak to complete his plot; he lures Fortunato to the vaults with the promise of a very rare wine, and finally, he prepares a small area with chains and restraints to hold his friend while he completes his revenge. Thus, he has planned everything down to the tiniest detail, and that is even more chilling than his mad desire for revenge. He knows what he is doing, and goes ahead with it anyway, without any feelings of remorse or shame. That is the most horrifying aspect of the story, and is the culmination of the theme. Montressor may be mad, but most of all he is under the spell of revenge, and it is so consuming that it takes over his life and removes his ability to tell right from wrong."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, 4th ed. X.J. Kennedy/ Dana Gioia, eds.

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