The Cask of Amontillado Group at eNotes

This statement is ironic in my opinion, called verbal irony, because I...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 18:25:18 PST

This statement is ironic in my opinion, called verbal irony, because I found it sarcastic that he would utter these words when he had killed this man. Very strange, indeed, and a sign of a mentally disturbed person!

Also ironic is that the cellar is where wines age in order to improve...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 18:22:10 PST

Also ironic is that the cellar is where wines age in order to improve and refine their taste, but it was used to brick up Fortunato in order for him to die. A place normally reserved for a good purpose, to make wine wonderfully drinkable and pricey, was used for a murder. On the other hand, the setting is appropriate for the story because it was a perfect cover for the murder because of the noise and chaos that was occurring around the...

Montresor is an unreliable narrator, yes, because he is clearly mentally...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 17:56:37 PST

Montresor is an unreliable narrator, yes, because he is clearly mentally unstable. He cannot be trusted. In addition, there is no evidence that Forunato did, in fact, insult or do anything of great harm to Montresor at all in the story. Poe provides no details. Because the narrator is unreliable, we cannot trust him when he says that Fortunato has wronged him. We do not know if this is true at all. EVen if Montresor HAD provided...

I agree with reply #2. The Latin phrase does mean "rest in...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 14:34:49 PST

I agree with reply #2. The Latin phrase does mean "rest in peace". I hadn't thought of Montresor's putting his grievances finally to bed, but wishing his "friend" whom he has just bricked into the wall, and the bones of the unknown person(s) which he places in front of the wall eternal peace makes sense.

The irony lies in the fact that Montesor has chosen a time of...

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 14:32:15 PST

The irony lies in the fact that Montesor has chosen a time of celebration and fun to hide the torture and murder of his supposed friend by chaining him to a wall and then bricking him up in it for eternity. No one can hear Fortunato's (not so fortunate, is he? More irony for you) screams since he is so far down below all the laughter, music, and sounds of a carnival.

Think about whether or not Montresor is an unreliable narrator.

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 11:23:33 PST

Think about whether or not Montresor is an unreliable narrator. Do any details suggest that he might have imagined “the thousand injuries” and the insult – or even the whole story? Can you find evidence in the story to support Montresor’s claim that Fortunato did in fact injure and insult him? To support your answers, consider Montresor’s actions, statements, and voice.

The Cask of Amontillado

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:35:36 PST

Think about Poe’s decision to set his story during carnival. What is ironic about the setting? In what ways does the setting suit the plot of the story?

The statement that Montresor makes means rest in peace. In my opinion...

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 16:07:28 PST

The statement that Montresor makes means rest in peace. In my opinion it has three specific meanings. First, he is replacing bones that have not been disturbed for 50 years, so he says the phrase to allow these bones to go back to their eternal rest.Second, Montresor is, ironically, wishing Fortunato to rest in peace, odd, since he has just walled him alive in a tomb. Third, Montresor is finally saying rest in peace to his 1000...

These are some instances where Montresor speaks ironically:Fortunato has...

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 13:33:21 PST

These are some instances where Montresor speaks ironically:Fortunato has a coughing fit while the two are walking through the catacombs. Montressor says, "Come...we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as I once was. You are a man to be missed".Montressor appears to be concerned about Fortunato's cough, but in reality, he is plotting to kill him when they reach the...

In "Cask of Amontillado", which of Montresor's comments to the...

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 11:54:42 PST

Montresor's voice – the way he speaks and his tone – is frequently ironic. Which of Montresor’s comments to the unsuspecting Fortunato mean something different from what they seem to mean?

In your opinion, what is Montresor thinking when he says, “In pace...

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 11:21:55 PST

In your opinion, what is Montresor thinking when he says, “In pace requiescat”? Explain your interpretation.

Montresor is a calculating unexpected murderer. Unlike, say a man...

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 14:03:23 PST

Montresor is a calculating unexpected murderer. Unlike, say a man coming at you with a knife, Montresor lures Fortunato into the tombs using his ego and vanity as bait. Poe has given Montresor a compartmentalized personality. By day, he moves in society, while planning a most heinous murder, by night, he becomes a cruel, heartless killer. Even as he tells the story many years later, he still lacks remorse for his deeds. ...

How would you describe the persona that Poe has created for Montresor?...

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:40:54 PST

How would you describe the persona that Poe has created for Montresor? Why might Poe have chosen someone like Montresor to tell his story?

According to Montresor, there are two elements which must be present for...

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:11:30 PST

According to Montresor, there are two elements which must be present for a crime, specifically of revenge, to be perfect. First of all, it "must not only punish, but punish with impunity". The avenger, or "redresser", must be able to get away with the crime without being punished himself - "a wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes it redresser". The victim of the crime of revenge must also be fully...

It isn't Montresor's recipe for a perfect crime that he addresses, but...

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:06:45 PST

It isn't Montresor's recipe for a perfect crime that he addresses, but it is what Montresor feels is the perfect revenge. He wants revenge against Fortunato for "the thousand injuries" Montresor feels Fortunato has done to him. In the first paragraph, Montresor states what must occur in order for revenge to be successful."A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger...

According to Montresor in "Cask of Amontillado", what makes a...

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:58:49 PST

According to Montresor in "Cask of Amontillado", what makes a perfect crime?

Luchresi never enters the story in the form of a character. He is...

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:03:03 PST

Luchresi never enters the story in the form of a character. He is simply someone whose name is used in order to get Fortunato's interest up enough to encourage him to jump at the chance to try the amontillado. Luchresi, like Fortunato, is another wine expert. Montresor threatens to take Luchresi to the coveted amontillado if Fortunato isn't interested.

One of the most obvious is the symbolism of the place Montresor brings...

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:30:35 PST

One of the most obvious is the symbolism of the place Montresor brings his victim. Think of the description of the place: the palazzo of the Montresors with its many rooms, the archway that leads to the ‘‘long and winding staircase’’ down to the catacombs, the damp and dark passageway hanging with moss and dripping moisture, the piles of bones, the flaming torches that flicker and fade, and the "clanking'' and "furious...

Figurative language is language that has meaning beyond its literal...

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:03:08 PST

Figurative language is language that has meaning beyond its literal sense, or language that goes beyond its literal meaning to achieve special effect (www.dictionary.com). Types of figurative language include symbolism, personification, alliteration, and metaphor. I would suggest trying to locate examples of one or more of these in the story. You can find information about these literary terms here at eNotes or at www.dictionary.com. ...

I need help finding:

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:59:02 PST

Find three examples of figurative language and explain the effect they have on the story and how they create that effect. Re-write the sample of figurative language.