A Critical Analysis of Poes Use of Humor in the Cask of Amontillado - Book Report/Review Example

Download file to see previous pages The humors lie in the verbal ironies in the story. At the very beginning of the story, the readers learn about the revenge motif of Montressor (Silverman 312). So, when, in the story, they come across the verbal ironies in Montressor’s narration, they rather become aware of the follies, simplicity and hubris, of Fortunato, which inevitably push him towards the horrible death. Also, the humors in the story are endowed with a two-fold meaning. On one hand, they provide brutal pleasure to Montressor; on the other hand, they reveal Fortunato’s follies and hubris. Montressor exhibits a black sense of humor. In the very beginning of the story, Montressor describes Fortunato in a jester’s outfit. He describes Fortunato as following: “[In] one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend….The man wore motley” (Poe pars.2). In that carnival evening, Fortunato wears a “tight-fitting parts-striped dress” (Poe pars.2). He also wears a “canonical cap and bells” (Poe pars.3). Montressor describes this jester-like outfit of Fortunato in order to prove him as an unfit opponent, as such malicious intention of Montressor is evident in his words, “His head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand” (Poe pars.2) But ironically, his description reveals Fortunato merely as a simpleton who is going to be a helpless victim of Montressor. Indeed, if the readers did not learn about Montressor’s revengeful intention, Fortunato’s jester-like clothing could mean something else. But when Montressor vows that “I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (Poe pars.3), Fortunato’s jester-like clothing and hubris make him more vulnerable and pathetic. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More