The Setting of The Cask of Amontillado by Edger Allen Poe - Essay Example

? The Setting of “The Cask of Amontillado” By Your Your School November 23, The Setting of “The Cask of Amontillado” Sir Edger Allen Poe is most known for his profound impact in the gothic writing realms. His narratives typically stretch the reader’s level of comfort to reveal real injustice and horrors that plague society, which most would rather ignore. One of the most vital aspects used in creating these gothic masterpieces is the setting. The setting of The Cask of Amontillado, demonstrates this importance in a most intense way. As with most gothic settings, the setting in this story is used to accentuate the contrast of freedom and confinement. The distinction shown both literally and figuratively between these two aspects is typically called the gothic interior. The gothic interior, through careful attention to the setting, forces the reader to toggle between the feelings of being free and trapped, which in turn makes the reader more aware of these emotions. By taking an in-depth look at how the setting in, The Cask of Amontillado, including: the country, the carnival, the vaults, darkness, and the tomb: influence the main character’s attitude, decisions and behavior, and how it contributes to the story’s overall impact, the importance of the setting in gothic narratives becomes clear. The country in which The Cask of Amontillado takes place is Italy. This fact would typically not have a profound impact on the reader, unless they had some knowledge of the history of gothic narratives. Upon studying into the history of gothic narratives one would find that the first person to publish an explicitly gothic story, Horace Walpole did so in Otranto, Italy. The story he published, The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, portrays confinement in that one of the main characters is ultimately pinned beneath a giant gold helmet that falls from the sky. So the fact that Poe chose to also set his short story, The Cask of Amontillado, in Italy could be a nod to the accomplishments of Walpole, and perhaps impact that Walpole’s writings had on his own. The fact that the main character of the story is ultimately trapped, along with the fact that one of the main characters in, The Cask of Amontillado, is trapped also leads many experts to feel this location comparison of Italy was intentional. The event that is occurring during the time this story takes place, the carnival, also has a profound impact on the gothic interior, or setting, and ultimately the actions of the main character, Montresor. The carnival is a celebration, the day before lent, in which people partake of those things they will be fasting during lent. This is a representation of a time of freedom and celebration before a time of confinement. For Montresor it also represents a time of freedom before he is ultimately confined by his own actions and murderous decision. However the description, given by Montresor, of the carnival is very vague and rushed. He does not take time to describe much of what is going on, only enough to prove how foolish and indulgent his protagonist, Fortunado, is. Even during the carnival Montresor keeps thinking of the vaults, or impending confinement. At one point during their walk toward the catacombs he says, “The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with niter” (Poe).This shows how consumed he is with his hate of Fortunado and his plan to kill. He consumed to the point that he is unable to see the life, party, or wealth he has around him his sole focus was the damp, darkness that lay ahead. As with most hate filled, vengeful plans the depths of emotion and mental turmoil lay within the dark inner chambers of ones heart and soul. This is physically manifested in The Cask of Amontillado as the dark, damp, vaults Montresor and Fortunado descend into. As they enter the vaults the narrator, Montresor, gives detailed descriptions of the death and darkness that surrounded them. He does this both verbally and with his narrative. At one point he says, “I drink … to the buried that repose around us”, and, “The drops of moisture trickle among the bones” (Poe). He does this to point out the death and dampness all around them, though Fortunado pretends it does not affect him, however, it is obvious, at least physically, it does. It seems as though the setting of the vaults allows Montresor to revel in the hatred and darkness within and he wants both Fortunado and the reader to go there with him. It is almost as if this physical manifestation of his emotions also solidifies his evil plan. Before he gets to the vaults there is hope that he might change his mind, and chose another path. Once he enters the vaults, the setting of death and despair, seems in a sense to trap Montresor and ultimately Fortunado. The further they go into the vaults the darker it becomes. This demonstrates the loss of light both literally and figuratively. They are literally losing the light of the world above them, the happy, festive, free world; as they go further and further toward darkness and captivity. It seems as though the darker it becomes on the outside the darker and more mischievous Montresor’s behavior also becomes. It appears that he is figuratively losing the light of happiness as he goes further and further into his hatred and vengeful plan. When they finally reach the last recess Montresor states, “the feeble light did not enable us to see” (Poe). This is meant literally that they are unable to see where they are any longer because the light of the world above them has faded. It also shows how the further and further Montresor went into the vaults and figuratively his hatred and want of revenge, the less he could reason and see the happiness that once was. It is obvious that Montresor has led a wealthy life at the time the story takes place. This can be noted by the fact that he had to send his servants to the carnival so that he could accomplish his plan, and by the large catacombs in which his family is buried. However, money, family, and the life around him had slowly faded away as he grew blinded by his hatred of Fortunado. By allowing the darkness to consume them both literally and figuratively, Fortunado and Montresor, were on the precipice of losing their freedoms. Fortunado would lose his literally by becoming entombed behind a wall and Montresor would ultimately lose his figuratively, by becoming entombed in his own feelings that led him to the inner darkness that compelled him to murder. In this way the vaults are a direct representation of Montresor’s mindset and they actually aid him in the accomplishment of his revenge. The wall setting in which Montresor ultimately traps Fortunado is also a physical representation of the inner wall of hatred and revenge that has begun to trap Montresor’s feelings and emotions. Right before Montresor lays the last brick to seal Fortunado, and his own fate, it seems as though he has a moment of regret or despair as he yells, “Fortunado” twice however, Fortunado does not respond. It seems as though the setting of the catacombs and the darkness that has swallowed Montresor up both within and without force him, almost against his will, to lay the last brick into place. This seals both Fortunado’s death and his own misery. His misery and regret is demonstrated when he states, as he is leaving the catacombs, “My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so” (Poe). One can only assume, due to the fact that he is relating the story fifty years after its accordance that Montresor’s heart was not heavy merely because of the dampness of the air, but also because of the heaviness of the act he had just committed. It seems that though Montresor obtained physical freedom, he never obtained emotional freedom. His heart was still entombed within the wall of the catacombs with Fortunado. The use of the setting including but not limited to: the country, the carnival, the vaults, darkness, and the tomb, all contributed to Montresor’s actions, and the overall impact of the story on the reader. Gothic interior and its contrast of freedom versus confinement can be seen in every aspect of the setting of this story. This toggle back and forth represented the physical location of Montresor and the figurative state which was going on within him. Though many find it hard to sympathize with Montrosor’s intentions and actions, as with most gothic narratives, the setting allowed the reader to at least really feel the depths of Montresor’s emotions. References Poe, Edgar A. The Cask of Amontillado. Mankato, MN: Creative Education, 2008. Print. Read More