Literary devices
Edgar Allan Poe uses a rather simple language in the story “The Cask of Amontillado”, which was designed to be easily understood by readers in 1846. However, words like “vault” may seem a little pretentious for the modern reader. Apart from the simple, everyday language, the author also inserted a few wine brands which might be new for non-drinkers or people who do not have a wine culture: “Amontillado”, “Medoc” and “De Grâve”.
Irony
There are multiple instances of irony in the text, which enhance the text’s attractiveness. First of all, the name of Fortunato (the fortunate/lucky one) is very ironic given the fact that he is the one who ends up killed. Then, the title can also be interpreted as an ironic metaphor of Fortunato’s death.
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Imagery
Imagery is created through the use of descriptive words such as adverbs and adjectives which show the way the characters and the setting look like, or how the characters act and react, helping readers to imagine the events. In Poe’s text, most imagery is related to the setting, but also to the narrator’s actions.
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Most descriptive words also form various figures of speech which contribute to the overall imagery. Here are the most notable figures of speech from Poe’s text:
- Epithets
- Speech breaks
- Sensory details
- Repetition
Repetition
Repetition helps increasing tension and suspense in the text, such as when the two characters repeat the same words:
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