Irony and Symbolism in The Cask of Amontillado

Irony and Symbolism in “The Cask of Amontillado” In the short story "The Cask of Amontillado," Edgar Allan Poe writes in first person point of view, from the perspective of Montresor, the narrator of this tale, who seeks revenge against Fortunato. Montresor began to develop the perfect plan for revenge. During the carnival season, Montresor meet with Fortunato and decides to implement his plan carefully not to arouse Fortunato's suspicions through irony. Poe's story describes …

…The narrator cannot understand that his assault upon another person derives from his own moral sickness unbalance” (Ward). Also found in many of Poe’s works are characters who hide behind a false identity. “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Black Cat”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “The Premature Burial” have a deadly saneness only slightly mitigated by a thin veneer of difference, ineffectual to veil their virtual identity (Ward).